Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Gorgeous Carat (YGO version) ❯ Flame of Magar Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lsama-no-miko 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Romance / Suspense / Drama | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 10.31.2007 | Updated On: 10.31.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 294 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Romance / Suspense / Drama | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 10.31.2007 | Updated On: 10.31.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 294 | Status: Work In Progress
Gorgeous Carat (YGO version)
Sakura (L-sama no Miko)
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, so please don’t sue.
Chapter 1: Flame of Magar, Part 1
It is the early twentieth century, Paris, France. The future city of lights is besieged by one man, an ingenious phantom thief known only as ‘Noir’. No one knows who he is. None have been able to capture him. Until he came across a very special ‘amethyst’ that is.
**********************************************************
“Eeek!!!!!” cried one of the partygoers as she brushed her hand over her now bare neck. “My necklace’s gone!!”
There was an echoing scream as another of the women found herself in a similar situation. “Mine is too!” she cried.
Outside, a dark figure in a cape laughed to himself as he fled over the Paris rooftops, his long white hair whipping behind him. “There he is!” shouted one of the gendarmes chasing him. “It’s the phantom thief Noir! Get him! Don’t let him get away!”
“Che! Fools,” the thief muttered, smirking all the way home. Not in a million years had they ever been able to catch him, nor will they ever be.
******************************************************
The next day, a young white haired man sat lounging on his best arm chair, a ruby and diamond studded necklace dangled from his slender fingers. “Beauty and the devil do indeed go together,” he said admiring his latest ‘find’. “I have no interest things that suffer a tragic fate. Like diamonds – the more beautiful the stone, the more soaked with blood it is – a icy cold light that grows even more brilliant each time it steals a person’s soul.”
********************************************************
Meanwhile… somewhere in the Parisian countryside…
“Hoo boy!!” yelled one of the workers as he helped his friends move various pieces of furniture from the enormous mansion. “Check this baby out!” He whistled appreciatively at the ornate carving on the heavy velvet upholstered couch. “This is from when Louis the fourteenth was king!”
“Well, duh!” said his partner. “They are nobles none of those nouveau riche fools.”
“Get back to work you idiots!” shouted the foreman, “You’re not paid to yap!”
“Sorry boss!” apologized the first worker.
“If that’s all, Madame,” the foreman said, addressing a woman in about her mid thirties, though she looked much older due to the hard times her family had now fallen into. “I’ll deposit the money from the sales in your usual account.”
The lady of the house ignored the sobbing brunette serving girl behind her. She was used to such sights now. “Yes. That is all for now, Monsieur Caper,” she said dismissing him.
“How can you be so calm about this Madame?!” sobbed the maid, Anzu, “Years of Mutou history pawed by such rough hands!”
Madame Mutou remained silent. It would be bad form to let these peasants see the pain her heart was feeling. “Always a pleasure, Madame,” Caper said, bowing mockingly as he followed his man out of the mansion. He gave out a chuckle. “These rich fools hang on to everything out of pride only to suffer for it in the long run. Oh well, who cares, as long as I get paid.”
Once the vile men were out of sight and earshot, Madame Mutou broke down into tears, slumping into one of the few remaining chairs. “How did we come to this!” she moaned, placing her head in her hands. “We Mutous are descended from the Bourbon royal family line! To imagine, such a noble family forced to sell of all our ancestral heirlooms to a bunch of money hungry peasants!”
“Mother,” said a boy with red, black, and gold hair entering the salon. Though he looked no more than thirteen, he was much older. He was twenty almost a complete man. “Monsieur Caper was here wasn’t he? Is that why you’re crying?”
“My sweet Yugi,” she said, drawing her son into a fierce embrace. “It’s nothing you should worry about. You look even more like your father each and every day, with that hair and those rich amethyst eyes of yours. Ah, if only he were still here.”
“Don’t give up, maman (Mom). I’ll find a job and then…”
“Yugi!” she cried, a look of sheer horror on her face. “Don’t you ever suggest such a disgusting thing again!”
“But maman!”
“I’d rather embrace La Guillotine than have my son labor like a commoner! You’re of noble blood Yugi! We Mutous almost had everything taken from us during that horrid Paris Commune! That’s what killed your father! He died of a broken heart! How can you be so cruel to your own mother?!”
She shivered as she remembered those harrowing days. They had lost the war against Prussia and the cowards in the government fled the country, leaving the peasants of Paris to form their own government. To her the mere thought of lowlifes making the laws was something akin to finding maggots in your meal.
“I’ll never accept this new age of peasants! Our ancient and noble pride demands that we refuse to submit to the likes of them!”
“Then what should we do maman?! We can’t live in the past forever! The money we have left won’t last much longer!”
“Enough Yugi!” she demanded. “All this has tired me out. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Maman!” the boy called, not about to give up the fight that easily. “If that’s how you feel, then why not sell off that 120 carat diamond? Sell our greatest treasure, the ‘Flamme de Magar!’”
There was the echoing sound of silk covered flesh meeting bare skin. Yugi barely flinched, having been chastised like that before – he had of late been trying to get her to see reason, but she wouldn’t have any of it. “How many times must I tell you… NEVER spout such filth again!”
“I’m sorry, maman,” he said heading for the door.
“Yugi,” she called, forcing him to pause. “I’m having a dinner party tomorrow. These peasants MUST know that we Mutous are still strong. You will be there as well.” That last wasn’t a question. It was an order. “Wear that white military uniform of yours.” The boy let out a saddened sigh.
“Yes, maman,” he said woodenly. ‘If only she’d see reason for once,’ he muttered to himself.
“Master Yugi, what’s the matter?” Anzu asked as the ‘head’ of the Mutou family headed for his own suite of rooms.
“I’ve become really lazy haven’t I?” he replied more to himself than the maid he’d practically grown up with. The brunette stared after him, her heart saddened greatly for her childhood friend.
******************************************************
The next evening, one of the newfangled automobiles approached the Mutou mansion, its tires squeaking loudly as it came to a halt by the front doors. A tan skinned boy with pale golden hair in Arabic clothing gazed in awe at the sheer size of the estate and let out a loud whistle.
“This place is awesome, ain’t it Noir?!” he asked his white haired companion.
“Not so loud, Malik,” he reprimanded, “I’m supposed to be Bakura. Bakura Akefia Courland.”
The blond Egyptian pouted. “That name’s too long for you. I think Noir suits you better,” he said attempting to snuggle closer to the handsome man. “As hot as you are in that get up, don’t you think it’ll make you stand out too much?”
“Nah,” replied Noir. “I’m not ‘working’ today. Now be a good boy and wait like a good little servant.” He then patted Malik’s soft desert colored hair and stepped from the car, his blood red robe sweeping dramatically revealing tight fitting black pants and a loose white shirt that was open slightly to show off the barest hint of a muscular chest.
“Idiot,” Malik spat good naturedly before settling down again to wait.
*********************************************************
Meanwhile, Yugi stood in a corner, frowning at the foolish aristocracy as they partied into the night. ‘Candles flickering, champagne glasses clinking, couples whirling as they dance, the stench of perfume,’ he mused as he continued to stare off into space. ‘The refusal to stop living in the past, hanging onto the memory of luxury past. They believe owning land and fancy things will give them the security they so crave. This can’t go on… but maman has to. There’s nothing left to support her now except her pride.’ The white clad boy sighed deeply.
Suddenly he looked up at the increased murmuring of the guests.
“What the?!” said one of the many faceless men.
“Who is that?!” cried another.
“Oh!” gasped some woman.
Yugi’s amethyst eyes widened at the sound of footsteps on the now cracked tile floor. In strode a white haired man in the dress of Arabic royalty. There were many cries of shock and gasps of awe from the noble women. This stranger was rather handsome.
‘What’s an Arab doing here?’ Yugi asked. ‘I don’t remember maman knowing anyone like that.’
“Oh! If it isn’t Le Comte Courland!” beamed one of the many women, “You’re quite exotic looking today if I may say so.”
“Ha! Ha!” laughed one of the men. “A rather droll joke sir. You really had us surprised.”
The count barely contained the sneer threatening to appear on his face. How he despised these pathetic fools. “No joke I assure you,” he spoke coolly. “This is my formal wear, now if you’ll pardon me.” He then stalked off.
Yugi quickly ducked behind a curtain, for once thanking his rather petit stature. However, the movement had caught the stranger’s eyes. He yanked the smaller boy from behind the drapery and narrowed his reddish brown eyes as he stared intently at the youth before him.
‘W-What’s with him?!’ Yugi pondered, desperately trying to calm his now hammering heart. ‘He… He’s just staring at my face.’ He gasped as the much taller man gingerly cupped his cheek. Not one to let this odd man molest him in front of everyone, he did the only thing he could think of. He slapped him. Hard.
“W-Who are you? That you act so rudely!” the boy demanded.
The count let out a chuckle as he rubbed his now red cheek. “Quite the feisty one aren’t you?” he said smirking as he continued to stare at the boy’s lovely face. “Forgive me. Your amethysts were so beautiful I had to see if they were really your eyes or gems made to resemble eyes.” Yugi’s face flushed a brilliant scarlet at the compliment as well as with anger at being handled so roughly. “I’m very found of rare jewels, you know.”
Before Yugi could spout anymore insults at this man, the white haired count stalked off into the crowd of revelers. The amethyst eyed boy couldn’t help but stick his tongue out at the retreating back in a fit of childish behavior. “My eyes aren’t jewels!” he spat back, as he tugged one lower eyelid down.
“I bet you’re thinking is he really related to me, even if he’s a distant cousin?” said a blond man coming over to him.
“Ahh! Don’t scare me like that Uncle Keith!” cried the startled youth. “Wait! That man’s a relative?!”
“Sure is petit. You wouldn’t know about him ‘cause he’s been in Casablanca all this time. I’ve heard that his father’s an Arab. It’s a shame someone as pure as you had to meet someone like him,” the man spat, glaring at the white haired man as he mingled and flirted with several of the women.
“Uncle, why did maman invite him?”
“That’s easy. He’s the richest guy around. Tho’ there’ve been rumors that he’s a rather nasty loan shark.”
“A-A loan shark?!” Yugi gasped in horror.
“I hate to say it petit, but there ain’t a thing here that can’t be turned into money, except that. It looks like my sister may have finally made up her stubborn mind.”
“Yugi!” called Madame Mutou, their mysterious white haired relative standing next to her.
“There’s no way, Uncle. She values that diamond more than the anything in this world, even the king.”
The blond man was silent for a moment. “You know,” he said placing a meaty hand on the boy’s slender shoulder, “You can always count on me if things get too much for you. Times haven’t exactly been good for you have they?”
“T-Thanks Uncle,” he said going over to his mother.
“’You can always count on me’,” mocked a black haired woman coming up to him. “What a load of bull Keith. You’re up to your eyeballs in gambling debts.”
“Shut it before I do, Vivian!” he snapped back before stalking off, his manly pride wounded.
******************************************************
About an hour later, Malik was still waiting in the car, on the verge of falling asleep out of sheer boredom. He gave out an enormous yawn, closing his eyes as he stretched his tired limbs. When he opened them again, he gasped in surprise as an ornate necklace was dangled before him.
“Is that… a blue diamond?!” he asked in awe. “But I thought you said you weren’t working today.”
Outside, Malik yawns broadly in the car. Before her eyes, a ruby necklace suddenly appears.
Noir chuckled. “Force of habit,” he said letting the Egyptian take the jewel. “You can think of it as an apology for making you wait.” Malik blushed profusely. It was a very rare moment when the white haired thief apologized at all.
“Let’s go Malik,” Noir said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “What I’m looking for isn’t in there.”
“You mean the intel was false?”
“Nah. They’re hiding somewhere. Even a blind man could rob this joint.”
“Why not let Rishid check the info this time? You’re awfully excited, Noir. I bet’s it’s ‘cause of that 120 carat diamond right?!”
“Calm down Malik,” chided the thief as they drove off. “But you’re right to some extent. Pebbles don’t turn me on – it’s no fun breaking my back over them. Besides, I found some very interesting jewels.”
“Very interesting jewels?” parroted his blond partner.
“Two lovely amethysts,” he replied wistfully, “They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen.” ‘I’ve got to make those snooty, fiery amethyst eyes mine,’ he vowed, ‘Mine and mine alone.’
******************************************************
The next day, Noir decided to pay a visit to the Mutous. This time he was dressed in a tailored black suit and a red dress shirt underneath the jacket. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else you can use for collateral?” he asked sitting in a plush armchair.
“I’m afraid not,” Madame Mutou replied, “That’s why as I’m asking you as a relative… you’ll be paid of course. We have money from the national loans…”
“Madame Mutou, I care very little where your money comes from. A simple I.O.U. should do.”
“Look at him,’ huffed Yugi, ‘He’s certainly full of himself. As if that outfit of his yesterday were bad enough. Just looking at him makes me sick.’
“Even so, how will…?”
“I always carry a few checks with me. Just write what you want and the bank’ll take care of the rest.” He said dangling a few slips of paper before her.
“Oh my!” cried the shocked woman.
However, the white haired man quickly snatched the checks away before she could grab them. “In return… I’ll take your son as collateral,” he said glancing slyly at the now shocked boy.
“W-What?!” he stammered.
“What… What makes you think I’d accept such an outlandish request?!” Yugi’s mother asked incredulously.
“Whether you accept or not is no concern of mine,” Noir said coolly, “I’m not the one who needs money am I?”
The lady of the house was now extremely pale. “I think you should leave. Anzu will show you to the door.”
“Maman!” Yugi shouted as he caught her as she began to sway on her feet and helped her into one of the few remaining chairs.
“There may be another way,” began Noir, “I’ve heard rumors of a 120 carat gem belonging to the royal family – that it’s somewhere in your family.” Madame Mutou frowned, trembling even more now. “Or is it too much for you to part with Madame. Actually it doesn’t matter which I get. So which do you value more your vain brat of a son or some hunk of rock?”
“STOP THIS!!!” shouted Yugi, snatching the checks and slamming them onto the table between them. “WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANY JEWELS! I-I’ll go,” he whispered softly. “Name your price, Bakura Akefia Courland!”
The white haired man stared at the angry teen intently before giving them a wry smile. “It seems we have a deal,” he said rising from his seat.
Madame Mutou stared at her only son, too shocked to move or speak. She silently pleaded with him to reconsider, but the spiky haired boy would not budge from his decision. He quickly gave his mother a fierce hug, but was yanked away by Noir a few scant seconds later.
“Yugi…” she murmured before sobbing bitterly.
****************************************************************
Later that night, Noir sat at the dinner table, brooding that one place remained empty. “Why won’t he eat?!” the white haired man queried, ignoring the storm raging outside.
“Ever since you brought him here, he refuses to leave his room,” said a bald man with tattoos on one side of his face, “Even though you’ve done nothing but show him kindness, master Bakura.”
‘What does that brat think this is, “La Belle et Le Bête?!”’ he fumed.
“Well, what did you expect, Noir?” Malik snapped jealously, “Those are living amethysts after all. Anyway, I think there’s something wrong with you too.”
“You stay out of this!” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table as he abruptly rose from the table, startling everyone present.
The irate thief stormed up the stairs and began to pound on the teen’s door. “Open this door you brat or I’ll force you to!” He started when the door unexpectedly opened at his bellowed command. Said brat stood and glared at him but the look soon turned to confusion at the man’s worried stare. There were dark circles under the boy’s eyes and they were red and puffy from obvious bouts of crying and his spiky hair looked even spikier due to the obvious lack of sleep.
“Yugi,” he said as civilly as he could manage, “come and eat dinner. It’s not good for you not to eat or drink anything for two days.”
“I don’t want your charity!” he spat defiantly.
“Who said anything about charity,” Noir snarled, “That was an order.”
Yugi replied by spitting in the taller man’s face. “I don’t take orders from peasants!”
“It seems you’ve forgotten exactly what your place is here, petit,” Noir said wiping the spit off and smiling dangerously at the smaller teen. “Maybe I should remind you.” The boy was now more frightened of him than storm outside and he smirked at that.
Before he could say anything, the much stronger man grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him throughout the house and into the cellar where he began to chain the now frightened boy to a pole. As scared as he was, Yugi refused to cry out as his jacket and shirt were promptly ripped from him.
CRACK!
The whip flew fast as the flashing lightning and struck the middle of Yugi’s now bare back. The amethyst eyed boy winced, but still refused to cry out. Malik trembled as he watched from his hiding spot. This was the first time he’d ever seen his friend hurt anyone out of sheer maliciousness and he began to pity the poor boy who he’d been jealous of only a few mere days before.
The whipping continued until finally Yugi broke and let out a heart wrenching scream. Satisfied at having making the boy cry out, the white haired thief dropped the now bloody whip and released him from his chains. Yugi then fell face down onto the cold hard unforgiving floor.
“If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have to punish you like that,” Noir said with mock remorse, “You’d better get over yourself and fast if you want to survive in this age.”
“Y-You bastard,” he said weakly, not bothering to attempt to get up – his back hurt too much. “W-What are you?!”
Noir smirked. “To your family I’m your cousin Bakura Akefia Courland. To everyone else, my name is ‘Noir’.
‘Noir?!’ he thought in surprise, ‘He’s… this monster’s that phantom thief everyone’s been talking about.’ “J-Just wait til I t-tell the gendarmes!” he spat threateningly.
“Please do, little Yugi. They’ll never be able to catch me nor will they ever. Chain him to the wall,” he said to the bald man as he came into the dungeon. Yugi tried to resist, but was much too weakened to even stand on his own.
After making sure his prisoner was securely chained to the wall, Noir took out a knife and lifted the boy’s chin so they’d be eye-to-eye. “I’ll only ask this once brat. If you tell me the truth I won’t hurt you anymore. Now, where is ‘Le Flamme de Magar?’”
Yugi refused to answer, instead he jerked his head away and shut his eyes as tight as he could. ‘Go ahead, kill me,’ he spat silently, ‘I’ll never tell the likes of you.’
Smirking sadistically, the white haired thief began to slide the dagger across the boy’s chest causing droplets of red to appear wherever the blade had dug too deep into the skin.
“I’d really like to know where it is after chasing after it all this time. Now we all know it was last seen just before the revolution, but no one’s seen one glint of it anywhere afterwards. I’ve also heard that the Paris Commune government stormed your home. Why was that I wonder, perhaps to search for a certain shiny rock, hmm? So where are you stashing it brat?”
“I’ve no idea!” Yugi yelled defiantly.
“Well that’s too bad. I’d hate to see anything happen to your oh so charming mother.”
“You lay a finger on her… I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!”
Noir chuckled, turning away from him. “I wonder how long your precious noble pride will hold out against pain. No matter how strong the will, they always break when a little pain’s applied. Rishid, whip him until he’s ready to talk.” The bald man nodded grimly, loathe to obey his master, but he did owe him quite a lot. He’d be rotting in a jail somewhere while his brother Malik suffered a whore’s fate if it weren’t for him.
Noir strode calmly from the cracking of the whip and the boy’s strangled cries as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a country garden. ‘The more they resist, the more and more despair takes over. Even an innocent child like you’ll discover the mystery and passion of the darkness that will be your despair. Yes, darkness… that is what I am. What I am on this hell of a planet for, to cover everything with my darkness.’
He sat down in his favorite armchair, rubbing his temples lightly, glad that the cellar was far away enough to keep Yugi’s screams from reaching his ears. ‘The cursed star ‘Le Flamme de Magar’… hundreds and thousands had shed blood for it, souls drowned in their greed for it as it surrenders to none, shining brightly – a beacon in the dark. I must have it. I’ll cover all with darkness.’
Two hours later, Rishid had come to inform his master that their ‘guest’ had fallen unconscious and Noir was standing over the boy’s limp body lying on the floor, an unreadable expression on his face as he surveyed the welts covering his now naked form.
“Not even once did he cry out after that first one,” Rishid said sadly, “He held onto the very last before the pain became too much for his mind to bear.”
Smiling with veiled admiration, Noir carefully picked up the slumbering Yugi. “You’re really something, kid,” he said as he began to carry him back to his room. ‘Because your shine is more beautiful and brilliant than any jewel on earth.’
*********************************************************
Meanwhile, a couple men passing near the Mutou family estate glance over at the strange glow coming from the direction of the mansion. Recognizing what the glow truly was one of them gasped in shock before shouting, “The Mutou house is burning!!!”
~TBC~
Yami: You’ve got 5 seconds to explain yourself before I mind crush you onna!
Sakura: You got a problem pharaoh, then go complain to the boss. This was her idea after all.
Yami: Um… I think I hear Seto calling. Got to go.
Sakura: Well, watcha think minna? Like? Hate? Lemme know if I should go on with this.
L-sama: You need to ask my miko?
Sakura: Um.. L-sama, I was talking to the readers.
L-sama: Oh. Sorry about that dear. With all these worlds floating around, one does tend to forget all the tiny details. Well I’m off, got loads of stuff to do. Toodles!!
Yugi: Toodles?!
Sakura: Don’t ask. You’ll get used to it. Anyhoo, like I said before, lemme know if I should continue or not.
Sakura (L-sama no Miko)
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, so please don’t sue.
Chapter 1: Flame of Magar, Part 1
It is the early twentieth century, Paris, France. The future city of lights is besieged by one man, an ingenious phantom thief known only as ‘Noir’. No one knows who he is. None have been able to capture him. Until he came across a very special ‘amethyst’ that is.
**********************************************************
“Eeek!!!!!” cried one of the partygoers as she brushed her hand over her now bare neck. “My necklace’s gone!!”
There was an echoing scream as another of the women found herself in a similar situation. “Mine is too!” she cried.
Outside, a dark figure in a cape laughed to himself as he fled over the Paris rooftops, his long white hair whipping behind him. “There he is!” shouted one of the gendarmes chasing him. “It’s the phantom thief Noir! Get him! Don’t let him get away!”
“Che! Fools,” the thief muttered, smirking all the way home. Not in a million years had they ever been able to catch him, nor will they ever be.
******************************************************
The next day, a young white haired man sat lounging on his best arm chair, a ruby and diamond studded necklace dangled from his slender fingers. “Beauty and the devil do indeed go together,” he said admiring his latest ‘find’. “I have no interest things that suffer a tragic fate. Like diamonds – the more beautiful the stone, the more soaked with blood it is – a icy cold light that grows even more brilliant each time it steals a person’s soul.”
********************************************************
Meanwhile… somewhere in the Parisian countryside…
“Hoo boy!!” yelled one of the workers as he helped his friends move various pieces of furniture from the enormous mansion. “Check this baby out!” He whistled appreciatively at the ornate carving on the heavy velvet upholstered couch. “This is from when Louis the fourteenth was king!”
“Well, duh!” said his partner. “They are nobles none of those nouveau riche fools.”
“Get back to work you idiots!” shouted the foreman, “You’re not paid to yap!”
“Sorry boss!” apologized the first worker.
“If that’s all, Madame,” the foreman said, addressing a woman in about her mid thirties, though she looked much older due to the hard times her family had now fallen into. “I’ll deposit the money from the sales in your usual account.”
The lady of the house ignored the sobbing brunette serving girl behind her. She was used to such sights now. “Yes. That is all for now, Monsieur Caper,” she said dismissing him.
“How can you be so calm about this Madame?!” sobbed the maid, Anzu, “Years of Mutou history pawed by such rough hands!”
Madame Mutou remained silent. It would be bad form to let these peasants see the pain her heart was feeling. “Always a pleasure, Madame,” Caper said, bowing mockingly as he followed his man out of the mansion. He gave out a chuckle. “These rich fools hang on to everything out of pride only to suffer for it in the long run. Oh well, who cares, as long as I get paid.”
Once the vile men were out of sight and earshot, Madame Mutou broke down into tears, slumping into one of the few remaining chairs. “How did we come to this!” she moaned, placing her head in her hands. “We Mutous are descended from the Bourbon royal family line! To imagine, such a noble family forced to sell of all our ancestral heirlooms to a bunch of money hungry peasants!”
“Mother,” said a boy with red, black, and gold hair entering the salon. Though he looked no more than thirteen, he was much older. He was twenty almost a complete man. “Monsieur Caper was here wasn’t he? Is that why you’re crying?”
“My sweet Yugi,” she said, drawing her son into a fierce embrace. “It’s nothing you should worry about. You look even more like your father each and every day, with that hair and those rich amethyst eyes of yours. Ah, if only he were still here.”
“Don’t give up, maman (Mom). I’ll find a job and then…”
“Yugi!” she cried, a look of sheer horror on her face. “Don’t you ever suggest such a disgusting thing again!”
“But maman!”
“I’d rather embrace La Guillotine than have my son labor like a commoner! You’re of noble blood Yugi! We Mutous almost had everything taken from us during that horrid Paris Commune! That’s what killed your father! He died of a broken heart! How can you be so cruel to your own mother?!”
She shivered as she remembered those harrowing days. They had lost the war against Prussia and the cowards in the government fled the country, leaving the peasants of Paris to form their own government. To her the mere thought of lowlifes making the laws was something akin to finding maggots in your meal.
“I’ll never accept this new age of peasants! Our ancient and noble pride demands that we refuse to submit to the likes of them!”
“Then what should we do maman?! We can’t live in the past forever! The money we have left won’t last much longer!”
“Enough Yugi!” she demanded. “All this has tired me out. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Maman!” the boy called, not about to give up the fight that easily. “If that’s how you feel, then why not sell off that 120 carat diamond? Sell our greatest treasure, the ‘Flamme de Magar!’”
There was the echoing sound of silk covered flesh meeting bare skin. Yugi barely flinched, having been chastised like that before – he had of late been trying to get her to see reason, but she wouldn’t have any of it. “How many times must I tell you… NEVER spout such filth again!”
“I’m sorry, maman,” he said heading for the door.
“Yugi,” she called, forcing him to pause. “I’m having a dinner party tomorrow. These peasants MUST know that we Mutous are still strong. You will be there as well.” That last wasn’t a question. It was an order. “Wear that white military uniform of yours.” The boy let out a saddened sigh.
“Yes, maman,” he said woodenly. ‘If only she’d see reason for once,’ he muttered to himself.
“Master Yugi, what’s the matter?” Anzu asked as the ‘head’ of the Mutou family headed for his own suite of rooms.
“I’ve become really lazy haven’t I?” he replied more to himself than the maid he’d practically grown up with. The brunette stared after him, her heart saddened greatly for her childhood friend.
******************************************************
The next evening, one of the newfangled automobiles approached the Mutou mansion, its tires squeaking loudly as it came to a halt by the front doors. A tan skinned boy with pale golden hair in Arabic clothing gazed in awe at the sheer size of the estate and let out a loud whistle.
“This place is awesome, ain’t it Noir?!” he asked his white haired companion.
“Not so loud, Malik,” he reprimanded, “I’m supposed to be Bakura. Bakura Akefia Courland.”
The blond Egyptian pouted. “That name’s too long for you. I think Noir suits you better,” he said attempting to snuggle closer to the handsome man. “As hot as you are in that get up, don’t you think it’ll make you stand out too much?”
“Nah,” replied Noir. “I’m not ‘working’ today. Now be a good boy and wait like a good little servant.” He then patted Malik’s soft desert colored hair and stepped from the car, his blood red robe sweeping dramatically revealing tight fitting black pants and a loose white shirt that was open slightly to show off the barest hint of a muscular chest.
“Idiot,” Malik spat good naturedly before settling down again to wait.
*********************************************************
Meanwhile, Yugi stood in a corner, frowning at the foolish aristocracy as they partied into the night. ‘Candles flickering, champagne glasses clinking, couples whirling as they dance, the stench of perfume,’ he mused as he continued to stare off into space. ‘The refusal to stop living in the past, hanging onto the memory of luxury past. They believe owning land and fancy things will give them the security they so crave. This can’t go on… but maman has to. There’s nothing left to support her now except her pride.’ The white clad boy sighed deeply.
Suddenly he looked up at the increased murmuring of the guests.
“What the?!” said one of the many faceless men.
“Who is that?!” cried another.
“Oh!” gasped some woman.
Yugi’s amethyst eyes widened at the sound of footsteps on the now cracked tile floor. In strode a white haired man in the dress of Arabic royalty. There were many cries of shock and gasps of awe from the noble women. This stranger was rather handsome.
‘What’s an Arab doing here?’ Yugi asked. ‘I don’t remember maman knowing anyone like that.’
“Oh! If it isn’t Le Comte Courland!” beamed one of the many women, “You’re quite exotic looking today if I may say so.”
“Ha! Ha!” laughed one of the men. “A rather droll joke sir. You really had us surprised.”
The count barely contained the sneer threatening to appear on his face. How he despised these pathetic fools. “No joke I assure you,” he spoke coolly. “This is my formal wear, now if you’ll pardon me.” He then stalked off.
Yugi quickly ducked behind a curtain, for once thanking his rather petit stature. However, the movement had caught the stranger’s eyes. He yanked the smaller boy from behind the drapery and narrowed his reddish brown eyes as he stared intently at the youth before him.
‘W-What’s with him?!’ Yugi pondered, desperately trying to calm his now hammering heart. ‘He… He’s just staring at my face.’ He gasped as the much taller man gingerly cupped his cheek. Not one to let this odd man molest him in front of everyone, he did the only thing he could think of. He slapped him. Hard.
“W-Who are you? That you act so rudely!” the boy demanded.
The count let out a chuckle as he rubbed his now red cheek. “Quite the feisty one aren’t you?” he said smirking as he continued to stare at the boy’s lovely face. “Forgive me. Your amethysts were so beautiful I had to see if they were really your eyes or gems made to resemble eyes.” Yugi’s face flushed a brilliant scarlet at the compliment as well as with anger at being handled so roughly. “I’m very found of rare jewels, you know.”
Before Yugi could spout anymore insults at this man, the white haired count stalked off into the crowd of revelers. The amethyst eyed boy couldn’t help but stick his tongue out at the retreating back in a fit of childish behavior. “My eyes aren’t jewels!” he spat back, as he tugged one lower eyelid down.
“I bet you’re thinking is he really related to me, even if he’s a distant cousin?” said a blond man coming over to him.
“Ahh! Don’t scare me like that Uncle Keith!” cried the startled youth. “Wait! That man’s a relative?!”
“Sure is petit. You wouldn’t know about him ‘cause he’s been in Casablanca all this time. I’ve heard that his father’s an Arab. It’s a shame someone as pure as you had to meet someone like him,” the man spat, glaring at the white haired man as he mingled and flirted with several of the women.
“Uncle, why did maman invite him?”
“That’s easy. He’s the richest guy around. Tho’ there’ve been rumors that he’s a rather nasty loan shark.”
“A-A loan shark?!” Yugi gasped in horror.
“I hate to say it petit, but there ain’t a thing here that can’t be turned into money, except that. It looks like my sister may have finally made up her stubborn mind.”
“Yugi!” called Madame Mutou, their mysterious white haired relative standing next to her.
“There’s no way, Uncle. She values that diamond more than the anything in this world, even the king.”
The blond man was silent for a moment. “You know,” he said placing a meaty hand on the boy’s slender shoulder, “You can always count on me if things get too much for you. Times haven’t exactly been good for you have they?”
“T-Thanks Uncle,” he said going over to his mother.
“’You can always count on me’,” mocked a black haired woman coming up to him. “What a load of bull Keith. You’re up to your eyeballs in gambling debts.”
“Shut it before I do, Vivian!” he snapped back before stalking off, his manly pride wounded.
******************************************************
About an hour later, Malik was still waiting in the car, on the verge of falling asleep out of sheer boredom. He gave out an enormous yawn, closing his eyes as he stretched his tired limbs. When he opened them again, he gasped in surprise as an ornate necklace was dangled before him.
“Is that… a blue diamond?!” he asked in awe. “But I thought you said you weren’t working today.”
Outside, Malik yawns broadly in the car. Before her eyes, a ruby necklace suddenly appears.
Noir chuckled. “Force of habit,” he said letting the Egyptian take the jewel. “You can think of it as an apology for making you wait.” Malik blushed profusely. It was a very rare moment when the white haired thief apologized at all.
“Let’s go Malik,” Noir said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “What I’m looking for isn’t in there.”
“You mean the intel was false?”
“Nah. They’re hiding somewhere. Even a blind man could rob this joint.”
“Why not let Rishid check the info this time? You’re awfully excited, Noir. I bet’s it’s ‘cause of that 120 carat diamond right?!”
“Calm down Malik,” chided the thief as they drove off. “But you’re right to some extent. Pebbles don’t turn me on – it’s no fun breaking my back over them. Besides, I found some very interesting jewels.”
“Very interesting jewels?” parroted his blond partner.
“Two lovely amethysts,” he replied wistfully, “They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen.” ‘I’ve got to make those snooty, fiery amethyst eyes mine,’ he vowed, ‘Mine and mine alone.’
******************************************************
The next day, Noir decided to pay a visit to the Mutous. This time he was dressed in a tailored black suit and a red dress shirt underneath the jacket. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else you can use for collateral?” he asked sitting in a plush armchair.
“I’m afraid not,” Madame Mutou replied, “That’s why as I’m asking you as a relative… you’ll be paid of course. We have money from the national loans…”
“Madame Mutou, I care very little where your money comes from. A simple I.O.U. should do.”
“Look at him,’ huffed Yugi, ‘He’s certainly full of himself. As if that outfit of his yesterday were bad enough. Just looking at him makes me sick.’
“Even so, how will…?”
“I always carry a few checks with me. Just write what you want and the bank’ll take care of the rest.” He said dangling a few slips of paper before her.
“Oh my!” cried the shocked woman.
However, the white haired man quickly snatched the checks away before she could grab them. “In return… I’ll take your son as collateral,” he said glancing slyly at the now shocked boy.
“W-What?!” he stammered.
“What… What makes you think I’d accept such an outlandish request?!” Yugi’s mother asked incredulously.
“Whether you accept or not is no concern of mine,” Noir said coolly, “I’m not the one who needs money am I?”
The lady of the house was now extremely pale. “I think you should leave. Anzu will show you to the door.”
“Maman!” Yugi shouted as he caught her as she began to sway on her feet and helped her into one of the few remaining chairs.
“There may be another way,” began Noir, “I’ve heard rumors of a 120 carat gem belonging to the royal family – that it’s somewhere in your family.” Madame Mutou frowned, trembling even more now. “Or is it too much for you to part with Madame. Actually it doesn’t matter which I get. So which do you value more your vain brat of a son or some hunk of rock?”
“STOP THIS!!!” shouted Yugi, snatching the checks and slamming them onto the table between them. “WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANY JEWELS! I-I’ll go,” he whispered softly. “Name your price, Bakura Akefia Courland!”
The white haired man stared at the angry teen intently before giving them a wry smile. “It seems we have a deal,” he said rising from his seat.
Madame Mutou stared at her only son, too shocked to move or speak. She silently pleaded with him to reconsider, but the spiky haired boy would not budge from his decision. He quickly gave his mother a fierce hug, but was yanked away by Noir a few scant seconds later.
“Yugi…” she murmured before sobbing bitterly.
****************************************************************
Later that night, Noir sat at the dinner table, brooding that one place remained empty. “Why won’t he eat?!” the white haired man queried, ignoring the storm raging outside.
“Ever since you brought him here, he refuses to leave his room,” said a bald man with tattoos on one side of his face, “Even though you’ve done nothing but show him kindness, master Bakura.”
‘What does that brat think this is, “La Belle et Le Bête?!”’ he fumed.
“Well, what did you expect, Noir?” Malik snapped jealously, “Those are living amethysts after all. Anyway, I think there’s something wrong with you too.”
“You stay out of this!” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table as he abruptly rose from the table, startling everyone present.
The irate thief stormed up the stairs and began to pound on the teen’s door. “Open this door you brat or I’ll force you to!” He started when the door unexpectedly opened at his bellowed command. Said brat stood and glared at him but the look soon turned to confusion at the man’s worried stare. There were dark circles under the boy’s eyes and they were red and puffy from obvious bouts of crying and his spiky hair looked even spikier due to the obvious lack of sleep.
“Yugi,” he said as civilly as he could manage, “come and eat dinner. It’s not good for you not to eat or drink anything for two days.”
“I don’t want your charity!” he spat defiantly.
“Who said anything about charity,” Noir snarled, “That was an order.”
Yugi replied by spitting in the taller man’s face. “I don’t take orders from peasants!”
“It seems you’ve forgotten exactly what your place is here, petit,” Noir said wiping the spit off and smiling dangerously at the smaller teen. “Maybe I should remind you.” The boy was now more frightened of him than storm outside and he smirked at that.
Before he could say anything, the much stronger man grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him throughout the house and into the cellar where he began to chain the now frightened boy to a pole. As scared as he was, Yugi refused to cry out as his jacket and shirt were promptly ripped from him.
CRACK!
The whip flew fast as the flashing lightning and struck the middle of Yugi’s now bare back. The amethyst eyed boy winced, but still refused to cry out. Malik trembled as he watched from his hiding spot. This was the first time he’d ever seen his friend hurt anyone out of sheer maliciousness and he began to pity the poor boy who he’d been jealous of only a few mere days before.
The whipping continued until finally Yugi broke and let out a heart wrenching scream. Satisfied at having making the boy cry out, the white haired thief dropped the now bloody whip and released him from his chains. Yugi then fell face down onto the cold hard unforgiving floor.
“If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have to punish you like that,” Noir said with mock remorse, “You’d better get over yourself and fast if you want to survive in this age.”
“Y-You bastard,” he said weakly, not bothering to attempt to get up – his back hurt too much. “W-What are you?!”
Noir smirked. “To your family I’m your cousin Bakura Akefia Courland. To everyone else, my name is ‘Noir’.
‘Noir?!’ he thought in surprise, ‘He’s… this monster’s that phantom thief everyone’s been talking about.’ “J-Just wait til I t-tell the gendarmes!” he spat threateningly.
“Please do, little Yugi. They’ll never be able to catch me nor will they ever. Chain him to the wall,” he said to the bald man as he came into the dungeon. Yugi tried to resist, but was much too weakened to even stand on his own.
After making sure his prisoner was securely chained to the wall, Noir took out a knife and lifted the boy’s chin so they’d be eye-to-eye. “I’ll only ask this once brat. If you tell me the truth I won’t hurt you anymore. Now, where is ‘Le Flamme de Magar?’”
Yugi refused to answer, instead he jerked his head away and shut his eyes as tight as he could. ‘Go ahead, kill me,’ he spat silently, ‘I’ll never tell the likes of you.’
Smirking sadistically, the white haired thief began to slide the dagger across the boy’s chest causing droplets of red to appear wherever the blade had dug too deep into the skin.
“I’d really like to know where it is after chasing after it all this time. Now we all know it was last seen just before the revolution, but no one’s seen one glint of it anywhere afterwards. I’ve also heard that the Paris Commune government stormed your home. Why was that I wonder, perhaps to search for a certain shiny rock, hmm? So where are you stashing it brat?”
“I’ve no idea!” Yugi yelled defiantly.
“Well that’s too bad. I’d hate to see anything happen to your oh so charming mother.”
“You lay a finger on her… I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!”
Noir chuckled, turning away from him. “I wonder how long your precious noble pride will hold out against pain. No matter how strong the will, they always break when a little pain’s applied. Rishid, whip him until he’s ready to talk.” The bald man nodded grimly, loathe to obey his master, but he did owe him quite a lot. He’d be rotting in a jail somewhere while his brother Malik suffered a whore’s fate if it weren’t for him.
Noir strode calmly from the cracking of the whip and the boy’s strangled cries as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a country garden. ‘The more they resist, the more and more despair takes over. Even an innocent child like you’ll discover the mystery and passion of the darkness that will be your despair. Yes, darkness… that is what I am. What I am on this hell of a planet for, to cover everything with my darkness.’
He sat down in his favorite armchair, rubbing his temples lightly, glad that the cellar was far away enough to keep Yugi’s screams from reaching his ears. ‘The cursed star ‘Le Flamme de Magar’… hundreds and thousands had shed blood for it, souls drowned in their greed for it as it surrenders to none, shining brightly – a beacon in the dark. I must have it. I’ll cover all with darkness.’
Two hours later, Rishid had come to inform his master that their ‘guest’ had fallen unconscious and Noir was standing over the boy’s limp body lying on the floor, an unreadable expression on his face as he surveyed the welts covering his now naked form.
“Not even once did he cry out after that first one,” Rishid said sadly, “He held onto the very last before the pain became too much for his mind to bear.”
Smiling with veiled admiration, Noir carefully picked up the slumbering Yugi. “You’re really something, kid,” he said as he began to carry him back to his room. ‘Because your shine is more beautiful and brilliant than any jewel on earth.’
*********************************************************
Meanwhile, a couple men passing near the Mutou family estate glance over at the strange glow coming from the direction of the mansion. Recognizing what the glow truly was one of them gasped in shock before shouting, “The Mutou house is burning!!!”
~TBC~
Yami: You’ve got 5 seconds to explain yourself before I mind crush you onna!
Sakura: You got a problem pharaoh, then go complain to the boss. This was her idea after all.
Yami: Um… I think I hear Seto calling. Got to go.
Sakura: Well, watcha think minna? Like? Hate? Lemme know if I should go on with this.
L-sama: You need to ask my miko?
Sakura: Um.. L-sama, I was talking to the readers.
L-sama: Oh. Sorry about that dear. With all these worlds floating around, one does tend to forget all the tiny details. Well I’m off, got loads of stuff to do. Toodles!!
Yugi: Toodles?!
Sakura: Don’t ask. You’ll get used to it. Anyhoo, like I said before, lemme know if I should continue or not.