Title: Sanctuary.
Rating: M.
Genres: AU; Alternate Universe, Angst, Tragedy, Romance, Humor, Supernatural, oh and just a hint of Mystery.
Warnings: Mature themes, mature language, smut, Character deaths, Violence, and Detail Descriptions.
Main paring: Mobiumshipping. (YxYYxPA) ,hinted Peachshipping. (AM X YM), and other various pairings.
Summary: Life is short, but what becomes of those whose life was unexpectedly cut shorter than destined? Yugi Mutou is a young man who has fallen to such an ill fate. As he struggles with accepting what has befell him, he enters Sanctuary, a safe haven for those of who experienced a similar fate as his own. (Mobiumshipping)
Author's Rant: After being chopped for revisions, Sanctuary has finally come back and is ready to re-enter the world of FF! Please enjoy this long and bumpy ride. I regret nothing.
Disclaimer; I, Enchanted Knights, do not own any part of the Yu-gi-oh! franchise, nor any of the characters , songs, of potential brands used in this fanfiction. They all belong to their respective owners, I only own the story line and created this sappy little story.
Chapter I
An Ending, Is Just a New Beginning.
"And just how cruel is the golden rule? Harsh enough to make even God cry tears."
The way her perfect chocolate brown hair fell to her shoulders and framed her heart-shaped face, which harbored her soft round luminous blue eyes, button-like nose, and plump light pink lips coated with a shimmering pink lip gloss; could drive Yugi Mutou insane, had he not known Anzu Mazaki for over eleven years of his life. Instead, he admired his best friend's look from a distance. Compared to her height of five feet and eight inches, Yugi was like her little brother, standing at only five feet and six inches. Damn his body for its late growth spurts. If only he was a little taller, then maybe he could have been the one to have swept Anzu off her feet, rather than Ryuji Otogi.
"It looks like the rain is letting up. Do you think we can make it home from here?" A voice with the vocals of an angel, questioned Yugi, pulling him from his day dreams of being taller and his fantasies of a future with Anzu.
The seventeen year old male blinked his amethyst colored eyes twice, as his face grew warm with a crimson blush for being caught daydreaming about his crush, who was standing just to his right. It was a dreadful habit he needed to break himself of before it became a serious problem, but the teen just couldn't help but dream about the beautiful girl who had stolen his heart.
Yugi collected his jumbled up thoughts quickly as he looked out at the slowing rainfall. "Mmm, maybe if we hurry, "He told his best friend, as he held out his hand into the rain. "Or we could wait it does look like it'll be ending soon, " the shorter teen suggested.
Anzu thought their options over before shaking her head. " Let's go head and try to make it home, Otogi is waiting for me," She informed her best friend with an apologetic smile, "Tonight's our date night! Also, I feel bad if we kept your Grandpa waiting on you."
"O-Oh! Well then, let's hurry and try to get you to him then. I'll escort you there, Ji-chan won't be bothered if I walk you home, he'll understand when I tell him," Yugi replied to her, giving the woman he loved a gentle smile," Plus, we don't want Otogi to have to cancel your date night because you got lost or injured. " It wasn't like Yugi to let one of his close friends to just venture out alone, when he could have gone with them. It also saved him the worry of wondering if they made it to their destination safely. It was just the kind of person he was, a selfless worry-wort.
Anzu laughed softly before ruffling Yugi's tri-colored hair of ebony, amethyst, and blonde bangs that framed his childish face. "You're always worrying over me Yugi, it's like you're my brother, or better yet, my mother!"
Yugi groaned at that statement and stepped away from Anzu, fixing his spiked hairdo and the bangs that framed his face. " Geez, I'm just looking out for you," He sighed and gave the brown-haired girl a childish pout. " Can't a guy be protective over his clumsy friend?"
" I am not clumsy!" Anzu protested, stomping his her foot and putting her hands on her hips.
Her eyebrows scrunched together while she pursed her lips. Such an expression caused Yugi to laugh and walk ahead of her, leaving their dry shelter. "Says the person who trips, and falls over while putting on their shoes! And thought dancers were supposed to be graceful!" He called back to the woman of his dreams as he walked ahead.
Yugi heard the sound of feet splashing against the wet ground behind him. He paused looking back over his shoulder, just as Anzu caught up to him. She raised up her hand and hit the back of his head lightly, but with enough point to send Yugi stumbling forward a bit.
"Yugi, it's not polite to taunt a lady, " She scowled her friend, trying to act serious before she bellowed out in laughter and started to walk ahead of her closest friend. The teenage boy shook his head laughing, as he rubbed the spot where Anzu had struck him lightly. This was exactly why he loved Anzu. Her fiery personality brought so much excitement to his life.
"I know, I know, but this is you we're talking about," He told his friend catching up with her. "If anything it's excused," He said happily as they walked.
Anzu rolled her blue eyes, though she wore a bright smile. " Of course, on the exception I get to make fun of you as well, " She teased the short male. Yugi smiled and simply shook his head.
The heavy rain soon turned into just a light drizzle, leaving the gloomy gray sky above. The two friends slowed their walk down, enjoying the company of each other as they walked home together from school. They spoke of their graduation just a few months away, hard to believe it was already their senior year, and just halfway into their first semester. The teens also talked about Anzu's dream. She notified Yugi that she had almost collected enough money for a trip to the Americas, to New York City. There, she would attempt to land a career in choreographer, hopefully end up working in Broadway. Of course, that would be after she went to college and obtained a degree in the fine art.
The two friends also talked about Yugi's future after high school, but the young man hadn't sorted out what he wanted to do as of yet. He did have his plans narrowed down to working a part-time job at his grandfather's game store, while attending classes at Domino University for game designing; but he had no clue what he wanted to do for a living just yet.
A soft sigh came from Anzu just shortly after their conversation about their futures, causing Yugi to look up at his friend with worry. " Is something wrong Anzu?" He asked his concern already seeping through his calm voice.
" It's nothing to be worried over," She replied immediately." It's just... my school bag seems to be a little worn.I've had it since middle school and the handles are starting to come undone, " She lifted the bag up to show Yugi, who nodded in agreement at the sight of the worn out school bag.
"Maybe you should replace it? Have you talked to your mother about it?"
"No, not yet, I'll ask her about getting a new one, when I get - AH!" Just as they started to cross a railway crossing, Anzu's student bag fell apart and dropped to the ground.
The male paused his mid-stride to help his 'crush' pick up her things. "Well, now you have to get a new one," Yugi chuckled softly as he collected some of Anzu's papers before they were ruined by the wet weather and ground.
A soft snort came from the beautiful brown haired girl as she tucked a strand of her wet chocolate-colored hair behind her ear. "Yeah no kidding-" Warning bells of train-crossing started screeching, along with its lights flashing and the gate arm started to close down; had interrupted Anzu.
Yugi was the first to act, hurrying to gather anything he could in his arms before standing up. "Come on Anzu!" A loud whistle of a passenger-train could be heard over his voice as well as its headlights could be seen in the distance.
Anzu quickly gathered her pens, pencils, and other materials as fast as she could, but Yugi was multiple steps ahead of her. He had already crossed the tracks and was about to duck under the safety arm, had he not spotted his best friend still trying to gather her things.
He was safely out of the train's pathway, yet, when he saw how Anzu was still struggling to get the rest of her things, the seventeen year old male panicked. He quickly dropped the items he had in his arms to help Anzu get the rest of her items.
"Come on, we've got to hurry!" Yugi ushered his friend to move faster.
Everything was happening so fast, that time felt like it was slowing down. The wailing of the warning bells became drown out from the squealing of brakes, as the train attempted to slow down when the conductor spotted the teens on the tracks from his window. The train's electronic whistle rang through the air just as the headlights of the passenger train started to illuminate Anzu and Yugi's soaked forms. Wheels began to lock up from an emergency break, but it was of no use. The train had been going too fast to slow down in the given distance it had. It was too close for the teens to avoid from getting hit unless one of them acted fast.
It was a split second decision. He had no time to think, just do. Yugi used all the strength, courage, and will he had, to push Anzu out of the path of the train, even if it was just a few inches away from the tracks. She was out of harm's way. Next, he focused on attempting to get to her side, to get to safety. Yugi knew within just a second, it was too late for him. He watched as Anzu stumbled and snapped her head over her shoulder to look at him. Her beautiful face was soaked; covered with what could have been tears, her hair clung to her face, and her beautiful blue eyes were red and puffy. The only thing he could offer her was one last smile, even if it was sorrowful. He only had just a few more inches to go for safety, just two more steps and he could be at her side.
"YU-" The whistle of the train masked Anzu's voice, along with the force of being slammed into by the two-hundred-eighty-nine, thousand pound train crushing his body.
He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. There was a horrible unbearable pain, but for only a second. Then there was the agonizing void of silence and darkness. He could not hear the squealing of brakes anymore, nor could he see Anzu's beautiful face. He felt lighter like all of his doubts and worries had just been eased. He oddly felt at peace, despite just being hit by a train, and becoming the headliner for tonight's news program. Such an odd feeling. Yet at the same time, he felt nothing at all.
Even though the deadly accident had just occurred not even a few seconds ago, Yugi felt like it happened many, many years ago. It was all fuzzy to him, even though he was known for his good memory; he could hardly even remember what the whistle of the train sounded like. He felt his mind seep into the calming darkness. The teenager was in bliss as his mind became unfocused, it was like falling asleep after a stressful day.
That bliss feeling of just pure nothingness as he floated in the vast empty space, disappeared rather quickly as the young man was floating out of his dark relaxed state and into one of warmth and enlightening.
'What... is... this...?'
Where was he? What was that? Who was that woman smiling down on him with long Auburned colored hair and gentle gray eyes?
"Yugi, my sweet little boy, what's that you have in your hand?" Ah, now he knew, that beautiful voice was his calm and caring mother. Her round doe-eyes closed when she smiled brightly and picked the young boy up.
"Now, now, give momma Papa's card back. I know how you like to hold on to it, but you don't want to tear do it?" The boy shook his small head quickly, and handed his mother the card.
"Take really, good care wove it. It's Papa's Dark Magician! "He told his mother in a high pitched gentle voice.
In his continuous, the boy was aware of everything going on. This wasn't some creepy dream where he was young child and his mother was nearly a decade younger; it was one of his earliest memories. One with his father in it. Speaking of that man-
"Chiyo? Yugi? I'm home, " The familiar soft voice called to him and his mother in the distance.
Yugi's younger self squirmed in his mother's arms, until he was put down by the woman. "Papa! Papa!" He called out excitedly rushing over to the taller male, and hugged his father's leg lovingly.
A soft chuckle cam from his father, as he was picked up. He also heard the faint giggling of his mother. "Did you have a good day at work, Hakuba?" Yugi's mother's lovely voice always seemed to be brighter and more cheerful around his father. It always puzzled him, but now looking back at it; he now understood why. It was a sign of love.
"It was well, busy as always-"
"Can we play? Can we? " The four, almost five, year old Yugi interrupted his father, asking him to play with him.
Yugi's mother pouted and popped Yugi's nose lightly. "Yugi, let your father rest. He's been working all day. If you be a good boy for him the I'll think about letting you go visit Anzu tomorrow. "
The small boy released a whine, as his bottom lip trembled. A small warning sign of the threatening tears to come. Yugi's father sighed and ruffled his son's hair. "Fine. If that's what you want, I'll play a game with you. But one only, you understand little man?"
A bright smile appeared on the tri-colored toddler's face as he hugged his father's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Papa!" The boy cheered happily, causing his father to laugh.
The scene slowly started to fade from Yugi's mind, leaving his chest with a funny warm like feeling. He had nearly forgotten what it was like hearing his mother's and father's voices, and how it felt to be held close by both of them. A faint smile pulled at Yugi's cold lips as he returned to that odd sensation of floating in utter darkness.
It felt like millenniums had passed by him. The silence of sheer nothingness had an odd effect of making time slow down to where a minute felt like it took ten years to pass. Slowly another enlightening sensation flow through his body. Though it wasn't quite like the first time... The warmth the feeling brought last time, had grown cold. Sniffling could be heard, along with muffled cries of 'Why..?'
As the scene developed Yugi instantly tried to go back to the darkness that had surrounded him from before. He did not have to wait for the blurry images to become clear. Yugi already knew that this was not something he want to go through a second time. Unfortunately his memories had other plans as they forced their way into his mind.
Painful loud cries of agony, rang in his ears. The young boy of only six years of age, opened his door slightly to peek his head out to see who was 'crying'.
"Why?! Why?! Why?! WHY!?"
A loud thud came from down the hall in the living room of his small home.
Yugi slowly exited his room, as fear pulsed through his tiny body. Something felt off with each step he took. A heavy feeling settled in his chest when he peered around the corner of the hallway and the family-room of his home. His six year-old self's amethyst eyes widened to the extreme, as he spotted his mother crumbled on the floor in front of their front door, with a police officer wearing a grim look on his face.
"Momma?" Yugi's voice cracked as he stumbled toward his sobbing mother.
"No, no, no... Please... Please come back to me! To us, Hakuba! " The female with long auburn hair pleaded.
A feeling that was a mixture of worry, fear, and despair filled the boy's heart as he knelt down next to his upset mother. "Momma, what's wrong? Shhh, shhh, don't cry. Big kids don't cry, remember?"
His innocent eyes looked up at the police officer as the male knelt down next to him and his mother. "Son, at time like these... Big kids should cry... "The officer held his hand out for Yugi's mother to take, helping her to the couch, as another officer entered; one that was female.
The boy looked confused and troubled over the matter, as the female officer closed their entry door and escorted him to his weeping mother's side.
"Hakuba... My sweet Hakuba..." He heard his mother's muffled cries that were released into a pillows she was currently clenching to her chest.
"Why is my momma crying? Why is she calling for my dad?" He asked absent mindedly and moved closer to his mother and hugged her, offering sweet ignorant comfort. "Momma, Yugi's right here. I'm a big boy like Dad, so I'll be here for you."
With no warning Yugi's mother latched onto him, pulling him close into her bosom and hiding her face into his oddly soft multi-colored spiked hair. "...I...I'm sorry my sweet little boy. I'm so.. so sorry," She cooed swaying slightly from side to side with the young lad in her arms.
Yugi wrapped his arms around his mother 'protective like', while the police officers watched in silences, waiting for them, for Yugi's mother to be calm. Eventually, she calmed her tears, but not the sea of despair in her soul, as she looked up at the two carriers of bad news.
"How? Just how did he die? I... He was perfectly happy and healthy this morning!"
Die? Someone had died? Who? Who died-... The moment of realization hit the young boy hard. It turned the officers replies and his mother's hoarse questions into just faint muffled words, while his thoughts and emotions created a typhoon inside his fragile mind. The feeling of sudden emptiness and loneliness passed through him, while all comforting warmth left him.
"Dad...Dad is gone?... H-He left...us?" Yugi's words were cracked as he forced him to interrupt the adults depressing conversation. Tears cascaded down his reddening cheeks, while he started to sniffle his clogged up nose. Soft hiccups turned into full blown wailing as he screamed and pleaded for his father to come home.
His mother and the police officers fell silent, startled by Yugi's sudden outburst of sorrow. His mother's own tears started to fall once more as she pulled her baby boy closer and rocked with him in her arms to calm him, as well as herself. "It's okay... It's okay sweetie. He just.. just went to...to heaven early, that's all," She desperately tried to calm her son down.
The scene became foggy before clearing up a few moments later with a different scene, another bad memory from his father's passing. His funeral. The teen could hardly bare these upsetting memories from his past. It made him question why he was even remembering this, at this moment in time.
Yugi remember putting on the emotionless poker face, avoiding all eye-contact, all interactions with people other than his mother. He remembered kept his eyes glued to the floor, not even wanting to look at the latest current photo of his deceased father. He didn't want to cry in front of so many strangers, friends, and family. He couldn't cry, he wouldn't cry. No matter how hard it was, he would wait till he was completely alone to release those tears.
Finally, the horrible reminder was over. Even though he couldn't hardly focus his disoriented mind, Yugi attempted to control his overloading emotions. He fought the stinging tears in his eyes, the sniffling of his nose, and the soft hiccups he had.
'Get it together Mutou! It's in the past... What would everyone say if you woke up crying over something nearly twelve years ago?'
The seventeen year-old managed to calm himself down by taking a few deep breaths, or what felt like a deep breaths. He allowed his mind to slowly go blank as he recalled the empty world around him.
He began to wonder about Anzu, the girl he loved. Yugi smiled to himself, a soft goofy grin of a love struck man. The more he thought about her looks, personality, the moments they had shared; the wider it grew. He wonder if the giddy feeling he was feeling was actually love, or some weird fetish he had developed over the years he had known the female. When he thought of it that way, he felt like an old pervert; like his grandfather. He would have to ask his grandfather about that when he woke up.
The young man felt a stab in his chest when he thought of his grandfather and 'waking up'. What if he wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon?He had been struck by a train, or was that all a dream? The male pursed his lips, well at least he thought he did. His body was too numb to tell what he was actually doing or to feel any actual pain. His heart sank deeper, and deeper into the darkness as he started to recall his last thoughts before this... this 'black out.'
No, he didn't regret what he did. His unintentional 'suicide', was something he actually felt rather proud of. He saved a life, he saved a life that was one of the most important ones to him. The life of his beast friend, of the girl he loved. No way was he regretting it. But what he did regret was not doing the simple things that he could have done earlier that day.
He should of told his mother and grandfather bye, despite having toast shoved in his mouth from running late. He could have agreed to hanging out with his friends, Honda and Ryuzaki. Even though she was already dating Otogi, Yugi wished he had confessed his one-sided attraction to Anzu. So he could at least have some closure to this unrequited love, even in his death. Maybe he should have practice running a bit more. If he was a bit faster, he could have moved quicker and gotten himself to safety. There was so many "if's", "coulds", "should haves", and "wishes" that filled his mind. Just so many things he could have done differently to avoid him being here in this.. lonesome place. Hopefully... this was just a dream and he would wake up soon to his mother shaking him and telling his groggy form he was late for school.
Amazingly, Yugi start to become aware of the things 'outside' this dark and lonely world he was in. It was an odd sensation he felt, as his body slowly started to lose the numbness feeling he felt for what Yugi thought, had been ten billion years. He was so relieved that he could now tell where his fingers and toes were. But that wasn't the only thing new, he felt the breeze of strong wind gusts, along with the smell of...saltwater?
How was he at the beach? On the other side of town? Didn't he just get killed, or fatally injured?
This didn't make sense to Yugi as he thought over these new sudden freedom. He continued to think more critically about his situation. As a result, he failed to notice the extra weight sitting upon his hips, or the fact that he could move, and open his eyes again.
"Hey...Hey kid wake up," A female voice called out to Yugi, followed by pokes to his round cheeks, which annoyed him.
Thinking the person would leave him alone if pretended to be 'asleep' or well.. 'dead' in this case, Yugi remained perfectly still. He heard a huff, which made him think the person (who he was now aware of) sitting on his waist, would leave him be. Too bad he was wrong.
" Oh for the love of the living! You're not in purgatory anymore so, wake up you idiot!" The voice suddenly snapped, before Yugi's body was suddenly assaulted by pokes that felt like jabs to his sides, cheeks, and stomach.
Unable to bear this treatment that assaulted him with a ticklish sensation, Yugi squirmed under his attacker's attacks trying to avoid them. "Okay! Okay! I-I'll get up!" He answered opening his eyes slightly, adjusting to the bright light that threatened to blind him.
He half expected to see Anzu on his hips keeping him down as she poked him, when he opened his large amethyst eyes. Well, that was what he wanted it to be. Unfortunately what he got was a bright blonde haired girl, that appeared to be just fifteen, maybe fourteen; sitting on him with annoyed expression. Her eyes were a gray-blue in color, hidden behind half framed glasses. A few freckles could be seen on her round cheeks, if one looked closely. But it was the girl's apparel the made Yugi blink and blush slightly. Her small body was dressed in a pure white dress that left very little to the imagination and on her back, where two small feather covered wings. His amethyst eyes narrowed as he focused on her wings solely.
This had to be a dream inside of a dream. And it was one messed up double-dream.
"...Why are you staring at me like that? Are you some kind of pervert!? The female's voice snapped at him loudly, causing his eardrums to ring from her high-pitched yelling. "Why don't you just get your mind out of the gutter, and sit up!"
Yugi had a bead of sweat dropped the side of his face, from the girl' command. "You're sort of making that difficult at the moment, by sitting on me."
The blonde haired girl huffed as she stood and moved a step back from Yugi, as extra precaution from him looking up her dress. "Better?"
"Y-Yeah. Thanks," Yugi said giving her his soft smile as he sat up, and rubbed the back of his head. He allowed his eyes wander around him, taking in his surroundings. He had a strange feeling about this place. Bright orbs of light that reminded him of falling snow, were drifting upwards slowly; unnaturally. The ground beneath him was made of a water life substance; Yugi was suprised he sit on it without falling in or even getting wet. The stationary surface of the water reflected a bright cloudless day. Instead of the warmth that could be felt on such a beautiful bright blue sun-shiny day, he could only feel the cold sensation that radiated from the surface of the water. Yugi looked above him to see if the sky resembled the same breath taking display, only to discover it as its own kind of beauty. The sky above Yugi was pitch black with star-clusters and steakes of pale blues,purples, and greens forming the small galaxies in the world just above their heads. A view like this was such a rare sight in Domino, where the city lights cause the stars to dim. The entire scenery wowed the male, and was distracting Yugi from the girl who was trying to speak to him.
" -And you're not listening to me are you?"
"Huh?" Yugi blinked, breaking away from the spectacular night sky, to gaze at the younger child.
A loud groan came from the girl, followed by a face-palm that caused the teenage boy to feel slightly guilty for zoning out. "A-Ah, I'm sorry. I was star-gazing briefly for the moment. WWhat were you telling me again?" His voice sounded innocent as normal, while he stuttered out his apology and offered an apologetic grin.
A sigh came from the odd girl as she removed her face from her hand, pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose. " I was explaining to you who I was, and where you are," She replied to him, giving Yugi a cold glare in the process. "I would appreciate it if I had your complete and undivided attention.
The male shivered from the frightful look before sitting up better and crossing his legs. " O-Oh! Well then, please continue!"
A smile formed on the girl's face proud she had managed to get the boy to listen to her. " Yugi Muto, this is the world of 'judgement'. The world known as 'Limbo'. And I, Rebecca Hopkinz, am here to sentence you to your final judgement, your afterlife."
A moment of silence passed by them. Yugi had dropped his gaze from the girl, allowing his head to hang down so his bangs covered his childish face. It stayed like this until soft chuckling came from the boy. Rebecca blinked, making a silent 'Wha?' sound as Yugi's laughter grew louder. To the female it sounded sad and some what forced.
"Ah-haha. T-This is sure one of the most messed up dreams I've had in a while!" He said out loud, rubbing the back of his head and flash a wide toothy grin at the girl in white, just like the little goof ball he always was.
"You think... You think this is just a dream?" Rebecca's voice was strained, it had even cracked a bit.
"Huh?" Yugi opened his eyes at the female, tilting his head to the side confused by her words. " Why not? It's obvious none of this is real or can even actually exist in reality. I'm sure I'll open my eyes to see either Mom, or Anzu shaking me wake. This is just a 'bad dream' from me drinking too much mil-"
"Are you serious?! Kid, wake up and smell the roses on your own grave! This isn't some kind of sick and messed up dream. This is real. And you," she paused to place an accusing finger on Yugi's chest, "You, are dead Yugi Motou."
His breath was stuck deep within his throat. Her words...why couldn't she just let him fake his ignorance? Like he did for most of his life? Yugi clenched his teeth together as he dared to look at Rebecca's cold gaze. Her gray-blue eyes seemed like dangerous ice crystals stabbing at his soul.
"No. I'm not-"
"Well if you don't believe me then take a look at this!" Her pale index finger pointed up at the night sky.
Gulping, Yugi looked up in the direction she was pointing. His eyes doubled in size as he witnessed the stars swirling together, forming a giant circle of light that was projecting him and Anzu trying to pick up the items that had been dumped out of her school bag when it had broken.
Conflicting emotions swirled around within the seventeen year-old's heart. No matter how hard he fought with himself, he couldn't look away from the memory being played. It... It was traumatizing to see, to experience a second time.
' At the sight of the 'girl' still struggling, 'he' quickly dropped the items he had in his arms at the time to rush to his 'important' person. Bells, flashing lights, screeching wheels, and a sound of a whistle echoed in the rain as the passenger train attempted to slow down to give time for the young friends to escape danger. Yet they still wasted time trying to get the items off the track.
'He' peered over his shoulder spotting the train just a mere few seconds away. Out of options and with only one thing on his mind, 'he' pushed the girl off the tracks. The 'girl' had recovered from the push, quickly and spun around. 'He' made an attempt to spare his life, but it ended in failure.
"YUGI!" the girl's painful screaming was even louder than the train and the warning bells themselves. Her voice, however, did not reach him. The train struck his body and the impact practically shattered every bone in his bone. An instant kill with his neck being forcibly snapped. The train forced the teen's body under it, where the wheels took their time as it slowed to tormented him. Blood covered the rusted meal and ground, but the light rain soon washed it away. Some of it was pooling at the girl's feet.
Screaming, so much painful screaming filled the streets. Her body shook like an earthquake. Her blue eyes widened with fear, and a hands clawed at her chest. She was paralyzed, frozen in place staring at the stopped train, that was caked in her best friend's blood. She had just witnessed a death of one of her most 'important' people. Her reaction is typical to that of any mortal baring witness to such a death. This concludes the first segment of the death report.'
The stars that had gathered to form his living nightmare, exploded. Dispersing back to their original spots. With the torture put to an end, Yugi 's upper body collapsed and he fell forward in defeat. His face masked by the shadow from his bangs.
Rebecca's face was softer as she slowly approached the male on his knees. She said nothing to comfort him. She simple placed a hand on his head, threading her slim fingers in his tri-colored locks; waiting for him to let it all go, to accept what had become of him, and be become stable. Just as she had done with others, a countless amount of times before Yugi.
Tears streamed down his face. He trembled and hiccuped while he cried and pleaded for a another chance, a chance to do all the things in life he should have done.. A second chance of setting things right.
He screamed, bit his tongue, and isolated himself from Rebecca's comforting hand. He knew he was dead, but he falsely lied to himsel for the sake of remaining sane. But what now? His option of having a blissful sanity of ignorance, was long gone. He could no longer ignore the the cold hard truth. He had died. Yugi Mutou lived no more.
Seconds flowed into minutes, and minutes cascaded into just a little bit over an hour before Yugi had calmed down his crying. But he was far from over his death. No energy remained in his body for him to continue his wailing any longer. He would never be over this, he could never forget it. Why? Why did he find it so peaceful back then? What was blissful about being dead and surrounded by nothing? Nothing should have been blissful, pleasurable, or peaceful about his death. He was hit by train! In front of his best friend, the only girl he loved, and the only person he would romantically love. He had no time to even prepare for his end, it just...happened so unexpectedly.
His mind was in turmoil as his hands rose to his temples and started to squeeze his head, attempting to make all of this... to make everything disappear and fade to black.
A soft flicked to his nose made Yugi freeze, and open his eyes that he hadn't known he had closed. In front of him was Rebecca, squatting so their faces were the same level. Her glasses were gone, folded up and held in one of her hands so her gray-blue doe-like eyes were fully exposed. She watched him with a gaze that showed not pity or sympathy, but one of empathy.
As if she had known what death had been like.
"Your death, was not supposed to happen. It was a..." She paused looking down regretful."-a miscalculation in our 'network', Yugi. A slip up in one of our officer's duties. Nothing is worth more than a life, I...we know that the best," Rebecca slowly stood up, turning her back to the male.
For the first time, Yugi saw the blonde haired girl's wings fully. He said nothing as he gazed in wonder at them. When he first saw the appendages he thought they were white and pure, but her wings were a pale grey and tainted with unknown sins.
" I can not give your mortal life back to you, that is beyond the natural law. But I can give you a different life." She spoke in a more uplifting tone."Since you have died before your time, you can not be sent to Heaven or Hell, and if you choose to stay here your soul, the memories of you, and any proof of your existence will slowly start disappearing and be lost to the wrath of Time. So instead, I will offer you a life of despair. Doomed to never be judge and to never go to your afterlife. A life condemned to sorrow and regret of aiding the souls who can pass on to the afterlife you will never receive."
Yugi slowly stood up onto his feet, although his legs shook and threatened to give out on him. " Never to be judged? Never to go to my afterlife... but this, this is..is already my 'afterlife' ?"
Rebecca turned around to see the disheartened look on Yugi's face. She felt a tug at her heat as she gave him a sad smile. "So, will you accept this offerthen? If you choose so, you'll become one of us, a 'Shinigami'; a spirit of death."
Yugi took an unsteady breath, still unwilling to believe any of this was truly real, before he gave Rebecca a firm nod with a disheartened gaze. " I do. If... If I become a 'death spirit' then... then," Yugi attempted to smile as a thought of hope crossed his mind, while a as a spark of light brought the life back to his dull amethyst eyes. "Then perhaps I can see my family and friends again from a distance, and watch over them while I guide the souls."
Rebecca gave him a smile of her own, but it seemed to be rather...melancholy. "Perhaps,"She replied not confirming or denying the boy's cling to false hope. " But let's not get too carried away, first we need to get you to the home base- err, well 'Sanctuary'. "
Yugi pursed his lips, not comprehending Rebecca's words. " Home base? Sanctuary? What's that?"
A soft chuckle came from the female Shinigami, as she flicked her wrist away from her and Yugi. A mass of swirling purple mist formed, creating a passage way, a dark and mysterious portal." Well, to put it in simple words, it shall be your 'home' and base of operations. Currently there is about One-thousand-twenty-nine, err well thirty now; Shinigami living there. It's 'our' home. It offers comfort and support for most, also a warm bed, food, and social interactions. " The female seemed to have a 'happy' aura around her when she spoke about 'Sanctuary.'
" I'm sure you'll love it, so c'mon. No need to stay here and rot away like our corpses, " She giggled moving towards the swirling portal of purple matter, however, Yugi didn't budge from his spot. Rebecca notice this and paused her movements. "Too soon?"
Yugi simply nodded and moved towards her with a defeated smile and fighting back another round of tears. "Yeah, way too soon. "
She sighed and took his wrist in her hand, pulling Yugi closer who seemed completely shocked by this action. "Sorry about that," Without another word, Rebecca stepped into the portal, tugging Yugi with her.
"Welcome to Sanctuary, Yugi Mutou. Welcome to your new home."
AR: What a first chapter, am I right?
I hope you all enjoyed the edited and remastered version of the first chapter of Sanctuary, it's really only one of the few things that I had kept from the original draft of Sanctuary.
Of course, I made some edits and upgrades here and there, oh, and I watered down Yugi's death just a bit to keep it sorta mellow for a first chapter.
While this chapter is only 7,013 words, the other chapters will be a lot longer. I didn't want to it to be overkill.
Now updating wise for this story...
There will be no specific set of time for updates, simply because I'm horrible at keeping to the schedules I make!
You can, however, expect a chapter, or two, every month.
I hope you liked the first chapter of Sanctuary, and remember to both leave a review and follow the story!
See you all real soon!~