Fateful Salvation: Chapter 4

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Genre: Supernatural, Romance

Description: An old man's Blue Eyes White Dragon card brings about the crossing of their paths. After that, life will never be the same for the two of them. A Seto Yami fanfiction.

Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)

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

Fateful Salvation
by: scarlet wax petal

Click here to return to Chapter 3. Click here to see the Table of Contents.

Chapter 4: Angel of Darkness

One step into the environment that he had just entered and Yami could tell that the situation is worse than he had first perceived. A spiteful aura vibrates from all around him, and what seems to be fiendish laughter reverberates in his ears. Absently, he hugs himself, increasingly becoming aware of torturous absence of light. So much sorrow, hatred and anger… a dark and frightening emptiness. Such fills the being of Seto Kaiba.

How could any human survive this? he wonders. That is, if the one I am searching for is still alive. A myriad of sharp nails seem to rake on his skin and he winces in pain. He suddenly fears for himself, and doubts if his efforts would ever amount to something. He begins to step back. And then, fleetingly, he hears, perhaps for the first time, a wisp of young voice beckoning to him laughingly, innocently; and hope is returned once more. He realizes that there is no turning back, and that he has to work fast, if he were to succeed.

He paces forward. And forward, and forward, gaining confidence as he goes. As he walks, he looks from side to side, searching for nothing in particular; anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, that could turn the tables to his and Seto Kaiba’s favor. For now, the situation is too grim. There is nothing to be seen but utter forbidding darkness, nothing to be heard but the laughter of Satan. Relying on mere sense alone, Yami would have faltered in his quest, and he knows it. He makes a decision: to have faith, to listen to his heart.

Once again, he hears the young voice: incomprehensible still, but more audible now. Yami closes his eyes and listens more intently. The voice seems to direct him, and then vanishes again. With eyes still shut, he moves on, towards that direction, walking now, running later, until he feels the sensation of being swallowed by the void…

A strong hissing sound, and he opens his eyes. Before him is a truly frightening sight: a huge demonic serpent the size of a python, the viciousness of a viper, with eyes blazing wildly like the fires of hell. Instinctively, Yami grips his side, and his eyes widen in surprise. He no longer holds a deck of cards. Instead, a one-handed long sword, fitted with a bronze wing-shaped handle, hangs sheathed at his hip. Here, this is his weapon.

The serpent opens its mouth, revealing long talon-like fangs dripping with thick blood-red venom. It hisses loudly at his face, trying to intimidate him. But clearly, it has no more strength left; for otherwise, it could have simply swallowed anyone who dares face it, and this is something Yami easily observes.

He smiles; he grasps the handle of his sword. In one sweeping motion, he unsheathes it, and swings, and slashes the monster in half. The serpent falls soundlessly to the ground.

With the monster slain, the evil aura quickly dissipates, and Yami feels a sudden sense of relief, as if weight has been taken from his shoulders. However, as time passes, the darkness and emptiness linger, without fading even once, bothering Yami terribly. He uses his magic, and also Exodia’s, in efforts to wipe away the darkness. To no avail. The soul remains as it is.

Why? he wonders. And then it occurs to him: the serpent had not lost; it had actually won. Knowing itself greatly weakened by the previous duel, it had spread and buried its essence in Kaiba’s soul, tainting it, making the darkness its nature. No magic would ever be able to banish this darkness, Yami realizes, much to his irritation. The soul would remain this way, forever, until something is done.

I know what I have to do. I have to save him, from himself.

The true Seto Kaiba appears, awake and naked, seated with his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. Yami approaches steadily until he stands mere inches before the young man, who looks up at him intently with those neutral blue eyes. Yami gazes down, gripping the sword in his hand even more tightly. For a long moment, both men stay that way -- silent, steady, unflinching -- until Yami lifts his sword and points the sharp blade directly at Kaiba’s face. He gazes at those blue eyes for one last time, half-hoping that anger would make them cross. Instead, and fairly to Yami’s surprise, a wash of relief makes them sparkle; a calm smile plays on Kaiba’s lips, and Yami nods. He lifts his sword even higher, and murmurs a silent prayer, a requiem.

May Death set you free forever from the clutches of darkness. Farewell, Seto Kaiba.

He thrusts downward. But the blade never goes through. For suddenly, there appears a flash of light, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon emerges, glorious and invincible, wrapping Seto Kaiba in a warm protective embrace. Greatly taken aback, Yami stops where he is, loosening his grip on his sword, and gazes in sheer wonder as the beast of light softly cradles the young man in its wings. Finally, he musters enough strength to speak.

"Why do you protect him, after all the wrong he has done?

"Why do you keep him alive, knowing that darkness has become his nature?

"Wouldn’t you rather he be set free, than let him live to go on hurting and suffering?"

The dragon turns its head towards him. Yami observes its eyes -- sapphire blue and powerfully resolute, like Kaiba’s own eyes. It opens its mouth and moans, and something seems to stir from within Yami’s form. He places his hand upon his own chest; he feels the steady pulse of his heart. His life. And he understands. He looks at the dragon once more, nods and sheathes his sword.

The beast of light then disappears, and before him now stands -- not the Seto Kaiba that he had known thus far -- but a young boy who greatly resembles him. Who is him, Yami soon realizes, and yet not him at the same time. For the child has deep blue eyes that twinkle with innocent happiness and wonder, not like those of the man whose eyes seem to have seen too much. Yami finds it hard to believe that he is looking at the same set of eyes.

The child doesn’t seem to notice him. An infant sleeps soundly in his arms. The boy rocks the babe tenderly, protectively close to his chest, humming a faint lullaby as he goes. His gaze upon the infant’s face is soft and sincere. Yami smiles at the gesture. He realizes even more why the dragon had gone to lengths to protect the little boy. Alone, the child would have died in this hellish place. Yet the dragon had known, all along, that the boy is a bastion of hope, a protector of the innocent; and thus it had shielded him from death. For the same reason, Yami had let the young man live.

Briefly he wonders why the child and the man are vastly different.

The child exists. But why has he been hidden all this time?

Yami wants to know. He comes closer, kneeling before the boy. "Is he your little brother?" he whispers, reaching to touch the infant’s head.

Abruptly, the boy steps back, glaring fiercely and bringing the babe even closer to his chest. Yami feels a sense of anxiety and quickly withdraws his hand. "I apologize," he says, as tenderly as he could. "I didn’t mean to scare you."

The boy does not respond. The look of hostility remains on his face, and Yami fears that the boy would move back even further, or drive him away. Berating himself for having made a wrong decision, he decides to stand and prepares to leave. His back is already turned when…

"Wait, Mister!"

Yami’s heart skips a beat in his surprise. He hasn’t expected the child to even say anything to him. Furthermore, the voice… is familiar. Rarely heard, yet it is a voice that Yami would never forget. He couldn’t believe it at first; but there it is. It is the voice that has been calling him!

He turns, and is surprised even further. The look of apprehension has now faded from the child’s eyes, replaced by a glow of impeccable joy, of childlike trust, of sincerity and care. Things that Yami has not expected to find in Seto Kaiba. I must have misjudged him, he thinks. He comes closer and kneels before the boy. "What is it?" he whispers.

"Are you an angel?" the child asks, a sigh of boyish astonishment escaping his lips. Yami is startled. How could he believe I am an angel? I am certainly far from that! He thinks momentarily. But then, after all, he is a child; and like any child, he could easily forego who I really am, and come to believe me, admire me, have faith in me. And, just as easily, Yami could have stayed himself as an angel in the little boy’s eyes; but he is one to value freedom. It would pain him, true, to not be an angel, to bare himself and be Yami, the spirit of darkness, far from being the heavenly creature that the child is now seeing; and yet, he knows what should be done. The child should not be locked further in delusions; rather, set free with reality. And so, noticing the child waiting patiently for an answer, Yami wordlessly said the truth, by solemnly shaking his head.

The boy stares back with those innocent eyes, and then shrugs. "Well, you’re still an angel to me. Thank you for coming, Mister." A wide boyish smile graces his lips. Yami couldn’t help but smile back, greatly amused. And touched.

He gently ruffles the little boy’s thick brown hair, and murmurs, "Live on, Seto. Live on, and re-discover who you really are."

The child looks puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Yami smiles. "Look around you. Don’t you fear the darkness? Don’t you wish to be out in the sun, playing and laughing like all the other children?"

Seto glances around. Yami waits for a sign of fear. It doesn’t come.

Finally, the child answers, softly, "But I can’t leave Mokuba alone."

"Mokuba? Is that your brother’s name?"

The child nods. "Uh-huh."

"Then take Mokuba along with you," he answers simply.

"But once we’re out there, they’ll hurt him, like they always do. We have to stay here, so I could keep him safe."

"Even at the cost of your own happiness?" Yami asks, quite surprised.

"Mm-hm."

"But I’m sure you would want your brother to be happy--"

"Yes, of course. And I would find a way to get him out of this darkness, and still keep him safe. Even if it means I would have to stay here forever--"

"You shouldn’t do that. You are only a boy."

"But I want to. I want to protect him."

Yami heaves a sigh. He feels an extreme urge to protect the boy. "I don’t want you to stay here forever," he finally says. "I promise, I’ll find a way to get you out of here." The boy begins to protest, but Yami raises his hand to stop him. "Just be patient. I promise, I’ll save you from this darkness." He leans over and places a soft kiss upon the boy’s forehead. The child’s eyes widen in surprise.

"I-- Why did you do that?" the boy stammers.

"It’s a mark of my promise," Yami murmurs, caressing Seto’s cheek with his fingers.

"I’ve never been kissed before." The boy seems uneasy. "Even when Okasan was still living…"

"I had supposed so." He inches himself closer, locking his gaze onto glistening cerulean. "Didn’t you like it?"

The boy’s cheeks turn pink. He doesn’t say anything. Yami stands and turns to leave.

"Wait…"

"What is it, Seto?"

"I… When do I see you again?"

"Our fates are intertwined. We’ll see each other very soon."

"Uh… okay." He smiles, that innocent boyish grin. "Ja ne."

"Ja ne." Yami smiles and waves back, before finally leaving the enclaves of Kaiba’s soul.

Yeah, see you again… someday…

(to be continued)

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