A Yugi/Yami story
Through a Dragon's Eye
Chapter 1-The Makings of a True Friend
A child, not much older than 7, was walking through a golden field. He was small and skinny for his age, but he had such a kind, and gentle personality that you can't imagine he could bring himself to harm a single living thing. He had wide, purple (or rather amethyst colored) eyes, wide and so innocent for even a child for his age; and spiky, multi-colored hair; His face had a soft, and gentle, heart shape look to it and he was a pale as freshly fallen snow. This sweet, innocent boy's name was Yugi
He was dressed in simple, slightly torn, shirt and pants; and was running barefooted through the golden field of tall grass. It was the very middle of autumn and it was time for the harvest; so as the villagers were all cutting wheat and harvesting all the gardens. The boy alone had nothing to do.
Yugi was an orphan so he didn't have any work to do here. He lost his parents during a plague a couple years ago and it was only through the sympathy of the other villagers that he was able to eat anything at all. Ever since his parents died he became even lonelier, he had no other relatives, the other children of the village didn't want anything to do with him, and the adults were always busy… he had no one. He was always alone… he didn't want to feel that way anymore. He wanted a friend, someone, anyone… just someone beside him… so that he wouldn't have to be alone anymore.
He was running through the field trying to escape this place, he couldn't take being here for one more day. He packed a small bag of food and extra clothes, and the few coins that his parents had left him and just ran off early that morning. He turned to look back at the small village where he was born and where he spent his first 7 years growing up there.
It wasn't too late. He could still go back to the small shack where he lived with his parents before they left this world, he could go back now and forget this whole idea of running away. He could return to that little hut… alone. No one to greet him, no one to talk to… forever… he made up his mind. If he turned back now, he knew that he would be spending the rest of his life without a single friend, and he also knew that going forward would be dangerous… but he might at least be able to make at least one friend. That was all that he wanted.
So, squaring his small shoulders Yugi ran off, and this time he didn't look back.
Miles away another boy, around the same age as Yugi, was wandering past a large lake as he watched the happy families work, play, and having a good time; he wished that he could join them. This boy looked nearly identical to Yugi, he and Yugi had the same kind of mult-colored hair; and a kind of sweet and innocence but in a different way than Yugi was. He was also taller, and his skin was tan; he had a sharper face, and even sharper eyes. His name was Yami and he was like an older version of Yugi, but like Yugi he was running away from home. He was running away from his father… he couldn't stand to see his father this way anymore. His father… once so kind and noble… now Yami hardly even recognized him; he couldn't stand to see his father like that anymore… so he ran away from home… and for the first time in his life… he was free at last.
And also like Yugi… he was alone. He had been traveling around by himself for a while now and had grown so sad when he saw other kids his age running around and playing with their friends enjoying their lives. Yami tried to go and meet some of those kids and try to talk to them but… they always shied away from him as though he had some kind of disease.
Not that he blamed them… he was a stranger… with no home, no family, and no friends. He usually just passed on by villages but he was starting to run low on food; he had to start making some money soon or he would have nothing to buy anything with.
He went shopping in this villages' small market and, with the last of his money, bought as much as he could carry. He would have stopped in this village to rest for the night… but he had to get moving on. The thing was though… he didn't know what he was looking for.
He had been traveling around without any luck at all. He ran away from home almost a month ago and he still had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do. He just knew that he couldn't go home… not now. What he was looking for… he had no idea. But anywhere was better than going home; he just hoped that he could find someone who could help him… and soon.
Just when Yugi had reached the main road he met a man in a wagon covered with hay being pulled by a donkey.
"Want a ride, kid?" asked the man.
When Yugi nodded, the man pointed to the back and aloud the small boy to climb aboard. When Yugi was sitting comfortably the wagon started to move again.
"Where ya heading, kid?" he man asked.
"To the next town," Yugi replied.
"Oh, what for?" the man asked.
"Ahhh," Yugi said. He had to think fast, but then decided on the truth, or rather half of it. "I'm looking for someone."
"Oh…" said the man. "I see." There was something strange with the way he said that.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked Yugi worriedly. He was afraid that the man would realize what was going on and would take him back to the village.
"Nah, I was just thinking that you seem to be pretty young to be traveling around on your own."
"I'm mature for my age," was what Yugi replied. He was mature for someone his age; every adult had said so back at his village.
The man chuckled. "I can see that for myself, kid," he said. "But you should be more careful from now on. I hear that bandits cover roads and attack every person they see to get whatever money they can get their grubby, filthy hands on."
"Oh," said Yugi. "But, aren't you traveling on your own?" he asked confused.
The man laughed. "No, I'm not alone," he answered. He gestured towards his donkey pulling the wagon. "Me and old, Alfleda, here have been together for years. I trust her more than most humans." As Yugi looked ahead to look at the old donkey the man went on. "It doesn't matter if Alfleda here isn't human, she's still my friend you know?"
"I guess," answered Yugi quietly. But he still didn't understand what the man had meant. Wasn't the donkey just an animal?
The man looked back at Yugi's face and smiled. "It doesn't matter what kind of creature you are. Human or not, as long as you can care for someone else; because a true friend is someone who knows the real us, but will stay with us anyway."
Yugi scratched his head. He still didn't understand what the man was talking about. He never once had a real friend so he didn't understand what it was like to really have one and he wanted to know as much as he could.
"It's simple, kid," the man said when he saw Yugi scratch his head. "A friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be somewhere else. It's like my father always used to say to me… son, when you die, if you've got at least one real friend, then you've had a great life."
"And what if you don't have any friends?" asked Yugi before he could stop himself.
"I'll tell ya kid... someone who doesn't have any friends is person, is a person who lives only half way."
Now Yugi was really confused. What did the man mean? He still didn't understand. What did he mean 'lives only half way'?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I still don't understand. Can you explain it to me in a way that makes sense? Please?" he asked.
The man smiled gently. "Ok, kid, I think the best way for me to say it is that, the best you can do for a friend is simply to be his friend. You have might not have tons of wealth to bestow on him or land to give them. But if they know that you are happy just by being with them, if they are a real friend, then they will want no other reward. A real friend can be quite as dear to you as a sibling would be to you. I don't really know how else to describe it.
Ya see, but you see friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. Aside from love. It's not something you can be taught on your own, but even if you studied for 1000 years and haven't learned the value of friendship, you haven't really learned anything at all. Get it, kid?" the man asked when he was done talking.
The first part Yugi understood. A friend is like a sibling to you. Someone who would be happy just to be with you, at least that's what Yugi thought. But the man just lost him with that last part. "if you haven't learned the value of friendship, you haven't really learned anything at all." What did that mean?
"I'm sorry," said Yugi feeling dumber by the second. "But I'm still not sure I get it. I mean… how do you know when someone becomes your friend?" he asked.
The man thought about that for a minute before answering, "You ask some deep questions, kid. You really are mature for someone ya age, kid. Well, we can never tell the precise moment when a friendship is formed."
"When did you become friends with Alfleda?" asked Yugi curiously.
The man thought about that one for a minute before answering. "Well, I know that me and Alfleda becoming friends wasn't just a coincidences," he answered slowly. "I needed a companion for my long journeys, but able to work with me and help me when I was down and push me when I needed a push. So when I met Alfleda, here, when she and I was young, the choice was clear. It had to be her."
Yugi smiled. "But when did you really become friends?" he asked again.
For a while the man didn't speak. "It's strange," he said quietly. "Even after all these years I'm still not entirely sure how or when we became friends. All I know is that we were suddenly together and that's all that matters."
Yugi thought that he understood but before he could really think about it the man spoke again. "Listen, kid, its hard to really understand friendship unless you have one. You don't have too many friends, I take it?" he asked looking back at Yugi.
Yugi could feel red creep into his face. He didn't know what to say to this man… but Yugi got the feeling that he wasn't just a cart-driver. He was someone else. But before Yugi could say anything else the man smiled good-natured at him before turning to face the road again. "Its, alright, kid" he said. "You're still young. It might take a while for you to find a real friend. But just remember, kid, the greatest gift is not found in a castle nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends."
Yugi nodded. He knew that much. He knew when he left the village that it was going to be a long, and hard journey. But that wasn't going to stop him. He wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in that village, feeling so lonely that he could hardly bare it. Without thinking about it he spoke again; he forgot about the man driving here for a second. "How do know if your friends a real friends?" he asked himself again.
"The greatest of friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and downright impossible to forget."
Yugi looked up. The old man had spoken again. "We each need to find our own friends in this world, kid. Sometimes it's just not easy. "Well, if you ask me, kid, the best kinds of friendships are the ones that last. The ones that, like ya know, a friendship with friends that, not only protect you from others when something goes bad, but from yourself when you try to take blame. To have a true friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."
Yugi thought about that one for a long time. The man didn't say anything else as they rode onward towards the next village; Yugi leaned back and watched the scenery past by though he wasn't really watching it. He continued to think about everything that the man had told him. He wanted nothing more than to understand a real friendship; to know what it was like to never have to be alone again. They continued the ride onward for hours as the sun rose and hung right overhead; and start to slowly set.
"An old friend is the best kind of reflection," said a voice after a long time. Yugi was startled out of his daze and looked at the man again. "Sorry," Yugi said hurriedly. "What did you say?"
"I said that we are almost at the next village," said the man.
"But that wasn't right," thought Yugi. "But I thought that you said that an old friend is the best kind of reflection."
"No," said the man not looking at him. "You must have dosed off or something," he said. "But if you ask me, I think that an old friend shows you your best reflection. Why bring that up?"
Yugi shook his head. He was sure that the man had said that… but if he denied it… oh well. They were almost at the village anyway. Something was bugging Yugi for a while though. "What's the difference between a true friend and a simple friend?" he asked.
"Oh, that's easy kid," answered the man "If you want to know who a true friend is, they're people who walk in on you when the rest of the world walks out on you. True friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait to hear your answer. How do ya know if someone is a real friend? A true friend wants nothing more from you than for the two of you to be together. A friend who can be silent with us in a moment of confusion… who will stay with us during grief… who can't tolerate not knowing if we are ok or not... that is a friend who cares.. I guess what I'm trying to say kid, is that a true friend is someone that you can dare to be yourself."
Yugi was completely lost now. Dare to be himself? But before he could ask anything else the cart stopped and the man turned to look at him. "Alright kid," he said. "This is your stop. And I must say that it was nice to meet ya," he held out his hand and Yugi shook it. As Yugi jumped down he took one long look at the man and his donkey before the man said, "Promise me, kid, that you'll always remember this: When it starts gets hard to look back... and you're scared to look ahead… as long as you can look beside you and see a friend there. Then you know that everything will be alright."
Yugi nodded though he still didn't quite understand, he was starting to think that he never would. "Thank you for everything," Yugi said to the man before turning and walking away.
"Remember, little Yugi," the man's voice said. "You will play a bigger part in all this, than you know. You won't be alone for much longer. You will have a true friend sooner than you think. So don't ever forget… Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light…. and that every friend begins as a stranger to you."
Yugi stopped dead and spun around to look at the man. He never told him his name, and what did he mean when he said he will play a bigger part in all this? Part of what? And did he just call him a friend? But when he turned to look at the man and his donkey… they were nowhere in sight. The two of them just disappeared… as though they were never there.
Yami was walking along a dirt road, he was nearly at the next village and he was so tired he thought that he would pass out for sure. His eyelids drooped as he forced himself to keep walking; and just when he thought he was going to pass out a pair of hand helped to steady him.
Yami looked up and say a pretty woman helping him. "Are you alright?" she asked him.
Yami nodded not quite sure of what to say. Then all of a sudden he heard hoofs behind him, he looked and saw a large horse looking straight at him. "Sorry, this is my friend Meriet, and he can be pain sometimes. Where are you heading?" she asked him gently.
"Oh, I…" stammered Yami, "The next village," he said truthfully.
"Well, you look so tired. Do you want a ride?" she asked him smiling. And without waiting for an answer she picked him up and placed him on top of the Meriet and they headed off. Yami sure was taken by surprise as they continued walking but he was grateful to be able to rest his poor, aching feet. They continued onwards is silence for a few minutes before Yami was finally able to mutter a thank you to the woman.
"Oh don't mention it, child," she said kindly. "You looked so tired I had to help. Why are you out this far from the village anyway?"
Yami thought fast, "I'm looking for someone."
"Oh, I see," said the woman. After a minute she asked, "Who?"
"Ah… well… a, "said Yami… "A friend," he said fast.
"Oh, I see," she said again. "A friend is someone who helps you up when you're down, and if they can't, then they'll lie down beside you and listen to your heart."
"What?" asked Yami confused.
"Oh, just remembering a saying that my friend once told me," she said. "I agree with it full heartily don't you?" she asked him.
"I'm not quite sure I understand what you meant. They'll lie down and listen to your heart? What does that mean?" he said.
"Well it is not what you can give to your friend, but what you are willing to give to them that determines your friendship," she said calmly. "One loyal friend is worth all the money in the world; and you wouldn't trade that person for anything, right?"
Yami didn't ask anything else. He was confused enough as it was. How is one person worth all the money in the world?
"You're still young," said the woman. "So I'm not sure you quite understand just yet. But you see friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. Aside from love. It's not something you can be taught on your own, but even if you studied for 1000 years and haven't learned the value of friendship, you haven't really learned anything at all."
"You haven't really learned anything at all?" he thought to himself. What does that mean? The woman must have noticed the confused look on his face because she said, "Friendship is the only thing that you purchase with friendship. Someone may have wealth or power over others, but they can only gain their hearts by giving them his own. Sometimes you put your defenses up, not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down. Does that make any sense?" she asked the 7 year old.
Yami shook his head. "I'm sorry but can you explain it simply?" he asked without looking at her. He felt dumber by the second.
The woman smiled at him and said, "Think of it this way, if all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I would not follow; instead I would be at the bottom to catchthem when they needed me. What I mean is that a real friend is willing to let a friend make their own choices… but they are always there when that person needs help. True friends not only protect you from others when something goes bad, but from yourself when you try to take blame."
Ok, now Yami was starting to understand. But he didn't say anything else while they continued walking. He thought about his father again, and wondering what he was doing right now. Yami wondered if he noticed if his only son was gone yet. After listen to this woman talk about friendship, he wanted nothing more than a real friend right now. Because he needed help now; something was bugging at the back mind, so he asked the woman.
"Excuse me, madam," he asked quietly. "But how do you know if someone is a real friend?" Because he was lost when it came to friends, for he never had a real one.
The woman thought about the answer for a minute before answering, "A true friend wants nothing more from you than for the two of you to be together," she started. "To the world you may be just one person, but to a real friend, you might mean the world to them. If you ask me," she said, "An old friend is the best kind of reflection."
"Reflection?" asked Yami.
"It's simple," she said in a quiet voice. "A simple friend will never see you cry… but a real friend is someone who is used to your tears."
"I don't cry," said Yami with blush rushing to his face. "I'm not a baby," he said.. He wasn't a baby, why did this lady think he was.
"I never said that you were," she replied calmly. "But everyone cries once in a while. Even I cry when things get too much for me."
Yami felt his jaw drop. An adult said that she cried? He never thought that was possible.
"Don't look so surprised," she said laughing at his expression. "Everyone cries at least once. Sometimes it's best to cry, or else you will continue to suffer from within."
"Suffer from within?" thought Yami shuttering. He didn't like the sound of that. But he had a feeling that his woman wasn't normal; he had a feeling that she was something else.
But before he could say anything else the woman said, "A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are. Don't take advantage of your true friends, because sometimes they are all you have."
"What?" asked Yami.
"What, what?" she asked friendly.
"What did you just say?" asked Yami.
"I didn't say anything, young man," she answered. "Maybe you just dozed off there for a second."
"But I thought that you said…" began Yami but she cut him off.
"Here we are," she said. Yami looked ahead and realized that they were finally at the village. He didn't even notice.
The woman helped him down from Meriet and set him on his feet. "Thank you for the ride," he said when he was on the ground again, swaying slightly, he was still tired. He was also thinking about what she said before, "A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are. Don't take advantage of your true friends, because sometimes they are all you have."
"Don't mention it, young man," she said kindly. "Remember what I told you here, and I hope you find your friend."
Yami was startled for a second, before remembering that he told her that he was looking for a friend. He nodded and thanked her again. She smiled and said to him, "This is my wish for you young man: May you find someone to bring you comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, laughter to your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life."
Yami blushed. He never had anyone tell him anything like that before, he mumbled another thank you before turning away; but he only walked a few feet when the woman spoke again.
"Remember, little Yami," the woman's voice said. "You will play a bigger part in all this, than you know. You will have a true friend sooner than you think.. So don't ever forget… Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light…. and that every friend begins as a stranger to you."
Yami stopped dead and spun around to look at the man.. He never told her his name, and what did she mean when she said he will play a bigger part in all this? Part of what? And did she just call him a friend? But when he turned to look at the woman and the horse that he rode here… they were nowhere in sight. The two of them just disappeared… as though they were never even there.
This was chapter one and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you want me to continue this story.