Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
~*Prologue to The Pond*~
I look out into the clear blue sky, wishing its light would fade away, just leave. Why me, why did fate choose ME? What have I done to deserve this? The tear falls from my face. I hurriedly brush it away. I cry too often, and I hate it. I wish I could be free from torment, I wish I could be happy. If someone could see through my happy mask, they would see a realm of sadness, angst. And who has become the closest to achieving that? No one, not one. I try to destroy my anguish, live life like everyone else. But what IS the life everyone else sees? Lift the shield from my eyes, I plead to no one. Let me see. Take the gloves off my hands, let me feel. Release the aegis from my ears and let me hear. Stop your voice in my head, and let me think, let me be me.
I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn. No one is behind me. Puzzled, I turn again, shrugging off my uneasy feeling. It comes to me often, why regard it now? I sigh, relieving some of the pressure from my overworked chest. As I begin to feel the peace of the world, something happens.
He comes out again. He takes control again.
~*~
I stand outside, feeling the cool breeze of spring against my face. I breathe it in deeply, enjoying life as it is. I walk to the park, and stand next to the small lake. The wind blows a single cherry blossom off its tree, and it floats daintily on the water, spreading rings throughout the whole pond. It moves a lilypad, but just slightly. Amazing, I think, that just one tiny cherry blossom can move the large lilypad, with a beautiful, pale pink lily resting on top. A mother duck and her ducklings swim across the pond to the clump of cattails on the other shore. The water-walker skims atop the water, and I gaze at it, wondering how it sees me. Am I a giant, or a shadow? Or am I just a being hovering over it? I watch as the water supports it, and the water-walker doesn't even sink a bit, nor break the water tension. I nickname it "The Miracle," for it can walk on water.
I smile as I blend into nature's rhythm. The wind breathes with me. The birds sing my song; the sun wraps me in its arms of gold. I see through the eyes of The Miracle, and see the immense expanse of water I once called a pond. Is it a pond or an ocean? As I concentrate my energy a bit more, I almost see the force that connects everything. Then, something jolts me back into my conscious state. What disturbed me from my peace? I look around, trying to find out. I see no more than the pond, the trees, and a shadow. I return to watching the nature around me. Then, I hear footsteps. I swiftly turn around again. But there is no one. Shrouded by the enigma around me, I begin to worry.
Something inside me tells me I am fine, there's nothing to worry about. Something else still says there IS something, something tells me I should run, move. I wish I could, but I am paralyzed to the spot. My eyes dart around, but my body stays in its place. Shivering, I recover my senses. I turn away, unable to look around me. I close my eyes, I feel a presence. I shrug it off, nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about. Or is it, says a voice in my head. I ignore it. I dip a finger into the pond, and I trace a figure into the water. It disturbs the lilypad, again. The Miracle darted off, and there comes a rustle from the cattails. I assume it is the duck and her ducklings. I look at the pond again, and my reflection gazes back at me. For a fleeting moment, I saw something, or someone, besides me. Then, I realize there IS someone behind me! I see his reflection in the water, and he speaks to me.
"Yuugi, I'm delighted to see you again. Now why don't I just take something of yours.... and of course you won't fight, will you, Yuugi? You're terrified, aren't you..."
I hear him laugh a low laugh that terrifies me even more than I already am.
~*Prologue to The Pond*~
I look out into the clear blue sky, wishing its light would fade away, just leave. Why me, why did fate choose ME? What have I done to deserve this? The tear falls from my face. I hurriedly brush it away. I cry too often, and I hate it. I wish I could be free from torment, I wish I could be happy. If someone could see through my happy mask, they would see a realm of sadness, angst. And who has become the closest to achieving that? No one, not one. I try to destroy my anguish, live life like everyone else. But what IS the life everyone else sees? Lift the shield from my eyes, I plead to no one. Let me see. Take the gloves off my hands, let me feel. Release the aegis from my ears and let me hear. Stop your voice in my head, and let me think, let me be me.
I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn. No one is behind me. Puzzled, I turn again, shrugging off my uneasy feeling. It comes to me often, why regard it now? I sigh, relieving some of the pressure from my overworked chest. As I begin to feel the peace of the world, something happens.
He comes out again. He takes control again.
~*~
I stand outside, feeling the cool breeze of spring against my face. I breathe it in deeply, enjoying life as it is. I walk to the park, and stand next to the small lake. The wind blows a single cherry blossom off its tree, and it floats daintily on the water, spreading rings throughout the whole pond. It moves a lilypad, but just slightly. Amazing, I think, that just one tiny cherry blossom can move the large lilypad, with a beautiful, pale pink lily resting on top. A mother duck and her ducklings swim across the pond to the clump of cattails on the other shore. The water-walker skims atop the water, and I gaze at it, wondering how it sees me. Am I a giant, or a shadow? Or am I just a being hovering over it? I watch as the water supports it, and the water-walker doesn't even sink a bit, nor break the water tension. I nickname it "The Miracle," for it can walk on water.
I smile as I blend into nature's rhythm. The wind breathes with me. The birds sing my song; the sun wraps me in its arms of gold. I see through the eyes of The Miracle, and see the immense expanse of water I once called a pond. Is it a pond or an ocean? As I concentrate my energy a bit more, I almost see the force that connects everything. Then, something jolts me back into my conscious state. What disturbed me from my peace? I look around, trying to find out. I see no more than the pond, the trees, and a shadow. I return to watching the nature around me. Then, I hear footsteps. I swiftly turn around again. But there is no one. Shrouded by the enigma around me, I begin to worry.
Something inside me tells me I am fine, there's nothing to worry about. Something else still says there IS something, something tells me I should run, move. I wish I could, but I am paralyzed to the spot. My eyes dart around, but my body stays in its place. Shivering, I recover my senses. I turn away, unable to look around me. I close my eyes, I feel a presence. I shrug it off, nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about. Or is it, says a voice in my head. I ignore it. I dip a finger into the pond, and I trace a figure into the water. It disturbs the lilypad, again. The Miracle darted off, and there comes a rustle from the cattails. I assume it is the duck and her ducklings. I look at the pond again, and my reflection gazes back at me. For a fleeting moment, I saw something, or someone, besides me. Then, I realize there IS someone behind me! I see his reflection in the water, and he speaks to me.
"Yuugi, I'm delighted to see you again. Now why don't I just take something of yours.... and of course you won't fight, will you, Yuugi? You're terrified, aren't you..."
I hear him laugh a low laugh that terrifies me even more than I already am.