Not Again

This is the actual story part.

            It would be the stupidest thing I’d ever do, as I knew very well, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t lose him, not again. I couldn’t put myself, and Mokuba, through that torture again. I started to take a step forward, but felt another consciousness tug at me; Asenath.

 

‘You mustn’t interfere,’ she told me.

 

‘I have to,’ I answered.

 

I refused to have yet another evil ancient sprit harm Seto. The last time left him unconscious and in the hospital for two months. I couldn’t have that happen again. I made a promise to Mokuba and myself that I would do everything in my power to prevent that.

 

‘You’ll kill yourself,’ Asenath informed me, resisting the urge to yell at me.

 

‘Then I’ll give the Bracelet to someone else if I have to. You don’t have to stay with me.’

 

‘We are bonded by fate.’

 

‘Seto and I are bonded as well!’

 

The shadow game before me continued with Seto losing more and more life points each turn. If I didn’t do something, he was sure to die. Mokuba was standing behind me, my right arm wrapped protectively around him, so as to prevent anything from happening to him in the shadow realm.

 

“Big brother,” the boy next to me whispered in fear.

 

He may not have understood the complexities of a shadow duel, but he understood enough to know Seto was in danger. I looked down at him and could see the fear in his eyes. He was afraid that his brother would be put in the hospital again. Unfortunately, that wasn’t even the least that could happen. The fear, the absolute anguish in his eyes is what drove me to my decision.

 

‘Ebony, if you do anything, I will take over and stop you,’ Asenath warned.

 

‘No, you won’t. You would be doing the same thing if this was five thousand years ago and your brother, Atem, was in danger,’ I answered.

 

To that, she didn’t have an answer.

 

‘I’m not asking you do die a second time with me. I’ll give the Bracelet to Mokuba for safe keeping, until someone else can take my place,’ I continued.

 

‘You are the only one with the ability to use it. Had my spirit been able to rest peacefully, you would have, more likely than not, been my reincarnation. No one else will come.’

 

‘Then you will be set free from the Bracelet, seeing as I won’t need you to protect me anymore.’

 

“Ebony, don’t do this.’

 

It was too late, though. I had already made up my mind. I was going to save Seto, even if it did cost me my life. I knelt down and put my hands on Mokuba’s shoulders to make him look me straight in the eyes.

 

‘Goodbye, Asenath,’ I whispered mentally.

 

‘May your passage be swift and painless,’ she answered, offering the only protection she could give me now.

 

I removed the Millennium Bracelet from my right wrist and put it on Mokuba’s.

 

“Mokuba, I need you to promise me something,” I whispered.

 

“What? And why are you giving me your bracelet,” he asked.

 

“It’s going to protect you now. I want you to stay in this spot and do not move until the duel is over. You’ll know because you won’t feel the heavy weight on your body that you feel now. Only when the duel is over can you leave where you’re standing, understand?”

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

“I’m going to keep my promise.”

 

Mokuba threw his arms around my neck and I held him tightly.

 

“Ebony, don’t go,” he cried.

 

“I’m going to save Seto. Don’t worry. Everything will be alright. I promise,” I answered and kissed his forehead before standing up straight again.

 

“Now, my Hyozanryu, attack him directly so I may win this duel,” Seto’s opponent yelled.

 

A light beam formed in the dragon’s mouth and shot towards Seto. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me and stopped a few feet in front of Seto, my back facing the attack. I could see the shock on his face before the attack hit me. The immense pain didn’t come until after. No, it came after I started to fall forward, after the blood came from my mouth, after I saw the shock in Seto’s face leave and be replaced by sorrow.

 

“Ebony,” he yelled and took a step towards me.

 

Everything moved in slow motion, even as I fell. Nothing around me mattered anymore, because I knew I had saved Seto. Only one life could be taken in this kind of a shadow duel, something I had learned from Asenath. I was that one life, so I knew that no matter what the end result of the duel was, Seto and Mokuba would both be safe. As I drifted away, my life was replayed to me.

 

“Help,” I screamed as I felt my body being dragged under the water.

 

I had fallen into a river and couldn’t swim well enough to move against the current. To make matters worse, I was in rough waters. I thought I was going to die then, at the age of eight years old.

 

I then felt someone’s hand grab my, wrapping tightly around my wrist. The hand pulled me up and I could see a boy about my age. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He looked like he had come from a very good family. I briefly wondered what he was doing in the woods, but that quickly passed. That boy had saved my life.

 

“Are you okay,” he asked me and I nodded shakily.

 

He pulled me away from the edge of the water and I landed on top of him. I was still trembling as I pushed myself off.

 

“Th-Thank you for saving me,” I whispered.

 

“It was nothing. I’m Seto,” he answered with a small smile and held out his hand.

 

“I’m Ebony,” I answered and shook his hand.

 

From that moment on, we were inseparable.

 

I smiled weakly at my memory of the first time I met Seto. He was the first, and closest, friend I had ever had.

 

It was my fifteenth birthday and I hadn’t seen Seto all day. However, Mokuba seemed to be acting very strange. It was almost like he was hiding something.

 

“Mokuba, what’s going on,” I asked.

 

“Nothing, nothing at all,” he answered nervously.

 

I gave him a skeptical look, but continued following him down the hall, where he wanted to play a game. He was ten at the time. We walked into one of the unused rooms in Kaiba Corp, and Mokuba shut the door behind us. The room became pitch black.

 

“Mokuba, what are you doing,” I asked, straining to see in the dark.

 

He clicked on a light, temporarily blinding me, and I could see banners hung up all around the room.

 

“Happy birthday, Ebony,” he yelled happily.

 

I looked around and smiled.

 

“Did you and Seto do this,” I asked, though I knew the answer.

 

“Yep.”

 

Seto then came up from behind me and handed me a thin box that was about six inches in length.

 

“Thank you, Seto,” I said.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to open it first,” he retorted with a smirk.

 

I carefully pulled the pale blue ribbon off of the box and opened it, revealing a small, gold charm bracelet. Each charm was in the shape of a small item, each with a little eye engraved into it.

 

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

 

“It’s from Egypt.”

 

My eyes widened before I smiled. Seto and I had both shared a love in Egyptian history, though he preferred the straight facts to the mythology I spent my time reading.

 

“I love it. Thank you,” I said and hugged him.

 

That was the day that started everything, for that bracelet was the Millennium Bracelet, which held the spirit of Asenath, the twin sister of a powerful pharaoh. One last memory came to my mind.

 

I stared down at the thin band on my finger. It was simple, just a gold band with a beautifully cut round diamond in the center. It was nothing over-the-top and that was how I liked it.

 

“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered for the hundredth time that day.

 

“Yeah, but don’t you think Kaiba should have sprung for something more elaborate,” Mai asked.

 

She had become a close friend of mine over the years I had spent with Yugi’s friends, thanks to the connection between Asenath and Atem.

 

“No. I love it just the way it is. I’m not the type of person who would want to draw all the attention and drama that comes with a flashy ring, and neither is Seto. It’s perfect,” I answered.

 

“I’m actually kind of surprised he asked you to marry him,” Téa said, looking across the table at my new ring.

 

“She’s right. It’s about time,” Mai added with a laugh. “I mean, how long have you known each other?”

 

“Since we were eight. Mokuba was only three years old when we met,” I answered, smiling at the memory.

 

“Well, congratulations. We’re happy for you,” Téa said with a grin.

 

I found it kind of sad that we had never actually had the wedding. I figured that would be the one thing I was sad about as I fell. I finally hit the floor limply as the darkness faded. The shadow duel was over. Seto and Mokuba were both safe. I small smile graced my lips as I drifted away.

Author's Note

If you want to know what Ebony looks like, just look at the picture in the top left corner. If you want to know what the Millennium Bracelet looks like, please message me.

Reviews

[Jetta Zippora]

I love it! It's a very captivating story!