Fateful Salvation: Chapter 6
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Genre: Supernatural, Romance
Description: An old man's Blue Eyes White Dragon card brings about the crossing of their paths. After that, life will never be the same for the two of them. A Seto Yami fanfiction.
Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Fateful Salvation
by: scarlet wax petal
Click here to return to Chapter 5. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Chapter 6: Millennium Puzzle
When the first faint signs of sleep have begun to come upon him, Yugi had already gone through, and successfully solved, five pages of cross sum grids from a local magazine. He stands quickly, sweeps his working area clean and climbs the stairs to his bedroom.
He hears two voices from below and he stops at his feet. For a moment, he becomes quite anxious, and then he calms and smiles. I shouldn’t be worried, he tells himself. Jou is one hell of a fighter; I’m sure he’ll be alright. Even if he’s getting one hell of a training, Grandpa-style. His smile widens in both amusement and admiration. Mentally, he cheers for his friend. Go Jou! You can do it!
He reflects, and remembers the incident from the afternoon before…
"Three million yen!" Jou’s eyes had almost popped out of their sockets when he saw those big yellow block digits. 3,000,000 yen: first prize for the upcoming National Duel Monsters Tournament. He shrieked, and swallowed, and slapped his cheeks with his palms, as though he couldn’t believe his luck. "Damn, I wanna win the money!" he whooped with a hop. "Count me in, Yugi; I’m joinin’ that tourney and winnin’ myself a lotta dough!"
"If you’re gonna win the tournament, that is. And believe me, Katsuya Jounouchi, that is one humongous if," a shaky, yet unusually resolved, voice came from behind them. Yugi and Jou whirled to see who it was.
"Grandpa!" the two boys chorused.
"That wasn’t really nice, Grandpa…" Yugi continued with a whine. "You once said that with determination, anything can be achieved."
The old man’s eyes crossed with dead seriousness. "I wasn’t being mean, my boy; I was just being honest. True, that things -- even the bigger ones -- are achieved with determination," he said, nodding sagaciously, "but that isn’t enough. A person must also have the proper motivation in order to emerge victorious." He then turned to Jou. "If you’re joining the tournament because of the money, then you will never win," he warned, waving one arthritic finger at the blond young man.
Jou muttered, "I’m afraid I don’t understand, Grandpa…"
"And that is why you will never win." He firmly pressed his finger upon the young man’s nose. "I’ve seen you duel with my Yugi here, and also with Yami, and I have to say that you still have a long way to go. Do you think you can survive, much less win, with those scant dueling skills? No; you will still have to train, and train very hard."
Yugi’s eyes suddenly brightened. "Grandpa is a really good duelist, Jou! He can give you the training that you need! I should know; I learned from him." Sugoroku nodded the affirmative.
Jou cleared his throat. "I’m determined to train as hard as I could, Grandpa," his voice more firm and grave, "and to win the tournament."
"But if your motivation isn’t right, you will easily give up," the old man argued. "Going for money and prestige won’t drive you hard enough. No, you must have that yearning, that inner need which will fuel the fighter in you, no matter the obstacles. If you have it, then I will teach you everything; I will teach you about the Heart of the Cards. Is there anything else that pushes you to win this tournament?"
The blond young man silently closed his eyes, and then nodded.
Sugoroku shrugged. "Well, I guess I should take your word for it." He heaved in air. "Alright. Your training will start tonight! And Yugi," he added, turning to his grandson, "will you usher Yami inside? He seems quite… misplaced today."
-o-o-o-
It is now half past one… very late for a growing young boy, Sugoroku would fondly tease his grandson, always with a mild ruffling of that wild spiky hair. And Yugi would moan in protest, "But I’m already sixteen, Grandpa!" to which Sugoroku would laugh even harder.
Yugi, despite his age, has often been mistaken for a prepubescent boy by his peers. Because of this, he had found it difficult to mingle and make friends.
But everything has changed since the evening he solved the Millennium Puzzle. As though the moment when he placed that last piece, that last fragment that completed the mysterious golden pyramid, his wishes had suddenly come true; and now he has Anzu, Jou, Honda… Yami. In a way, he could consider his life’s dreams granted.
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken bird that cannot fly. (2)
How true. How fortunate that he had steadfastly, foolishly held onto his childish wishes! How lucky he was that he had kept those wishes… and had he known all along that the Millennium Puzzle was actually a magical device? Perhaps, he had; for he’s pretty sure that he has always believed in magic. He had always believed that dreams do come true.
And once dreams are fulfilled? Hold onto them even tighter, and never let go; for the higher you soar, the harder you fall… the more painful the wounds of losing. His palm firmly presses upon the doorknob, his fingers gripping the cold smooth metal possessively. He hesitates, and then turns it and enters the bedroom. It is dim, and he could barely see.
He flinches at the sight that welcomes him, and feels a pang of concern.
"Yami…" he whispers, and squints through the darkness. Yami sits cross-legged on his bed, his face flushed and frowning, his chest and back bare and undoubtedly cold. The Millennium Puzzle hangs heavily on a chain around his neck. For a long quiet moment, Yugi watches his friend solve, scramble and re-solve a rubix cube over and over again. He wonders how Yami could possibly do that in the dark, and posts the question. The answer does not come. Yami, intense in concentration, is evidently focused upon the toy puzzle in his hands; and hardly anything, it seems, would disturb him.
So, with a clear voice, Yugi breaks the silence. "It’s Kaiba." And Yami drops the puzzle and slowly turns to his aibou.
"What about Kaiba?" he asks, both pensively and defensively.
Yugi closes the door behind him, and switches on a lamp. He saunters to Yami and sits beside him. "I’ve been worried about you," he whispers closely to Yami’s ear.
"Is that why you’ve been awake?" Yami asks.
"It is a reason, but it isn’t the only one. Remember, Yami, you and I, in a way, are one."
"And yet very distinct."
"Yeah, but we still share a lot. What we think, what we feel…" Yugi clasps Yami’s hand in his. "You’ve been awake all this time, I can tell. I had thought you’ve been asleep. You also couldn’t sleep, could you? I share that feeling. Even if you had lately set a barrier between us."
Yami’s heart throbs uncomfortably. He feels as though he had committed a terrible crime. "Forgive me, aibou…" he murmurs regretfully.
Yugi shakes his head. "I know you have vowed to protect me," he says, "but I also want to do my share. You are, after all, my aibou. I have waited long to have you." He rests his head on the other’s shoulder, closes his eyes and breathes. "Mm… I miss these days."
They remain, that way, in silence. And then Yami talks.
"What about Kaiba?" His voice is merely a murmur.
Yugi raises his head. "Kaiba?" he echoes, a bit lost.
"Yes. Kaiba." The words come out, straight and steady.
"He’s the one who’s been taking your mind lately, right?" Yugi pulls his hand from Yami’s and puts it gently on his own lap. "If it hadn’t been for him, then you wouldn’t be having these confusions. We should still be having our usual life--"
"Don’t blame Kaiba, please. Yugi… it isn’t like you to be blaming other people."
"I’m not blaming him." His tone is a bit hurried, defensive. He pauses briefly, and turns his head away. "Well, I guess I am blaming him. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be doing this. I should be giving him the benefit of a doubt, a second chance. You’re right, Yami. It isn’t like me to be doing this."
Yami lays a gentle hand on Yugi’s shoulder. "I can’t blame you at all, aibou. He had almost killed Sugoroku--"
"Grandpa. Call him Grandpa, please. You’re family now. It makes you seem so distant when you refer to Grandpa by his name."
"Right. So Kaiba had almost killed Grand-pa," Yami drawls the word uneasily. "You have a right to hate him, but…" He pauses, not knowing what to say.
Yugi does not say anything. He puts his hand on Yami’s cheek and gingerly turns his friend’s face to his. They look at each other, watery determined amethyst on firm uncertain crimson, as though trying to read each other’s mind. The hand on cheek slowly moves to the lips and traces, nearly touching the wound. Yugi feels a twinge of pity and anger, and bites his own lips, staving off the tears. "And now, and now…" he murmurs, as the tears begin to fall, "he’s slowly killing you."
"Good God, Yugi," Yami gasps. Almost immediately, he embraces his friend, tightly. "Don’t cry. Please…"
"No, I must cry. I can’t bear to see you suffer like this." He whimpers noisily, and Yami remembers that he is, again, holding a child. A child who has once, in his solitude, summoned him from the depths of darkness. "I don’t want to lose you," Yugi cries. "I don’t want to lose Grandpa. What is it with Kaiba, anyway? Why does he want to take away those that I cherish? Why does he want me to be alone again?"
"But he doesn’t want to do that, aibou." Yami calmly pulls away from Yugi and brushes off the tears with his fingers. "When I was in the enclaves of his soul, I have found something in Kaiba that I had not expected. Remember that afternoon? I was very confused thinking about Kaiba for no apparent reason, other than he intrigues me. And soon, I learned that he has been calling me, asking me to save him from his loneliness." He cups his aibou’s face in his hands. "He was very, very much just like you."
Yugi gazes at Yami, as though trying to search for any falsehood in those words. "He was?" he asks in disbelief.
Yami nods. "Yes, aibou. He was." He gazes straighter at the large amethyst eyes. "But he will never have that special place in my heart that I have just for you." He catches notice of a hitch in Yugi’s breathing, confirming his suspicions. "You will never lose me, even with Kaiba around. Aibou."
A slight smile forms on Yugi’s lips, and he nods. "Yeah. Aibou." He gently takes away Yami’s hands from his face and encircles those arms around himself. Laying his head on Yami’s chest, he murmurs, "I’m sorry, for having these doubts."
"It’s alright. You’re human, after all."
"And so are you."
Yami embraces Yugi tighter, more protectively. "I’m not sure about that. I don’t even know who I am."
"Then I will help you recover your memories."
"Aren’t you afraid that you might lose me if you do that?"
A hypothetical question. To which an answer comes rather quickly. "No," Yugi says. "Because I know that whatever happens, whatever is revealed, I will always be your aibou, and nothing will change that." Surely. Determinedly. Faithfully.
"I’m glad to hear that," Yami whispers. And they both smile.
-o-o-o-
Yugi sighs. He is still uneasy, and a number of his questions remain unanswered. Even after a long conversation with Yami, he still feels that many important things have eluded him.
He sighs again, and rolls, facing the man beside him. Yami is deeply asleep, his eyelids steady, his breathing silent and even. Yugi inches forward, placing his ear on Yami’s chest. He listens to the regular rhythm that sounds from beneath firm, warm skin, and he recalls all those tranquil nights when that same heartbeat would lull him to peaceful, blissful sleep.
Lately, though, that heart has been more frantic, and its beating that had often soothed Yugi during the coldest nights now awakens him in worry. Sometimes, it would be accompanied by sweating, and even loud tortured moaning, and Yugi’s anxiety would escalate even further. Not knowing any better, he would wake Yami up and ask for explanations… but all that Yami would offer is a nod of "I’m alright" and "It’s just a nightmare." Nothing that isn’t obvious already. As though Yami has been trying to keep Yugi from knowing what has been bothering him.
The barrier that Yami had set between them lately hadn’t helped at all. Yugi became aware of its existence when he observed he couldn’t sense Yami’s emotions very vividly anymore. When? Well, it was in one of those days after the "Kaiba incident." Even then, even with the existence of the barrier, Yugi would sometimes feel vestiges… mere wisps of the soul, yet strong enough for him to feel the pain and confusion.
And he has known, all this time, that it is Kaiba that has been in his yami’s mind. He would sometimes catch faint glimpses of Kaiba’s face, and he would realize that Yami has been thinking about the man again. For what reason, Yugi could only assume.
He remembers that afternoon a few days ago when he and Yami had invited Jou and Honda over for some snacks and games. Inevitably, the topic of conversation had veered towards Kaiba, with Jou and Honda ending up lambasting and Yami ending up walking out. Yugi, on the other hand, had tried to maintain his calm; though he was honestly at a loss over which to side with. In his heart, he mildly agreed with the two other boys, who had been obviously oblivious to Yami’s feelings; part of him still hates their classmate for having put his grandfather in danger. Yugi realizes that if he hasn’t been Yami’s aibou, then he would’ve been just as dense as they were and might’ve spoken just as badly of Kaiba.
And after Yami had walked out, Jou had asked: "Hey, Yugi, what’s up with him?" Yugi couldn’t even recall exactly how he had answered, whether he had said the truth or lied; the words had been vague, stammered, occasionally blurted. Apparently, the response had been enough; and Jou and Honda had not spoken badly of Kaiba since.
That evening, Yugi had awakened at the middle of the night to agonized moaning. What he had opened his eyes to shocked him terribly. Yami was thrashing wildly, pressing his palms upon his temples… and shouting out a name, over and over again. And Yugi listened in disbelief. It wasn’t his name that Yami was calling in his dreams. It was Kaiba’s.
"Seto… Seto… onegai, onegai, Seto…"
Yugi had to slap Yami to awaken him. And Yugi began to hate Kaiba even more.
Thankfully, this night’s conversation had cleared his head, somehow. He decides that his yami must have reasons -- good reasons -- to go on with this. Despite his uncertainty, Yugi pledges his trust.
It’s clear to him, though, that Yami will surely not join the National Duel Monsters Tournament. There is nothing for him there, no inner yearning that would drive him to win. And Yugi understands even more deeply his grandfather’s words that afternoon. Piece by piece, his yami’s reasons for bothering about Kaiba now seem to come to light.
His sight alights upon the rubix cube, each side tiled with a litter of colors. It lies unsolved, as Yami had left it.
Yugi reaches for it, and grabs it, and rotates the sides around. In just one minute, each side of the cube has become a uniform color. Puzzle solved.
(to be continued)
(2) Not mine. Langston Hughes was the one who said these words.
Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Genre: Supernatural, Romance
Description: An old man's Blue Eyes White Dragon card brings about the crossing of their paths. After that, life will never be the same for the two of them. A Seto Yami fanfiction.
Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Prideshipping)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Fateful Salvation
by: scarlet wax petal
Click here to return to Chapter 5. Click here to see the Table of Contents.
Chapter 6: Millennium Puzzle
When the first faint signs of sleep have begun to come upon him, Yugi had already gone through, and successfully solved, five pages of cross sum grids from a local magazine. He stands quickly, sweeps his working area clean and climbs the stairs to his bedroom.
He hears two voices from below and he stops at his feet. For a moment, he becomes quite anxious, and then he calms and smiles. I shouldn’t be worried, he tells himself. Jou is one hell of a fighter; I’m sure he’ll be alright. Even if he’s getting one hell of a training, Grandpa-style. His smile widens in both amusement and admiration. Mentally, he cheers for his friend. Go Jou! You can do it!
He reflects, and remembers the incident from the afternoon before…
"Three million yen!" Jou’s eyes had almost popped out of their sockets when he saw those big yellow block digits. 3,000,000 yen: first prize for the upcoming National Duel Monsters Tournament. He shrieked, and swallowed, and slapped his cheeks with his palms, as though he couldn’t believe his luck. "Damn, I wanna win the money!" he whooped with a hop. "Count me in, Yugi; I’m joinin’ that tourney and winnin’ myself a lotta dough!"
"If you’re gonna win the tournament, that is. And believe me, Katsuya Jounouchi, that is one humongous if," a shaky, yet unusually resolved, voice came from behind them. Yugi and Jou whirled to see who it was.
"Grandpa!" the two boys chorused.
"That wasn’t really nice, Grandpa…" Yugi continued with a whine. "You once said that with determination, anything can be achieved."
The old man’s eyes crossed with dead seriousness. "I wasn’t being mean, my boy; I was just being honest. True, that things -- even the bigger ones -- are achieved with determination," he said, nodding sagaciously, "but that isn’t enough. A person must also have the proper motivation in order to emerge victorious." He then turned to Jou. "If you’re joining the tournament because of the money, then you will never win," he warned, waving one arthritic finger at the blond young man.
Jou muttered, "I’m afraid I don’t understand, Grandpa…"
"And that is why you will never win." He firmly pressed his finger upon the young man’s nose. "I’ve seen you duel with my Yugi here, and also with Yami, and I have to say that you still have a long way to go. Do you think you can survive, much less win, with those scant dueling skills? No; you will still have to train, and train very hard."
Yugi’s eyes suddenly brightened. "Grandpa is a really good duelist, Jou! He can give you the training that you need! I should know; I learned from him." Sugoroku nodded the affirmative.
Jou cleared his throat. "I’m determined to train as hard as I could, Grandpa," his voice more firm and grave, "and to win the tournament."
"But if your motivation isn’t right, you will easily give up," the old man argued. "Going for money and prestige won’t drive you hard enough. No, you must have that yearning, that inner need which will fuel the fighter in you, no matter the obstacles. If you have it, then I will teach you everything; I will teach you about the Heart of the Cards. Is there anything else that pushes you to win this tournament?"
The blond young man silently closed his eyes, and then nodded.
Sugoroku shrugged. "Well, I guess I should take your word for it." He heaved in air. "Alright. Your training will start tonight! And Yugi," he added, turning to his grandson, "will you usher Yami inside? He seems quite… misplaced today."
-o-o-o-
It is now half past one… very late for a growing young boy, Sugoroku would fondly tease his grandson, always with a mild ruffling of that wild spiky hair. And Yugi would moan in protest, "But I’m already sixteen, Grandpa!" to which Sugoroku would laugh even harder.
Yugi, despite his age, has often been mistaken for a prepubescent boy by his peers. Because of this, he had found it difficult to mingle and make friends.
But everything has changed since the evening he solved the Millennium Puzzle. As though the moment when he placed that last piece, that last fragment that completed the mysterious golden pyramid, his wishes had suddenly come true; and now he has Anzu, Jou, Honda… Yami. In a way, he could consider his life’s dreams granted.
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken bird that cannot fly. (2)
How true. How fortunate that he had steadfastly, foolishly held onto his childish wishes! How lucky he was that he had kept those wishes… and had he known all along that the Millennium Puzzle was actually a magical device? Perhaps, he had; for he’s pretty sure that he has always believed in magic. He had always believed that dreams do come true.
And once dreams are fulfilled? Hold onto them even tighter, and never let go; for the higher you soar, the harder you fall… the more painful the wounds of losing. His palm firmly presses upon the doorknob, his fingers gripping the cold smooth metal possessively. He hesitates, and then turns it and enters the bedroom. It is dim, and he could barely see.
He flinches at the sight that welcomes him, and feels a pang of concern.
"Yami…" he whispers, and squints through the darkness. Yami sits cross-legged on his bed, his face flushed and frowning, his chest and back bare and undoubtedly cold. The Millennium Puzzle hangs heavily on a chain around his neck. For a long quiet moment, Yugi watches his friend solve, scramble and re-solve a rubix cube over and over again. He wonders how Yami could possibly do that in the dark, and posts the question. The answer does not come. Yami, intense in concentration, is evidently focused upon the toy puzzle in his hands; and hardly anything, it seems, would disturb him.
So, with a clear voice, Yugi breaks the silence. "It’s Kaiba." And Yami drops the puzzle and slowly turns to his aibou.
"What about Kaiba?" he asks, both pensively and defensively.
Yugi closes the door behind him, and switches on a lamp. He saunters to Yami and sits beside him. "I’ve been worried about you," he whispers closely to Yami’s ear.
"Is that why you’ve been awake?" Yami asks.
"It is a reason, but it isn’t the only one. Remember, Yami, you and I, in a way, are one."
"And yet very distinct."
"Yeah, but we still share a lot. What we think, what we feel…" Yugi clasps Yami’s hand in his. "You’ve been awake all this time, I can tell. I had thought you’ve been asleep. You also couldn’t sleep, could you? I share that feeling. Even if you had lately set a barrier between us."
Yami’s heart throbs uncomfortably. He feels as though he had committed a terrible crime. "Forgive me, aibou…" he murmurs regretfully.
Yugi shakes his head. "I know you have vowed to protect me," he says, "but I also want to do my share. You are, after all, my aibou. I have waited long to have you." He rests his head on the other’s shoulder, closes his eyes and breathes. "Mm… I miss these days."
They remain, that way, in silence. And then Yami talks.
"What about Kaiba?" His voice is merely a murmur.
Yugi raises his head. "Kaiba?" he echoes, a bit lost.
"Yes. Kaiba." The words come out, straight and steady.
"He’s the one who’s been taking your mind lately, right?" Yugi pulls his hand from Yami’s and puts it gently on his own lap. "If it hadn’t been for him, then you wouldn’t be having these confusions. We should still be having our usual life--"
"Don’t blame Kaiba, please. Yugi… it isn’t like you to be blaming other people."
"I’m not blaming him." His tone is a bit hurried, defensive. He pauses briefly, and turns his head away. "Well, I guess I am blaming him. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be doing this. I should be giving him the benefit of a doubt, a second chance. You’re right, Yami. It isn’t like me to be doing this."
Yami lays a gentle hand on Yugi’s shoulder. "I can’t blame you at all, aibou. He had almost killed Sugoroku--"
"Grandpa. Call him Grandpa, please. You’re family now. It makes you seem so distant when you refer to Grandpa by his name."
"Right. So Kaiba had almost killed Grand-pa," Yami drawls the word uneasily. "You have a right to hate him, but…" He pauses, not knowing what to say.
Yugi does not say anything. He puts his hand on Yami’s cheek and gingerly turns his friend’s face to his. They look at each other, watery determined amethyst on firm uncertain crimson, as though trying to read each other’s mind. The hand on cheek slowly moves to the lips and traces, nearly touching the wound. Yugi feels a twinge of pity and anger, and bites his own lips, staving off the tears. "And now, and now…" he murmurs, as the tears begin to fall, "he’s slowly killing you."
"Good God, Yugi," Yami gasps. Almost immediately, he embraces his friend, tightly. "Don’t cry. Please…"
"No, I must cry. I can’t bear to see you suffer like this." He whimpers noisily, and Yami remembers that he is, again, holding a child. A child who has once, in his solitude, summoned him from the depths of darkness. "I don’t want to lose you," Yugi cries. "I don’t want to lose Grandpa. What is it with Kaiba, anyway? Why does he want to take away those that I cherish? Why does he want me to be alone again?"
"But he doesn’t want to do that, aibou." Yami calmly pulls away from Yugi and brushes off the tears with his fingers. "When I was in the enclaves of his soul, I have found something in Kaiba that I had not expected. Remember that afternoon? I was very confused thinking about Kaiba for no apparent reason, other than he intrigues me. And soon, I learned that he has been calling me, asking me to save him from his loneliness." He cups his aibou’s face in his hands. "He was very, very much just like you."
Yugi gazes at Yami, as though trying to search for any falsehood in those words. "He was?" he asks in disbelief.
Yami nods. "Yes, aibou. He was." He gazes straighter at the large amethyst eyes. "But he will never have that special place in my heart that I have just for you." He catches notice of a hitch in Yugi’s breathing, confirming his suspicions. "You will never lose me, even with Kaiba around. Aibou."
A slight smile forms on Yugi’s lips, and he nods. "Yeah. Aibou." He gently takes away Yami’s hands from his face and encircles those arms around himself. Laying his head on Yami’s chest, he murmurs, "I’m sorry, for having these doubts."
"It’s alright. You’re human, after all."
"And so are you."
Yami embraces Yugi tighter, more protectively. "I’m not sure about that. I don’t even know who I am."
"Then I will help you recover your memories."
"Aren’t you afraid that you might lose me if you do that?"
A hypothetical question. To which an answer comes rather quickly. "No," Yugi says. "Because I know that whatever happens, whatever is revealed, I will always be your aibou, and nothing will change that." Surely. Determinedly. Faithfully.
"I’m glad to hear that," Yami whispers. And they both smile.
-o-o-o-
Yugi sighs. He is still uneasy, and a number of his questions remain unanswered. Even after a long conversation with Yami, he still feels that many important things have eluded him.
He sighs again, and rolls, facing the man beside him. Yami is deeply asleep, his eyelids steady, his breathing silent and even. Yugi inches forward, placing his ear on Yami’s chest. He listens to the regular rhythm that sounds from beneath firm, warm skin, and he recalls all those tranquil nights when that same heartbeat would lull him to peaceful, blissful sleep.
Lately, though, that heart has been more frantic, and its beating that had often soothed Yugi during the coldest nights now awakens him in worry. Sometimes, it would be accompanied by sweating, and even loud tortured moaning, and Yugi’s anxiety would escalate even further. Not knowing any better, he would wake Yami up and ask for explanations… but all that Yami would offer is a nod of "I’m alright" and "It’s just a nightmare." Nothing that isn’t obvious already. As though Yami has been trying to keep Yugi from knowing what has been bothering him.
The barrier that Yami had set between them lately hadn’t helped at all. Yugi became aware of its existence when he observed he couldn’t sense Yami’s emotions very vividly anymore. When? Well, it was in one of those days after the "Kaiba incident." Even then, even with the existence of the barrier, Yugi would sometimes feel vestiges… mere wisps of the soul, yet strong enough for him to feel the pain and confusion.
And he has known, all this time, that it is Kaiba that has been in his yami’s mind. He would sometimes catch faint glimpses of Kaiba’s face, and he would realize that Yami has been thinking about the man again. For what reason, Yugi could only assume.
He remembers that afternoon a few days ago when he and Yami had invited Jou and Honda over for some snacks and games. Inevitably, the topic of conversation had veered towards Kaiba, with Jou and Honda ending up lambasting and Yami ending up walking out. Yugi, on the other hand, had tried to maintain his calm; though he was honestly at a loss over which to side with. In his heart, he mildly agreed with the two other boys, who had been obviously oblivious to Yami’s feelings; part of him still hates their classmate for having put his grandfather in danger. Yugi realizes that if he hasn’t been Yami’s aibou, then he would’ve been just as dense as they were and might’ve spoken just as badly of Kaiba.
And after Yami had walked out, Jou had asked: "Hey, Yugi, what’s up with him?" Yugi couldn’t even recall exactly how he had answered, whether he had said the truth or lied; the words had been vague, stammered, occasionally blurted. Apparently, the response had been enough; and Jou and Honda had not spoken badly of Kaiba since.
That evening, Yugi had awakened at the middle of the night to agonized moaning. What he had opened his eyes to shocked him terribly. Yami was thrashing wildly, pressing his palms upon his temples… and shouting out a name, over and over again. And Yugi listened in disbelief. It wasn’t his name that Yami was calling in his dreams. It was Kaiba’s.
"Seto… Seto… onegai, onegai, Seto…"
Yugi had to slap Yami to awaken him. And Yugi began to hate Kaiba even more.
Thankfully, this night’s conversation had cleared his head, somehow. He decides that his yami must have reasons -- good reasons -- to go on with this. Despite his uncertainty, Yugi pledges his trust.
It’s clear to him, though, that Yami will surely not join the National Duel Monsters Tournament. There is nothing for him there, no inner yearning that would drive him to win. And Yugi understands even more deeply his grandfather’s words that afternoon. Piece by piece, his yami’s reasons for bothering about Kaiba now seem to come to light.
His sight alights upon the rubix cube, each side tiled with a litter of colors. It lies unsolved, as Yami had left it.
Yugi reaches for it, and grabs it, and rotates the sides around. In just one minute, each side of the cube has become a uniform color. Puzzle solved.
(to be continued)
(2) Not mine. Langston Hughes was the one who said these words.
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posted by cent @ 5:40 PM
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