Contemplations in the Afterlife 17
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 16. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Ten years.
I sit here, once again in the dark, alone -- as always -- tapping the crystal glass of brandy upon the cold varnished wood of the bar. And it passes my mind.
Ten years.
The reddish digits on my calendar that clearly state the truth.
Ten years.
From the day that we had parted, from the day that you have died, from the day that you have left my life without purpose, I've seen ten years, walked through ten years, endured and survived for ten years. Despised my existence for ten whole fucking years... which should've been better, should've been blessed with your presence, your power...
And your life. Those were ten years that would never be.
Ten years, I sigh, as I slide my fingers along the icy smooth bottle of brandy.
Yami Yugi, it has been so long, hasn't it? And now, I face the realization, again, that a man never fully appreciates the value of something until he has lost it. Cliché, yet still ringing true. But whoever said that time heals all wounds ought to be damned for eternity. Liars go to hell.
God damn it. When you were there, Yami Yugi, I've been a fool, trying to distance myself away from the rest of the world, and from you, thinking that everything I had then was all that mattered. But now that you're gone, now that you're dead... all this success? All this money? They mean nothing to me! If I could buy you back, even with all my possessions, even with my own life, I would. I would...
Funny... Look at me now, trying to get myself drunk again, hoping to see you. Yet since that dream, that dream that had opened my eyes, I've never been haunted by the nightmares that I had damned, hated, tried to get out of my mind. Now, I long for them, for me to see you, even if just in my twisted fantasies... But I've been trying, to no avail.
Hah, so Seto Kaiba always dumps the past, lives in the present and seeks the future? Then why is he here, wallowing in should-have-been's? I drawl bitterly. Ten years really do a great deal to a person, I thought, as I stare at the bottle of brandy, the golden intoxicating liquid that I have been drowning in for the past hour. The bottle was almost full when I had started. Now, it is nearly empty. I would be sleeping now; another fucking day awaits me the next morning.
Then the goddamned cell-phone suddenly rings. I answer.
"Seto Kaiba here."
"Sir, technical problems in the main computer. Sorry that we couldn't solve them. Is it possible if..."
"I'm on my way." I hang up. Idiots. Why do I even bother to hire anyone? I raise my hands in exasperation, and glance at my watch. It is now midnight. My chauffeur won't be on duty until four in the morning.
Looks like I'm doing the driving tonight.
Chapter 17: Intervention
"Seth, you fool! What have you done?"
"What would the Pharaoh say?"
"The Lord would surely be outraged!"
"This is sacrilege!"
"My son... Oh, my son, why?"
"Don't you understand? I have done this for our Pharaoh!"
I had been awakened this morning by a sharply painful, crushing and stabbing sensation on my head and my chest. Alarmed that something terrible had happened, I tried to ignore the overwhelming imminent-death-like feeling that coursed through my form, and immediately stood up and ran to the temple, expecting to find some disorder. However, I didn't anticipate what I saw: my six priests in commotion, all talking at once, seemingly bickering among each other.
No, they weren't bickering among each other, I realized. It was actually everyone against Seth, who had fallen on his knees, clutching his chest.
I swallowed the pain and mustered authority in my voice. "What goes on here?"
All priests -- except for Seth -- promptly turned to me and knelt reverently. Seth, on the other hand, was still slumped on his knees, his face crumpled in pain. Concerned, I rushed to him, but the pain through my own form kept me from moving two steps further and I fell to the floor. The other priests immediately ran to my aid. Thankfully, when Mahad placed his hand on my head, the pain swiftly drifted away.
"Are you alright, Pharaoh?" he asked.
"I am now, thank you." I then stood up and approached Seth. Unlike before, he didn't make a move to acknowledge my presence, and remained where he was, still tightly holding his chest. And as I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked at him, I noticed drops of black ink on his hands and on the floor. I wondered what had happened; I had wanted to ask the other priests, but decided that it would be better if Seth got to air his side first (since he seemed to be the one at fault here), before he becomes overwhelmed by what the others would say. So first... "Mahad!" I gestured for the sorcerer to come closer.
Mahad ran to my side. "Take away his pain," I ordered. Without hesitation, Mahad placed his hand on Seth's head. Soon, Seth let go of his chest, the tortured expression disappearing from his face, and -- to my surprise -- clung onto me with a tight embrace. I heard faint gasps from the others, which I just ignored; instead, I returned the embrace wordlessly and strained to listen. My High Priest, the strongest among my six most loyal subjects, was sobbing uncontrollably; it was the first time I've seen him weep since when Kisara had passed away.
I noticed most of the other priests regarding Seth with cold eyes, while Akhnadin, his father, bit his lip and looked away. I could tell that this was a serious matter indeed, and something related to the pain that both Seth and I had experienced.
"Seth, my High Priest," I finally asked softly, "what's wrong?"
"My Lord... my Lord... forgive me..." he whimpered, and held onto me more tightly.
"What you have done is unforgivable!" Kalim voiced out deeply. "You deserve to be placed in the dungeons!"
"Silence, Kalim!" I responded indignantly. Kalim immediately asked for pardon. I forgave him readily.
Seth didn't say anything, and just went on crying and hugging me, as if begging for my protection. Reassuringly, I took his hand in mine, and once again saw the black ink spots. "Seth..." I gently said, bringing his hand to his sight, "what's this?" I then heard him gurgle and hiss; I inferred I wasn't going to get any answer from him, but would have to seek for myself. "Never mind," I finally said, lightly patting his back with my palm.
"Thank you... my Lord..." he managed to speak, coughing. Weakly, he let go of me and faced me, his eyes red from crying. And then, slowly and trembling as if in reluctance, he gestured at something. There, where I had failed to look, was a thick gold-and-bronze book, opened to one of its pages. From afar, I saw the same black ink written on parts of the page.
"What the--?" I ran to look at the book, and gasped in horror when I saw...
It was the Book of Life. And the page was about Seto Kaiba.
(to be continued)
Click here to proceed to Chapter 18. 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 16. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Ten years.
I sit here, once again in the dark, alone -- as always -- tapping the crystal glass of brandy upon the cold varnished wood of the bar. And it passes my mind.
Ten years.
The reddish digits on my calendar that clearly state the truth.
Ten years.
From the day that we had parted, from the day that you have died, from the day that you have left my life without purpose, I've seen ten years, walked through ten years, endured and survived for ten years. Despised my existence for ten whole fucking years... which should've been better, should've been blessed with your presence, your power...
And your life. Those were ten years that would never be.
Ten years, I sigh, as I slide my fingers along the icy smooth bottle of brandy.
Yami Yugi, it has been so long, hasn't it? And now, I face the realization, again, that a man never fully appreciates the value of something until he has lost it. Cliché, yet still ringing true. But whoever said that time heals all wounds ought to be damned for eternity. Liars go to hell.
God damn it. When you were there, Yami Yugi, I've been a fool, trying to distance myself away from the rest of the world, and from you, thinking that everything I had then was all that mattered. But now that you're gone, now that you're dead... all this success? All this money? They mean nothing to me! If I could buy you back, even with all my possessions, even with my own life, I would. I would...
Funny... Look at me now, trying to get myself drunk again, hoping to see you. Yet since that dream, that dream that had opened my eyes, I've never been haunted by the nightmares that I had damned, hated, tried to get out of my mind. Now, I long for them, for me to see you, even if just in my twisted fantasies... But I've been trying, to no avail.
Hah, so Seto Kaiba always dumps the past, lives in the present and seeks the future? Then why is he here, wallowing in should-have-been's? I drawl bitterly. Ten years really do a great deal to a person, I thought, as I stare at the bottle of brandy, the golden intoxicating liquid that I have been drowning in for the past hour. The bottle was almost full when I had started. Now, it is nearly empty. I would be sleeping now; another fucking day awaits me the next morning.
Then the goddamned cell-phone suddenly rings. I answer.
"Seto Kaiba here."
"Sir, technical problems in the main computer. Sorry that we couldn't solve them. Is it possible if..."
"I'm on my way." I hang up. Idiots. Why do I even bother to hire anyone? I raise my hands in exasperation, and glance at my watch. It is now midnight. My chauffeur won't be on duty until four in the morning.
Looks like I'm doing the driving tonight.
Chapter 17: Intervention
"Seth, you fool! What have you done?"
"What would the Pharaoh say?"
"The Lord would surely be outraged!"
"This is sacrilege!"
"My son... Oh, my son, why?"
"Don't you understand? I have done this for our Pharaoh!"
I had been awakened this morning by a sharply painful, crushing and stabbing sensation on my head and my chest. Alarmed that something terrible had happened, I tried to ignore the overwhelming imminent-death-like feeling that coursed through my form, and immediately stood up and ran to the temple, expecting to find some disorder. However, I didn't anticipate what I saw: my six priests in commotion, all talking at once, seemingly bickering among each other.
No, they weren't bickering among each other, I realized. It was actually everyone against Seth, who had fallen on his knees, clutching his chest.
I swallowed the pain and mustered authority in my voice. "What goes on here?"
All priests -- except for Seth -- promptly turned to me and knelt reverently. Seth, on the other hand, was still slumped on his knees, his face crumpled in pain. Concerned, I rushed to him, but the pain through my own form kept me from moving two steps further and I fell to the floor. The other priests immediately ran to my aid. Thankfully, when Mahad placed his hand on my head, the pain swiftly drifted away.
"Are you alright, Pharaoh?" he asked.
"I am now, thank you." I then stood up and approached Seth. Unlike before, he didn't make a move to acknowledge my presence, and remained where he was, still tightly holding his chest. And as I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked at him, I noticed drops of black ink on his hands and on the floor. I wondered what had happened; I had wanted to ask the other priests, but decided that it would be better if Seth got to air his side first (since he seemed to be the one at fault here), before he becomes overwhelmed by what the others would say. So first... "Mahad!" I gestured for the sorcerer to come closer.
Mahad ran to my side. "Take away his pain," I ordered. Without hesitation, Mahad placed his hand on Seth's head. Soon, Seth let go of his chest, the tortured expression disappearing from his face, and -- to my surprise -- clung onto me with a tight embrace. I heard faint gasps from the others, which I just ignored; instead, I returned the embrace wordlessly and strained to listen. My High Priest, the strongest among my six most loyal subjects, was sobbing uncontrollably; it was the first time I've seen him weep since when Kisara had passed away.
I noticed most of the other priests regarding Seth with cold eyes, while Akhnadin, his father, bit his lip and looked away. I could tell that this was a serious matter indeed, and something related to the pain that both Seth and I had experienced.
"Seth, my High Priest," I finally asked softly, "what's wrong?"
"My Lord... my Lord... forgive me..." he whimpered, and held onto me more tightly.
"What you have done is unforgivable!" Kalim voiced out deeply. "You deserve to be placed in the dungeons!"
"Silence, Kalim!" I responded indignantly. Kalim immediately asked for pardon. I forgave him readily.
Seth didn't say anything, and just went on crying and hugging me, as if begging for my protection. Reassuringly, I took his hand in mine, and once again saw the black ink spots. "Seth..." I gently said, bringing his hand to his sight, "what's this?" I then heard him gurgle and hiss; I inferred I wasn't going to get any answer from him, but would have to seek for myself. "Never mind," I finally said, lightly patting his back with my palm.
"Thank you... my Lord..." he managed to speak, coughing. Weakly, he let go of me and faced me, his eyes red from crying. And then, slowly and trembling as if in reluctance, he gestured at something. There, where I had failed to look, was a thick gold-and-bronze book, opened to one of its pages. From afar, I saw the same black ink written on parts of the page.
"What the--?" I ran to look at the book, and gasped in horror when I saw...
It was the Book of Life. And the page was about Seto Kaiba.
(to be continued)
Click here to proceed to Chapter 18. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
posted by cent @ 1:48 PM
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