Shadow Rising

D’Ceandre: Ohayo, minna. I’m back. Did you miss me?

Trouble: Probably not.

D’Ceandre: -_-;; Well, anyway, I would love to give you a hundred good reasons why I haven’t gotten this done sooner, but the reality is, I only have one. Writer’s block. But hopefully, it’s over now… maybe…

Trouble: How about just a lack of ability.

D’Ceandre: *Picks Trouble up, carries her outside, and tosses her in a snowbank.* Ah, peace and quiet for a few moments.

******

Yugi frowned at the Priest in confusion.

:What’s he talking about?:

:There’s a last test in this game.: Yami answered shortly. Yugi tensed, but he knew he wasn’t upset with him. Yami’s hand tightened a bit to comfort him anyway. “What’s the catch?”

“If your hikari loses, he and his friends must have their souls sealed into cards, to be called upon at my wish. If you win, you may claim the rod and the three blue-eyes.”

“What!” Kaiba snapped, stepping forward. “No!” Everyone else remained silent, but the rest of the Yugi-tachi were giving Set looks cold enough to freeze a volcano.

“Forget it.” Yami said, quieter but just as upset. Yugi shivered, and disappeared. Yami looked surprised a moment, then sensed him in the puzzle and relaxed.

“Nothing will have changed, until I call on them.” Set continued, ignoring the outbursts. “Then after the command has been fulfilled, they’ll be returned to their bodies.”

“I said forget it, Set.”

“And I said no. There is no way I’m going to…”

“Be quiet, Boy.” Set snapped.

“I am not a boy, or a dragon, or anything else. I am Seto Kaiba, and I will not let you order me- Ah!” Kaiba fell to his knees, his hands pressing against his head as if that would stop the pain. It seemed as if his skull was actually moving from the pounding.

“Big Brother!” Mokuba ran to his side, and looked up at Set, who watched calmly. “Stop it!”

Yami raised his hand and magic flared from it. Set turned suddenly, lifting the Rod. It absorbed the power effortlessly.

“The one thing I can beat you at.” He looked back at his hikari. “Move away from him.” He ordered. Mokuba glared at him, tears threatening to spill.

“Mokuba. Come away, please.” Yami called softly. Mokuba looked from Set to him, then at Kaiba. Slowly he stood and reluctantly moved away. Set gestured and Kaiba’s tense body relaxed as the pain disappeared. He tried to stand, found that he didn’t even have the strength to get to his hands and knees, and collapsed again.

“Seto!” Mokuba called, taking a step forward again. He stopped when Set lifted the Rod.

“It’s all right. I’m fine.” His voice was filled with hatred.

:Hate me all you want, but remember that I am in control.:

:Fuck you.: Set lifted an eyebrow, but decided to ignore the comment.

“So you are going to forfeit then, Cousin?”

Yami growled in annoyance. “What’s the game?”

“Chess.” Set said. Kaiba looked up in surprise, as his strength began to return.

“I don’t know how to play.” Yami replied coolly.

“Of course not. What about the Little One, though?”

“H-he does, actually.” Jounouchi said hesitantly. He tried to ignore the look Yami gave him.

“Yugi is not going to face you.” The irate spirit spat. Kaiba managed to get back to his feet, leaning against the wall for support.

“Fine with me. Dragon!” He snapped his fingers. Kaiba looked up tiredly, and reluctantly pushed away, to stand by his side. Set turned his attention to him, and lifted a hand to brush a loose lock of hair back gently. Kaiba tensed at the contact, but didn’t pull away. He was tired of fighting. For the moment, at least.

:If you stopped fighting me, I wouldn’t have to hurt you.: There was regret and sympathy in the mindvoice. Kaiba didn’t answer. Set sighed, and dropped his hand. “He will face Seto.”

:Aibou?:

:No! I can’t. I won’t.:

“That’s not fair either. Kaiba was the school champ.” Jounouchi protested.

“I haven’t played in a long time.” Kaiba’s voice was strangely empty. Yami looked at him, then gave Set a pointed glare. Set seemed not to like the tone either, but the only physical sign was the slight tightening of his lips.

:Don’t be that way.:

:…: Set sighed inwardly. It was either broken obedience or outright defiance. There seemed to be no way to reach a middle ground.

“He doesn’t want to.” Came the pharaoh’s reply.

“It’s still forfeiting.”

:Yugi…:

:No! He can’t make me! You can’t.: Yami winced at the shrillness of his mindvoice.

:Please. If you don’t try, we lose anyway. At least this way, we have a chance.:

:A chance? You’ve never seen him play.:

:Yugi!: He was starting to get annoyed now. :If you don’t play, Kaiba will never let it go, and by Monday afternoon, everyone in the school will know that Yugi Motou was too afraid to answer his challenge.: There was a moment’s silence.

:I don’t care.:

:Well, I do!: And he gave a pull.

Yugi appeared on the floor in front of him, on his knees. He gaped around a moment in shock, then turned to stare at Yami in disbelief. He winced away at the cold gaze. He had never thought he would be at the receiving end of that look.

Hesitantly, he reached out, sensing the barrier that he already knew would keep him from the puzzle.

“Little One.” He looked up again. The gaze had softened somewhat. “You’ll do fine.”

Everyone else was meanwhile trying to pretend nothing was happening, except for Kaiba, who actually looked sympathetic, Set, who looked as emotionless as normal, and Bakura, who was grinning somewhat.

“Ready, then?” The room seemed to shimmer, and two chairs and a table with a chess set on it appeared.

Yami looked down at Yugi who still sat on the floor. Yami had moved a few steps forward when the room had changed, and he now stood right next to the upset boy. Yugi leaned over against Yami’s leg. The Pharaoh felt a flash of possessiveness, and, strangely, desire. He buried the thought, and checked to make sure Yugi hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t, thankfully.

Set glanced at Kaiba. The brunet ignored the spirit, and sat in one of the chairs around the table. Yami pulled Yugi to his feet and gave him a push toward the chair across from Kaiba. Yugi obediently moved to sit. He raised his eyes to look at Kaiba, noticed the empty look in his eyes.

*He looked much like I feel.* Yugi thought, careful to keep it from Yami. *We’re both trapped by our yami, but at least he has the knowledge that it was taken from him. I gave my freedom away.* He was beginning to realise just how much power Yami held over him, now. Sure, at first it had just been little things, small choices that had somehow gotten larger. *Bakura’s right, I am a puppet.*

Yugi studied the board. The chess pieces were shaped as duel monsters. He was black; his king and queen the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl respectively. The bishops were copies of Celtic Guardian, the knights, Gaia the Fierce Knight and the rooks were Silver Fang. Kuribohs made up his pawns.

Kaiba’s King was a Lord of Dragons, his queen Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. His bishops were Luster Dragons, his knights Mystic Horsemans, and Luster Dragon 2 served as rooks. The pawns were shaped as Saggi the Dark Clown

“You can go first.” Kaiba said softly. Yugi studied the board a moment, and then with a sigh, he chose a pawn and moved it forward.

******

“He’s not doing so good.” Jounouchi commented quietly, watching as Yugi’s second rook was taken. Less then half his pieces remained, while Kaiba still had nearly all his. Yami sat on the arm of the chair, watching intently. His one hand rested comfortingly on the smaller twin’s shoulder.

“Poor Yugi.” Anzu whispered back. She glanced over her shoulder. Marik and Bakura were playing some game that involved knives, while Malik and Nui watched. Ryou was glancing back and forth between the yami and the chess game, as was Honda.

Sagira stood behind Yugi, watching as silently as her brother, and Mokuba stood next to Kaiba, while Set stood behind Kaiba’s seat, watching calmly, his arms crossed over his chest.

“He never had a chance.” Shizuka said.

“Neither of them did.” Anzu answered. Both the siblings frowned at that, confused, but she didn’t make herself any clearer.

******

:I can’t do this.: Yugi said again. And got the same response he had the first dozen times.

:Just relax. You’re doing fine.:

He wasn’t doing fine. Kaiba might not have played in a long time, but he hadn’t lost his touch. Yugi knew he wasn’t trying his hardest. The game would have been over by now. He wondered if Kaiba was toying with him or just trying to spare him from losing too horribly. Neither was in his nature, but…

He looked up, met the deep blue eyes, and quickly looked down at the board again. Not that that was any better. He moved his knight, and winced when it was promptly taken. His eyes returned to his opponent.

Kaiba returned his gaze coolly. But then they flickered, a quick emotion passing through. What had it been, understanding, pity? Yugi looked down at the board again, moved his last bishop.

“Check.” Kaiba said, moving his rook to take Yugi’s bishop, and putting him right next to his king. Yugi stared at the board in fear, searching for a way out. He shook his head slightly as he realized that there was no escape. He moved his king to hide behind his last pawn, and Kaiba quickly took it.

“Checkmate.”

******

Hime: That’s it?

D’Ceandre: It seemed a good place to stop. Actually, I’m having trouble choosing cards for characters. I’ve got ones for Yugi, Ryou, Anzu and Jounouchi, but I’m not sure about the others, especially Malik. Feel free to drop a few suggestions. Only, I don’t want to give Kaiba the BEWD since it already has a character.

Demi: Isn’t this AU though.

D’Ceandre: Yeah, so?