Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Of Pointed Ears and Dancing Fairylight ❯ Anyone Perfect Must Be Lying ( Chapter 3 )

Thanks for all the support, you guys! It really helps my self-confidence.

Threnody: You mean your ego, which will soon grow to tremendous proportions and suffocate us all.

O.o Thren-chan you have a weird sense of humor.

Threnody: Who said I was joking?

Um... yeah. Let's just drop it. o.o

Wow... O.O I'm amazed at how many people have this on their favorites list. It's so cool! I feel so loved!

Threnody: Y--

No commenting, Muse-chan. Your scathing remarks are mostly irrelevant.

Threnody: *glares, and it's easy to see she thinks someone else is also 'irrelevant'*

Hm. ^.^ Good. As for the reviews... Yes, elves are very pretty, ne? And the others will appear at random intervals throughout the story. As of the moment, I'm considering whether Jou or *cough* Anzu will appear next. Don't worry; different Anzu, doesn't know Yami. As for the RyouxBakura stuffies... I'm afraid it'll take awhile. Ryou doesn't come in till after Jou, and Ryou and Bakura don't spend any time alone together till after Seto... Gomen. I'll try to get them in here quicker.

Till then, on with the show. I've already went over the disclaimer before, so... *shrugs* You all know the drill.

Of Pointed Ears and Dancing Fairylight

Chapter Three: Anyone Perfect Must Be Lying

Yami stared at him for a long, intense moment without answering, and Yugi flushed again, glancing away nervously. "The whole reason that you were the one to finish that puzzle and release me, was because you were the one fated to have it. A thousand years ago, a... friend of mine sealed me into that puzzle, in hopes of finding the one that is prophesized to save the Shadow Realm. My realm." He lifted his eyes to meet Yami's crimson ones again. "That's why I have to bring you back. Back to a thousand years ago, to the time right after I was first sealed away."

**********

Yami stared at the smaller boy for a moment then, unblinking in his breath-stilling astonishment. Yugi stared hopefully up at him, obviously hoping for some sort of ultra-gung-ho, 'let's-go-save-your-people!!' reaction, as thoughts whirled crazily in the back of the crimson-eyed youth's mind, each one of them jealously vying for Yami's full and undivided attention. He blinked slowly, once, twice, opening his mouth to speak-- when the headache he had been valiantly pushing to the back of his mind broke free of it's mental bonds and rushed to the front of his awareness, bringing with it a horrible backlash of fatigue that seemed to seep into his very bones. The red-eyed youth couldn't stop the slight whimper that was torn from his lips as he fell to his knees, and suddenly his hands were shaking violently as he gripped his arms, seeking some miniscule kind of support.

The taller youth heard Yugi gasp in shock, before that strangely comforting presence was kneeling next to him, and a pair of warm, supple, soft hands were placed gently over his throbbing temples. Over the constant roaring in his ears, Yami could barely hear Yugi muttering a string of apologies.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't realize, I'm sorry," came the smaller boy's soft murmurings, like some sort of soothing mantra, even as something warm and slightly fragile began to glow in the back of Yami's awareness. Gradually, the burning in his mind began to fade, and oh-so-faintly the weakness that was awash through his whole form receded, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Yami's sigh of contented relief was abruptly cut off as he felt the hands on his temples begin to shake uncontrollably, and he looked up in alarm as Yugi gave him a very weak, apologetic smile, before sitting down hard, the small boy's usual inherent grace gone.

"Yugi?"

"I'm sorry... It's all my fault... I should have realized..." he mumbled, silently begging for some sort of forgiveness with his eyes. Yami's brows furrowed, and moved closer, placing a comforting, warm, solid hand on Yugi's shoulder..

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

Whirling violet eyes cast down. "The headache... and the weakness... right?" he looked back up, tentatively. "The first was from when I searched your mind, the second from when you released me." Catching Yami's inquisitive look, he continued, voice wavering. "The puzzle... it took some of your life energy to release me from its confines, because there needed to be a boost of power to break the spell." Yugi looked away again, for some reason not able to face Yami's scrutiny. "... At least, that was what I was told."

"And so you want me to, to somehow come back with you and... and what? Save the world?" Yugi unconsciously twitched. "Yugi, do you know how cliche that sounds? I just--" he stood, and turned toward the way they had come. The weird energy-door, not surprisingly, had vanished.

"But--but, it's true!" Yugi cried, a twinge of desperation in his voice as he leapt up, amethyst eyes wider than usual. "It's all true, I swear it!" He winced, then, and flung out a hand to steady himself against the smooth plane of the nearby wall of the largish tunnel they were standing in, legs swaying beneath his small frame. He would have fallen, and likely have hurt himself, if it hadn't been for Yami's support as the taller boy grabbed a firm hold of him, helping to lower Yugi's form gently to the ground. The smaller boy smiled his thanks as Yami smoothed blonde bangs out of Yugi's eyes, seemingly not aware of his actions.

"What's going on, Yugi? Why are you so weak all of a sudden?" Yami demanded, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I... It's just... It's just that I gave you most of your energy back."

"And it's hurting you. It drained your own strength." It wasn't a question, but Yugi allowed himself a small nod. Overhead, the magic light flickered.

"Yes. It was not quite the type of healing those of my kind are used to using, so I had to improvise. I think I wasted more than I should have in the attempt."

Yami's hand tightened on Yugi's left arm, and the smaller boy suppressed a wince.

"Why?" The taller youth's voice was steely, but concern was it's deceptively fast undercurrent. Yugi's eyes widened in surprise as his head jerked up to stare at his dark counterpart.

"B-because! Because you're the one who was Chosen!" he exclaimed, tone implying that he couldn't believe that Yami didn't see the obvious.

~Wide, trusting eyes... Innocence in it's purest form... And adoration that was much more than startling... Total and complete honesty... Trust...~

Yami swallowed, for some reason unable to look away from the boy. The unchecked adoration in Yugi's eyes, centered on him alone, was unsettling to say the least. Yami wasn't used to being set on a figurative pedestal by anyone, and this made him nervous. And yet...

So much trust for someone he just met. How can he be like that? How can he stand it, if something goes horribly wrong?

How could I stand myself, if I was the one who made everything go wrong?

"Yugi... I..." he began, but Yugi cut him off, afraid that he knew what the taller youth was going to say.

"Please! Please, you have to believe me, Yami. I'm not lying!" The violet-eyed boy protested, purple eyes whirling in his sudden surge of emotion. Yami was struck once again with the sense of uncharted innocence, of something that needed to be protected. He sighed.

"I... believe you, Yugi. And... I'll do this task of yours, I you truly need me to."

Yugi broke out into a brilliant smile, then, and Yami was aware of part of his consciousness telling him it was definitely all worth it.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" Yugi cried, throwing himself at Yami and hugging to taller boy tightly to him. Yami rocked back on his heels at the sudden movement, blinking in astonishment, before his arms automatically came up to hug the little one back.

He allowed both of them a moment of rest, thinking that Yugi needed as much of his strength as he could muster, before the soft light above them suddenly blinked out, leaving him blinking in the sudden pitch darkness. He felt Yugi jerk in his arms suddenly, and he obligingly let the smaller boy go, missing the contact instantly as the blackness seemed to smother him.

"Sorry. I wasn't concentrating." Came the soft apology, before the light blinked back into being.

"That's all right. We should probably get going, anyway." I need to find a way to make him more sure of himself. He shouldn't be so dependent on others for his happiness all the time. "Just how far did you say we needed to go?"

A small laugh. "I didn't, but it's quite far, I think. To tell the truth, I've never crossed time this way before. I'm just going on what I've heard and what I've found out on my own."

"Oh? And what have you heard about it, little one?" There it was again, that nickname that slipped off his tongue so easily. Well, it was true, but it unsettled Yami a bit to find himself being so familiar with someone he barely knew, to not have complete control over his own words.

"Weeeelll... they say that the journey through time is a long and hard trek, which I've found out my own way, and that only certain people can do it."

"Certain people?" Yami wasn't exactly sure he like the sound of that.

"Yes. See, someone like me, who is obviously out of their time, would be let through without a second thought. Whether or not you're let through is really a matter of opinion. You have to be judged worthy."

"'Opinion'? Whose opinion could possible make the difference in time-travel?"

"The fabled Guardian of Time. I haven't ever actually seen him, you see, but everyone knows about him. He's also supposed to guard the rift between the Human Realm and the Shadow Realm." Yugi shivered a bit, but his reaction did not stem from cold. His amethyst eyes gained a tint that Yami could see all too well was nervousness.

"Who exactly is this person, Yugi?"

"The Dark Sage. They call him the Dark Sage."

TBC...

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Mwahahahaha! *suggestive look* Oh yeah, now we're really getting into the whole story. Oh, I'm so exited! *cheers*

Threnody: Don't be. It's not worth it.

o.o Ack! Thren-chan, I thought I told you not to comment anymore! You're so morose! You make me look bad!

Threnody: *glares* If you call me a stupid dog, I will seriously hurt you, 'devoted readers' be damned.

*blinku* Hm...? *thinks about that one for a moment* ... What? ... Oh. Oh! ^.^; No, no dog jokes. At least not till Jou comes in. Err... and Seto, too, I suppose...

R&R! It really makes my day! Oh, and any suggestions for the fic are good, too.