Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Young God ❯ Chapter 8b ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 8b

Seto came down to breakfast right on time for the meal was served just then. He looked rather pale and tired.
" I won't ask whether you had a good sleep." Pegasus said from the head of the table, not looking at him. The rest, however, greeted him with stares.
" Oni-chan." Mokuba got up and rushed to his brother, wrapping his arms around Seto.
" Ohayo Mokuba." Seto answered, giving his brother a brief hug.
" You look like you've seen better mornings." Pegasus remarked while sipping his wine.
" Wine in the morning. Good heavens, you are crazy." Seto took his seat behind the white haired man. " I'm in the mood for food today."
" Gee, didn't see that one coming." Pegasus answered. " Come on, you seem to like soup when you were little."
" I still do." Seto gave his brother a spoonful. Mokuba swallowed.
" Are you feeling better today?" Cecilia asked.
" Sure."

It kind of freaked everyone else out because it was almost as if Seto's fit had never happened. Yami felt a familiar flare of emotion at how much Pegasus and Seto seemed to be like father and teenager son.

" Why didn't you go with Rishna?"
" I don't feel like talking about it. Stop prying into my mind." Seto snapped. He fed his brother a spoonful before giving some to himself. Mokuba leaned against his brother, confused but content.

" Gomen." Pegasus answered, sipping more wine. Seto rubbed his brother's head.
" Pegasus is coming this afternoon." Seto said.
" Really?" Pegasus asked.
" Hai. So expect a lot of feathers."
" Huh?" Jou blinked. " What do you mean?"
" Pegasus is coming this afternoon." Seto was smirking and so was Pegasus. They knew what was going on.
" Isn't he already here?" Anzu asked.
" Of course he's already here. He meant Pegasus." Cecilia answered, also smiling.

Yami and Banat suddenly started laughing at the bewildered group.
" Why is Pegasus coming?" Pegasus asked.
" I don't know. I think Ashika is bringing him. Might let Mokuba ride him." Seto answered. " Wouldn't you like that?"

Mokuba blinked in confusion.
" I would like to ride him. But legend has it that he's quite wild." Pegasus said.
" He is." Seto answered. " But you haven't seen the others. If you advance more than ten feet they throw stones at you."
" How?"
" Oh, by kicking it. What else? Some of them have powers. They control winds with their wings."

Jou blinked while Yami and Banat continued to snicker.

Seto suddenly burst out laughing. He could contain it no longer.
" Crawford!" He cried. " What in the world were your parents thinking when you were born?"
" I had white hair." Pegasus answered.
" Well, Ryou didn't get that name. I daresay it's the most ridiculous name a mortal can think of."
" Why? What is Pegasus in your language?"
" It means a lot of things. It could mean white horse, or fleetfoot, or winged creature. Some use it as proud fool."
" Well." Pegasus smiled.

" Oh, you mean...there's actually a horse named Pegasus?" Honda blinked.
" What times is it?" Seto looked at the clock. " He should be arriving in four hours."
" Oh." Cecilia was laughing.
" You know, it will be awfully hard to call either of you from now on." Seto laughed. Pegasus raised his eyebrows.
" I always have my Millennium Eye."
" Sheesh!" Seto laughed. " I have to check on the Blue Eyes White Dragon now."
" You're only eating that?" Cecilia didn't look too happy. " It's only one bowl."
" Trust me, it's more than enough. God I'm stuffed!" Seto laughed. " Come on, Mokuba, we'll see how the Blue Eyes is doing. He should experience some fresh air after getting cooped up in the circlet with that wound of his."
" Can I come?" Ryou asked.
" Of course." Seto answered.

The young immortal seemed to be in a better mood that morning. Yugi, Ryou, Malik and Jou went with him while the spirits, Honda and Anzu stayed behind with Pegasus and Cecilia. They went out of the castle, ignoring the guards, and went into a flat meadow that was pretty large.

" I'll have to warn you," Seto told the others, " He's pretty big."

With that, the sapphire in Seto's circlet began to glow, brighter and brighter until a white flash appeared in the meadow, large and bright. The mortals covered their eyes until the light dimmed.

" Holy..." Jou breathed.

The dragon's head was bigger than Seto, around twice as big anyway, so that kind of meant that the rest of the body would fill the meadow and beyond. It had a wound on its left shoulder which was still bleeding. But it seemed happy to see Seto.

The Dark Magician hopped out of Yugi's deck along with the Celtic Guardian, and to Seto's distress, a Kuribo, ( he never did like them after the incident in Egypt) and all decided to chat in the immortal language with their dragon friend and god.

Seto yelled as the dragon tugged at his pant leg and he tripped, flipping himself below Mokuba to protect him.

" Bad Dragon!" He yelled, then said something in his own language. " Bad Dragon! Let go! Bad Dragon!"

Yugi and the rest were laughing hard now. It was then that the rest of the group came out to join them.

" Wow, he has grown." Pegasus looked at the Blue Eyes.
" And a lot naughtier too. Let go!" Seto finally freed himself-only to be ' consumed by the dragon, Mokuba and all.

Yugi and Ryou were horrified, but Yami and Banat were laughing like Pegasus was. From inside the dragon's mouth there could be heard protests and yellings, and an occasional " I'll spank you good this time" in Japanese, not that the dragon minds that at all. When it did open its mouth, Seto and Mokuba burst out in a ray of light.

" Legh!" Seto jumped. " Are you alright Mokuba? I hate it when he does that. There's always a danger of him accidentally swallowing. And he has a nasty breath too."

At this, Seto suddenly cowered behind the Dark Magician while the dragon glared at him. The Dark Magician raised his hand in a sign of protection, while smiling.

Seto muttered something, which probably insulted the Dark Magician, for the magician suddenly twirled around and made for Seto. Seto put Mokuba down and hurried behind Pegasus, while the Dark Magician decided to chase him. The two went in circles around the Crawfords before darting towards Honda and Jou, then behind Yami and circled around Malik and Banat for a while. Seto proved he was still ill by getting caught by a mere magician, who was absolutely delighted as he pinned Seto to the ground and the two rolled down a brief hill.

Pegasus was laughing so hard he was already on his knees, and one must excuse him because of Seto's previous nature and the Dark Magician's emotionless conduct. The Celtic Guardian was laughing too.

As for the rest, they were pretty much surprised. They had never seen Seto acting like a five year old and they had never seen the Dark Magician in real life at all.

" If the Dark Magician once belonged to Seto, how did you get it?" Yugi asked Yami.
" It's a long story." Yami answered quietly, all of the sudden troubled. Yugi realized that it was not gained by a pleasant incident.

Seto ran up to them right after.
" Pegasus at one-o-clock." He pointed.

True enough, the mighty horse was making its way over to them, guided by a mysterious rider. The horse made a dive with its wings and with amazing speed advanced on the ground they stood on. Seto didn't really care that there was a helicopter nearby, nor did the rider, at any rate. The god ran a little ahead of the others as the mighty creature landed. Behind them was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, still lying there patiently, while the Dark Magician and the Celtic Guardian followed them.

" Sana!" A divine voice called, as divine as Seto's own. " Wolai yie!"
" Ashika!" Seto called, and the horse reared up, fanning its wings, before charging forward as if to knock Seto down. It slowed several paces away and nuzzled Seto's neck affectionately while the tall rider dismounted.
" Kedoua Rishna?" He asked.
" Kagiour." Seto answered. " Pema ten shadou."

At this Ashika was silent for a moment while the great horse kept on nuzzling Seto's neck.

" Why are you with them?" Ashika asked suddenly. Seto looked at Pegasus.
" Don't ask." He said in Japanese, like Ashika did.
" What is that on your circlet?" Ashika asked again.

Seto fingered the device self consciously but did not answer. Ashika's eyes blazed briefly but he said and did nothing.

" Mokuba!" Seto called. " Come on, do you want to ride Pegasus?"

Mokuba nodded, and his brother lifted him up to Pegasus's back. The horse whinnied.
" Oni-chan, aren't you coming?" Mokuba asked.
" Do you want me to?" Seto asked, smiling in amusement. " I don't have to. Pegasus will take good care of you."
" But I want you to come." Mokuba pouted, also a little scared.

Seto laughed and swung his body up to the horse's back.

" We'll be back later." Seto said to Ashika. " Meanwhile, you can get reacquainted. Pegasus, Jia!"

With that, the great horse gave a loud neigh before spreading his wings and with one great swoop was airborne. Ashika watched after them before turning to the others.

" You're taking a big risk." The young man said at last.
" True." Pegasus answered. " Hopefully it will turn out differently."
" That is doubtful." Ashika and Pegasus gazed at each other for a long time. Then Ashika looked at Yugi.
" How did you get him, Pharaoh?" Ashika asked. " Last I remembered, you were nothing like him."

Yami did not answer. Yugi looked at Yami, who refused to look back.
" And you," Ashika said sternly to Ryou. " How did Banat get you? He was nothing like you."
" Gee, arigatou." Banat snapped. " Don't you understand the concepts of yin and yang?"

Ashika paused for a moment. " As bold as ever, tomb robber." He said. " The gods will deal with you yet."

Cecilia sighed suddenly. Ashika looked at her in surprise.
" How did you get here?"
" Seto has great powers."
" He's not allowed to do that!"
" Well, I guess he didn't care then."
" The council will kill him for this."
" I doubt it." Cecilia didn't like Ashika that much. " Seto is a good boy. This is the reason he's going back home and we're all taking this risk for him. Why are you here?"
" I am coming to take Seto home."
" Don't make me laugh." Pegasus said suddenly. " You have no power here. Last time you came you were nearly stuck here with him. It was Yami and his foolishness that freed all three of you."
" Three?" Anzu blinked.
" There was a goddess." Yami Malik answered.
" I don't suppose you will try that foolishness again, Belumfel?" Ashika answered.
" Listen you," Jou suddenly went up to the immortal. " Don't go around picking on little guys like Yami and Yugi. I don't know who the hell ye are, but I decided I do not like you. So quit it."

Ashika's eyes blazed with anger. " You are a pathetic fool, Katsuya." He began, before starting to attack-

" Shame! Kedoute!"

Ashika suddenly stopped as Seto blocked the path.
" Nice try Ashika." Seto said furiously. " But these mortals are under my protection."
" Why in the world would you protect them?" Ashika asked.

Seto suddenly looked more powerful than Ashika as he began very quietly.
" Have you been here for sixteen years? Have you studied the ways of mankind? Have you ever noticed how long these people have survived, these species? You are a fool. I appreciate your concern for me going back. I know the reason you're here. I'm not going back simply to give you honor. I'll go back when I want to and I'm not going back now, especially not with you or Rishna. I'm weary of this."

Ashika said something in the divine language and Seto countered. Whatever they said, it wasn't friendly, and finally Ashika whistled. Pegasus came trotting back, carrying Mokuba. Seto took Mokuba.

" You just pronounced your own doom, Kaiba." Ashika said darkly.
" Oh really?" Seto looked at the horse. " Ach shinema!"

The horse trotted over to Seto and remained there, despite Ashika's greatest attempts.
" See?" Seto said. " The beings and creatures of both worlds support me. Do not test my anger, Ashika, as few mortals have done. These mortals I am willing to spare, but I know you well, Ashika, as you know me. If you make me angry, I will not pardon you."

For a moment Ashika had a look of defiance at the god younger than him. Then he slowly relented, fading away in defeat. The winged Pegasus nuzzled Seto's neck while the young god wrapped his arms around Mokuba, hiding his face.

Hiding his face was no use. The joy of that morning is over, along with the laughter and fun. Everyone knew he was crying.