DMYY- Has been beta'ed
Title- Shisou Hiryuu
Part- 1 of ?
Author- DMYamiyugi
Warnings- Yaoi…um…killings, demon things, and…yeah; Using Atemu as well, not Yami.
Genre- Romance/Action/Fantasy…some sad stuff and all…
Parings- YugixAtemu…and maybe some others eventually…
Disclaimer- I do own Yu-Gi-Oh! -Looks around the area- Oh fine…I don't! ;-;
Description- Yugi remembers more than he bargained for.
Summary- Young Yugi is a freshman at college. Everything is new, and he is struggling slightly to become comfortable with his surroundings. Having to contain his family secret as well, he becomes stressed. One day, he runs into a young sophomore, who has some secrets of his own that intertwine with Yugi's. And soon, secrets will be revealed; some for the better good and pure happiness, and others drawing the darkness closer and closer.
DMYY Gomen for uploading this late Akizuki!
Chapter 2- Remembering
The morning after that odd nighttime meeting, Yugi was back at his dorm room, sitting upon his bed. From the hand currently residing on the alarm clock and the tousled glare Yugi was leveling at the infernal contraption, it was apparent the young man had just been awoken for class. Yawning and jumping out of bed, he slowly trudged his way to the bathroom to freshen up for the new day. On his way to said room, he passed another boy, a boy who currently had his face buried under the pillow. Yugi grumbled and stalked over to his roommate's bed, yanking away the pillow to reveal a shock of snowy hair.
"Come on, Ryou, and get up!" he yelled, throwing the fluffy sleeping accessory back on the other freshman. Ryou shot up and glared at his friend. Bed-mussed hair tumbled around a full mouth and deep, chocolate-brown eyes, eyes that typically reflected innocent naiveté, now narrowed in a glare at his roommate.
"Fine, fine, Yugi." He threw the covers back and hopped out of bed. "I'm up…" he yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly and glancing blearily about the room; his annoyance with Yugi, as always, was short-lived.
Yugi nodded slightly and then walked the rest of the way to the bathroom. Upon entering, Yugi threw off his shirt and discarded his pants and boxers to the floor. He turned on the shower and stepped into the watery warmth. The violet eyed teen sighed in relief as the water fell onto his skin, flowing in gentle ripples over his petite body. Closing his eyes in contentment, Yugi absently reached for his shampoo and popped the lid open; the rich scent of vanilla permeated through the steamy room. With his eyes still closed, he repeated the daily routine he had; squirting the soon-to-be foamy liquid out of the bottle onto his hand, dumping the contents onto his head, and scrubbing.
"Mmm…" The small sound escaped his lips as he rinsed out the shampoo, the aroma becoming stronger and filling his senses with an even more exotic scent.
Yugi smiled.
The wonders of a shower… he murmured happily in his mind. Sometimes you just don't want to take one, but when you do you remember how wonderfully soothing it can be... He couldn't help but suppress a laugh at his own thoughts. Sighing again, Yugi let his mind wander under the warmth of the water and smell of the elegant vanilla. Slowly…ever so slowly, a picture appeared in his mind. Yugi scrunched his face up in annoyance, as he could not fully make out what his mind was attempting to convey to him through pictures. He sighed for what seemed the hundredth time in this shower. Concentrating on the image, Yugi tried to make it out. A vague memory, one he seemed to have forgotten. Yugi's eyes suddenly flew open, his mouth agape in shock.
Flashback
A young boy walked down the path of his family's estate. It was a large area, over five acres all around. Yugi practically skipped down the path, enjoying the scent the imported cherry trees lining it lent the air, their pink petals falling around his small form. At the tender age of ten, Yugi was not very old, but not all that young as well.
As he entered the spring-touched forest, the sound of trickling water met his ears. Almost in a fit of giggles, he picked up speed and ran down to the creek. Yugi darted behind tall maples and billow oaks before finally finding himself in a tiny clearing. He came to the edge, taking off his shoes and socks, and waded into the water. Splashing the water lightly with his palm, he saw sprays of it shoot up into the air, glistening in the morning sun. Yugi laughed in delight at this and then waded back over to the edge and sat down on it, allowing his feet to splash around in the small rivulet. He closed his eyes in happiness, letting the spring breeze flow through his hair and whisk playfully around him, tugging and plucking almost curiously at his clothes. Yugi smiled more broadly, his feet brushing over the sand and rocks that littered the bottom of the creek. Lost in his thoughts, the boy did not even notice the large animal coming toward him. A loud screeching sound met his ears, shattering the serenity of what had been a peaceful spring day.
Violet eyes snapped open as the owner of said eyes leapt to his feet. Whipping his head around to find the source of the sound, his gaze suddenly fell on the twisting and turning object in the sky. Yugi couldn't help but gasp in fear and awe. It seemed to be…a dragon. But dragons were just myths… right? They couldn't be real. There was no possible way they were real…
But, as the beast twirled and twisted through the daytime sky, it suddenly shot toward the ground. Yugi screamed and fell to the earth as the beast flew over him and shot up again, its body convulsing. Opening his eyes, Yugi looked up to try and get a better look at it. The dragon looked like a traditional Japanese dragon, or perhaps a Chinese one; if there was a difference between the two, it was miniscule. Its body was long and serpentine, covered by a thick coat of ebony fur. The underside of the dragon, perhaps its belly, was also covered in fur, rather like a dog or cat, with hues of pure crimson lavishly mixed in. Whenever the beast passed through light, the red would shimmer as though rubies had been crushed and their powder sprinkled generously over the dense fur. Large, leathery black wings rose in a graceful arch above its small frontal legs, flapping elegantly to keep the animal upright. Silver claws extended from each paw on both tiny legs and arms. A mane flowed fluidly down the back of the dragon, the color a rich, black-mixed reddish brown.
The creature's head looked more like a mortal canine animal than what one might envision a dragon's head to be; the resulting appearance was like a mix of myth and mortal. Near the animal's muzzle-like nose two long whiskers, one might call them, rippled in the air, traveling almost halfway down the snakelike body. Catfish had whiskers like these on their faces, but this beast's extended far past those found on fish.
Yugi, though awed by the magnificence that was this dragon, still noticed its rapid and stressed movements. The creature seemed hurt, or in pain somehow. By the sound of the screeching, and the repeated twists and turns it made, it seemed a logical assumption to Yugi at least. Yugi stood up straighter, watching the animal convulse again, and then suddenly it seemed to lose its ability to stay upright. Wings beating frantically, the animal lost altitude quickly and finally plummeted down to earth.
Yugi, not even thinking of the danger this animal might inflict on him, ran over to the fallen animal. He moved quickly around the creature's head and knelt. The young boy saw blood all along the dragon's mouth and heard irregular breathing. Yugi looked down along the animal's body, trying to find the source of its pain. His eyes fell upon the shoulder blade, right under the wings. A large thorn seemed wedged tightly in the fur, buried through sinew, tissue, and muscle alike. Yugi moved over to it, grasped the thorn, muttered a prayer to any listening gods that he wasn't about to get savaged, and pulled. Suddenly the creature howled in pain, the snake-like body flailing about, trying to recoil from the sting. Yugi shoved himself backwards, eyes wide, trying valiantly to avoid a cuff from either the dragon's wings or claws. Eventually, the other settled, its breathing still irregular, its body shaking in sheer pain.
Yugi, now trying a different, more tender approach, moved back to the injured dragon's head. He gently stroked the animal's nose and forehead. Now near it, Yugi could see just how big the creature's head truly was. Roughly the size of a mortal horse's head, perhaps longer by mere inches, the dragon was a sight to behold. Yugi continued petting the dragon's head.
"You don't have to be scared..." Yugi said softly to it. "It'll hurt to get that out, but I can do it. Relax, okay?" As if understanding, the dragon settled, eyelids flickering. Yugi ran a hand gently over the fur of the dragon, soothing it with the calm touch, and then moved back to the thorn's location. Trailing a hand though the fur to prepare the animal, he locked a hand around the end of the embedded thorn.
"This'll hurt, just try and bear it," he whispered soothingly; from the slight flicker of the dragon's ears, Yugi knew it heard. Taking in a breath, Yugi secured his grip and pulled. The dragon's head flipped to the ground, its sharp canines clenching in pain. A snarl of agony managed to pass through its mouth. Yugi, knowing the sooner he got the thorn out the less torture this poor animal would have to feel, yanked ever harder. Slowly, ever so slowly, it began to come out. Yugi moved his hands nearer to the base near the skin of the animal, dark blood pouring along his fingers and all over his hands. The other's ears lay back in pain, and another screech escaped it. Yugi, narrowing his eyes in concentration, found a good grip, and pulled the thorn with all he had. The piece slid out fast, causing Yugi to fall back as well, landing with a soft thud on the grass.
Sitting up, Yugi threw the piece of sharp wood aside and wiped his bloody hands on the grass to try and get the red substance off. He then looked to the wound, already healing itself, on the animal's shoulder. The boy glanced up at the face of the dragon, to see the animal had stood up, looking at Yugi with kind crimson eyes. They were…one of the most exotic things Yugi had ever seen, their color a mix between almost all of the reds in this world, intermingling with the animal's emotions; Yugi thought, not of blood when he saw the color, but of soft sunsets and chilled wine, of everything that made him warm and happy. The pupils were mere slits like a snake, but held a certain carefree feeling and happiness. The dragon came forward, pushing his head up against Yugi's chest, a sound almost like a purr vibrating from it. Yugi couldn't help but smile and pet it.
"What a strange animal you are," he said. He could tell the other agreed, since it nodded its head.
Yugi looked down at it. "Are you a boy or a girl…?" The dragon didn't answer, so Yugi, deciding it couldn't speak, rephrased the question.
"A girl…?" He heard the other grunt and the head almost knocked him over. Yugi chuckled.
"A boy then; you are a male dragon…" he laughed. "I made friends with a dragon." The dragon nuzzled his chest, a sign of affection and happiness. Yugi laughed again. The dragon, if he could, would laugh as well it seemed. Yugi chuckled again, and continued petting him.
They stayed like that for a good ten minutes, simply cuddling like lovers with an eternity to spend together, Yugi petting the creature and it purring in return for the attention it got. The dragon then suddenly lifted his head up and looked up to the sky, ears twitching, as if hearing something. He then…smiled. The dragon smiled. He moved back down to look straight into Yugi's violet eyes, sending an unspoken, but completely understood, message of We will meet again. Then he moved away, his wings unfolding from his sides and flapping experimentally.
Bending down slightly, the dragon suddenly shot off like a bullet from a gun. He streaked over the grass and then, wings beating, he rose into the air, circled up, and flew back over Yugi. Looking down at him, the creature let out a screech of farewell. Yugi gasped in amazement as the dragon looped, circled the air overhead once more, and finally turned and soared away, leaving a ten-year-old boy on the ground below, waving, who would never truly forget this day.
End Flashback
Yugi almost jumped when he heard his name called from outside the bathroom. Turning off the water, he looked out of the curtains to see Ryou there, a scowl on his face.
"Save some water for the fish, Yugi! And ME for that matter!" Ryou huffed fiercely, somehow managing to pull off the angry glare even on his usually gentle features, throwing his roommate a towel. Yugi caught it and tugged it quickly about his waist.
"Sorry Ryou… I kinda zoned out…" Yugi apologized, still rather dazed from the impromptu arrival of a memory long forgotten. The other boy glanced at the slightly glazed expression in those violet eyes, sighed, and nodded.
"Fine, fine; you're forgiven. Now let me take a shower, please?" he grumbled, though his tone was much more amiably playful.
Yugi stepped aside, letting Ryou slip into the still-steamed room. He chuckled softly, gazing at the door as it shut in his face with a little more force than necessary. Ryou and Yugi really weren't a good mix for roommates in the morning, as neither of them were morning people at all; in fact, most morning they spent sniping at each other until they finally woke up. Yugi meandered casually over to his bureau and tugged open a few drawers, grabbing fresh clothes. Stumbling into the clothing, more awake now but by no means completely refreshed, Yugi grumbled as he snagged a brush from the dresser and ran it through his hair. For a moment he stared in the mirror, and then he attacked his hair, trying to make it lie flat; it sprang resiliently back up into its usual spiked. Moodily the teen threw the brush back onto the dresser, watched it slide the length and nearly fall, and muttered to himself.
Yugi yanked some bracelets on over his pale, thin wrists and enclosed a small necklace over his equally white, slender throat, fastening the buckle of the choker just so. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he walked to the bathroom.
"I'm off for class, Ryou, k?" he called, knocking on the door.
He heard an 'OK' back, so Yugi exited the room. He sighed as he walked down the hallway.
"Man…I haven't had a flashback like that in ages," he said, breathing out. Yugi, in all honesty, came from a wealthy family. His parents had a lot of money. But did any of it go to their son…? Nope, but not because they hated this child. No, they loved him for all they were worth…but death did tend to make a botch of things sometimes. When both Mrs. and Mr. Mutou died, they had not made up any kind of will, and Yugi was too young to take anything. The money had to go somewhere, or it could be stolen, so they gave it to his grandpa.
Yugi smiled. His grandfather was such a nice person, if a little strict. He would have given Yugi the money when he came of age, but once Yugi did get that age, his grandfather needed the money more, for medical bills and everything else an elderly man needs. So Yugi was left with very little of his inheritance, but he was happy. Then, though, the subject of college arose. Yugi really wanted to go out-of-state, but that meant tuition nearly doubled. Yugi's grandfather immediately put his parents' money into it. Yugi didn't want to look as though he was flaunting his money, so he lived in a smaller, less-pricey dorm and wore the same clothes as everyone else, if a little less colorful.
Yugi's grin became devious. His family had acquired this money for a good reason: a secret so covert that if it got out, the whole Mutou family would be ruined; hunted down for the power they possessed. They were, in fact, not mortal at all, but mages. Powerful mages, at times, could be the most feared and at others the most worshiped. The Mutou family, though many other mages existed still, were indisputably the most powerful around.
Yugi, as the youngest, had to bear the secret; if he said anything to anyone about it, the Mutou family would hunt him down and kill him. And, of course, school did not help matters in the least.
Being around people so much, his powers could easily be found out, but Yugi was an expert at keeping his abilities hidden. He had managed to keep it a secret for a long time now. College, though, was different than all his other educational years; his classes became harder; his life more stressful; and keeping the secret became even more nerve-wracking. Ever since he'd come here, he'd sensed an uneasiness around the area. Yugi could feel something, a being almost as strong as his kin. But…it was shadowed. Darkened, and made almost invisible to his inner eye. Yugi's mind constantly reminded him that this alien presence was near, through sharp pulses that turned into killer migraines. Concentrating became harder, and sometimes, on certain days, his head would throb with excruciating pain. Aspirin helped some; Yugi kept a supply of Excedrin for migraines with him at all times. The pills didn't completely dissipate the pain, but they brought it down to a bearable level.
Yugi's body did not react well to modern medicine, so Excedrin was the best he could do.
Yugi walked out of the dorm building and down the path to his first class. He chanced a glance at his watch, blinked, and did a quick double-take.
"What…? It's already 7:30! Damn it!" he cursed, picking up speed again, running toward the building. Yugi gazed surreptitiously around the field. Seeing no one around to witness, he tapped into his magic to allow him to go faster.
As the magic entered him, the horrible headache began, just as Yugi knew it would, but he'd been unprepared for the intensity. Yugi skid to a stop, nearly tripping. He fell to one knee, one hand pressed to his forehead in a vain attempt to suppress the fiery pain lancing though his head. That aura was near, and his magic refused to be pushed away, intent upon warning him of the danger. Yugi tried harder to force his magic back into dormancy, but it refused, wanting Yugi to sense the encroaching danger. Yugi, finally forcing the magic back, fell to both knees, breath falling in short, intermittent pants; sweat poured down his face. Suddenly, he felt a solicitous hand on his shoulder, and a deep voice flowing soothingly through the air to caress his ears.
"Hey…are you alright Yugi?"
Regaining his breath, Yugi looked up, staring straight into crimson orbs. Yugi's breath hitched and he began to cough, hastily throwing a hand over his lips as his shoulders shook with the force. Only when the bursts receded could he assure his worrier of his health.
"Y-yeah…yeah I'm fine…just a… a really bad headache." He fumbled his backpack from his shoulders and dug through a side pocket, withdrawing the bottle of painkillers. Popping two into his mouth, he swallowed, sat for a moment, and then moved shakily to his feet.
The ruby-eyed man gave him a relieved smile.
"I'm glad… I was just walking down here, and then I saw you collapse. I was worried." Yugi looked up at those kind eyes and felt an answering smile tilt his lips.
"…thanks…" Hearing a questioning sound from his acquaintance, the teen expanded. "Thank you… for just… ya know…" He didn't know what to say. Atemu laughed that rich laugh.
"There you go again with the thanking!" He grinned and winked at the boy. "I'm only doing what a friend would do." Yugi smiled at the ground.
"So we're friends, then?" he asked. Atemu's laughter diminished slightly.
"I just said that didn't I?" he said. "If you don't want to be friends, that perfectly fine with me." Yugi immediately snapped his gaze up, horrified, and protested.
"No! O-of course not! I want to be your friend, Atemu!" The taller one laughed.
"Then don't question the things that you want," he said. Yugi looked to the ground, a small smile on his face.
"Um…t-thank you…sorr-" His words suddenly stopped as a tan finger placed itself in front of his lips. Yugi blinked and looked up into red eyes. Atemu smirked.
"I really have to do something whenever you apologize…" he said in a hushed whisper. Yugi felt heat rise to his cheeks at this, and then his gaze gravitated right back down to the grass; he half nodded. Atemu removed the finger and stood at his full height again.
"Well, I have to get to class now Yugi… see ya." He waved, and turned to walk the other way. Yugi suddenly gasped, making Atemu turn back around to face him. The boy had his right hand up to his face, the other in front, staring at his watch.
"Oh my god, I forgot about class!" He whipped around and started to run. "My teacher is so going to kill me!" he lamented, but before Yugi even got two feet, a hand wrapped around his wrist, stopping him. Yugi jerked to a halt, nearly lost his balance, and turned around to stare at Atemu. The dangled a piece of paper in front of Yugi's face.
"Here," he stated. "Hand this to your teacher, and he'll let you off, but don't open it," he instructed. Yugi took the paper and stared at it oddly.
"Wait…what is it…?" he asked. Atemu grinned boyishly.
"A well thought-up excuse!" he said, laughing. Yugi stared at him, eyebrows raised.
"And…you carry these around in your pocket…?" he asked slowly. Atemu shook his head.
"No, but I have to miss a lot of classes…for stuff that---" He suddenly went silent. Atemu's eyes averted to the ground, mouth ajar in shock at what he almost just said. Yugi looked at Atemu's bent figure.
He's trying to hide something …he's trying to keep a secret… Yugi thought. Like me…but…I wonder what his secret is…? Yugi smiled and waved the silence off, knowing just how hard secrets could be to keep.
"Don't worry Atemu, whatever it is, it's not something you want everyone to know, right?" he said. Atemu's head shot up, lips moving, disbelief evident in that striking stare.
"…I…um…y-yes," he managed to sputter, his gaze on the ground now. "How…how did you know…? I mean…" the other stammered. Yugi smirked and patted Atemu's shoulder.
"Lets just say we're very much alike, Atemu," Yugi admitted in a soft whisper. He then turned to walk to class. Waving the note, he yelled, "I'll just take this then, and we can leave it at that! See ya at seven!" And with that said, Yugi was gone. Atemu swallowed and sighed.
"Too close, too close…" he muttered. Turning and walking to his class, he exhaled sharply.
We're a lot alike…? he thought, repeating Yugi's words. But how…? And… Atemu stopped. Something about him was…off. Different sort of aura around him… The man sighed.
"God…my head is spinning with all this information," he said, placing a hand on his forehead, running his fingers through his blonde locks. He sighed yet again, and continued on his way to class.
Yugi walked down to his classroom. Neither running nor even attempting to hurry, he glanced occasionally down at the note he clutched in one hand. Though inside he felt slight worry and curiosity about the note he got from his friend, he wasn't about to pass up a freebee to class. Yugi glanced at the paper again, tempted to open it, but instead he heeded his friend's words and chose not to. Yugi walked into the building of the music department, feeling the cool air of the blissfully air-conditioned facility meet his skin. He headed down to the orchestra room, opened the door, and walked in. The conductor looked over at him and gave him a glare.
"Mr. Mutou, where have you been?" he asked sternly; if Yugi had been anyone else, and had not had that note, he might have trembled at the frosty stare. As it was, Yugi merely walked up and handed his teacher the note. The instructor opened it, read it over, nodded, and tucked the note behind the sheaf of music on his stand.
"Go get your instrument and get out here!" he said loudly. Yugi nodded and ran into the room where they kept all the instruments. Reaching into a cubby, he took out his case and walked back out into the room.
Placing it on the ground, he clicked open the case and took out his instrument, an old violin, hand made in Egypt. Yugi had always harbored a fascination with Egypt, and with a little extra work involved, meaning working for a tidy sum of money, he was able to get the violin he wanted so badly. An added bonus on his violin was a phoenix scroll. Usually violins were as plain as such a beautiful instrument could be, but Yugi wanted the design, so he had a phoenix scroll twining up the front, and on the back of the well-polished instrument were engraved hieroglyphics. Yugi, in fact, knew vaguely what they said. It was a prophecy, or a legend, or something in that general vicinity. Yugi had never heard the words translated in their entirety, but his grandfather insisted he put the story on his violin. Yugi had started to translate the glyphs, but something in the words seemed to resist him knowing there meaning, for it seemed written in a script that was unknown to any Egyptologists; no matter how many books he perused or how many websites her rifled through, Yugi couldn't figure out what they said. He gave up a few years back, but it didn't stop his curiosity as to what the legend was.
Yugi took out his wooden bow, also made in Egypt. The finely-crafted tool also had hieroglyphics carved into it, but these named all the gods of Egypt; or, rather, at least the well-known ones like Ra and Osiris. The hairs of the bow were unusually dark, as they came from an Arabian black stallion. Yugi rubbed some rosin over the hairs, and then tucked the lump back into his case. Standing up, he traveled to his seat at first chair. Yugi didn't spend that money on this violin to be in the back. No, he was first chair, concertmaster. The conductor glared at him slightly, but then turned back to the orchestra.
"Now that we have our concertmaster here, we are ready to start, are we not?" He picked up the baton and raised his arms up, telling the players that it was time to play; instruments in the orchestra lifted from 'at-ease'.
Yugi lifted his instrument up to his shoulder, resting his chin upon the rest. Raising his bow to the strings, the conductor's arms went down, and the orchestra began to play, the melody budding and opening, a flower of art and sensual emotion. Their concert would take place in a little more than a week, and they'd been practicing for some time. The piece being played now was called The Four Seasons, a beautifully composed piece by Vivaldi, and at the moment, the movement was Spring.
Yugi couldn't help but let a small grin grace his lips as he breathed, and played.
In almost every piece, there as at least a small violin solo, scattered throughout the music, and this one was Yugi's favorite. That was one thing Yugi loved about being in the orchestra and being first chair. Everyone heard his playing, and there was nothing quiet like the feeling of satisfaction gleaned from a perfect performance. Yugi was used to being up in front of people. He did it so much it didn't even faze him anymore.
Well, scratch that. If he wasn't playing the teen tended to hate being the center of attention. All too soon, the melody tapered out and came to an end. The conductor turned to him, a smile on his face; obviously Yugi had been forgiven for his tardiness.
"Very well done, Yugi," he congratulated the boy. Yugi grinned. He had noticed that today he played better. His mind wandered slightly.
What happened different today…? I was late and ran into Atemu…
He blinked. …Atemu…? he thought, unease sinking though his stomach, but it was mixed with excited butterflies and warmth. A calming… yet exciting feeling.
Yugi suddenly buried his head into his instrument. A crush! He yelped in his thought, finally realizing what all these strange feelings in the pit of his stomach were. A crush on a boy? What the hell is wrong with me…!?
He suddenly stopped this train of thought as the teacher instructed him to play something. Yugi, used to obeying this man, lifted his instrument without question. He forcibly pushed the revelation aside, deciding to deal with it later. Preferably when he was not supposed to be playing a particularly difficult peace, and possibly when he could speak with Atemu.
