Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Fly Away Home ❯ Insufferable ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: Plain and simple. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

A/N: Howdy! Well, at least it wasn't a month this time. I think my chapters are going to be shorter from here on out, meaning around 12 pages instead of the 20 I was beginning to approach. Easier for me, and more enjoyable for you. This chapter is comparatively short, but the next scene... well, I sort of got carried away and it is turning out to be 15 pages all by itself. So, as not to overwhelm you all, I decided to break up this chapter into two separate ones. I'll be posting chapter thirteen within the next couple of days. I also need to stop sticking my foot in my mouth by trying to project how many more chapters this story will be. I'm just going to shut it and write. We'll see where we end up.

I've been planning a road trip for August 10 - 14, and it has taken much of my time. I figured I could either respond to reviews, or spend that time getting as much of my story written and posted before then. My most sincere thanks to all of you who continue to follow this epic of mine. Your words of inspiration and encouragement are deeply appreciated. I hope you'll forgive me for not responding to you all for the next couple of chapters. Just know that I know who each of you are and that you are not forgotten.

So, until next time.

~ Ocean

Enjoy!

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Fly Away Home

By Ocean

Chapter Twelve: Insufferable

The day had progressed as smoothly as could have been expected.

For the Shadows, anyway.

Terror was slowly permeating throughout the city as clouds that were darker than the black void of the deepest trench leaked their way across the graying sky. They searched and plumaged and savagely choked all light that their sinewy fingers encountered, creating an ominous and foreboding glow of misery that polluted everything it touched.

Lightening tinged with angry blue flames leapt between the clouds. Guiding them, as it were, passing the word of the will of the Shadows. They were silent, no angry clap of thunder followed their wake as they danced across the sky. This fact alone frightened many, for silence alone could be far more obtrusive than any noise.

A growl. A snarl. A howl. The screeching of tires, the smell of burnt rubber. The violent bending of trees as they succumbed to an unseen force, felt by all and yet felt by none. A single arm of a violet mist snaking its way through the city, crawling leisurely along the concrete and asphalt in reconnaissance. It was an extension of the Shadows' conscience, more so than the clouds and lightening. It was searching, observing, determining what, if anything, was needed or would be agreeable to their son once they completed their task.

A woman screamed as she unwittingly crossed the mist's path, the icy chill of death rushing to her mind as the mist brushed across her ankle and stole her soul away for all eternity. Several witnesses of the horrible event dropped whatever packages they had been carrying and ran in the direction of their homes, hoping that what they deemed to be their safe havens would protect them from the mysterious death that was claiming their city.

The Shadows were intrigued with the reaction of the people. When last they had tread in the real world, their presence had been welcomed by many, heralded by more. But those who had welcomed them were the first who had abused their power, had tried to take them prisoner and bend them to their will. The Shadows did not like these people, and they had fought violently against them. Much of the damage the ancient world had suffered was a result of these struggles. But now, the Shadows were pleased with the reactions they were currently receiving. They enjoyed the screams of those who ran from them. No one here was trying to control them.

There was not much that the Shadows were finding that they could not provide for their son themselves. Food was easily prepared, now that he had a body that required nourishment. Clothing was just as easily manufactured, as was shelter and bedding. Companions were not required, not when the Shadows were completely devoted to the welfare of their son. Besides, he had never longed for the companionship of another human before. He had been completely satisfied with the presence of the Shadows and the other creatures that lurked in their realm.

Until that fateful day the pharaoh had been ripped from their loving embrace and encountered him.

That child.

That mortal child that had absolutely nothing to offer that the Shadows could not provide.

The lightening intensified as the Shadows contemplated the human known as `Yuugi.' Though he was no magician, had no royal blood running through his veins or inclinations for the magics, somehow he had managed to weave a spell over the powerful pharaoh. Had managed to cloud his mind with sculptured lies and empty promises, to seduce him with his fragile body and gifted mind. He had turned the pharaoh's loyalties from the Shadows that had cared for him for thousands of years and back to the world he had abandoned centuries ago.

Oh yes. The Shadows were well aware of Yuugi. They knew his mind, knew the clarity with which he spoke and the conviction of his actions. They recognized the wisdom that belied his years and the intelligence that glowed behind his eyes. One did not enter the realm of the Shadows and escape unnoticed. The Shadows knew all about those that entered their realm. They almost knew all about Yuugi. They would have devoured his soul and known him completely had it not been for the puzzle.

The Shadows regarded the puzzle in a similar manner as did the pharaoh. It had been their prison, regardless of the fact that they had entered the cell willingly. It had boundaries, restrictions, walls and barriers that acted to restrain the Shadows and keep their influence from the world. The Shadows had been impressed with the craftsmanship of the puzzle. They had not expected mere mortals that had only borrowed their magics to be able to craft it so well. A little too well, for the Shadows had been unable to break free when they had desired to do so.

The motion of the violet mist and the choking clouds halted as the Shadows felt the emotion of love from their son again. It was faint, fragile as moonlight as it drifted over water, but it was there. The Shadows grew eager, thinking that their son had regretted his previous actions when he chose not to share the intense experience of the night before. Gently they prodded further, pulling on the bond they shared with the pharaoh, alerting him to the fact that he was not fully transmitting his emotions.

The violet mist flared and the lightening leapt angrily towards the city as the simple request was violently rejected by the pharaoh, the man nearly snarling at the Shadows as he shoved them from his mind. The moment they had departed, he erected a solid shield around his thoughts, preventing any possibility of further intrusions. The Shadows were not pleased when they found themselves unable to break through the barrier.

A bright flash. Every living soul on the block instantly perished. The Shadows were angry. Furious. Why was their son acting this way? Only a short time had passed since he had sought them out and offered his aid in the collection of human souls. Mere experience wasn't enough for the Shadows anymore. True, the experiences were still exhilarating, but the Shadows had discovered that the emotion humans felt at that sobering moment they realized they were going to die was far more powerful.

So once again, the Shadows and Pharaoh had combined their talents and wreaked havoc on the inhabitants of Domino. The pharaoh would seek out the souls that would provide the strongest emotions for the Shadows. The Shadows would then come and claim that soul, sometimes quickly, sometimes painfully, sometimes slowly, sometimes neatly. There was no end to the imagination of the Shadows, no dry well from which to draw their inspiration. Unfortunately, the well was always full.

The Shadows had been so overjoyed with the voluntary return of their son that they had immediately welcomed him back into their loving embrace, doting on him as a mother does her newborn child. They had wrapped themselves around his body, caressed his mind and flooded his senses with their magics, feeding him the nutrients that had kept him alive for so many centuries. They ignored the stiffness of his mind, the distance of his gaze as they embraced him, thinking the actions to be nothing more than silly human reflexes.

Apparently they had not been as silly as they had appeared.

The violet mist suddenly rushed forward, racing along the pavement at an incredible speed, destroying everything in its path. The black clouds and electric blue lightening followed closely behind, barely keeping the mist in sight as it attempted to keep up with the other half of its consciousness.

Their son had tricked them. Cleverly, to be sure, using their bond to take full advantage of their only weakness. In a sense they were proud, proud to see a glimpse of their son of the past. Clever, cunning, ingenious, unafraid, stoic, deceitful. He was not as influenced by the mortal child as they had believed.

The child.

The child must have been the one, the reason behind their son's deceit. They had tolerated the distraction long enough. The pharaoh would not be pleased, but once the child was dead, he would understand that he was under his influence and that the Shadows had freed him. He would once again understand that he and the Shadows were one, that they did not need anything else other than each other.

And once their son understood this, the world would end.

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Curious.

The bed sheets rustled as Yami placed the golden ring back onto the bed, being careful so as not to prick his fingertips on the cutting edges of the cones that adorned the ring's edge. He had arranged the pieces in no particular order. He had simply wished to see them again, unencumbered by the dirty and tainted hands of the masses.

It had been so long since all the pieces had been assembled in one place. And even that final meeting had been nothing more than a wrinkle in time, their time spent together as fleeting as the morning dew. A smirk ran across Yami's lips as he noticed how commonplace the pieces looked. Dull, lifeless, with no hint to the power that they contained or the reason for their creation.

How unimpressive they were to the untrained eye. Obscure manifestations of inanimate objects, crafted with a magician's touch and blessed by a priest's kiss. Yami extended his hand above the Sennen items, letting it hover on the magics that radiated from the golden pieces. He closed his eyes, his fingers appearing to dance on invisible currents, and listened to the melody that was the Sennen items.

Each item had its own harmony, it's own resonance as it vibrated with the inherent power within. Some where dissonant in sound, harsh and abrasive with little rhyme or reason. Others where smooth, soft, alluding to the delicacy of a flower's tender petals. Yami could just as easily distinguish between the items by their music as he could by their visual appearance.

He released a soft sigh as he allowed the harmony to coax his mind into a relaxing trance. Peace. A foreign and elusive dream, so highly sought after. Wars were fought in its name, civilizations built in its honor, hands extended towards the heavens in a desperate attempt to grasp the one thing that could never be completely owned. And yet here, in seven mystical items, Yami could find that peace, however fleeting it may be.

Yami opened his eyes as he sensed Yuugi enter the room, the young man having not made a sound to announce his presence. Yami extended his free hand, palm flat in invitation for Yuugi to come and sit with him on the bed. Yuugi immediately accepted, curling his fingers around Yami's warm hand, a smile gracing his features as he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Yami's hand hovering over the golden pieces, curious as to what he was doing.

Yami brushed his thumb over the back of Yuugi's hand before raising his fingers to Yuugi's temple, resting his fingertips lightly on the cool skin. Yuugi remained still, eager to see what his Yami would do next. He blinked in surprise when he suddenly heard a low hum in the previously silent room. His eyes darted around the room as he searched for the source of the sound.

His attention was pulled back to Yami as he heard a soft and sincere chuckle. He looked at Yami again, noticing the contentment in his eyes and the almost sleepy appearance of his features. Yami lowered his eyes to the items on the bed before him, indicating to Yuugi that they were the source of the music he was hearing.

Yuugi's eyes widened when he realized that through Yami's touch he was being allowed to hear the music of the magics, something that only those in tune with the mystical forces could hear. It was hard to imagine how something that could make so beautiful a sound could be so deadly and cruel. His eyes began to droop in a similar manner to Yami's as the melodies permeated through the stress and tension of his mind, soothing his thoughts into a blissful stillness.

He was beginning to understand the allure of the black magics. Such a state of peace could be addicting.

Yuugi was interrupted briefly from his peaceful state when he felt Yami's hand slide under his own. He was barely aware of the movement, but was able to comprehend that his hand now rested on top of Yami's as it hovered over the items. Yami slowly guided his hand over the ring, and Yuugi's mind jumped as the music changed. Instead of being soothing, the melody was now rough, course, powerful... anything but the calm and tranquil sound of before.

It took Yuugi a moment to realize what Yami was trying to tell him. That each piece had its own melody, and Yuugi could hear each of them depending on where he guided Yami's hand. Grinning to himself at the opportunity Yami was giving him, Yuugi proceeded to slowly guide Yami's hand over the items, pausing whenever he discovered a particularly pleasing melody. Their fingers played against each other as they were lulled by the music, soft caresses and intimate touches, playful taps and lingering embraces. It was as though they were kissing with their hands.

"Yuugi!"

Yami and Yuugi both stirred at the shout, but the call was unable to penetrate through the loving haze the two were submersed in. Yami extended his fingers on Yuugi's temple so that they reached into his hair, rubbing them slowly back and forth in a comforting manner.

"YUUGI!"

Yuugi's head snapped to the side at the loud call, his eyes blinking as Yami's fingers fell from his hair with the sudden movement, thus breaking the influence of the items' melodies. He looked back at Yami, noting the irritation in his eyes before turning his attention back to his door.

"Hai, Ji-chan?" Yuugi asked a bit tersely. He wasn't exactly pleased with the interruption either.

"We aren't finished yet, and Jou and I could use your help if you're not too busy slacking off!"

Yuugi scowled at his door before turning back to Yami, his gaze softening in apology. He could easily detect the displeasure Yami was feeling, the emotion evident in his harsh gaze and stiff body.

"I'll be back soon," Yuugi said softly as he stood from the bed. He was unnerved by the harshness of Yami's eyes, the cold look penetrating straight through him. Yami didn't want him to go. Didn't want him to answer the call of another when he was with him. Yuugi didn't want to go either. In fact, most of his mind was screaming at him to sit back down on the bed and remain with Yami. But one small, tiny, yet demanding voice told him to help his grandfather.

Yami reached forward and grabbed Yuugi's hand, holding it firmly so he could not pull away. "Eb m wi," he said quietly, his gaze unwavering as he asked Yuugi to stay with him, to ignore the call.

Yuugi felt his resolve weakening with that gaze. He hadn't missed the command behind Yami's words, but he had also heard the plea. Again Yuugi was being forced to choose between Yami and his grandfather. For a moment he was angry that he was being forced to make the choice again. It had been painful enough the first time. He didn't want to feel that pain again.

He lowered his eyes to the hand that encircled his wrist. That large, smooth, tanned hand that fit so perfectly over his own. His anger subsided as he focused on the feel of Yami's hand and the reason behind its action. He didn't understand completely the reason Yami was so insistent that he consider only his desires, but he respected the fact that Yami wanted him to be around as much as possible.

But he couldn't be around all the time. That just wasn't something that could be done.

Yuugi leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on Yami's lips, maintaining their gaze for the duration of the kiss to emphasize the feeling behind his action. He pulled back slowly, disappointed that Yami's gaze had not changed.

"I promise, I'll be back soon," Yuugi said quietly. He turned and took a step towards his door, the resistance on his wrist preventing his departure for only a moment before it relaxed. He walked out the door without looking back, knowing that if he did so he would not be able to leave.

Yami turned his gaze back to the items on the bed, scowling at them as if they were the reason for his displeasure. Yuugi had chosen another over him. Granted, it was only a minor occurrence, and in the grand scheme of things he was the holder of Yuugi's heart. But Yami had needed Yuugi now, and Yuugi had chosen to heed the call of another.

Yami kicked out his legs, pushing the items out of his way so he could stretch out on the bed. He laid his legs out in front of him and bent his forehead to his knees, taking a deep breath as he did so. He remained in this bent position, breathing in slowly through his nose and releasing his breath through his mouth. This was another effect of the Shadow magics. They fed off of anger and acted out of selfish intent. Yami's blood was literally infused with the magics now, and the anger within him was coursing through him and influencing his mind.

He could feel the hatred inside him, ready to explode forth at the slightest irritation. This had been one of the reasons he had hesitated to use his magics upon waking in the new world. The more he used the magics, the more influence they would have over him. It wasn't the Shadows, it wasn't their conscious that flooded him. The magics simply held a residue of all the violence they had been used for, and so polluted all that they touched.

Yami sighed, trying to release the tension of his mind. If only Yuugi had stayed with him. If only he could explain the importance of Yuugi choosing him above all others at all times. For if Yuugi did so, Yami was certain that the two of them could overcome any obstacle. But if they were split, for whatever reason... if there was ever any doubt in either of them... He sighed again, willing himself not to embrace such thoughts.

"Iw st-xrt-ib m sw pr-aA," Yami whispered to himself. The Shadows would be able to detect even the smallest of cracks in his mental shield, and be able to exploit the defect to the fullest extent. He desperately did not want the Shadows back in his mind. They were angry, and he knew fully well what horrors they were capable of. After all, he had instigated much of their furry in the past.

He berated himself for becoming so dependent on another. Never before had he allowed himself to become so immersed in the life of another that he needed them to the extent that he needed Yuugi. He had set himself up, had lowered his guard and given the Shadows this opportunity to once again claim what they deemed to be theirs. So now he was faced with a choice. He could either push Yuugi away, ridding himself of the weakness the Shadows could use to reclaim him, or... or he could maintain his desperate hold on the shining soul and pray to all the gods that no harm would come to either of them.

Neither option was satisfactory to him. He simply was unwilling to abandon his possession. And he wasn't going to just sit idly and wait for the Shadows to wreak whatever vengeance they were planning. There had to be another answer. Something he wasn't seeing.

Yami stretched to the side, his arms dangling over the edge of the bed. He was about to pull up when his fingers brushed across a ragged book. He pulled the book out from under the bed and brought it up to his lap. An old notebook, worn on the edges with the passage of time. Much as he was.

He leaned back against the bed's headboard, adjusting the pillows to make himself more comfortable. He carefully turned the pages, some torn around the edges, others giving evidence of spills with large and discolored stains. A small smile tugged on his lips as he continued to flip through Yuugi's sketches. They were so obviously his works, his heart and soul evident in each of the drawings.

Yami paused as he came across a particular sketch. A desert scene, a solitary figure sitting in a vast window. He blinked, the resemblance to himself, even without the detail, uncanny in its likeness. He studied the image for several moments before hesitantly turning the page. Beneath the page a loose piece of paper was revealed, folded several times over in an effort to hide the image it contained. Yami set the notebook down on his lap as he proceeded to carefully unfold the paper.

He looked at the image of himself for a long while, his face concealing whatever emotions he was feeling. Finally he folded the paper and gripped it in his hand, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side.

Yuugi had been expecting him. He had been aware of him long before he was brought back into the world. Had known what he looked like, had known he had lived in a desert environment, had somehow known he had been a pharaoh. The knowledge may have been an unconscious act on his part, but Yuugi had anticipated his arrival. It explained his presence when Yami had first woke. It explained his early desire to care for him. It explained the ease with which he had accepted Yami and the Shadows and his power.

Yami scowled, cursing himself with a harsh "wpi pey-k irtwy" as he clenched his fists. How could he have allowed himself to be so blind? What a selfish fool he was. Apparently, his years spent imprisoned with the Shadows had not humbled him as much as he had thought. He growled, a deep sound resonating from his throat. His anger was surfacing again, though this time Yuugi was not his target.

Yami was angry with himself. Angry at his treatment of Yuugi, angry for thinking him to be an ignorant man that could not understand the full extent of his power and the danger of the Shadows. Angry that he had given in to the call of the Shadows that morning and willingly gone to them, infusing himself with the potent and addictive magic that coursed through his veins and clouded his thoughts with their fury.

Angry that there was no way to separate himself from the magic. There was no way to free him from their influence. Even death could not perform such a task.

Yami opened his eyes and starred out the window, noticing that the sun was now much lower in the sky then it had been when Yuugi had chosen to leave him. He blinked slowly, idly wondering just how long he had sat brooding over an argument caused by himself over a superficial matter. His time could have been much better spent.

Figuring out how to keep Yuugi alive, for instance.

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Translations:

Eb m wi - stay with me

Iw st-xrt-ib m sw pr-aA - have confidence in him pharaoh

Wpi pey-k irtwy - Open your eyes