Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Differences Don't Matter ❯ Secret of the Mark ( Chapter 17 )

Yami and Yugi sat in comfortable silence in the living room. Tea was slumped in the armchair adjacent to the couch where the duo sat. She was in complete shock and she didn't try hiding the fact.

 

“I can't believe you, Yami,” she kept repeating in awe. “Your father's going to end up disowning you one of these days if you keep defying him like that.”

 

The young master of the house only shook his head. “Do you really think I care about that? I could've been born into poverty and be happier than I am in this house. The only thing that's made it worth being here is Yugi. If it weren't for him I probably would've ran off to Bakura's place a long time ago.”

 

“You're cousin's house,” the head maid gasped. “You two never get along though.”

 

“We get along better than my father and I,” Yami pointed out.

 

Yugi's ears twitched and he sat up a little bit. “Who's Bakura?”

 

Yami rolled his eyes and reached over to the cupboard next to the couch, fumbling through it for a second before pulling out a dusty covered book. After blowing off the dust he opened the cover and flipped through a few pages. He stopped at a particular page and pointed to a picture with three boys in it, one of them being a younger version of Yami. “This one's Bakura,” he said, moving his finger over to the boy in the middle with spiky, white hair.

 

“He's handsome,” Yugi said with amazement, aware of the jealous, yet playful glare being sent his way. “And this one,” he moved his hand over to a bleached blonde male.

 

“That's my other cousin, Marik. Bakura and him are the dynamic duo; always causing mischief. I haven't spoken with either in…” He started to count on his fingers.

 

Tea rolled her eyes. “It's been six years.”

 

The elf looked up in shock. “Six years,” he repeated. After a confirming nod, he looked back at the pictures with saddened eyes. “I wouldn't be able to it,” he whispered, causing both pairs of eyes to land on him. “My people are very close with each other. Losing contact with even one of them for an extended period of time can be heart breaking. Just being away from…everyone for this long has been difficult.” He paused and then swallowed around his constricted throat. “I wouldn't have been able to make it this long without you, Yami.” Yugi looked up with bright, violet eyes with tears shining in their depths.

 

“It's been over a years, hasn't it,” Tea commented. At Yugi's nod, she continued. “Just imagine how all the elves have been taking it. Not just the ones in the city, but the ones in the forest as well. It's no wonder now how such peaceful creatures could think of war.”

 

The three of them sat in a more strained silence at the remark. Yugi felt his heart clench in his chest at the thought over a possible war. He couldn't bear to have so many people die. Yami had been right back at the meeting. The elf had been shocked when the young lord had been outraged about something that everyone else in the village seemed to think was natural. The crimson-eyed teen was the only one who looked at the elves as living creatures and for that, Yugi was certain that Yami was someone who he could be with for a very long time.

 

When his ears twitched and he looked towards the hallway he wasn't expecting something glass to suddenly crash to the floor and a loud voice practically scream Yami's name. All of them jumped, but Yugi was the only one who had to cover his ears. A kiss to his forehead and arms wrapping around his quivering form gently was the only thing that made him open his clenched eyes.

 

“Let's go see what that old bat wants now,” Yami joked. He took Yugi by the hand and led him out to the front door where the teen's father stood red-faced and fuming with anger. At his feet was the glass vase with flowers and spilt water soaking into the carpet.

 

He should've been created as a teapot he steams up so much Yami thought with amusement. He made sure to keep Yugi safely behind him while he mirrored his father's menacing glare.

 

“You're ruining everything with that…that thing in this house, Yami. I don't see why you keep it around.”

 

“He,” he emphasized the word, “is very precious to me and nothing you say or do is going to make me give him up.”

 

If possible, the man's face heated up and became a bright red hue. Yami would've smirked if he didn't think his father would go berserk and start breaking everything in sight before heading straight for him and Yugi with a shard of glass.

 

“Elves were put on this world to serve people, Yami. Why is it so difficult for you to understand that?”

 

“What I don't understand is the way you people think,” Yami snarled. He grabbed Yugi's hand and started to lead him up the stairs. He only got a few steps when a meaty hand on his shoulder grabbed him and threw him back. All air flew out of his lungs as his back hit the wall and his ears rang with the worried sound of his name and the deeper growl.

 

The room spun around him when he blinked open his eyes and he saw Yugi watching him with large, concerned-filled eyes. His father was standing directly in front of him with an enraged expression on his face. Using the wall as a leverage to stand, he balanced himself and motioned Yugi to go up the stairs. The elf bit his lip, but when he noticed the older man glaring sideways at him he turned and stumbled up the stairs.

 

Tea, who was looking around the corner, wished there was something she could do to help the young elf. He'd looked so terrified and the only person who was capable of calming him down was detained in the hands of his father. The lord of the house was furious and the head maid knew Yami had no chance of getting away this time until he was dismissed. By the way Yami gestured to Yugi, the young master knew it as well.

 

~~

 

Yugi stared out the window with tears threatening to fall from his violet eyes. His hands were fisted over his ears in desperate need to block out the muffled shouting coming from downstairs. Yelling, cursing, and sometimes an occasional sound of something breaking could be heard.

 

How do people put up with this Yugi questioned as he stared out at the people. None of them looked to be at all curious about what was happening on the other side of the Motou's front door. Don't they hear it at all?

 

A knock on the door and Yugi jumped up. “Yami,” he called anxiously as the door started to open. His hopes fell when he saw Tea step in and closed the door with haste.

 

“They're still arguing,” she said, though it was obvious when something glass was heard smashing. Yugi flinched and looked back out the window again, still no sign that the people heard or cared about what was going on in the estate. “I brought you something to help get your mind off of them.” She reached around her and untied the knot in her apron, laying the white cloth on the bed. Yugi noticed there was a large, hidden pocket on the other side of it and watched as Tea pulled out a familiar book.

 

She grinned weakly at him just as another crash echoed from downstairs. “I thought it would help get your mind off things. I see you and Master Yami reading it quite frequently.”

 

The book was the one from the castle and Yugi took it from her gently, wrapping his arms around it in a hug to keep himself from shivering. “Thank you,” he whispered tensely.

 

Tea watched the frightened elf for a while, noticing how he flinched with every sound that indicated something breaking and clenching his eyes against the louder yells that would follow for a second. She rubbed a hand along his arm soothingly. “Hey, are you okay?”

 

Yugi shook his head and leaned into her comforting embrace, pressing his ears against her clothes as a way to block out the noise.

 

“I know it seems pretty harsh, but I wouldn't worry about it too much,” the woman explained. “Those two are constantly arguing and lots of things get broken all the time.”

 

The elf looked up at her with a sad, tear-streaked face. “Is that why nobody cares what's going on?” At the maid's confused expression he pointed at the window. “If I care hear them almost clearly from up here, then shouldn't they be able to hear them walking right by the front door.”

 

“Oh, Yugi,” Tea sighed. “It's just like I said: they're forever arguing. Everyone in this city knows nothing they did would help. So don't you worry about it, okay? Yami will be just fine when he comes back upstairs.”

 

Before the head maid could head back out the door, Yugi latched onto one of her arms. “How long do they last,” he pleaded, more tears gathering in his eyes when he hears a loud something hitting up against the wall.

 

“Sometimes they only last a couple of minutes. Other times…other times they last hours.” Yugi's eyes widened with terror and Tea quickly tried to reassure him. “I wouldn't worry about it though. Yami knows you're up here so I'm sure he'll finish it as quickly as possible. After all, they're usually much loud than this so it's obvious that one of them is holding back.”

 

Yugi nodded and watched the young woman go. He hugged the musty book to him tightly and stared at the floor. The elf didn't want to be alone, but he knew that Tea and other people around the house had duties.

 

Just remember what Tea said, Yugi. Yami will be up here soon and now I've got something to do to help keep my mind off things.

 

With that hopeful thought in place, Yugi clambered up onto the bed and sad in the middle with a blanket wrapped snuggly around his shoulders and the castle book, as he started to refer to it as, propped on his lap.

 

He opened directly to the black feather quill. The elfin words and mysterious symbol were most evident against the pastel pages. He followed the intricate designs with a thin finger and racked his brain to think of what they could mean, attempting yet failing to block out the argument happening downstairs.

 

After staring at the aged pages for so long his eyes became dry and he blinked profusely, the room beginning to spin around him like that feeling you get when you stand up too fast. He held the side of his head, while steadying himself on the bed. Images began to envelop him, pictures of his bedroom back in the forest and of the mountains of books piled up in all corners of his room.

 

The pages of his book began to mentally flip in his head like he was looking at them for real. Everything was so clear and even the excitement he felt at a new book was beginning to rise within his chest. All shouting in the house ceased and only words could be seen in front of his eyes.

 

Designs like masterful artworks and patterns drawn from old age filled his memories and danced around his skull. Everything became clearer and bolder as he searched through his memoirs and grabbed at the ones he deemed important.

 

As soon as he blinked the room came back into focus and his breaths were coming out in short pants. He hadn't looked at those books for so long he didn't think he'd ever be able to remember them. It had just happened though…everything he'd ever read came back to him so fast he thought he'd just about faint. If he knew staring at the words on the tome's pages for so long would suddenly flip an imaginary switch than he would've done it long ago.

 

With a renewed vigor and a strange excitement, Yugi looked back down at the elfin dialect and read with wide eyes and a held breath.

 

~~

 

Yami barged into his room half an hour later, seething through his teeth. His back hurt from being slammed roughly against the wall numerous times and his throat was already beginning to bug him from yelling so loud. He was half expecting to find Yugi curled in on himself sobbing his heart out and scared out of his mind. Yami was hoping the elf would never have to witness one of those confrontations. What he found instead of Yugi arched over the book he took from the castle with a blanket clutched around his shoulders and a finger poised stiffly on a specific marking inked onto the page.

 

“What's the matter,” he asked curiously, sauntering over to the bed and sitting on the edge.

 

Yugi jumped, not having heard anyone come into the room. He was amazed that he hadn't even noticed the yelling at stopped. The book had drawn him in and he must've been reading the same thing a million times over again.

 

Instead of answering the question, however, he stared back down at the wrinkled pages and read in a monotone voice. “It has been prophesized on this day, by the last of the High Seers, that the elf that shall bare this mark will save the two worlds. He will unite them and thus ending the cataclysmic and devastating casualties caused by the second Great Human-Elfin War.”

 

The room rang with silence and neither of the two boys moved as they stared at Yugi's rarely exposed mark.