Contemplations in the Afterlife 09
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Genre: Romance, Angst
Description: Despite his love for Seto Kaiba, the Pharaoh Yami Yugi has decided to move on to the afterlife. Now, he feels regret for his decision, and prays for another chance for him and his beloved to be together.
Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Contemplations in the Afterlife
by: scarlet wax petal
Click here to return to Chapter 8. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
After the door to the afterlife had shut, the ground started to shake and the walls began to crumble. With the help of Shadi, my friends and I managed to make it out of the structure before it finally collapsed. Anzu, Jou, Honda and I stayed where we were for one more hour, silently remembering and praying for our friend, the Pharaoh.
We went back to Japan, and back to our usual lives. Everyone, including me, returned to school. Anzu went back to her part-time job in the local cafe, still hoping to earn enough money to go to dance school. Jou and Honda, as usual, were spending time having fun and being carefree. Well, I was thankful they never got into trouble with their antics.
As for me... Well, let's just say it had been easier for my friends to adjust to go back to their normal lives. The Millennium Puzzle was not in my possession anymore; it had been returned to its rightful place: beneath the sands of the desert, hopefully to be lost forever. Most importantly, ever since the Pharaoh had left, it felt as if an integral part of my heart had been taken away. For some time, I felt incomplete. There were evenings wherein I would feel lonely and call for the Pharaoh to comfort me. Then, I would sadly remember that he had already passed on, and I would have to cry myself to sleep.
For the first time in years, I was on my own.
The story of Atem, Pharaoh from three thousand years ago, had finally been resolved. One thing eluded me, though: Back then, when I had asked Yami Yugi about Kaiba, he didn't give me an answer. I never found out how Kaiba reacted to Yami Yugi's confession of love -- that is, if Yami Yugi was able to reach Kaiba on time and make the confession. I never knew.
I guess that was something I was never meant to find out. Kaiba was too far away, managing his businesses in America, and even if he were nearby, I wouldn't dare raise the question, for obvious reasons. The only times Kaiba had ever made the move to communicate with us was when Yami Yugi -- and their rivalry -- was involved. Now, Yami Yugi was gone, and Kaiba would not have anything to do with us. I guess, in his eyes, we didn't deserve his attention; only Yami Yugi ever did.
Chapter 9: Seto Kaiba
During the time that I had known him, Yami Yugi made two major mistakes. Believing in destiny was one. Falling in love with me (or so he claimed) was another.
For the King of Duelists, Yami Yugi is -- was surprisingly, bewilderingly stupid. I came to that conclusion on that day -- when he said that he would leave forever. It made me occasionally wonder if I was right in regarding him as my one true rival. Then again, he had always been excellent in handling his cards. I was witness to that. He somehow always knew how to maximize the deck that he had, whether he owned it or not, regardless of how much or how little attack power it had in itself. He was brilliant on the battlefield, I must admit, and therefore worthy of being my rival. Too bad he didn't handle his life as well as he managed his cards. In fact, he sucked at handling his life, making a below-average choice of companions and easily falling for sentiment (outside the duel arena, thankfully). Furthermore, he relied heavily on destiny -- much the same way the dumb mutt relied on dumb luck in his duels.
Yami Yugi's choices, ultimately, made his future. A future that ended when he decided to lose -- an event that he would always credit to some three-thousand-year-old "prophecy."
Playing cards and living a life must be two wildly different things.
Except for me, for a time. Cards had been my life. When Yami Yugi came along, they became my obsession. My quest to defeat him towered over other priorities and spurred me to become better.
With him gone, I was uncertain if I could go on living. But for the sake of my brother Mokuba, I would. For as long as I breathe, for as long as blood flowed through my veins, I would have a future to look forward to. The past, I would just have to discard. Like I always did. Or tried to do.
I never believed in destiny. My own life was my proof to that. When I did bother to think about it, I saw just one thing: that everything I am is of my own doing. I had marked my own future for each choice that I had made. Like when I had decided to impress the rich and powerful Gozaburo Kaiba with a chess game back in the orphanage. If I hadn't done that, then I wouldn't have become his adopted son. Or his slave, more appropriately. I wouldn't have gone through years of unspeakable torture under that deranged old man. That choice, wrong or right (depending on your viewpoint), had been the turning point in my life. Soon, I became CEO of Kaiba Corporation (much to the chagrin of my adoptive father, who decided to commit suicide) and a world-class duelist.
But it did have its setbacks. Before that, I had known happiness. Now, I couldn't tell the difference between joy and insanity. Which made me wonder why Yami Yugi would bother to love me -- that is, if he did, as he had said on that day. That is, granted that love exists, if it does exist. Until now, I couldn't determine what had pushed him to do that, to say those words to me. "I love you... Seto..." he had said, making use of my given name instead of my more formal surname. Was it a challenge? A riddle? A vain attempt to console me, if I did need to be consoled? I wasn't sure about that. But I was sure of one thing: my choices have made me into the heartless trash of a man that I am; only a fool would ever love me. Yami Yugi didn't even justify; he just pointed at his heart and said that he just knew. How could you possibly know the existence of such a confusingly abstract thing without proper justification?
The night I arrived in America, I flung myself on my bed, but found I couldn't sleep. I just had too many things to think about.
Yami Yugi, who are you, really, to me?
I hissed in annoyance at what went through my mind. Damn it, I shouldn't be wasting my time thinking about these things. I grabbed the nearest pillow and whacked my face with it. The thought didn't leave my brain, unfortunately.
I thought I had accepted that Yami Yugi was forever a part of my past. After we had parted, I turned and never looked back, and left the place as fast as I could. I realized that I should have left sooner. It had been my mistake to stay, to let me be overwhelmed by everything that had happened. To shed tears in public; Yami Yugi shouldn't have seen that. No, it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Seto Kaiba never wept, not even in the privacy of his own bedroom. I must have been so tired that day.
Then again, I couldn't help thinking what was the true reason behind my tears. Maybe there was more than one reason. I could only assume.
First, and more apparently, Yugi Mutou had deprived me of my only chance to defeat Yami Yugi. Don't get me wrong. I knew that Yami Yugi would never hold back punches, especially against me. But I had wanted every opportunity to duel against Yami Yugi. I must be a masochist, half-knowing from experience that Yami Yugi could easily beat me, easily wound my pride, again. But I couldn't resist the thrill of participating in such a challenging battle.
A huge part of me had wanted to be the one who would defeat Yami Yugi and send him to the "afterlife" that he so desired. But, frighteningly, another part of me had wanted to yield, to allow Yami Yugi to stay. After all, he was my only rival. If he weren't my opponent, my participating in duels would be meaningless. I detested even the victory I had over Siegfried von Schroeder in Kaibaland. I felt it was empty; the ridiculously pink-haired von Schroeder metrosexual would never come to par with Yami Yugi.
Second was the fact that he left, of his own will. Carried by his so-called fate, which, in fact, he had chosen to follow. Regardless, the thought of never being able to duel against and with him was... something I don't want to think about.
Who was Yami Yugi to me, anyway?
He was, foremost, my only rival. He was the only one who ever truly deserved to face me in a duel. Or to be my partner in battle.
He was the one who punished me for torturing a helpless old man, then saved me from the darkness that had eaten up my soul.
He was the man who almost tried to kill me in Pegasus' tower.
He was the man who tag-teamed with me against the ghouls (whose names I couldn't remember) on a skyscraper, with the knowledge that the one who lost his life points would lose his life. He jolted me into realizing that I could not do everything on my own. We had entrusted ourselves in each other's hands back then.
He was the man who defeated me in Battle City, and then went on to defeat Malik Ishtar. But not without my help, of course.
He was the man who worked side-by-side with me to regain Kaiba Corporation, and then in a duel against the eccentric Dartz. He was the only one outside my family for whom I had given up my life.
He was the only person for whom I would do everything within my power, if only to be given another chance to be dueled against.
He was Yami Yugi, and he was...
he was...
...
Forget it. I need to sleep.
(to be continued)
Click here to proceed to Chapter 10. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Genre: Romance, Angst
Description: Despite his love for Seto Kaiba, the Pharaoh Yami Yugi has decided to move on to the afterlife. Now, he feels regret for his decision, and prays for another chance for him and his beloved to be together.
Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Contemplations in the Afterlife
by: scarlet wax petal
Click here to return to Chapter 8. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
After the door to the afterlife had shut, the ground started to shake and the walls began to crumble. With the help of Shadi, my friends and I managed to make it out of the structure before it finally collapsed. Anzu, Jou, Honda and I stayed where we were for one more hour, silently remembering and praying for our friend, the Pharaoh.
We went back to Japan, and back to our usual lives. Everyone, including me, returned to school. Anzu went back to her part-time job in the local cafe, still hoping to earn enough money to go to dance school. Jou and Honda, as usual, were spending time having fun and being carefree. Well, I was thankful they never got into trouble with their antics.
As for me... Well, let's just say it had been easier for my friends to adjust to go back to their normal lives. The Millennium Puzzle was not in my possession anymore; it had been returned to its rightful place: beneath the sands of the desert, hopefully to be lost forever. Most importantly, ever since the Pharaoh had left, it felt as if an integral part of my heart had been taken away. For some time, I felt incomplete. There were evenings wherein I would feel lonely and call for the Pharaoh to comfort me. Then, I would sadly remember that he had already passed on, and I would have to cry myself to sleep.
For the first time in years, I was on my own.
The story of Atem, Pharaoh from three thousand years ago, had finally been resolved. One thing eluded me, though: Back then, when I had asked Yami Yugi about Kaiba, he didn't give me an answer. I never found out how Kaiba reacted to Yami Yugi's confession of love -- that is, if Yami Yugi was able to reach Kaiba on time and make the confession. I never knew.
I guess that was something I was never meant to find out. Kaiba was too far away, managing his businesses in America, and even if he were nearby, I wouldn't dare raise the question, for obvious reasons. The only times Kaiba had ever made the move to communicate with us was when Yami Yugi -- and their rivalry -- was involved. Now, Yami Yugi was gone, and Kaiba would not have anything to do with us. I guess, in his eyes, we didn't deserve his attention; only Yami Yugi ever did.
Chapter 9: Seto Kaiba
During the time that I had known him, Yami Yugi made two major mistakes. Believing in destiny was one. Falling in love with me (or so he claimed) was another.
For the King of Duelists, Yami Yugi is -- was surprisingly, bewilderingly stupid. I came to that conclusion on that day -- when he said that he would leave forever. It made me occasionally wonder if I was right in regarding him as my one true rival. Then again, he had always been excellent in handling his cards. I was witness to that. He somehow always knew how to maximize the deck that he had, whether he owned it or not, regardless of how much or how little attack power it had in itself. He was brilliant on the battlefield, I must admit, and therefore worthy of being my rival. Too bad he didn't handle his life as well as he managed his cards. In fact, he sucked at handling his life, making a below-average choice of companions and easily falling for sentiment (outside the duel arena, thankfully). Furthermore, he relied heavily on destiny -- much the same way the dumb mutt relied on dumb luck in his duels.
Yami Yugi's choices, ultimately, made his future. A future that ended when he decided to lose -- an event that he would always credit to some three-thousand-year-old "prophecy."
Playing cards and living a life must be two wildly different things.
Except for me, for a time. Cards had been my life. When Yami Yugi came along, they became my obsession. My quest to defeat him towered over other priorities and spurred me to become better.
With him gone, I was uncertain if I could go on living. But for the sake of my brother Mokuba, I would. For as long as I breathe, for as long as blood flowed through my veins, I would have a future to look forward to. The past, I would just have to discard. Like I always did. Or tried to do.
I never believed in destiny. My own life was my proof to that. When I did bother to think about it, I saw just one thing: that everything I am is of my own doing. I had marked my own future for each choice that I had made. Like when I had decided to impress the rich and powerful Gozaburo Kaiba with a chess game back in the orphanage. If I hadn't done that, then I wouldn't have become his adopted son. Or his slave, more appropriately. I wouldn't have gone through years of unspeakable torture under that deranged old man. That choice, wrong or right (depending on your viewpoint), had been the turning point in my life. Soon, I became CEO of Kaiba Corporation (much to the chagrin of my adoptive father, who decided to commit suicide) and a world-class duelist.
But it did have its setbacks. Before that, I had known happiness. Now, I couldn't tell the difference between joy and insanity. Which made me wonder why Yami Yugi would bother to love me -- that is, if he did, as he had said on that day. That is, granted that love exists, if it does exist. Until now, I couldn't determine what had pushed him to do that, to say those words to me. "I love you... Seto..." he had said, making use of my given name instead of my more formal surname. Was it a challenge? A riddle? A vain attempt to console me, if I did need to be consoled? I wasn't sure about that. But I was sure of one thing: my choices have made me into the heartless trash of a man that I am; only a fool would ever love me. Yami Yugi didn't even justify; he just pointed at his heart and said that he just knew. How could you possibly know the existence of such a confusingly abstract thing without proper justification?
The night I arrived in America, I flung myself on my bed, but found I couldn't sleep. I just had too many things to think about.
Yami Yugi, who are you, really, to me?
I hissed in annoyance at what went through my mind. Damn it, I shouldn't be wasting my time thinking about these things. I grabbed the nearest pillow and whacked my face with it. The thought didn't leave my brain, unfortunately.
I thought I had accepted that Yami Yugi was forever a part of my past. After we had parted, I turned and never looked back, and left the place as fast as I could. I realized that I should have left sooner. It had been my mistake to stay, to let me be overwhelmed by everything that had happened. To shed tears in public; Yami Yugi shouldn't have seen that. No, it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Seto Kaiba never wept, not even in the privacy of his own bedroom. I must have been so tired that day.
Then again, I couldn't help thinking what was the true reason behind my tears. Maybe there was more than one reason. I could only assume.
First, and more apparently, Yugi Mutou had deprived me of my only chance to defeat Yami Yugi. Don't get me wrong. I knew that Yami Yugi would never hold back punches, especially against me. But I had wanted every opportunity to duel against Yami Yugi. I must be a masochist, half-knowing from experience that Yami Yugi could easily beat me, easily wound my pride, again. But I couldn't resist the thrill of participating in such a challenging battle.
A huge part of me had wanted to be the one who would defeat Yami Yugi and send him to the "afterlife" that he so desired. But, frighteningly, another part of me had wanted to yield, to allow Yami Yugi to stay. After all, he was my only rival. If he weren't my opponent, my participating in duels would be meaningless. I detested even the victory I had over Siegfried von Schroeder in Kaibaland. I felt it was empty; the ridiculously pink-haired von Schroeder metrosexual would never come to par with Yami Yugi.
Second was the fact that he left, of his own will. Carried by his so-called fate, which, in fact, he had chosen to follow. Regardless, the thought of never being able to duel against and with him was... something I don't want to think about.
Who was Yami Yugi to me, anyway?
He was, foremost, my only rival. He was the only one who ever truly deserved to face me in a duel. Or to be my partner in battle.
He was the one who punished me for torturing a helpless old man, then saved me from the darkness that had eaten up my soul.
He was the man who almost tried to kill me in Pegasus' tower.
He was the man who tag-teamed with me against the ghouls (whose names I couldn't remember) on a skyscraper, with the knowledge that the one who lost his life points would lose his life. He jolted me into realizing that I could not do everything on my own. We had entrusted ourselves in each other's hands back then.
He was the man who defeated me in Battle City, and then went on to defeat Malik Ishtar. But not without my help, of course.
He was the man who worked side-by-side with me to regain Kaiba Corporation, and then in a duel against the eccentric Dartz. He was the only one outside my family for whom I had given up my life.
He was the only person for whom I would do everything within my power, if only to be given another chance to be dueled against.
He was Yami Yugi, and he was...
he was...
...
Forget it. I need to sleep.
(to be continued)
Click here to proceed to Chapter 10. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
posted by cent @ 12:00 PM
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