Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ In the Master's House ❯ The Pawn - Slave to the King ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: The Pawn - Slave to the King

She was not expecting visitors. Her older brother only entered to bring her food or take her to the washroom. On rare occasions, when either of them was feeling particularly morose, he would clean her up and change her clothes with the use of a simple spell, even though it was forbidden to use magic around her. No one bothered to enforce that rule, save her brother himself, for the Master did not frequent the prison, or anywhere else, for that matter.

She could remember seeing him only once in her life, and that was when he'd locked her up with his own two hands.

The door creaked as it always did, and she looked up slowly. "You're early, Jagen. Dinner isn't for another two hours."

But it was not her brother who stood in the doorway, his form cast in shadow. There was something strikingly familiar about his profile.

The visitor came forward as Jagen locked the door behind him. The Dark Magician did not meet her eyes, and she knew why. He hated that she had to be imprisoned, and it was both his blessing and his curse that he was chosen to guard her.

Without warning, the visitor was suddenly at her side, his eyes wide with horror. His gaze fell on her shackled hands and feet, the paleness of her skin, the weary state of her hair. He began to shudder uncontrollably.

She stared at him, uncertain of who he was, but feeling sorry for him nonetheless.

Finally, he choked back a sob and slammed his fists against the cold, stone floor, lowering his head. "I can't believe…why would he…not RIGHT!" he cried, his voice rising to a shout on the final word.

She tilted her head slightly, the recognition slowly making its way to her mind. But this was not the Master, she knew at once. She remembered that he was supposedly quick to anger and sometimes ruthless. She had never seen either of those attributes in him, though. He had been silent and impassive when he imprisoned her all those years ago.

The boy raised his head, and there were tears of outrage and sadness there.

"You would cry for me, little one?" she asked softly. "Why?"

"This isn't right," he sobbed, gesturing faintly to her hands. "You…you shouldn't BE here…not like this…"

"Why not?"

He froze. "What?"

"Why not?" she repeated slowly.

"What do you…you WANT to be here?!"

"I did not say that," she replied, closing her eyes. "I do not enjoy imprisonment. I tolerate it. There are worse things, and it is necessary."

"How could this be necessary?!" he wailed.

She opened her eyes. "You don't understand, little one. This place is not for the strongest monsters. It is for those who have the potential to become the strongest. I have the greatest of all, and so I must be kept here."

"But…you don't deserve this," he pleaded. "You…you're a girl," he argued weakly.

"Do not confuse my title with my current condition," she said. "I am no more a girl than you are a man. And whether I deserve it or not, I will remain here."

"But…it's not right!"

"Perhaps not," she agreed. "But it is, and it shall be."

"No," he whispered. "I…I can't leave you like this."

"You have no choice, little one."

"No! There is always a choice!"

"True. And mine is to stay here."

His eyes continued to plead with her, desperately. "You can't want this!"

"Whether I want it or not, I will stay."

"But…"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "There is nothing you could say that will change my mind on the matter, and even if you could, I have no power over what happens to me now. Only the Master can free me, and he will not."

He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded.

She removed her finger.

"Tell me."

"Tell you?" she asked.

"Why he did this to you."

"I have told you. There was a risk that I might become too powerful."

"Did…he say anything to you? When he-"

"Yes. I forget what exactly, but he put it up on that wall, so I would not. I've grown weary of reading it."

The boy turned to the wall she indicated, and suddenly noticed a golden panel with blood red words in it.

I may never set foot in this cell again

I may never lay eyes upon you again

But I will never, can never, forget

Your wondrously horrible eyes.

I will never, can never, forget

The fear, anger, confusion in them

When I sentenced you to this cell

To live, to tremble, to rot.

I will never, can never, forget

The tormented relief in them

When I named your only brother

Your jailer and guardian

I will never, can never, forget

Because you will not allow me

Such comfort or pleasure

In your own way, you have won.

I will never, can never, forget

Because I will not allow myself to

For when I see my mirror image

He stares at me…with your eyes…

For a long moment, the boy could only stare the words until they became blurry. Then he hid his face in his hands, shoulders slumped and shaking in defeat.

In her heart of hearts, that had so long ago been reserved only for her brother, she ached for him. Without knowing why, she drew him to her, murmuring soft, comforting words in his ear while he wept in her lap.

* * * * *

Yami glanced at the clock, growing more impatient with every second. Yugi had been gone too long. By now, he knew enough-probably too much-about Yami's world, and Yami himself. His wrath would be great.

He glanced over at Tea, and his stern gaze softened as she shifted up on the couch. He drew the blanket up to her neck, then returned to his seat on the arm of the couch, waiting.

Without warning, something exploded from the Millennium Puzzle.

"YAMI!!!"

So unexpected was the shout and the sight, he fell backwards onto Tea and then hit the floor, managing to land face first with little or no grace.

Tea sat up at once, then shrieked when she spotted the apparition standing before Yami. "Wha…what is that?!" Her eyes widened after a second. "Oh my…YUGI?!?!"

Yugi's expression lost its malice as he looked at her. "Tea, I'm sorry about this. I'll have to ask you to leave. Yami and I…we need to have a long talk."

Tea nodded faintly. "Of course," she said, standing up. She glanced at Yami (who had managed to retain some of his usual dignity, but not much) and headed for the door. She paused there and turned back. "…Yugi?"

"Yes, Tea?"

She opened her mouth, but Yami's gaze fell on her, and he shook his head once. "See you tomorrow," she said at last.

Yugi smiled fondly at her. "Goodnight, Tea. Sweet dreams."

Tea forced a smile and waved a little. "Bye, Yugi." She left quickly.

Yugi turned back to Yami, all of the malice returning. "You never told me about her."

"I had hoped I wouldn't have to." Yami made it to his feet. "You don't understand-"

"NO!" shouted Yugi. "I'm tired of people saying that! You're going to MAKE me understand! Tell me how you could-"

"Fine," Yami said sternly, glaring at him. "But remember that I did warn you." He turned back to the window. "It's all a game to you, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Duel Monsters."

"Yes, but-"

"NO." Yami whirled on him, grabbing his shoulders. "It is NOT, nor has it EVER been, A GAME!" he roared in Yugi's face.

Yugi paled considerably.

"…I'm sorry. But I'm going to make you understand. You asked me to." He drew a card from his jacket. "Tell me what this is."

Yugi looked at the card. "It's Karibou."

"No. Wygoth of the Wuzzles."

Yugi blinked. "What do-"

"This one?" Yami drew another card.

"…Celtic Guard-"

"Legolas the Loyal, son of Atrigan the Almighty, Protector of the Mountain Fortress."

Yugi's mouth worked. "But-"

"THIS one?"

Yugi's lips trembled, and he bit the bottom one.

"Well?"

"…Aoen," he whispered, tears falling from his eyes. "Aoen Edain." He lowered his head.

"Yes." Yami squeezed his shoulder. "They're real, Yugi, every last one of them. You saw that for yourself. Duel Monsters is no more a game than your life is. But the name is half right. Many of them are monsters, and almost all of them act that way, under normal circumstances." Yami paused and drew another card. "There was a time," he said softly, "where, when I summoned this creature, millions of people lost their lives in a heartbeat."

Yugi stared at the card. It was Curse of Dragon.

"They are real, Yugi," he repeated, "and they are dangerous."

Yugi nodded.

"You think you understand, but you don't." Yami's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Yugi. If you were to walk down the street, and Curse of Dragon landed in front of you, what would you do?"

"Order him to-"

Yami laughed derisively. "ORDER him? And what do you think would stop him from cooking your flesh and blackening your bones while you're ORDERING him?!"

Yugi said nothing.

"It's a game to you, and every other duelist," Yami whispered, "because you only THINK you control them, Yugi. In reality, you are NOTHING to them. And yet, they must be controlled, in order for you to play your little game. That's where I come in." He smirked. "Did you actually believe that a mere boy or girl could control even one dragon, much less an entire hoard of monsters? Did you think it was even remotely possible?"

Yugi looked away.

"Yes, be ashamed, Yugi. This isn't Duel Monsters, it's the Shadow Games reborn. The monsters are still very much real. Their souls have been sealed to fit in your pocket, but they are real. But you were lucky, Yugi. You had your grandfather to teach you of the Heart of the Cards, and you had the Millennium Puzzle, and you had ME. Fortunately, the monsters still recognize me as a pharaoh of old."

Finally, Yugi spoke. "And so that gives you the right? To lock up a mere girl?!"

Yami glared at him. "There is NOTHING mere about THAT girl."

"She's no different from TEA!" Yugi wailed.

"Tea cannot wipe out an empire with a flick of her wrist."

"And yet she can still reach even your heart," Yugi spat. "What's left of it, anyway."

Yami's eyes smoldered. "You think I wanted to do it? Is that what you think?"

"Didn't you?!"

"I did what I had to, in order to protect YOU from your deck! You don't realize how much power is in the palm of your hand every time you pick up that deck!"

"And YOU don't realize that you don't have to trample them down like they're nothing!" Yugi screamed. "Don't you see what the worst thing about your world is? They don't know what friends, family, and feelings are! The one family that DOES exist there is slowly being torn apart because you locked her up!"

"Do you love your grandfather, Yugi?" Yami asked suddenly.

"Of course! After all we went through to get him-"

"I loved mine, too. Do you know where he is right now?"

Yugi stopped.

"Neither do I. But I recall where they found his body." He threw the Stone Soldier at Yugi. "Under HIS foot!" He tossed the Feral Imp at Yugi. "My mother, on his horn!" Next, Gaia. "My father, on his lance!" Then Dragon Zombie. "My brother, in his jaws!" Finally, the Man-Eater Bug. "My…sister…my darling, innocent sister…barely four years…" Yami sank to his knees. "I don't do this because I'm angry, Yugi. I do this because I don't want anyone else to lose what I lost. I do it to protect your family, Joey's, Tristan's…and Tea. I do it to protect her, too."

"But the Black Magician Girl isn't LIKE that," Yugi insisted. "You can't lock her up just because she COULD do those things. She wouldn't! She's…kind, caring, and sweet…like Tea. You wouldn't lock her up…would you?"

Yami said nothing.

Yugi kneeled next to him and touched his shoulder. "You know I'm right. You don't even have to admit that you're not. Just…don't make her and her brother pay for what they never even did. I'm truly sorry about those that you lost, I know it's not fair. But neither is what you're doing to that family. I can't approve of it…and I know Tea wouldn't, either. She'd want you to free her."

Yami raised his eyes to Yugi's.

"Just spend some time with her. Get to know her. She could probably teach you something."

Yami frowned. "Tea? Or…?"

Yugi beamed at him. "I didn't say, did I?" He stood and squeezed Yami's shoulder