Hey guys, so this chapter is a little lengthy, kind of dull but hope you enjoy anyway. There will be more excitement next chapter though! ^^Promise, maybe even a little badass-ness from Atem and Yami. ;) Anyway, thank you all for your support and lovely reviews! I greatly appreciate it!
Chapter 4
Yugi's eyes fluttered open as the sun's rays kissed his eyelids. He sat up in bed slowly and stretched out his tired limbs, letting out a big yawn. He smacked his lips a couple times before scooting to the edge of his bed. He glanced back at his pillow where his phone laid before reaching over to pick it up. He fumbled with it as he winced at the heat that radiated from the overheated phone.
He frowned and quickly unlocked his phone, only to see Atem's contact come up as the most recent calls. The early morning events slowly clicked in his mind and he gasped when he realized that he had fallen asleep on Atem! He glanced at the call time and saw that they had talked for a good two hours and fifteen minutes. Wow, it's no wonder my phone overheated. I was on it for so long!
Yugi set the phone carefully on the nightstand to cool off and switched his lamp off before stumbling over to the light switch to turn his room light off, the light not necessary with the natural light the sun offered. He opened his door and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He followed his daily routine of brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and changing his clothes; dressing in a navy blue sweater and jeans.
He then trudged downstairs to the kitchen where he fixed himself a bowl of cereal, staring at the empty chair across from him. His grandpa would be back by later in the evening, which meant Yugi had the day to do pretty much anything until then. Finishing his bowl in unhurried fashion, he walked over to the sink, washing his dishes, drying them and putting them away properly.
He then ran back up to his room to retrieve his phone before wandering back downstairs to watch some TV. Yugi flipped through the channels carelessly, looking for anything that would catch his attention until he landed on the History Channel. Egypt. Interesting.
Yugi set the remote down and watched with curious fascination as the narrator spoke of the ancient times, talking about the pyramids, the first great Pharaohs of the the land and so on. Yugi was very knowledgeable of the subject, courtesy of his grandfather who was obsessed with Egyptology. Yugi, himself, had become rather fascinated with the cuture. It intrigued him and excited him in a way that was unusual for a boy his age. Most seventeen, going on eighteen year old boys were more focused on cars, models, and the like but not Yugi. No, he was interested in the mysteries of the Pyramids, the 'curses' the tombs held, and the Dark Magic said to linger in the tombs of the Pharaohs.
"Legend has it that thousands of years ago when the pyramids were still young, Egyptians played a game of great and terrible power. These were known as Shadow Games. In these games, these powerful Egyptians would unleash the power of the shadows, tormenting their enemy with illusions, invoking their greatest fears and playing with their minds. Those who were too weak to fight against the shadows were often consumed and were said to have lost their mind."
Shadow Games? The term made Yugi shudder though he did not know why. The idea of playing a Shadow Game did not bode well for Yugi. It made him feel uneasy, uncomfortable, and down right terrified. Yugi shook his head and smiled to himself. It wasn't like the Shadow Games were real, right? It was just some urban legend to keep the tourists and spectators interested. Though Yugi couldn't help but feel drawn to it, the history of Egypt, the legends, the myths, the mystery of the Shadow Games.
The narrator went on to elaborate further on the subject, "Said Shadow Games, however, erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. That is until a the magic was one day locked away. A Seal was placed upon these beings so that their power could not be used to harm others. It is said that some of these powerful beings still linger to this day. They walk among us, waiting for the Seal to break so that they may once again wreak havoc upon the world."
Yugi hadn't even realized that his jaw was hanging open until he noticed that his mouth and lips had gone dry and he drew in a long breath of air. He shook his head and licked his lips, moistening them up once more. His eyes flickered back to the television as the credits rolled on the screen. Yugi pressed a hand to chest, feeling his heart beating freverently. He glanced down at his other hand and frowned when he realized just how hard he was clutching onto the sofa cover. He immediately loosened his grip and wiggled his fingers, relieving the aching feeling in his joints from gripping so tightly.
"Wow, the story really got me worked up, I guess." He muttered to himself as he reached over for the remote and flipped the channel to Nickelodeon and settled on watching SpongeBob.
His heart slowed as the heavy atmosphere that seemed to surround him dissipated, the mood instantly lightening as the the theme song for that iconic yellow sponge came on. Yugi smiled to himself, reminded of his early childhood days when he would make his parents watch the show with him.
Yugi's stomach knotted painfully at the memory of his parents. Images flickered in his mind; blood, his father's pale face, this mother hanging lifelessly from the tree, the raven, more blood, red, gleaming eyes. His breath caught in his throat as his pupils dilated as he recalled the events of his not too distant past. He clutched his chest, gripping onto his shirt tightly as sweat began to roll down his forehead. Fear, pain, agony… these emotions all surged inside him, slowly tearing him apart.
He shook his head as he tried to get ahold of himself again. After all this time, he had been able to keep himself together. Despite his parents' death being quite traumatizing, he managed to keep it together in order to avoid some serious psycho-therapy. He didn't need that. He didn't need to talk to someone about it. Hell, he didn't want to talk about it. In fact, he wanted to just forget it and put it behind him. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that was happening. He had been doing so well without having a mental breakdown, not having any episodes as the detectives at the precinct had said he would.
While Yugi still had nightmares, it wasn't so bad that it required him to go to mental hospital nor was it bad enough to keep him from living normally. He was able to function just as well as everyone else and the tragic event hardly affected his personality, hardly. It didn't mean it left him completely unscathed. No, he had changed since then. Yugi had once viewed the world with such child-like innocence, never seeing anything evil or bad. He was always positive, hardly ever seeing the darkness in anyone. He always believed that there was good in everything, there was always light.
However, since the death of his parents he wasn't so sure of that anymore. The light that he used to see everywhere, the good he once saw in everyone and everything was no longer there. He saw darkness, he saw evil; and it lived right next door to him. The innocence that was left in Yugi wanted to believe that there was good Yami, really wanted to believe but the Yugi that had seen death, that had seen terrible, terrible things was not quite sure.
He wanted to help Yami. He really did but he was afraid, something he had not known before. But that seemed to be the emotion that took up majority of his nights these days; fear. He was afraid. But then again what type of sane person wouldn't be?
Yugi was brought out of his thoughts when his phone rang. He answered it without looking at the caller ID and held it up to his ear, "Hello?" His voice was a breathy whisper.
"Yugi? Are you alright?" A concerned voice asked over the phone.
"A-Atem!" Yugi sat upright abruptly and shook his fears away. "Hi, good morning."
"Hello, Little One. Are you alright? You sound...troubled."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just stuck in my thoughts is all."
"Does this have something to do with your parents?"
Yugi stiffened. Although he talked to Atem about his life, he had left out the gruesome details of his parents' murder and instead settled on giving him a rather vague answer and told him that they died in an accident, not wanting to give too much away to someone he'd just met yet made him feel like they'd known each other for years. "A-a little…" Yugi swallowed thickly.
"Well, I'm not one to pry but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. You know that, right? I don't want you to think that you would be burdensome to me."
Yugi smiled faintly, "Thanks, but I'm okay. Really. I just...miss them is all."
"That's normal. I miss my parents, too."
"You don't live with your parents?" Yugi's brows furrowed. It had dawned on him then that he had not asked Atem about his past. Then again, he could've sworn Atem had mentioned that he had moved here with his parents. "Wait, I thought you moved here with them? Isn't that why you came all the way from Egypt?"
"I guess I told a little lie. My parents died long ago, Yugi. I live with my adoptive family."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I had no idea."
Atem chuckled, making Yugi's spine turn to jelly. It was amazing just how much Atem seemed to affect him with just a simple laugh or smile. Heck, even his voice sent Yugi into a spiral of emotions he couldn't quite fathom.
"Don't worry about it, Yugi. My parents died long ago. It does not bother me anymore. The people I live with now have been very kind to me. They aren't my birth parents of course but they're all I've got and I'm very grateful to them."
"Oh, still. I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's quite alright. Anyway, do you have any plans for the day, Little One?"
Yugi blushed a deeper crimson at Atem's pet name for him. "N-no. I don't have anything, but my grandfather will be coming home later this evening, possibly later depending on his flight."
"Ah, that's right. He's coming back from Egypt, huh?"
"Yeah. He loves the place and I have to say, his affections for the land have grown on me, too."
"Really?" Yugi picked up at the hidden amusement in Atem's voice.
"Yeah. I think the history is very interesting."
"Well then, how about I pick you up and I'll tell you more about my homeland?"
Yugi perked up in an instant. "That sounds great! Just let me know when you're here-" He was cut off when he heard the sound of a horn beeping outside, followed by Atem's low chuckled filter through the speaker.
"I guess I should've mentioned that I'm already here."
Yugi smiled and hung up the phone before slipping on a pair of white socks and his Converse high-tops. He opened the door and found Atem sitting in a sleek 2014 black Jaguar XK convertible, the hood still up. Yugi's jaw hit the ground as he stared at the luxurious vehicle. Whoa, hello, dream car. As he slowly approached, the driver's door opened and Atem stepped out, jogging over to the passenger side to open the door for Yugi, bowing slightly in the process. The teen bowed at the gestured and thanked Atem before sliding in to the seat, admiring the smooth leather texture and that 'new car' smell.
Atem walked around the front of the car and got into the driver's side, greeting Yugi with a radiant smile. Yugi returned a smile of his own before clicking his seat belt into place. "So, where are we going today?"
"I dunno. Where did you want to go today?"
"I'm fine with wherever." Yugi looked out the window for a moment before a sudden question tugged at the back of his mind, "Hey, Atem, how did you know where I lived?"
Atem winked and reached over to ruffle Yugi's hair slightly, "That, is a secret. Little Hikari."
"Hikari?" Yugi giggled at the new pet name.
"Well, with a smile as bright as that, you are like a bright little light."
Yugi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest before pouting slightly, "You're such a flirt, you know? I bet you say that to everyone."
"Au contraire, Hikari, only you."
Yugi stuck his tongue out as Atem placed the vehicle into drive before taking off down the road, driving by Yami's house, unaware of the pair of narrowed crimson eyes that watched through the cracked glass.
Atem eventually settled on driving them to small, quaint little cafe in town. It was mostly empty apart from the few people scattered about the tables. Yugi inhaled and nearly melted at the warm, inviting scent of freshly baked bread and other delectable pastries. Atem led them over to a table situated in the far left corner of the cafe where they would be able to speak in private, not that that was a problem in such an underpopulated space.
As Yugi sat down in the chair across from Atem, his gaze wandered around the cafe, admiring the stained glass windows of beautiful violet and pink Lotus flowers. In the very back of the cafe stood the register, coffee counter where a lone barista seemed to be working, and a small door leading to what Yugi presumed to be the kitchen.
After a moment of silence, a waitress with spunky blonde curls came up to the table, a couple of menus stacked in her hand. "Hello, welcome to The Lotus Cafe. My name is Rebecca and I'll be your waitress for today. Here are a couple of menus." She handed them each a menu and took out her pad and pen, "Anything I can get you two to drink for now?"
"Just a coffee for me. Dark." Atem ordered, the girl immediately flushing at the sound of his smooth, baritone voice.
Yugi notice and laughed silently to himself, "I'll take the same but with four creams and sugars. I like it sweet."
Rebecca nodded and went to the counter to make their coffees. Yugi's eyes continued to move about the cafe, admiring the way the way sunlight filtered in through the windows, casing a soft glow in the cafe. Not a moment later, Rebecca came back with their coffees and set them on the table. "Now, have you two thought of what to order yet? Or do you need more time?"
"A-actually, this is my first time here so I don't really know…" Yugi blushed and Atem chuckled.
"How about we start off with two chocolate drizzled croissants, please?"
"Sure thing. Coming right up, cutie." Rebecca winked and walked to the kitchen to place their orders.
Yugi arched a brow, "Now, I know you must've been stalking me. How did you know I liked croissants? It's honestly one of my favorite pastries."
"I didn't. It was just hunch."
"Mhmm. I see." Yugi glanced out the window as he took a sip of his coffee. He squinted his eyes when he saw a hooded figure staring at him from across the street. He blinked and just like that, the stranger was gone. I could've sworn I saw… He shook his head and placed the cup of coffee down.
"Something the matter, Yugi?" Atem asked, a concerned look on his face.
"Nothing. I-I just thought I saw someone…" Yugi glanced out the window again.
Atem followed his gaze and noticed the shadows moving along the concrete wall. His eyes narrowed. He took a glance at Yugi and bit his lip. He sighed and waved his hand, causing time to freeze momentarily.
He then flashed outside and grabbed the mass of shadows that attempted to retreat at the sight of him. He growled and lunged at the shadows, pinning the shadowy figure against the wall. "Why are you spying on the boy? Who are you?!" Atem hissed.
"That is not of your concern, Pharaoh. And I will not speak."
Shadows began to creep from Atem's arm, travelling up to the figure's neck, curling around it. "Speak now before I allow my shadows to tear you apart!"
The shadowy man chuckled, "Go ahead and do it. You're not getting anything out of me. And you sure as Hell won't be able to save the boy. He's as good as dead."
Atem growled and let go of the man, allowing his shadows to finish the job. He turned his back just as a loud, agonized scream tore through the still air. He glanced back and smirked at the pile of bones the man had been reduced to. With a wave of his hand, the bones turned to dust and were taken away by the rest of his shadows.
He sighed in relief and flashed back to the diner and took his seat as time reverted back to normal. Yugi shuddered and shook his head.
"Yugi, are you alright?" Atem asked.
"Fine, I think. I thought I just…nevermind."
Atem remained quiet as Rebecca came back with their pastries and placed the plates in front of them. His eyes traveled to Yugi's and noticed how his hands were shaking as they held his fork.. He frowned, noticing the fear in Yugi's eyes. He then reached across the table and grabbed Yugi's hand, causing the other to flinch slightly and drop the utensil, but Atem paid no mind to it. "Yugi, talk to me. What's on your mind?"
"I just...I keep having these feelings." Yugi squeezed Atem's hand absentmindedly, "I feel like someone or something is watching me. Whenever I'm alone or in the dark, I feel this strange sensation run down my neck, that feeling you get when someone is breathing down your neck. I-it's so strange."
"When did you start feeling this way?"
Yugi snapped his gaze up to Atem, "You don't think I'm crazy?"
"I would never. When did you start feeling these things, Yugi?"
"Six years ago, when I first moved to this town. Since my move here, I've always felt as if someone was following me, watching my every move. I swear I see shadows move, I hear whispers and I-I don't know what to make of it. A-am I losing my mind? Have I gone insane?"
"You haven't gone insane." Atem sighed, deeply troubled that Yugi could even sense these things. Normal mortals weren't able to sense darker energies, or at least not much but Yugi seemed to be the exception. He was sensitive to the other forces and that left an unsettling feeling in the pit of Atem's stomach.
"Then am I just paranoid? I-I'm scared, Atem. If it's one thing I don't like, its' the darkness. I hate being in the dark. I-I hate it. I mean, it's probably the trauma from my parents' mur-accident talking but I can't help it."
Atem let go of Yugi's hand and reached over to gently trace his cheek, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Yugi. And it's okay to be afraid. The dark is a scary place. That's a natural fear. These things that you see or hear, maybe it is just your trauma talking. Maybe it just means you need to talk to someone about it."
Yugi shook his head, "I don't need to talk about it. I know how I feel and how I felt about it. I know. I don't need a therapist to tell me how I feel or how to work on ridding myself from these emotions."
"Then if you don't want to talk to a professional, then talk to me. I'm here and I can help you."
Yugi stared at Atem for moment. He'd just met the guy and yet it felt like he'd known Atem for centuries now. It was as if they were old friends but that was not the case. He couldn't just openly trust a stranger and yet, he was beginning to against his will. There was something about Atem that made him feel like he could trust him and that he should be telling him these things. And that scared him.
After their little trip to the cafe, Atem drove Yugi into the country-side, driving winding roads that eventually lead to the entrance of a forest. At first Yugi was a bit apprehensive but one smile from Atem and the feeling faded. A light blush graced his ivory skin as Atem offered his hand, which Yugi took as the older teen led him out of the car.
Yugi looked around the forest with child-like fascination, a feeling of peace and serenity overtaking him as his eyes took in the canopy of trees, the sounds of crickets chirping, birds calling, and the rustling of leaves as the wind blew by gently. "It's so nice here. What made you think of this place? How did you come across it? I mean, considering you just moved here and all."
Atem chuckled. "It's just a place I stumbled across after my family's first initial move here. I spent time driving around and found this place. But we're not quite at our destination yet, Little One."
"There's more?" Yugi tilted his head cutely and gazed at Atem with those large sparkling lavender eyes.
"Yes, much more. Come. It isn't a far walk from here."
Yugi nodded and followed Atem through the forest, glad that there were gaps in the trees that allowed light to pass through. Most of the forests were very dense and allowed little light to pass through, he was glad Atem picked the one place that wasn't so dense and creepy. As they continued on their trek through the forest, Yugi inhaled, taking the smell of nature, the earthy scent of pine, soil, and water.
Atem smiled and with a flick of his wrist, allowed himself to use a bit of his...'magic', conjuring up a couple of butterflies; their wings a metallic black and electric blue. Yugi giggled as the butterflies fluttered around him, one landing on his shoulder as he lifted hand and allowing the other to perch itself on his slender finger. So beautiful.
"They seem to like you." Atem murmured.
"They're so pretty." A thoughtful smile formed upon Yugi's thin lips as the butterflies left him, flying, dancing, and criss-crossing each other as they flew towards the tops of the trees. "I never knew nature could be this beautiful. I guess I've missed out on a lot keeping myself holed up in the house all the time."
"Indeed. Come now. We're almost at our destination."
Yugi nodded along and followed as Atem led them deeper into the forest. As soon as Yugi heard the sound of water, he instantly perked up. That meant either there was a river, waterfall, or something of the like nearby. Excitement coursed through Yugi's body as his eyes lit up at the thought. Atem noticed this and chuckled to himself. "Yugi, close your eyes."
"Huh?" Yugi startled slightly, "Why?"
"Don't you trust me?" Atem grinned.
Yugi gulped. He did trust Atem. Maybe too much for someone he just met but trust him, he did. Maybe it was the old, naive Yugi that propelled him to feel this way. He shrugged his thoughts aside and sighed before slowly closing his eyes. He then felt a pair of warm hands on his shoulders and he allowed himself to relax as he felt himself being led through the forest, his ears on alert as they took in the sounds around him; the crunching of the leaves and twigs beneath his feet, the sound of roaring waters, and the even breathing of Atem behind him.
"Okay, open your eyes."
Yugi blinked and slowly allowed his vision to come to again as he took in the sight before him. In front of him was marvellous waterfall that led to a pond below, the water completely crystal clear, save for the few leaves that littered the surface. Yellow and white butterflies fluttered around the area, travelling from flower to flower, among the hundreds of light blue flowers that littered the emerald green grass beneath their feet.
Yugi was absolutely speechless. The beauty before him now left him completely breathless. He'd never seen such a place before. He walked over to the pond's edge and gazed into the reflective surface below, his reflection obscured by the tiny ripples caused by the waterfall. He let out a content sigh as he sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him and propping his arms behind him.
"I take it you like it here." Atem took his place beside Yugi and allowed his eyes to wander.
"It's amazing. Thank you for bringing me here."
"The pleasure is mine, Yugi. I figured you'd need some relaxation time after all the things you seem to have gone through. I thought that this would be the perfect place to relax and forget it all."
Yugi nodded before allowing himself to fall back into the grass, clasping his hands together behind his head as he stared at the clear blue sky. He then turned to Atem, who he found watching him with an amused grin on his face. He blushed and brushed a golden fringe away from his eyes, "So, I believe you promised to tell me about your homeland."
Atem's smile broadened, "Indeed I did. What did you want to know?"
"What's it like in Egypt?"
"It's very hot. Scalding really but living there majority of my life, you sort of get used to the sun's brutality. Though, it is fairly cool during the night. The landscape is absolutely marvelous."
"Ah, yes, staring at all those sand dunes. Sounds absolutely stunning." Yugi teased, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.
"Of course! Sand for miles! It's the best part of Egypt, didn't you know? You know how in Domino we have snow, well sand is like that in Egypt. As a child I used to roll around in the sand and make sand angels. The burning hot sand against my skin was definitely the best part."
Yugi laughed as Atem continued to humor him about his homeland. It felt nice. Talking with Atem, just being around the other seemed so effortless and it seemed to take a large weight off of Yugi's shoulders. "So, then, is it true about the Mummy's curse? If you enter the tomb of the Mummy, you'll get bad luck for all eternity?"
Atem rolled his eyes, "Watched a lot of movies dealing with those things, have you? Though, if you must know, there is no such thing has a Mummy's curse. There are, however, other things that linger within the tombs of the Pharaohs."
"Like what?"
"Ancient relics, gold, many things, really. And there is definitely magic there."
"I was watching a documentary on that actually, when you called me. There was this documentary on Ancient Egypt and the magic said to linger within in the tombs. Something about Shadow Magic and Shadow Games."
Atem tensed but dared not let Yugi notice. He relaxed himself a bit before smiling, this time a bit more forced. "Ah, yes, the Shadows Games. They are quite dangerous and many have lost their lives because of it."
"You believe in it?" Yugi gazed up at Atem curiously.
"I do. It is a part of my history after all. Though, no one has played a Shadow Game in a very long time."
"The documentary said that the magic was sealed away so that it wouldn't be used to hurt anyone again."
"That is true. Shadow magic can be unpredictable sometimes. And those who were too weak to handle that amount of power were often consumed by the shadows and their own selfish desires. They were tainted and corrupted and used their power for evil instead of good. It is what the magic was supposed to be used for but of course, humans are such susceptible little creatures and are easily influenced by dark desires. Originally, the power solely belonged to beings that came from somewhere known as the Shadow Realm but the power was passed onto humans. A foolish mistake but I guess mistakes were bound to happen."
Yugi was silent for a moment. The way Atem talked about the Shadow Games, the magic, the history of it in such a serious fashion made him feel a bit uneasy but deep in his heart he always knew that such magic existed. At least that is what he had believed from the stories his grandfather told him. "To have that kind of power...it must be scary."
"It is if you don't know how to control it. But as you said, the power was sealed away or at least a portion of it."
"A portion?"
Again, Atem nodded, a small smile still plastered on his face though it did not reach his eyes, "Only a portion of that power was sealed away. There were others who were allowed to keep their magic, but only those who were capable of controlling the shadows without letting them get out of hand."
A tremor shot through Yugi's body and he turned away from Atem, instead focusing on the white, fluffy clouds in the sky, trying to manifest shapes and objects in them. He had no such luck. "Besides the Shadow Games, is there any other stories you'd care to share?" Yugi asked as he sat up, twirling a piece of grass in his fingers.
Atem smirked, "Not liking the idea of the Shadow Games, are you?"
Yugi blushed and stared at the blade of grass inbetween his thumb and forefinger as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Not particularly."
"Understandable."
"So," Yugi let go of the piece of grass and looked up at Atem expectantly, "Any other stories you have to share?"
"There is one. It's...a very old story and it's the one I hold dear to me."
"What's it about? Maybe I've heard of it from Grandpa."
Atem chuckled and looked off across the pond, a far away expression on his face, as if he was trying to recall a faded dream. "I doubt you've heard this story. It's a fairly old one and there are few who know it."
"Family history?"
"I guess you could say that."
"Now I'm really curious." Yugi laughed humorlessly, "Tell me."
"Very well."
Yugi scooted a little closer to Atem and looked at him, patiently waiting for him to begin his tale with bright, wide eyes, filled with curiosity. Atem couldn't help but laugh as he reached out to ruffle Yugi's hair, "Allow me to tell you the story of The Pharaoh, the Prince, and the Royal Servant."
In My Arms (Acoustic) by Dead By April
Don't look down,
Don't look back,
I am beside you,
Close your eyes,
Know I'm here,
I know it's hard to let go all that defines you
You feel like you'll never be whole again
We will find a way to erase the past,
Just stay with me
In my arms, you'll be fine
I'll never let go
All you've lost, will come again
Just stay here with me,
Never look back, never again
It's over
Everything ends here in my arms
Don't give in,
Don't let your memories break you,
Let me take you away from here
We will find a way to make this last
Stay with me