Notes: This is prompted by spirithorse's fairytale cliché challenge and inspired by Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince." So, basically, it's an attempt at a fairytale-like form. Not all of the themes reflect my views, they just came with the idea. As a warning, this is AU and abstract to the extent that they are not even people, but it really does have canon scattered throughout.
Erosion
In a time when magic had no reason to hide itself, the Earth and the Air watched over their children, who, in turn, served their creators in the ways they knew how.
All manner of creatures felt some form of their creators' guardianship, whether it was seemingly coincidental like a poppy seed blown their way, or a little more blatant, like a healthy buck caught in brambles that don't seem to belong there. If it had been a perfect operation, there wouldn't have been a need for sacrifice but the creators, grand as they were, were also limited. As a result, the web they created from each chain meant a great deal of loss for them, something they felt every day.
Some were more cooperative than others but a few ungratefully abused their abilities. Amongst the former was a flock of swallows that the Earth and the Air quietly favoured. With each succeeding generation, they seemed to do more to make their creators proud (sometimes without being aware of doing so), internalizing and practicing the beliefs of their ancestors.
As a result, it was no surprise that one of their youngest found himself lost amongst the rows and rows of trees in his pursuit of the perfect twigs. When he finally escaped the maze, he was somewhere he'd never seen before. He contemplated turning around and tracing his way back home but evening was fast approaching and he didn't want take the risk.
He landed on top of a high pillar and dropped the twigs from his mouth, exhausted and cold. Leaning against something he could barely make out in the diminishing light, he tried to sleep but a chilling breeze shook him awake. He found himself snuggling up against the solid object as the realisation came to him that he had very little time left to leave if he wanted to survive.
"I rarely see your kind during the cold times. Have you stayed to die?" A voice came from above and he oriented towards it, unable to figure out where it came from.
"Who speaks?" The swallow asked, his uneasiness from the anonymity of the voice making him forget his wiriness.
"I do."
"There is no one else here but I." The swallow craned his head from side to side, then forced his body into flight, circling the object he'd been resting against.
"Are you sure?"
The swallow was frightened by this and turned to leave but the desperate tone of the voice stopped him. "Do not leave, little swallow. I did not mean to frighten you. I was merely testing to see if your mind is clear."
He was used to straightforwardness so the ambiguous words confused him. But, for some reason, they evoked some curiosity. His instincts told him there was potential danger but he knew if he left, this would bother him for a very long time. It was very dark, so the swallow landed wherever his feet could find a holding.
"You are on my head." The voice sounded amused.
The startled swallow jumped, then looked down and tapped his foot several times. "There is nothing here but stone."
"You merely assume that I am stone because I am solid, but that is not so. Sometimes things are more than they seem to be."
The swallow tapped his foot one more time before settling down to rest. He was usually a trusting swallow and this was especially true when he was tired. Sometimes this got him into trouble but it also helped him make friends. "My family has left for Egypt where it is warm," He said sleepily, "tomorrow I will join them but I will keep you company for tonight."
The voice gave a hum of appreciation as the swallow settled to sleep. Although it didn't seem like the swallow knew what he was saying, the statue could tell he was good-hearted.
In the morning, the swallow spread his wings and prepared to take flight, but not before he took the chance to get a good look at the object that had spoken to him. He was delighted with what he saw and a little embarrassed that he'd insulted the beauty the night before by calling it 'stone.' On top of a pillar rested a golden statue of a king. He was smaller than usual humans but the demeanour (although frozen) made him seem bigger than he really was. His countenance was stoic but not unkind; he had two red diamonds for eyes and a royal blue sapphire shone on his sword-hilt. But what made him appear most majestic was the way his oddly-shaped hair pointed to the sky as if donning his head with his own natural crown. It seemed strange to the swallow, but not in a bad way.
The statue said nothing as the swallow marvelled at his finery and he assumed that the entity that gave it life must have retreated into himself to rest. He wanted to stay longer and find out more but the chill in the air reminded him of his mortality and he took off in haste, reminding himself to find his way back to this very spot for reasons he, at that point, had yet to understand.
Despite being lost in all the splendour that was Egypt, he never forgot to return. Although driven by his initial curiosity, it was the fact that the statue seemed so out of place that served as this reminder.
"What are you a king of?" The swallow asked as he dropped his worm and rested his body against the feet of the statue.
"There was a time when I believe I knew for certain," the statue replied, both of them watching the worm wriggle about as if it was dancing, "but now I am merely a symbol for this town. I cannot recall, maybe I was never really a king but a figure or an idea."
The swallow waited until the worm stopped dancing and lay still. He didn't like harming others to keep himself alive and the best he could do was give them the chance to use their last moments however they wished. He quickly gulped it once it stilled. The statue wondered if he would choose to die in such a manner.
"But you are adorned in the manner of a king." He said, noting the patch of moisture in front of him where the worm used to be. "Those whom I've seen dressed in such a manner are what they are."
"If things are always as they seem, some of the most beautiful and ugly things would not exist." The patch dried but the fluid that had been part of the worm left a prominent stain. "Even though I am not, sometimes I feel very hallow inside." There was a melancholy tinge in the statue's tone that made the swallow feel guilty for being so simple-minded. "Sometimes I even feel formless."
He thought for a moment before flapping his wings and flying up to rest on the statue's shoulder. The swallow had always thought things beneath a king did not have the right to be any higher than his feet. But when he felt bad enough about something, he always believed he had to take action. He tapped his feet on the statue's shoulder and received a pleasant sigh in reply.
"Thank you." The statue said.
At this height, the swallow could hear and feel the statue better and he knew he'd done a good thing. He spoke into the statue's ear, where the statue could hear him best. "If you are hollow, then my voice will bounce around inside of you and fill you."
The sound of the statue's laugh made him feel good. It was a different warmth than the heat of the Egyptian sun on his back or the sense of fullness after a big meal. It was a nicer warmth.
As the weeks brought the seasons through another cycle, the swallow's duties to his family and creators began to wane. He tried very hard to keep up, often foregoing sleep and food to maintain the daily quota imposed upon him by no one but himself. His mind and his time were divided but he didn't want to acknowledge his limitations. The more he believed he could adhere to both is own needs and the needs to his family, the less he was able to serve his family.
"Atemu, what is it like to be ageless?" The swallow tried but he couldn't fully make himself comfortable on his usual spot on the statue's shoulder. He was too preoccupied with his worries and even the cool shade of the overhanging tree branch could not alleviate this. "Do you remember when you were created?"
Atemu chuckled and the swallow took it as a mockery of his intelligence. Atemu never outwardly made fun of him but he was also very difficult to read and the swallow hadn't always been sure of what he thought of him.
"I'm sorry." He blinked his wiry eyes, the thought of a dozen things he could be doing instead of bothering the king with his useless questions making him feel like he should be at the king's feet instead of his shoulder. "I did not mean to be so ignorant."
"No Yugi," Atemu stopped when he felt the swallow shrivel from his mirth, "You are far from that. You are such a small bird but you are rarely… contained within yourself. You convey more of yourself than you seem to and you are not aware of it."
"I'm sorry." Yugi really didn't understand what the king meant.
A tremor of laugher rose to the statue's frozen lips but he resisted himself for Yugi's sake. It was cruel to revel in the bird's discomfort but he couldn't help but enjoy it. "Being ageless for me is like being a swallow or you. I have always been this way and do not recall any other way to be. And even the biggest humans do not remember how he was born."
Atemu was light-hearted about the matter but something else bothered Yugi in a way that made him momentarily forget his wiriness. "I wish you could recall more."
Atemu fell silent. The nature of his existence weighed heavily upon him but he was also in awe of how small Yugi was not. It took a kind of compassion the ever logical king didn't have to be so empathetic. He was right in knowing that Yugi had certain advantages over him but that didn't discourage him in the least.
The swallow's limitations and preoccupations soon became apparent to his family and creators, but neither minded. Although they lost a bit of help, Yugi's support had always been more than they'd expected. His family felt that Yugi was due to earn his blessings and, if anything, thought this was a long time coming. For Yugi, even the smallest blessings came in strange forms but they also believed the Earth and Air knew the best ways to take care of their children. How their youngest heir could really be happy this way, however, was still beyond their humble understanding.
The leaves on the pear tree that gave Atemu shade fell around him, signalling the inevitable return of the cold season. The children in the sparsely populated neighbourhood were less seen playing outside and he knew that Yugi would soon abandon his company as well. Before Yugi left, he made Atemu a promise: "I know you cannot recall many things but I will bring something back from Egypt as a memory for us both to share." It was also the day Yugi earned the endearment 'aibou,' which solidified how equal they truly were. The king made sure his aibou would never find the need to be at his feet again.
And, as if even the ancient tombs smiled upon the swallow, Yugi returned at the end of the cold season with a cartouche small enough to carry. It was by itself when Yugi found it, unattached to any fixtures, like it was lost. He rested it in Atemu's open palm before hovering over his usual spot, tapping the statue's cheek with his foot as their own personal gesture of affection.
"They say this is where the kings of Egypt write their names so they can be remembered always." Yugi said almost proudly. He liked the way the statue's diamond eyes seemed to shine brighter when Yugi told him something new and different. "Do you like it?"
"I like it, aibou. But what does it say?"
"Does it matter?" The swallow asked. He'd honestly thought the exotic symbols meant something precious and that Atemu would appreciate it on that merit alone. "It is the name of a king."
"Names are important." The statue said, although not unkindly.
"Yes, names are important," Yugi mused, "I think for those who care about the owner of that name."
"I am sure the pharaoh on this stone had many who cared about him." Atemu replied, the weight of the object feeling just right in his hand, "But I suppose he will have to remain nameless to us."
"To both of us." The swallow agreed.
The seasons took another cycle, then another, the changes accompanying them as familiar and predictable as the cycles themselves. Of course, some changes were more permanent, or a least progressed in a way that did not award the luxury of turning back. With this time passage, Yugi acquired a sense of rightness to his life, better able to maintain the balance between what he could and couldn't control as well as his duties to others and to himself.
He was less conflicted and more reassured that this was how things should be.
Their relationship became an exchange between one whose mobility and openness of mind gave him the knowledge of his world, and one who saw his world introspectively because his own mind had always been his sole company. They were at different points on a spectrum and neither could really be said to best each other.
"Humans surround themselves with marvellous and beautiful things." Yugi noted one night fresh from his return from Egypt. "Their dead are adorned in all manner of shiny human creations and their final resting homes are large and intricate."
There was the sound of a struggle in the distance ahead of them and both oriented towards it to see three shadowy figures. "They wish to be bigger than they are and last longer than they should." Atemu replied, after some thought.
"They are certainly powerful and influential." A woman screamed and there was laughter and jeering from more than one man.
"It is because they are afraid, aibou."
"Afraid of what?" The swallow was unnerved by the twilight spectacle and moved to shield himself behind the statue's head.
The nature of the sounds was unmistakable, even to their ears. The inhabitants in the adjoining neighbourhood made an effort not to acknowledge them, closing their curtains and turning off their lights as to absolve themselves of all responsibility. "Of many things. Appearing weak; being lonely; of having no fulfillment in their existence. Their fears even extend to the unknown that lies beyond their existence."
"Perhaps the bigger one is, the greater burden one carries. I feel I have very little burden."
The smallest shadow of the three, perhaps the woman, broke free of her aggressors but they were quick to recapture her, pushing her to the ground and wrenching a bag from her side.
"They may be big but they can also be very small. That may be what they fear most."
Both men enveloped her at once and whatever sound she made was muffled.
Yugi looked away.
Atemu did not.
On the outside, Atemu didn't change but Yugi did. The swallow's time increasingly shortened while the statue's stretched endlessly ahead. When Yugi neared his end and the family he grew up with was long gone, Atemu begged the Earth and Air to spare him. They granted his wish because no one deserved the burden of complete loneliness, and for Atemu, there would be no one after Yugi. From that day on, the swallow would always be young, curious and gifted in his empathy, the way Atemu knew and loved him.
They wanted to be tethered symbolically, even though it was unnecessary. In its most selfless form, however, it seemed to make humans happy. So Atemu gave Yugi a vow, one drawn from the spirit of the human tradition but was uniquely their own:
"You are my Yugi and I am your Atemu. We are each other's both when the sun shines and we are together and when the sun hides itself and we are parted. We are us, always, underneath this pear tree, in the midst of the children who play outside and the creatures that live for each other. My days are numerous and they are all yours because the Earth and Air promised us forever."
They had years, decades, too many to keep track of. And they changed along with the world around them. Sometimes it felt like their guardians had abandoned them but it was just a consequence of the changing times. The voices of the Earth and Air grew fainter but they barely noticed because they were too much in love.
The pear tree over them grew old and heavy with fruit, often bopping Atemu on the head with its weighted branches. Yugi took this as a blessing but Atemu very much thought otherwise. Of course, this was only one of several diverging opinions but that was to be expected of those who'd endured many years with no one but each other.
For such an unusual partnership, they were content.
Soon, they completely forgot that the Earth and Air were limited. In their lifetime, they had not encountered anything that superseded the abilities of their creators so when something of such power arrived, they were unprepared. Steadily, their world grew louder, was more crowded with people and the natural diminished in favour of the foreign.
Like nearly all of the Earth and Air's children, Yugi was made to adapt. Atemu, however, usually resisted change by strength alone. Their own unique methods carried them through some of the more difficult times but it was Atemu who fell to this new threat. With the growing population of people came the things they created to help them survive, then the things to make them comfortable, and, finally, the things to help them best each other. During this process, large hollow tubes attached to enormous structures struck the air, producing dark clouds that threatened the aerial creatures.
Concerned for his love, Atemu often warned Yugi to stay way from the dark substance and worried about him when he was tardy in his return from Egypt. Luckily, it was easy to spot so they eventually learned to function in spite of its presence.
But Atemu and Yugi were wrong in believing they could see everything. The dark smoke somehow affected places it did not appear to reach. The number of creatures, both air and land, diminished, some due to a forced evacuation of their home and others as a result of a fleeting hope that something better was out there.
Their sun continued to shine but through a thin veil that covered the expanse of the sky more and more. It grew warmer, which was difficult for both the statue and the swallow to understand because their sun did not shine with as much clarity as before.
The onset of the burning rain marked the start of Atemu's decline. Initially, they welcomed the rain because they believed it would clear the darkness. However, they soon realised it was actually an extension of the darkness. Whenever it fell, Yugi hid under Atemu where he could be safe but always felt guilty for abandoning his love to such harsh conditions. At first, the statue easily resisted but one morning, after the sky had dried, Yugi noticed something odd at the king's foot.
A brownish-red grainy substance clung tightly onto one of Atemu's golden shoes. Yugi, who'd seen a great deal of gold in his life, knew something was wrong. He pecked and clawed at the substance but it remained stubborn, marring the beauty of his king. Unable to figure out what it was himself, Atemu did not want to worry Yugi. He regarded it as something that gave him age which, he laughed, was a long time coming.
But Yugi would not accept this, especially when it began to climb up the king's body. Atemu remained resolute in his feelings towards it but Yugi could feel the smouldering concern throbbing deep inside of him. The swallow cursed the rain every time it fell, no longer hiding but enduring it with his love so they could feel it together.
But it wouldn't stop climbing higher and higher. Often, Atemu felt ugly in the eyes of his aibou but Yugi promised such a thing would never part them because the statue was still Atemu, inside and out. It was when the part that truly made Atemu Atemu faded away along with his sheen that Yugi really felt his world had turned against him.
One day, while the swallow was having a meal of insects on the statue's shoulder, Atemu voiced an unexpected question, "Are you lost, little swallow?"
Yugi stopped and looked around but no other swallows were in sight. "Atemu?" He asked carefully.
"How have you come to learn my name? Perhaps the children in the neighbourhood told you. Well, you are making quite the mess on my shoulder." The statue's tone was flat and polite, as if he was speaking to a complete stranger.
"It is, I, Yugi. How can you not recall?" The swallow hopped off his shoulder and flew in front of his face where Atemu could see him best. The red diamonds that made up his eyes looked duller than usual but not nearly as damaged as the rest of his body.
"Aibou?" After a moment's pause, the familiar tone came back again and those red diamonds did not look so dead, "Why are you not eating? Is something the matter?"
The swallow stared at his confused partner, a chill running up his spine. "Nothing is the matter. Perhaps I shall clean the mess I made." He finally said.
Yugi's mind was in turmoil several days following the incident and he often awoke at night just to stare at Atemu for long periods of time. The entity within the statue would retreat into his own mind at night as if to sleep and Yugi never knew exactly what happened when he did that. Days and weeks passed without concern and Yugi's anxiety was eventually quelled. The rain, however, continued to be just as potent against the defenceless statue.
Large yellow mobile machines made their appearance in the neighbourhood, unearthing the land and removing much of the greenery around them. As they watched, Atemu's flat tone set Yugi's nerves on edge once again, "Little swallow, may I ask who you are?"
"It is, I, Yugi! How can you not recall?" The bird exclaimed after a momentary shock, his words like a wound-up spring. But the noise from the machines was so loud, Atemu could barely hear him.
The statue did not answer and, after several long seconds of deep turmoil, the swallow invoked the vow Atemu gave him when they were joined:
"You are my Atemu and I am your Yugi. We are each other's even the though the sun is veiled and cannot shine upon us fully anymore. We are us, always, underneath this pear tree, in the midst of the children who play outside and the creatures that live for each other. My days are numerous and they are all yours because the Earth and Air promised us forever."
When he didn't receive a reply, Yugi thought he'd lost Atemu permanently. He opened his beak to speak again but gentle tone of the statue doused his fire. "Yes, Yugi, we have forever."
She ran up to the bus stop and frantically checked the sign attached for the last 320 that would run from Scott Road to her home. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and shivered, the dark, empty streets setting her nerves on edge. The screen lit up when she pressed one of the side keys, the large print at the top reading 2:15am.
She cursed out loud, double checking to make sure that the sign really did say the last bus passed at 2:05am. She'd already told her parents she had a ride home (to get them off her back about the matter) and she didn't have enough cash on her to call for a taxi.
The girl looked around the stretch of street on either side of her and jammed both hands in her pockets. It would be at least a two-hour walk if she decided to risk it and, really, it was probably safer to sleep beside the bus stop than attempt to walk home alone at that time of night. Karma wasn't supposed to work that way. The only reason she missed her ride was because she hadn't wanted to disappoint her friend by leaving his house too early. He'd just flown back from a four-month internship program more or less on the other side of the planet and they hadn't had the chance to keep in touch. She'd told him her parents were picking her up (maybe it really was Karma getting back at her for the double lie) and was too prideful to go back and tell him otherwise.
The number of cars that passed were few and far between but she felt the judgemental eyes of the driver every time one passed by. They probably thought she was a drug addict, or homeless or even a…
She was screwed, royally screwed and, after briefly considering hitchhiking, she saw something at the end of the intersection that made her hopeful. The size and shape was unmistakable and, as it came closer, she was relieved to see that it wasn't a large truck or van instead. The lighted strip that normally read the bus number said 'Not in Service' but she waved to it anyways, running to catch it as it zoomed past her. Just when she thought she'd been completely ignored, the bus came to a halt and the sliding doors swung open.
"Please sir," She begged the driver, one leg on the first step and one arm clutched to the door handle, "Can you just give me a ride to Scott Road station, or even Columbia station? I just need to get to one of the skytrain stations. It's just that it's really late and I just missed the last bus and I don't have anyone with me, I'll even pay extra fare," She paused in her breathless rant to paw through the contents of her purse for her wallet, nearly dropping something as she yanked it out and fiddled with her change pocket, "How much is it? Two-fifty, three-fiftly?"
Without answering, the driver waved her on and, as soon as she reached the top step, the doors snapped closed and they were moving. She looked at him, two fingers still dipped in her wallet but his gaze was fixed ahead, unacknowledging her attempt to pay for the ride.
"Um, just any skytrain station is fine. Thanks." She tucked her wallet back in her purse and carefully zipped it shut, careful not to lose anything.
"So where are you going?" He asked casually, taking a right turn.
"I'm just going home."
"And where abouts is that?"
"I live on one fifty second and one-o-forth. I just need to get to a skytrain station and I'm good."
"Don't worry about it. It's on my way."
"Are you sure?" She asked slowly, suppressing the burst of excitement with a great deal of willpower.
"Yeah," He stopped at a red light, taking the opportunity to turn towards her and give a nod, "Why don't you just take a seat and relax? It's going to be a bit before we get there."
"Are you sure? Oh my gosh, thanks so much! You're a real lifesaver. Thanks SO MUCH!" She sat down at a window seat after thanking him several more times and let out a huge, pent-up sigh. Holding her purse close, she gazed outside the window, watching from the safety of the bus as houses and shops whizzed by. It was a few minutes before her jitters settled but she soon calmed down, an unusual serenity taking over where her fear used to be. "I'll be waiting for you, my little one." She mumbled in an out-of-body tone before leaning back on her seat.
The new structures that replaced some of the ones demolished by the machines reached high in the sky, reminding Yugi of the tall Egyptian pyramids. With the great height came the need for greater width and, thus, the clear space surrounding them shrunk more and more, the two feeling suffocated by the encroaching human developments.
In the warm season, the rain did not fall as often and Yugi was grateful for this. The disadvantage, however, was the fact that the warm season grew warmer and warmer each year, dying the lush green grass yellow and making it difficult to scavenge for food. Atemu, who was so ravaged by the brown substance that it hurt Yugi to look at him, suggested the swallow travel further for food. And even though Yugi found himself, indeed, moving further away from his love, he never did so unless it was absolutely necessary.
On one of his lengthier journeys, Yugi was gone for an entire night and when he returned, he was met with a very bewildered Atemu. Those red diamonds were coated with a thin layer of debris, something that looked like it came from within him.
"Atemu?" Yugi inquired, carefully dropping his meal on his usual spot.
"Hello." Was the reply in a tone Yugi wished he was imagining.
The swallow gave a nervous laugh, "Hello to you too, my love. Did you miss me while I was away? I apologize. I should have come back when the sun set."
"Hello." The statue repeated, as if Yugi hadn't just spoken to him.
"Hello…"
"And who may you be, little bird?"
Yugi would have much rather starved for a day than hear those words. A part of him wanted to give himself to the elements, just to get away from it all. But the spark in him that made him fight hadn't yet burned out and he flew up to meet his love's face again, reminding him of their vow:
"You are my Atemu and I am your Yugi. We are each other's even the though the sun is veiled and cannot shine upon us fully anymore. We are us, always, underneath this pear tree, in the midst of the children who play outside and the creatures that used to keep us company. My days are numerous and they are all yours because the Earth and Air promised us forever."
The wait was longer this time but Atemu finally gave a grunt in appreciation, following it with an inquiry as to why Yugi looked so distressed. The wiry bird flew back to his lover's shoulder and stared at the food he'd worked so hard to find. He stared and stared until, finally, he kicked it to the ground.
He had a feeling he'd forgotten something but he couldn't quite remember what. It seemed weird to think about it at the time, but his hands felt freer than usual and that made him uneasy. Slowing his bike, he swerved off the street and into the sidewalk, trying to avoid traffic. He felt like he should turn back but he continued pedalling, mentally going through the events of the day to see if he'd missed anything. It finally hit him and he slid his bike to a halt. He'd bought a pair of shoes in the market square earlier on and left it on one of the other bikes when he went to unchain his own. But the real problem was the fact that he'd left his wallet inside that bag instead of keeping it in its usual place in his back pocket. He could go without the shoes but his wallet was, literally, his identity.
After patting down his pants with fleeting hope, he turned to look down the street from which he just came. He was frozen in panic, unsure of whether to go back or try some other desperate means to find it. It was probably gone, he was sure of it, but, after a few lingering seconds of debate, he decided a last ditch effort was better than nothing. Berating himself for being so careless, he knew he'd never make another mistake like this again if he somehow made it past this misfortune. He kicked off his bike and flew down the street, dodging those in his way and apologizing profusely for every close call.
His legs and lungs burned and his surroundings seemed to blur together. He expected nothing, imagined very clearly the rows and rows of bikes empty of anything that wasn't chained or locked securely. But it was the fleeting hope, the fact that he couldn't yet say with a hundred percent certainty that it really was gone, that drove him to keep going.
The market square finally neared and he saw the mass of unguarded bikes but couldn't make out any details. A few dozen feet closer and he spotted something small and white sitting in the basket of someone else's bike. Was it? He got closer and squinted, scanning his memory as to where he'd parked earlier. Yes, yes it was! But the doubt was swift to impede. What if it they'd taken the contents and left the bag? He had no motivation to retrieve the shoes if the wallet was gone and he definitely didn't see the point if everything was gone. He studied the shape of the bag in order to determine whether it still carried anything. His attention, however, was diverted when he saw someone approach the bike, the other's gaze fixed on the object. The man had headphones on and didn't hear him calling out to him as he was unlocking his bike.
"Hey, HEY!" He yelled, coming to a rough stop and nearly tripping over the handlebars as he hopped off. He was already running by the time it crashed to the ground and was waving frantically at the other man, getting louder and louder when it was clear that the other wasn't paying attention to him.
"You, in the red, hey!" He didn't care that people were staring at him; he'd never meet them again anyways.
He wasn't sure if the man chose to ignore him on purpose or if the music was cranked up that loud but it was impossible not to notice. Just when he got close enough to almost tackle the man, he stopped and stared in disbelief. The man with the headphones had, without even looking inside, taken his bag and placed on the bike beside it, proceeding to pull out his own bike and climb on. It was so weird! He was pretty sure the man hadn't looked inside, he was pretty sure of it. Maybe there was something wrong with that man, or maybe he was in a hurry. But still!
He watched, rooted in his spot, as the other man pedaled away. When he could think and move again, he ran up to his bag and peered inside. Both wallet and shoes were there. Plucking out the wallet, he frantically checked every compartment, twice. Everything was there. He checked a third time for good measure and everything really was there.
The man found himself looking in the direction the other biker had gone, wallet limp in his hand. He let out a sigh and shook his head, shoving the thing deep into his back pocket before grabbing the shoes and making his way back to his bike. He smiled to himself, a paranoid, sceptical smile with a tiny bit of happiness mixed in it. "I'll be waiting for you, my little swallow."
The pear tree was getting in the way of the human creations that had yet to stop spreading. At first, a few of the longer, droopier branches were removed but the day finally came when the entire thing was cut down completely.
Neither Yugi nor Atemu liked the humans being so close to them but there was nothing they could do to stop it. The humans would regard Atemu with scorn whenever they came to hurt the tree, commenting on how distasteful and old he looked and talking about having him replaced with something far more beautiful and grand. While Atemu didn't believe they would really do this, Yugi could never bear to listen to their remarks.
Despite all of the big human structures, their world seemed so bare without the pear tree they'd known for so long. Both were fully exposed to the heat and the terrible rain that fell, which especially hurt Atemu. The brown substance climbed as ambitiously as ever and, through his own pain, Yugi would try his best to distract Atemu from his diseased body.
The swallow's heart skipped a beat when Atemu's condition manifested itself at a time he was most unprepared for. "What manner of creature are you?"
At first, Yugi didn't know how to answer. He had been working very hard to find food and had not slept in a long time. He seated himself on his usual spot and leaned heavily against the statue, slowly losing himself to the sleep that refused to be denied any longer. He spoke directly into the statue's ear, his voice so faint it would not have been heard anywhere further:
"You are my Atemu and I am your Yugi. We are each other's even though the sun is veiled and cannot shine upon us fully anymore. We are us, always, where our pear tree once stood, in the midst of the children who play outside and the creatures that used to keep us company. My days are numerous and they are all yours because the Earth and Air promised us forever."
He slipped into unconsciousness before he received an answer and the sun was high in the sky by the time he awoke. Atemu remained silent for all of the following day and Yugi was desperate to hear from Atemu, so desperate that, when the statue finally spoke, his hunger didn't seem so severe.
"It is so empty, Yugi."
"But now nothing will bop you on the head anymore."
She had a split second before she realised that she would be hit and that she wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. Her eyes bulged, and then slammed shut as she felt a sharp pain to her hip. It was too late to move so she'd have to take it and then it'd be all over. But instead of landing, she felt herself slide as if dragged by something. The ground was cold and rough, but she couldn't feel any pain. She thought she'd stop but she continued to be dragged, too afraid to open her eyes until it was over. Maybe she was going to die. Somehow, the thought didn't scare her.
When she was sure she was no longer moving, she craned her eyes open and looked around. She wasn't dead, that was for certain, so she tried to sit up, quick to learn that her entire body was sore and that she was shaking. Red droplets spotted the ground in front of her as she painfully lifted herself into a sitting position and she ran a hand across her forehead, one glance confirming her fears.
She was in the middle of the road and had to get out of the way as soon as possible. She was in shock and too high strung to think clearly but that's what she had to do. Her legs refused to cooperate when she tried to stand so she crawled, one scratched-up hand in front of the other pressed against the dirty ground and eyes on the sidewalk where she'd finally be safe. Her lower half dragged behind her and her jeans slid low on her hips but she had to get to that sidewalk, no matter how she got there.
"Hey, you alright there?" Two pairs of hands appeared on either side of her, carefully lifting to her feet. She didn't know where these people came from or who they were but she leaned heavily against one of them, trusting the woman to stable her. One careful step at a time, she was led to the edge of the sidewalk and slowly lowered into a sitting position, a thick towel subsequently pressed to her head.
"You know what you just made me realise?" She looked up at a bright smiling face, "That I need to stalk up on some paper towels."
She tried to smile.
While the woman's husband went to retrieve her missing shoe (which the girl hadn't even noticed was missing), the woman explained that she was a nurse and pointed out that the van in the adjacent lane was hers. After calling for an ambulance, the nurse chatted away about things the girl barely paid attention to. At that moment, all she could really think about was how embarrassing it was to be sitting in full display of gawking drivers as they passed by.
She felt she didn't deserve the aid and support given to her. For someone who J-walked across a busy lane after mentally berating another J-walker for being so stupid as to get hit on a previous day, she deserved to be left to her own devices. But the woman continued speaking to her, the niceness of it all making her feel worse.
"It was really nice of you for saying that to the driver, I'm sure it feels bad about it." The nurse remarked, after she'd mumbled a 'it wasn't your fault' to the disgruntled and highly freaked out owner of a small sedan. The remark surprised her considering she'd been the one to commit the violation. A friend would later tell her that pedestrians were always regarded as the victim and that she could have raked in thousands of dollars from the incident.
The ambulance arrived, asked the necessary questions and took some vitals. The nature of the incident came up several times and she wish didn't have to hear about how she screwed up over and over again. But despite the connotation associated with what she did, no one seemed to colour it over with their personal judgements. All they had to say about it was that she was very lucky to have been struck by a car going thirty miles an hour, flown forty feet and gotten away with no more than a sore hip and lacerated forehead.
The nurse placed her purse by her side as she was strapped down to the stretcher and another man equipped her with a business card of an insurance company. The last thing she saw before she was lifted into the darkness of the ambulance truck was the kind nurse waving her goodbye. She wanted to remember the face so, somehow, she could thank the woman later. With the warm blankets securely wrapped around her, she fell into a light doze, the burden of her pain, guilt and debt slipping away. "I'll be waiting for you, Yugi." She said before closing her eyes sinking her head into the pillow.
The last time Yugi would ever hear Atemu speak, their world was blanketed in fear. It was not a gripping terror seen in times of war but a pervasive sense of mistrust. The humans had come to believe cruelty and danger dominated their world and thus caged themselves, protecting what was most precious to them at a cost of their freedom. Despite their efforts, the cruelty and danger often found them, heightening their fears and closing them off from each other and their world even more.
The disease had reached the very top of the king's golden crown-like hair, rendering him ugly to everyone but Yugi. As his mind diminished, those red diamonds lost their vibrancy, hidden underneath a dirtiness that couldn't be removed. But the swallow refused to let go of his hope, believing that the Earth and Air would preserve them as they'd done for the many years they had been together. When the magic sustaining Atemu left him, Yugi chose not to say goodbye.
"What are you?"
But Yugi was at his side, knowing deep down, somewhere, somewhere deep down, that he was seeing off his love:
"You are my Atemu and I am your Yugi. We are each other's even the though the sun is veiled and cannot shine upon us fully anymore. We are us, always, where our pear tree once stood, in the midst of the children who now hide and the creatures that used to keep us company. My days are numerous and they are all yours because the Earth and Air promised us forever."
In the morning, Yugi found Atemu's red diamond eyes lying at his feet. He wanted his king to see since he could no longer speak but he didn't know how to fasten those diamonds back where they belonged. So he did the next best thing. Everyday, he would find his usual place on the statue's shoulder and describe to Atemu what he could see. Yugi cheated a little and did not mention some of the more unpleasant things but he hoped Atemu would forgive him.
He would tell Atemu about how the huge structures the humans built for their deceased kings pointed to the stars because, perhaps, they knew they could be more but didn't know how (as Atemu wouldn't probably say).
When the burning rain fell, Yugi would search far and wide for something to protect his love and worked diligently to create a shelter for him. He would duck underneath this shelter and they would listen to the rain together (because he believed Atemu could still hear), pretending it was the rain they had known and welcomed before.
Had the swallow the tears to cry, he would have used them but he was thankful he didn't because he didn't want Atemu to worry. But when he thought his king wasn't listening, he prayed to the Earth and Air as silently as possible, asking them to give Atemu back his voice and memories (but he really meant for them to give him back Atemu).
His prayers grew louder and, where he once asked, he later begged. But no matter how loud he called out, the sounds of the human world were always louder and his prayers never reached the Earth and Air. The little swallow would never know when they left him but their connection was, undoubtedly, severed.
If there was any magic left, it was not enough to sustain Yugi. That winter, he did not go to Egypt but stayed behind to marvel at the freshly fallen snow. He left the world on his love's shoulder; as his equal; as his aibou.
They thought they'd live forever. Maybe they had been as ambitious as the humans who created those large structures for their dead. Maybe they were reaching for their own stars. They did not mean to ask for so much, they only wanted to be happy. Maybe the humans just wanted to be happy as well.
He looked up to see that he was clinging tightly onto another boy. The room was unfamiliar to him but it somehow felt like he'd been acquainted with the place for a very long time. It seemed to be designed for children (even though he didn't really feel like a child) and there were a few children situated in the corner where most of the toys were located.
"Let's be realistic here, we can only take one of them."
He oriented toward the voice and saw two adults, a man and woman, looking down upon them. Neither had very pleasant-looking expressions and he found himself sinking closer to the other boy. The woman was looking back and forth between them, wringing her hands, while the man just looked impatient.
"I know sir, I was just informing you of the situation."
He craned his head around and saw another woman clutching two files in her arms. She looked tired but was smiling anyways. After a nervous glance towards the play area, she quietly turned to close the door behind them and beckoned the adults to take a seat at a nearby outdoor table. The boys stayed rooted in their spot but, after a friendly pat of the empty space beside her, they both scrambled over to sit beside the tired woman.
The feeling made him very uneasy. It was uncanny; like a distant dream he could only partially recall. He turned to the person he was (inexplicably) gripping so tightly onto and was met with eyes the colour of red diamonds. In disbelief, his gaze was fixed there for an uncertain amount of time before it travelled upwards to the crown of spikes that pointed to the sky. This person, whom he'd never seen before, regarded him as if they'd known each other forever.
"Since they're the only ones with -" The woman beside them paused and bit her lip, "and I say this with great hesitation but 'deficiencies,' they can't seem to connect with anyone else but each other. I know we shouldn't have encouraged that but there are so many children here and not enough hands…" She scratched her jaw and looked down guiltily, slowly pushing both files to the people across from her. "If you like, you may look at their files again."
The other woman smiled wirily, "No, that's okay, I remember." She looked at each of them and recited like a mantra: "Yami is a deaf language savant and Mutou is a mute music savant." She shook her head and chuckled, "How can anyone forget that? I still can't believe it."
"They're both very good kids." The woman beside them added, almost pleadingly.
He opened his mouth and flapped his lips but nothing came out. He cleared his throat and coughed, then tried again but, still, nothing came out. He started panicking and his hand went to his throat but a sudden squeeze of his arm stopped him.
"It's okay, aibou, they said you can't speak."
His vision fizzed and, for a moment he couldn't move. Then he whipped his head up to stare at the other boy, the sudden motion surprising the three adults around him. There was an uncomfortable, motionless silence before the adults brushed it aside and resumed their conversation.
"Aibou." The voice sounded again, those warm red eyes synchronizing with it like the right combination of music and lyrics.
He dropped his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, the faintest smile creeping up on the corners of his lips. Underneath the table, where no one could see them, his hand found the others boy's and he indulged in this first touch, making sure it was something he wouldn't easily forget.
"You're here." And, somehow, he knew how to communicate from within this new form to the one he'd thought he lost.
"Yes and I have been waiting for you."
To finally feel him and in a form that closed the gap between them was indescribable and it was so right and good that he was afraid he'd lose it. "I don't want to question this because you're here and -" he tightened his hold in case it slipped away, "you're really here and -" because good things were so elusive and unpredictable, "I don't want to risk seeing you go again."
The older boy let go of his hand and wrapped an arm securely around his waist, pulling him close. "That will not happen."
"But the magic is gone." He was almost afraid of how good it was because the loss would be all the more devastating.
"The magic we know is gone but we are here because we are about to witness magic happen. Believe me, aibou, we will not die again."
"There are other children as well." The woman beside them prompted, foreseeing another rejection. She'd seen prospective parents from all walks of life but she'd yet to see a couple who was willing to separate these two. It was one of the things that gave her a sense of purpose in her career choice and a bit of faith in humanity.
The husband looked at his wife but she wouldn't have it. Due to life circumstances that drove her to this decision, she was resolute in taking home a child with needs that would likely turn away other parents. She flipped open the cover on both files and examined their pictures again. Yami: a deaf language savant. Mutou: a mute music savant. Both somehow in the same orphanage and somehow found each other. The chances were astronomically small, if not impossible. And there was something about these two that told her if she passed up this opportunity; she'd be foolishly rejecting a genuine blessing.
She fiddled with the cover of the manila folder, a thousand thoughts running through her mind at once. There was, of course, the expenses. And heavy expenses at that. She and her husband had always been wise spenders with long term goals in mind. They were realistic but they also believed their efforts would reward them in the long run. They didn't mind waiting to build their fortune, they just thought they'd eventually get to the place they wanted to be. Eventually.
Her husband shifted in his seat and she placed a hand on his knee. She stole a glance from him and saw that he was wading through his own doubts as well. She was grateful for that. When it came to money, what did it mean to get to the place one wanted to be? Did she know anyone fully satisfied with where they were financially? It may not have been apparent, even when it came to their closest friends, but everyone had their own burden to carry. Sometimes, she'd walk around the neighbourhood and see the most unlikely people cheerful and enjoying themselves, but she could never quite figure out why.
"Atemu…"
"Many times, big people can be very small but, sometimes, small people can be very big."
And who was she to be so humanitarian and try to please everyone? There are bigger, more powerful people out there who can make a greater impact. It wouldn't be worth it to make her family carry this weight and it would only be more detrimental to both of the kids if they can't give them their best.
"And sometimes, people are more than they are."
She didn't even notice the silence as she rubbed her face and covered the huge exhale gushing out of her mouth. It was like having someone knock on her door and offer her the moon. She didn't have the resources to accommodate it but it was a rare and precious gift nonetheless. Right now she was witnessing something she would never see again.
"And sometimes, they challenge the fear within them."
She shook her head and all her thoughts came to a halt. She wouldn't think anymore. Stacking one folder neatly on top of the other, she slid it towards the other woman, a confident and decisive gleam in her eyes. "We'll take both of them home with us."
She saw her husband clench his jaw and she gave his knee a reassuring squeeze, moving closer to him so their shoulders touched. The man relaxed a bit but the creases on his face betrayed his concerns.
There was no immediate reaction from the other woman. She looked like she was mentally replaying those words to make sure that she'd heard correctly. Not wanting to say anything that would disturb this fragile deal, she nodded and stood from her seat, gesturing to the couple to follow her to the other room where they would draw up the proper documents. The two boys, as nothing more than orphan boys, toddled behind her, never releasing themselves from each other.
The modern world sweeps magic aside and, while we think it's disappeared, it has just found another means by which to manifest itself. There are powerful motives to tend to one's own needs and ensure one's own livelihood. It is intuitive and ingrained in each person as a mechanism for survival. But there is also a thread of unwarranted kindness within society that exists for reasons yet to be fully explained. This 'altruism' does not directly benefit the self yet it has survived the test of time to exist in a spectrum of societies. It is regarded as a virtue in many cultures but continues to amaze those who taste of its goodness. It is the fragrance of the soul; it is the light of civilization. And in this magic, Atemu and Yugi can persevere. In this magic, they can live forever.
-End-
References:
1) The bus, wallet and car accident scenes are drawn from partially and entirely true events.
2) A skytrain is like a subway train but run on tracks that are lifted above the ground by concrete supports.
3) A 'savant' or 'savant syndrome' is a rare condition in which people with developmental disorders have one or more areas of expertise, ability or brilliance that contrasts with the individual's overall limitations. It is most commonly found in autistic children but has been seen in different disabilities, mental retardation, brain injuries and brain diseases as well. My application of it in this fic, however, isn't entirely true to the medical literature.
4) There is a shift in point of view in the last scene. I know it's not correct to do that within the same scene but I could not find a better way by which to conduct it.
5) Pure gold still doesn't rust.
Comments, dissenting views and questions are all welcome. Thank you for reading.