A Docile Abyss
Galenchia: Yowza. Who would've thought I'd find time to update? Certainly not me. Anyway, I'm fairly certain that will bite me if I respond to reviews within the chapter, though I quite desire to do so. In that case, I'll simply have to respond directly to all your comments! When you examine the possibilities, however, it's beneficial to place responses in the chapter for other reviewers if they have the same questions…-Rambles.- Oh, and I didn't check the previous chapter to ensure it was formatted correctly. I'm assuming that since no one mentioned it, it turned out alright?..Perhaps I'd better check it, anyway..
I did receive one question that I'd like to address here, seeing as it was a very good question! This story is in a somewhat modern day time, but not so modern that they possessed advanced technology. Perhaps it's in the 1920s or 1930s…? I'm not very good with years, but just recognize that Niac and Leba have bombs and tanks, etc. for their armies. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, miyabi-aoi! –Gives you a happy Yami plushie.-
Fanfiction basis: Yu-Gi-Oh
Rating: T, PG-13; for moderate violence, possible language, and references to a lime
Type: Alternate universe (AU) Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: Please see previous chapter's introduction.
Pairing(s): YYxY (Yami Yugi x Yugi)
Disclaimer: (Insert humorous disclaimer that keeps my rear out of jail here.)
Chapter 2: Light's Reflection
Yugi Mutou found that he and Death were all too common acquaintances. Certainly, it had been a few years since he'd last seen the fair-weathered friend; most recently, they'd met as it drained the color from his elderly grandfather's cheeks. And certainly, it was understandable that he hadn't recognized Death as it lulled his mother into a deep world of meaningless dreams. But he still found its visits all too frequent. For instance, the boy saw it smirking in mirth now as it glided slightly above the wisps of smoky clouds. Yugi saw it chuckling like a delighted child as it noticed a terrified Leban accidentally firing at his own comrade. And he wept with pity for those who fell under its omniscient view, especially when they were blind to its presence.
"No," Yugi heard spoken in barely more than a whisper from the taller boy beside him.
"Jou…" he breathed, struggling to create some response, but unable to find anything appropriate as Jou glanced down at his sister's body. Yugi frowned and bit his lip, the paleness of Jou's clenched fists mercifully drawing his attention away from the sweet girl: the girl who possessed a smile that lightened up even the stormiest of days, and a heart that would've forgiven even her murderers. Yugi felt his own tears slide down his cheeks.
He found himself wishing he was located anywhere except in the small village where he currently stood. This was a village that had been decimated by fiery spheres of bombs from above; they'd dropped shortly after the tell-tale vibrations of the ground that signaled passing planes. And what of the lucky ones, the survivors? They were left to cry in agony and perspire in vain whilst they buried their dead. Then perhaps they could shake their heads in sadness and attempt to move on until they met a similar fate as the fallen. Yugi briefly wondered if they were all that lucky.
He was suddenly brought back to reality by a warm grip on his arm, and his eyes were met with Jou's face. The taller boy was attempting to smile, but it didn't require a scholar's confirmation to indicate the visage's falsehood.
"Come on, Yug," he calmly requested, "She would've wanted us to help some of our wounded neighbors who are still livin'."
"You're exactly right," the amethyst-eyed boy assured the other, giving him an encouraging pat on the back as they rushed to the aid of a bleeding child. The two comforted the young one as his parents wrapped his damaged leg.
----------
Startled by a resonating gunshot that seemed, at least to Yami's ears, to be too close for comfort, the absconder dove face first into a resilient cluster of shrubbery. He minimized his body's dimensions to eliminate visibility; vaguely he realized that even children playing hide-and-seek established this as an effective strategy. Had he not been in such a drastic retreat, perhaps Yami would have even chuckled at some of the casual experiences brought to mind by such a recollection.
It seemed that the sound of a ricocheting bullet had merely been an echo carried to his senses by a light breeze. Completing one final inspection, Yami tensed his muscles to rise slowly to his feet. That was when he saw it: the tell-tale glimmer of revealing light's reflection against a thin tripwire. It was near enough for him to graze with a poor excuse for a stretch. Yami's first response was obviously to exercise caution when ascending at an angle away from the blasé hazard's reach, but his conscience persuaded him otherwise with a conjured reminder that another unsuspecting individual could easily trigger the bait. Well, he mused with a half-hearted smirk, consider this a parting gift, courtesy of my resignation. With a slow movement, he flipped out the blade of his pocketknife and brought it down against the slim wire with a slash. It had been noticeable upon first glance that this trap was hastily constructed, and the workmanship was lax. The pressure caused no disturbance aside from the splitting of the line, generally neutralizing its possible danger.
Yami slipped the tool back into his pocket and rose, allowing his gaze to rest on his intended splintered path. For traveling in a straight line, of course, was far too risky. The requirement for "looking prior to leaping" was incessant. Although he knew the dangers he was consistently facing were impossible to currently obliterate, Yami's faith in himself was beginning to jolt to an increase.
----------
Yugi walked home in the somewhat secure cloak of dusk, hoping that the creaking of insects would drown out the padding noise of his footsteps. For a second, his demeanor slipped and he bitterly mumbled that he wouldn't mind being shot at the moment.
But he halted in an instant, covering his eyes with his palms and shaking his head with renewed vigor. The disappointment that would be endured by his loved ones, if such a notion were to pass, was enough to cause Yugi to physically cringe. They surely didn't deserve to deal with additional casualties. And, however minutely, his presence had to compensate for some facilitation in others' lives; he assured himself of this logic.
His small home was less of a potential target, at least until the ground troops of Niac advanced this far. The nation's economy wasn't fit to waste bombs on such petty targets. He approached the wooden cottage silently and entered. As soon as he'd removed his sandals, however, a low sound caught his attention. Yugi froze where he stood on one leg, turning his head to the door. If the young man was to say he wasn't frightened, it would be an abrupt lie. He glanced around for anything he could use to defend himself, and settled on a metal fire poker. He gripped it while he swallowed the lump in his throat. His amethyst eyes surveyed the area around the house's wooden entrance as he took an ever so tiny step past its threshold. A voice in the back of his mind scrutinized the likelihood of Yugi actually being able to defend himself. Yugi realized that it was correct: he truly didn't believe he'd be able to injure an intruder, let alone slay one. It simply wasn't in his ability to do so. Although, he dimly recalled, often in life-or-death situations, more primal instincts would overcome the individual in peril. The boy wasn't sure if he wanted to this to be true or not.
All rational thought deserted him in an instant when he saw something: Someone, to be more precise. They'd seen each other simultaneously, this stranger and Yugi, and seemed literally still as statues. Barely a muscle twitched between the two. Yugi's mouth was slightly agape, he vaguely noticed, as he glanced at this prospective enemy. The man before him looked rather like himself; they possessed the same, foreign-in-appearance locks of hair, and even had similar faces. After immediate recognition, though, one would see the differences between them, and the effects of their environment.
Yami was as startled as Yugi to discover another here. He'd hardly noticed a cottage hidden in the foliage until it was, quite literally, right before him. Not a word was said, and not a move was made until Yami drew his sword without realizing it. The sensible part of his mind that remained with him tried to alert him to this fact in vain: His contemplativeness was elsewhere. Truly, this soldier was a product of his military.
The stun apparently evacuated as Yugi noticed this movement, and his foot took a step back. He couldn't find the ability to run away, but he wasn't sure what good it would do him, regardless. This man appeared to be stronger, and presumably faster than he was. The two remained standing there in the growing moonlight.
Galenchia: It took me quite a while to complete this chapter: School has kept me busy. I'm glad I was able to finish it up, though. : )- By the way, I would like to present a question:
Not to be rude, but I realize that when I write, my vocabulary is rather extensive. Believe me, such is the way I converse in real life, and I constantly must rephrase things for others. xD But if this is acting as a detriment to my writing, I would be willing to try and rewrite a chapter somewhat plainer, to see if all of you prefer that method. I'm very used to reading and writing in this way, because it is the style I normally utilize. So, the decision rests with you! Is it proving difficult to understand what I'm writing? Please review with an answer, so I can improve the experience for all of my readers. Thank you very much; I try to please you all:o
Galenchia, exeunt.