Chapter 1 – Not What I Want To Hear


"Mom wouldn't like it if I married any time soon, right?' Yugi thought nervously as he walked home with the wool. His house was made of mud, just like every other. His house was located near the village square so he passed many people. Most of them said hello but Yugi was too caught up in his own thoughts.

As he walked, though, he saw the children playing around. Jumping over sleeping camels, messing around with their friends. Yugi missed those days. For one, he didn't have to worry about this whole marriage thing. And another was that he missed playing with Malik.

Malik was his cousin, older than him by two years. Malik was always a joy to talk to and be with. Or… at least he was. When he was 16 he was married off to someone he didn't want. Malik had always hated marriage though and would always say 'If I'm going to get married then damn right I'm going to marry who I want! And all those bags of unidentifiable substances will just have to deal with it!'

Before he had gotten married he had fallen in love with a traveler. He was injured and so the village took him in until he was healed. They had both fallen in love with each other during that time though. Of course, someone else in the village had their eyes on Malik and decided that now was the time to arrange everything with the family. When Malik had gotten home and figured it out… Yugi didn't really know. All he knew was that after the traveler was exiled from the village from trying to get Malik to escape with him, Malik turned bitter.

Finally reaching his house, Yugi stared at the large room that held a completed carpet. He loved looking at it. His mother, Anzu and him had done it together. So far it was his best work yet. He traced his hands over the patterns he had woven, wincing whenever he found a rare mistake.

'I wonder when they will cut it off the loom…' Yugi thought absentmindedly. However, the carpet soon reminded him of the carpet he would have to make for his wedding. And he certainly did not want to think about having to marry Pegasus.

About then he spotted his mother. "Mom!" His mother looked up, smiling when she saw her son.

"Hello! And what has you in a rush?" she asked, laughing a bit.

"Grandpa just told me that Pegasus 'likes' me! But I don't like him or anyone for that matter!" His mother sighed, picking up the milk from the goat she had been milking.

"Yugi, marriage is completely natural! You don't need to be scared of it. Now come and help me prepare dinner. Father isn't as young as he once was and needs his strength to keep up with everything he does."

"But mom!" Yugi pleaded, following his mother into the house. "Pegasus has no sense of humor! I don't think I could live with someone so boring."

"You judge him to harshly, my sweet, kind, yet rebellious son." Yugi rolled his eyes at what his mother called him, even if he knew it was true. "You give him no credit. He secures our water rights remember? With out him our wells would dry up. He has even brought doctors from the cities to help us."

"Once." Then, Yugi remembered something. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Wasn't Pegasus married before? I think I remember going to a funeral for him."

"Yes. He was married. He had three wives. They all died of the same disease though. People say they were cursed by someone who was jealous. Maybe a girl who wanted to marry Pegasus or a father who wanted him to marry his daughter." Yugi gasped, horrified.

"And you want me to marry him?!" His mother smacked him on the arm.

"Oh come on! It's a silly superstition. Neither me or Father believe it." She sighed. "But if you are so against Pegasus who would you want to marry?" Yugi bit his lip. No one came to mind. He didn't like anyone that way! At that moment, Anzu walked in to bring over some fresh beef for them to use.

Hearing the last sentence, she popped into the conversation. "How about Duke?" She offered. "He is strong, brave and not that bad looking." She said the last part with a slight smirk. Yugi stared at her, incredulous.

"Duke? Please. He only thinks of me as a little brother. He fixes things for me and helps me with things I can't do myself. Besides, his only focus right now is becoming Grandpa's apprentice so he can become the village's leader." Yugi's mother accepted the meat from Anzu.

"Anyway… Moving from the subject of marriage, how about we start working on dinner? Would you like to stay, Anzu?" Anzu waved her hands in front of her.

"Oh no! I couldn't! I have to get back to the bakery and Honda. I guess I'll be going." Anzu headed for the door, pausing to say one last thing. "Wow. It's amazing how much more fulfilled my life seems after marrying Honda. It's just changed so much! I can't wait to see who you'll marry Yugi!" With that, she left. That last little comment had reminded Yugi of Grandpa's riddle.

"Grandpa!" Yugi called when Grandpa had entered the house. "The answer is life! Life, like a garden, never stays the same!" Grandpa sighed, smiling.

"I thought for sure I had stumped you."

~ . ~

All through out dinner, Yugi didn't mention anything that would lead to marriage or Pegasus entering the conversation. He didn't want Grandpa to get angry. He then thought of something that could help him out of this marriage. 'Hawkins! He's close enough to Grandpa to convince him that this marriage can't happen!' After dinner he excused himself, claiming that he was going to see who was hanging around in the village square.

Pretty soon he was off to Hawkins' house. Hawkins was the 'wise man' of the town. While you went to Grandpa for problems with livestock and things like that, you went to Hawkins for emotional or spiritual help. Which was exactly why Yugi was headed over there now.

Of course, had Malik not had some stick shoved up his ass (like some say) Yugi would have gone to him for help. Yugi thought that Malik was mad at him for not helping with his wedding and being there for him. But Yugi had to help with the charity! That was a good reason… right…?

"How are you Yugi?" Hawkins greeted as Yugi approached. He was sitting just outside his house.

"I couldn't be better," Yugi smiled. "How are you?"

"Well that's good and thank you for asking! I am quite well. With all this dry weather my joints feel almost as good as new." Hawkins stretched out some of his limbs, enjoying there not being any pain. Yugi smiled before fidgeting a bit, nervous about asking Hawkins about his wedding.

"Hawkins, um, today Grandpa… suggested… that I think about… getting married…"

"You will make someone very happy." 'That is not what I wanted to hear.' As much as Yugi wanted to say that out loud he didn't.

"W-Well, you see, I wanted to become the dyemaster's apprentice."

"And, you do not want to marry?" Yugi smiled, nearly grinning.

"Oh I'm so glad that you understand! Could you please explain this to Grandpa?" A few moments passed where no one said anything. That made him nervous. 'Maybe he doesn't understand…' Finally he spoke.

"Yugi, you aren't the first one to come to me with this topic in mind you know. It's natural to feel overwhelmed and scared by marriage. But it is nothing to be afraid of. You certainly are old enough for marriage and it's not my decision as to whether or not you get married. That lies with your family." Yugi bit his lip. 'That's almost exactly what my mom told me…'

"Thank you, Hawkins." With that, Yugi turned around and left, feeling even worse than before.

~ . ~

Yugi tossed and turned in his bed. Sleep was eluding him and the thoughts about Pegasus and marriage were not leaving his head. The worst part was, the more he thought of it, the angrier he got. Eventually, all that anger gave way to an onslaught of tears. He sobbed and sobbed, quietly though so he didn't wake any one.

This reminded him of Malik.

When Malik told Yugi that he was to get married, they sobbed with each other cups of tea and pastries at the teashop. Anzu, who co-owned the place, sat with them, bringing them more food and drinks as she tried to cheer them up. She told them stories and legends from far away places, hoping to make them laugh or at least get them to stop crying.

'Why is it that when it's my turn to get married, no one is there for me?' Yugi cried in his head. He pulled his blanket over his head, almost as if to shield himself from reality.


Well there is the next chapter! I would have had it up on the weekend but my laptop was being a complete and total bitch. So I got it up as soon as I could. I hoped you liked it!

Please review!

Ja Mata!

:)LGP(: