Dark had felt Celtic's unease the moment they had entered the temple,
although he couldn't quite place what was causing it. The elf was looking
around with something akin to despair and when the Magician looked over at
his friend, he could tell that the Knight could see it too, but a shrug
told Dark that Gaia didn't have any idea as to what was causing it either.
Dark sighed and held onto his elf's hand a little tighter, leading him through the corridors, following Mystical's lead. But soon he felt Celtic stop and his hand slip from the magician's grasp. As Dark turned to see what had caused him to stop he watched as Celtic collapsed.
"Celtic!" He rushed forward, but someone else beat him to his beloved and he could only stare as the Pharaoh caught Celtic in his arms and stopped him from hitting the ground. As was proper, all the cards stopped what they had been doing and watched the Pharaoh.
Curiosity was written in their eyes, but the Pharaoh paid attention to no one but the elf in his arms. To Dark it seemed as if they were talking, and he knew this conversation would decide the outcome of his future.
Celtic looked around him and saw only darkness.
"Am I dreaming?"
"No, but I wouldn't say you were awake either. You are drifting in the realm between waking and dreaming." The elf knew that voice well now and turned to face the Pharaoh.
"So, we finally meet, Pharaoh." He gave a bow and when he looked up he saw that the Pharaoh was smirking slightly.
"Call me Yami, much easier than saying Pharaoh all the time." Celtic nodded and then looked around again.
"Can I ask why I'm here?"
"Yes." Silence for a few moments as the two stared at each other.
"Would you give me an answer?" Yami smirked.
"That is an answer you should give me. You were the one who traveled all the way here, into my temple and now feels like giving up." Celtic glared.
"I don't feel like giving up, I just know I don't have a chance."
"And why is that?" The elf sighed. He didn't realize talking to Yami could be so annoying.
"The cards here are all powerful, unlike me. I would have nothing to offer your deck." He felt Yami come and stand next to him, a part of his mind had to laugh at how short the Pharaoh was.
"It's true you are not all that powerful, but you do have a special power unique to you." He paused a moment. "It's the power to be able to sacrifice your life for the one you love." He turned and smiled at the elf. "To many, that's almost like magic. They can't understand that kind of bond, or if they do, not many are willing to do anything about it."
Celtic looked over at Yami in disbelief.
"How could someone not be willing to do anything for the one they love? That would kill me."
Yami nodded.
"It would kill you, because in your heart, love and loyalty preside over all other emotions. I don't have cards like that in my deck and never have." Yami smiled to himself, an expression that seemed almost sad. "There was a time I would have though cards like you were weak, and unworthy of my attention, but someone changed that for me a long time ago, made me see a different type of power. The power of the heart."
They stood in silence then, the darkness around them seemed to flow around them, leaving them both alone with their thoughts. Finally Celtic broke the spell.
"What must I do to be a part of your deck?"
Yami looked over at him.
"Are you willing to spend time alone, away from Dark and do as I ask?" the thought alone caused Celtic to wince but he nodded a yes. "Then this is what you must do. I have powerful cards yes, and I know they will stay by me, but I need cards that are ruled by their heart instead of their skill."
"Like me." The pharaoh smiled.
"Yes like you. It will be hard, I'll tell you that much, but it will be the only thing I ask. If you do this, than I will make sure that you and Dark will never be separated."
The elf thought hard about this. This task would take him across this world, through danger and he knew there was a big chance that he would not come back alive, that he would die alone. But if he didn't do this, then he would still die alone, away from Dark.
He turned back to Yami.
"I will. I can't do anything else but follow my heart."
Yami smiled at him and placed a hand on his forehead. He felt a weird sensation move through his mind and from there straight to his card. He gasped as he felt a slight burning sensation and then in his mind there appeared the symbol of an eye.
"I have bound your card into my keeping. This will ensure that no one can ever take you against your will into a Shadow Game." Celtic nodded, still feeling slightly disorientated.
"I think it's time that you explain to Dark where you are going."
With that Celtic found himself back in the temple looking up into the eyes of Yami. Yami nodded at him and then helped him to his feet. As soon as he was steady, the Pharaoh turned and left, leaving a certain blond elf the center of everyone's attention. Celtic ignored everyone in favor of embracing his magician.
"I've found a way to be with you forever, but it means that you're going to have to let me go." Dark pulled back slightly and his eyebrows rose.
"What do you mean?" Celtic sighed and then explained everything to Dark and Gaia. Neither seemed completely happy about it and Celtic didn't blame them.
"I have to do this Dark, it's the only way."
"But to do it alone."
"He won't be alone." The three turned at the sound of a new voice and Celtic grinned.
"Silver! What are you doing here?" The wolf padded over to them.
"The Pharaoh asked me if I would be willing to accompany you on this task. I agreed. It'll be fun to travel with a warrior elf." Celtic smiled and scratched the giant furred head.
"Thanks."
Dark and Gaia still didn't look happy, but at least they looked like they were ready to accept Celtic leaving. Gaia spoke first.
"Well, Elf, I never expected all this to happen when I convinced Dark to get out of the Tower that day, but I'm glad it did. I'm staying here, to make sure our magician doesn't drive himself insane and do something idiotic." They both ignored Dark's cry of outrage and smiled.
"Thanks Gaia. I'll be back as soon as I can and I don't want to return to find that he starved himself out of worry." Dark snorted.
"As if I would." Two pair of eyes looked over at him. "Well I wouldn't." they continued to stare and Dark looked down, playing with his robe. "Well, I might miss a few meals." Gaia laughed outright at this and Celtic shook his head and then walked over and kissed Dark. It was a simple touch of the lips but it held the promise of forever.
"I'll be back as soon as I can and then nothing will ever tear us apart." He moved away from his two friends and then with Silver fang by his side, he left the temple.
Me: Okay.that's the end of the first part of this story, it will be continued in 'Willing Bonds' if anyone is interested.
Dark sighed and held onto his elf's hand a little tighter, leading him through the corridors, following Mystical's lead. But soon he felt Celtic stop and his hand slip from the magician's grasp. As Dark turned to see what had caused him to stop he watched as Celtic collapsed.
"Celtic!" He rushed forward, but someone else beat him to his beloved and he could only stare as the Pharaoh caught Celtic in his arms and stopped him from hitting the ground. As was proper, all the cards stopped what they had been doing and watched the Pharaoh.
Curiosity was written in their eyes, but the Pharaoh paid attention to no one but the elf in his arms. To Dark it seemed as if they were talking, and he knew this conversation would decide the outcome of his future.
Celtic looked around him and saw only darkness.
"Am I dreaming?"
"No, but I wouldn't say you were awake either. You are drifting in the realm between waking and dreaming." The elf knew that voice well now and turned to face the Pharaoh.
"So, we finally meet, Pharaoh." He gave a bow and when he looked up he saw that the Pharaoh was smirking slightly.
"Call me Yami, much easier than saying Pharaoh all the time." Celtic nodded and then looked around again.
"Can I ask why I'm here?"
"Yes." Silence for a few moments as the two stared at each other.
"Would you give me an answer?" Yami smirked.
"That is an answer you should give me. You were the one who traveled all the way here, into my temple and now feels like giving up." Celtic glared.
"I don't feel like giving up, I just know I don't have a chance."
"And why is that?" The elf sighed. He didn't realize talking to Yami could be so annoying.
"The cards here are all powerful, unlike me. I would have nothing to offer your deck." He felt Yami come and stand next to him, a part of his mind had to laugh at how short the Pharaoh was.
"It's true you are not all that powerful, but you do have a special power unique to you." He paused a moment. "It's the power to be able to sacrifice your life for the one you love." He turned and smiled at the elf. "To many, that's almost like magic. They can't understand that kind of bond, or if they do, not many are willing to do anything about it."
Celtic looked over at Yami in disbelief.
"How could someone not be willing to do anything for the one they love? That would kill me."
Yami nodded.
"It would kill you, because in your heart, love and loyalty preside over all other emotions. I don't have cards like that in my deck and never have." Yami smiled to himself, an expression that seemed almost sad. "There was a time I would have though cards like you were weak, and unworthy of my attention, but someone changed that for me a long time ago, made me see a different type of power. The power of the heart."
They stood in silence then, the darkness around them seemed to flow around them, leaving them both alone with their thoughts. Finally Celtic broke the spell.
"What must I do to be a part of your deck?"
Yami looked over at him.
"Are you willing to spend time alone, away from Dark and do as I ask?" the thought alone caused Celtic to wince but he nodded a yes. "Then this is what you must do. I have powerful cards yes, and I know they will stay by me, but I need cards that are ruled by their heart instead of their skill."
"Like me." The pharaoh smiled.
"Yes like you. It will be hard, I'll tell you that much, but it will be the only thing I ask. If you do this, than I will make sure that you and Dark will never be separated."
The elf thought hard about this. This task would take him across this world, through danger and he knew there was a big chance that he would not come back alive, that he would die alone. But if he didn't do this, then he would still die alone, away from Dark.
He turned back to Yami.
"I will. I can't do anything else but follow my heart."
Yami smiled at him and placed a hand on his forehead. He felt a weird sensation move through his mind and from there straight to his card. He gasped as he felt a slight burning sensation and then in his mind there appeared the symbol of an eye.
"I have bound your card into my keeping. This will ensure that no one can ever take you against your will into a Shadow Game." Celtic nodded, still feeling slightly disorientated.
"I think it's time that you explain to Dark where you are going."
With that Celtic found himself back in the temple looking up into the eyes of Yami. Yami nodded at him and then helped him to his feet. As soon as he was steady, the Pharaoh turned and left, leaving a certain blond elf the center of everyone's attention. Celtic ignored everyone in favor of embracing his magician.
"I've found a way to be with you forever, but it means that you're going to have to let me go." Dark pulled back slightly and his eyebrows rose.
"What do you mean?" Celtic sighed and then explained everything to Dark and Gaia. Neither seemed completely happy about it and Celtic didn't blame them.
"I have to do this Dark, it's the only way."
"But to do it alone."
"He won't be alone." The three turned at the sound of a new voice and Celtic grinned.
"Silver! What are you doing here?" The wolf padded over to them.
"The Pharaoh asked me if I would be willing to accompany you on this task. I agreed. It'll be fun to travel with a warrior elf." Celtic smiled and scratched the giant furred head.
"Thanks."
Dark and Gaia still didn't look happy, but at least they looked like they were ready to accept Celtic leaving. Gaia spoke first.
"Well, Elf, I never expected all this to happen when I convinced Dark to get out of the Tower that day, but I'm glad it did. I'm staying here, to make sure our magician doesn't drive himself insane and do something idiotic." They both ignored Dark's cry of outrage and smiled.
"Thanks Gaia. I'll be back as soon as I can and I don't want to return to find that he starved himself out of worry." Dark snorted.
"As if I would." Two pair of eyes looked over at him. "Well I wouldn't." they continued to stare and Dark looked down, playing with his robe. "Well, I might miss a few meals." Gaia laughed outright at this and Celtic shook his head and then walked over and kissed Dark. It was a simple touch of the lips but it held the promise of forever.
"I'll be back as soon as I can and then nothing will ever tear us apart." He moved away from his two friends and then with Silver fang by his side, he left the temple.
Me: Okay.that's the end of the first part of this story, it will be continued in 'Willing Bonds' if anyone is interested.