Oh my god this story has finally reached 20 chapters! Holy cow!
I FINALLY got this done! i was hoping to end the big stuff with this chapter, but it seems it wasn't meant to be as this thing came out to be 17 pages in the final, tell me how i can write a chapter that's 16 pages, editied planning to shorten it by about 3 pages and end up writing 17 pages? XD but after a war with my eyes and eyestrain and no sleep i FINALLY got this done.
I would've had it up earlier but we're on vacation ^-^ but my inspiration is off the charts! SCORE!
As always read, review, comment, critique, ask questions and go nuts! I love your theories about Yugi! I have been getting such a kick out of them! half of you think he's pregnant the other half think he's going fairy ;) So far no one's hit the mark...
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Takehashi, I only own the plot and the Frost Faye
Dedications: To all of my fans! You guys keep me going ^-^
Part XX
A sharp jolt shot straight through his heart so suddenly he nearly stumbled from the force. He grabbed the chair's armrest to steady himself and his free hand flew to his heart, covering it in a useless attempt to ease the sudden ache. Air forced itself free from his lungs and his entire body felt suddenly drained and weak. He nearly slipped from his chair, but his stubborn arm shakily held him up, the other never leaving its post over his heart.
"Frost King!"
The room's other occupants rushed to their Master's side. Their concerned hands hurried to aid him to his feet. He stood wobbly, feeling someone grab his waist. "Da-Frost King," Chazz corrected himself, his tight arms around his father's waist, supported the taller fairy's weight with his own.
"My King?" Shadi held a hand, bracing himself in case the Frost King collapsed again. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, forgive me," Yami replied, rubbing his forehead. His fingers came away damp and sweaty. "I don't know what came over me"
"Frost King, perhaps you should rest?" Ishizu suggested, noticing the King's frail state had returned. "There is no need to strain yourself; you're in need of rest."
The proud Frost King stood tall and composed. He shook his head and gently undid his heir's worried arms from his waist. "I've rested enough, Ishizu. Chazz," he turned to his eldest son, who stood rigid and worried at his father's weary stance. "Would you be so kind as to get me a drink?"
Chazz wanted to protest, recognizing the patronizing tone and the coddling look the Frost King was giving him, the look and tone he only used when he wanted to keep his children ignorant of any kind of danger or uncertainly, even if Chazz already knew what it was. Chazz trembled in his dilemma, wanting to refuse and sit back down, instead he gave a loud, conceding 'hmp' and stormed out of the room. Only once he was safe in the security of the vacant hallway did he stomp his foot and slam his fist against the wall, grateful no one could see his embarrassing outburst.
"Damn it!" Chazz cursed torn between anger and anguish. His mood did not lessen the long stretch down the steps and through the glass hallways. He could barely see the village, just beyond the dark grey hills outside the clear glass windows. Even the village had gone dark and dismal. Sadness had fallen like a heavy fog over the land once rampant with joy and merrymaking. Shops were closed and boarded up, the playground and streets were empty and quiet. Even the houses seemed dark and forlorn, as if happiness and light had abandoned them to their anguish. Fairyland, was, after all, a reflection of its rulers, and even thought the Frost King had not taken the path of rage as his mother had, the path of sadness was no less painful.
For the first time in ten years Chazz felt a chill and pulled his trench coat closer to his skin. He sprinted the rest of the way to the kitchen, running deeper into the mountain palace. Normally, he hated the trek to the kitchen, but right now, he needed its warmth. The tunnel was thick and cloudy with steam. Immediately he felt overheated, but the stubborn fairy refused to remove his coat, and instead wiped beads of sweat from his brow.
Chazz crept into the room staying as close to the wall as he could, spinning to avoid a fairy boy carrying a huge pyramid of acorn cakes on a tray, and other apprentices scuttling about in the smoke carrying grease-caked pots to a plastic swinging pool full of soapy water in the corner, or gathering and sorting dishes and utensils among the tall water-stained bookcases. Similar to Jaden's work room, thick stone walls composed the large room, with a huge fire pit in the corner that hissed and cracked loudly demanding more wood which an apprentice willing provided. The only ventilation system was a stone chimney guiding the smoke out through a hole in the dirt ceiling, and tiny square windows that dotted the walls, making the air thick, hazy and moist, and extremely difficult to breathe. Crashed against this was a was a huge room made entirely of carved ice where frozen fruit sat in baskets, vegetables and chopped chunks of meat were stuffed into oddly shaped jars, next to barrels of frozen water, and buckets of crushed ice. Corpses of animals and skinned meat hung from hooks on the ceiling, and tiered cakes and desserts stood proud and beautiful on tables, shelves covered by glass cases. The rawness of the room assaulted his senses: the reek of blood staining the walls, table and dripping over raw meat; vegetables caked in dirt still carried that earthy stench of cold ground, the smell of alcohol and raw chocolate and sugar stung his nose. The smoke burned his eyes making his vision blurry, the cacophony of dishes crashing against one another and the shrieking of flesh being ripped from bone, and vegetables being cleaved hurt his ears. Even Jaden, who loved food, hated the kitchen, and their father had personally seen to it that everyone brave and bold enough to practice their craft within its walls was highly respected for their patience.
The fairy prince crept towards the wine cellar: a room of hallowed out earth lined from floor to ceiling with rows of stone shelves. Chazz willed his wings not to move, and tip-toed passed huge caskets of wine, stacked glass and plastic bottles of spring water, wine, and pulverized fruits. He swiped a water bottle off the shelf, and poured it into his father's preferred goblet. Not bothering with a tray, he shuffled as quickly as possible towards the door, bumping roughly into someone in his desire to leave.
He gasped when water flew from the cup and clumsily jumped backwards to catch as much as he could. "Watch it!"
Chazz looked up and gasped when he found his aunt, the fire light dying her hair red, carrying a pyramid of acorn shaped cakes topped with pink frosting and cherries. "Mana? What are you doing here?" He asked surprised she was out of her workroom, where she usually retreated to during times of depression.
"Oh Chazz," she laughed. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought I'd surprise your brothers with a treat!" she smiled. Chazz narrowed his eyes recognizing the same fake calmness his father gave him not moments ago.
"What's the occasion?" He asked in a sharp voice, clear and aware of her scheme.
"Does a Master need a reason to see to her apprentice's health?" She smiled, averting his gaze, "or for an aunt to dote on her nephews when they're grieving?"
"No," Chazz said sharply. "Except that Jaden and Syrus haven't left their room in days."
"Well….um…Oh damn!" Mana snapped, no longer able to keep up her façade. "You're too much like your father." She pouted. "He could always see past me too."
Chazz growled at that. His hands shook with the desire to slam the goblet down and scatter his father's desired water everywhere. "This whole family is a bunch of idiots!" He screamed. "Dad throws himself into his work even though he can barely stay awake, Syrus just cries in our room all day, Jaden won't leave Syrus, and Jesse just pretends every thing's fine, and you and Mahado just do what my dad tells you! Am I the only one who thinks that us sitting here and doing nothing is stupid!"
The Fairy Seamstress remained neutral, her stance unfazed by the outburst. "This is a difficult situation, Chazz. As much as we want to, we can't interfere lest we make the situation worse."
"How could this possibly get any worse?" Chazz demanded. The words were rhetorical but the demand was not.
"Things can always get worse," Mana retorted harshly. "And to answer your question the term is 'if you love something set it free, if it returns it is yours forever, if it doesn't than it was never yours to begin with it' not 'if you love someone and they don't return, you go and drag them back'. My brother would never risk doing anything that might harm Yugi in anyway and neither should you." She scolded, making Chazz like a child being explained the logic behind its mistake. The fact that her words were true made it worse.
With as much dignity as he could muster, he turned on his heels, the goblet of water choked tightly beneath his white knuckles, and left. He could feel her smirk on his back, but her victory was hollow as a blown egg. "Don't worry; I'll make sure your brothers don't stay in their rooms forever." Mana promised and glided towards the opposite wing. "I'll get them out!"
"If you do tell them to come find me," Chazz hollered, keeping his gaze locked on the goblet, but his guilty reflection mocked him for his rudeness.
He whirled around swallowed his pride and hollered a "Thank you!" loudly, before bolting back to the meeting room.
The door swung open upon his arrival. He barely registered the Frost King's 'Thank you' after he slammed down the goblet and returned to his seat, skillfully keeping his gaze lowered but his head away from the prying eyes of the Magisters, his frosty face still pink from his encounter with Auntie Mana.
"Where were we?" He said throwing his ankle over his opposite knee elegantly, spread his wings to their full length and rested his chin on his bent fingers. His bravado compelled the Magisters to continue speaking. Chazz half-listened, keeping his gaze remained locked on his father. He watched as he reached a shaking hand towards the water goblet, long, slender fingers weakly wrapped about its base. It took far longer than it should've for the glass to reach his lips, but Chazz dared not comment on it, refusing to be sent away again.
"Don't you agree, my lord?" Chazz jumped, and kicked himself at being caught in a temporary moment of broken composure, at his title. "What?" he demanded a repetition of the statement.
"The Boundary," Isis repeated. "Mahado and Luna's spell has not detected any other presences for nearly a fortnight, should we consider resealing the Boundary?"
The Frost King's elegant fingers went white with how tightly they clenched the goblet. "There is no need." The Frost King protested before Chazz could speak. "Unless there is an immediate need to close it, I see no harm in it being left open."
Chazz clenched his fists behind his back, praying his eyes didn't reveal the inner turmoil he felt.
"Is there an immediate need to close it?" Chazz flashed his proudest and most confident mask. "As you said, Magistrate, there has been activity for almost two weeks."
"Perhaps, but there is still a chance it might." This time Shadi spoke. "The human population has been growing larger and larger with each day. How long will it be before the portal's location is compromised?"
"That's because of the Winter Olympics," Chazz explained, crossing his arms. "Yugi said once it's over everyone will go home, just give it a few days." The King's heir argued brilliantly.
"But how do we know? How do we know Yugi will be able to keep our location hidden?"
"Yugi would never betray us!" Chazz shot up from his seat, his composure shattered, and his fury that they would dare suggest such a statement.
A loud, clattering crash commanded the attention of the room. The fallen goblet rolled in a half circle across the floor, water scattering everywhere and the Frost King stood with a hand digging into this check and the other gripping the table to hard it shook under the force. His jaw clenched splinteringly tight in pain, and his eyes bulged, radiating fear and shock. The horrible sight froze even Chazz in fear, unable to fathom this sudden attack.
The Frost King weakly tried to move but his body betrayed him, and instead his weight gave out beneath him. Chazz screamed when his father's body hit the ground and leapt towards it. The King was still conscious but his vision had already started to fade. He barely felt his son's worried hands trying to list him up, but when the Frost King tried to use his weak arms they gave way beneath him.
"Frost King!"
"Frost King!"
"Dad!"
His mind sank into the darkness, compelled by his heavy body's sudden weakness. He muttered softly, worriedly, just before unconsciousness trapped him in the blissful darkness. "Yugi…"
Chazz hadn't stopped screaming.
The hospital doors swung open, forced by the combined efforts of doctors and nurses rushing a stretcher through its gateway. The doctor screamed commands for the nurses, and assistants demanded information for records and procedures. The still body lying there hadn't moved since it was rolled and lifted onto the stretched for transport: still and comatose, legs straight, arms at its sides and gently round face looking heavenward, eyes closed in slumber but it was not peaceful, and visible stress marks marred his face, the only sign that the still patient was alive.
"What happened?" the doctor demanded.
"He just collapsed after the show!" Joey screamed his voice high with fear.
"I mean he wasn't feeling well last week, but he's been fine since" Tristan added voice choked with tears and delusion.
"What's wrong with him?" Grandpa demanded his aged voice flooded with anguish and uncertainty.
Questions that demanded answers hounded the staff, and nurses failed to calm them. Joey even threw off a nurse when she demanded they go to the waiting room. The air was thick with emotions and tensions settled over them like a heavy fog over a curtain of smoke. Finally, the doctor demanded the staff take the patient to an observation room and called the three men to follow him.
They moved into a room where the nurses were moving Yugi's unconscious body onto a bed and began placing an oxygen mask over his face. The doctor gestured them to the opposite end of the room and pulled the curtain closed.
"Please," Grandpa begged. "Tell us what is wrong with my grandson."
"We're checking his vitals now, from what I can see, this might just be a fainting spell due to dehydration, tiredness, stress, he's not showing any signs of being in a coma but we don't want to rule anything out yet."
"Ya sure?" Joey demanded. He knew the doctors were oblivious to Yugi's time in the mountains, but he'd be damned if it prevented them from doing everything they could to keep Yugi alive. "I mean, yeah, he hasn't been eating much and he's been more tired than normal, but he was fine yesterday! And the day before that!"
"As I said Mr. Wheeler," the doctor mollified. "It's most likely stress. With his Olympic training and his recovery processes, his body is probably forcing itself to relax."
As if to prove the doctor wrong, a violent scream echoed behind them. Joey bulldozed past the doctor and tore the curtain open just in time to see Yugi thrashing, and kicking against the nurses who tried to hold him down while another tried to put an IV into his arm.
"What the hell do you bats think you're doing? Get away from him!" Grandpa screamed and with surprising strength and speed began to shove the nurses away. He practically slammed into the nurse holding the IVs. Once free, Yugi rolled over and vomited ferociously, coughing bitterly once he was finished. Joey and Tristan tried to calm him down, but he kept screaming and reaching weakly for his arm.
Joey noticed and followed Yugi's hands. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the IV pumping nutrients into Yugi's system and the sickening black color of decay spreading around the needle's entry point. Thinking quickly he, ripped the tape holding it in place and ripped the IV out, Yugi screamed once than collapsed into Tristan and his Grandpa's arms. Immediately, Joey noticed the gray skin turning pink one more.
"What are you doing!" the nurse demanded, fiercely, but Joey gave her a glare so fierce she coward under it. "This," he said dangerously low and holding up the IV, pale yellow liquid dripped from the needle "Was hurtin him! Didn't you hear him scream? Or see his skin? This thing was poisoning him!"
The nurse opened her mouth to scream but the doctor stopped her, "What are you saying Mr. Wheeler?"
"That damn IV stuff made him sick," he pointed to the mess Yugi had vomited up earlier. "And this damn needle was too, Yugi's allergic to iron!" That hadn't been true before, and Joey knew it, but if what was happening to Yugi was what he thought was happening to Yugi, it made sense. Tristan look over his shoulder than back to Yugi. Eyes wide with realization, a line from the book came back to him. There is nothing they fear more than cold iron, for it is the only metal unnatural enough to hurt them.
"Shit!" Tristan cursed and let Yugi go. Grandpa gently laid Yugi down, watching Yugi's slim chest and open mouth rasp and move from heavy breathing.
"It's true," Grandpa concluded. "He's just developed it recently."
Joey glared past the doctor and straight at the nurse, who met his glare refusing to be talked down.
"It's a safe needle, its sanitized steel!"
"Steel still has iron," the doctor glared at the nurse. "And I prefer not to take any chances with allergic reactions." He turned to the nurse, who started at him in horror. "You're all dismissed, thank you." The nurses left without a word.
"I'm," the Doctor began an apology but Grandpa cut him off harshly, "Just help my grandson." He didn't even look at the doctor when he said it. "I don't care for your half-hearted apologies or technical nonsense. Just. Help. My grandson!" his voice rose as he spoke, his fists shaking at his sides and for a moment he seemed ten feet taller and decades younger.
The doctor's neutral mask dropped in an instant, transforming the composed, otherworldly doctor into a man who honestly had no idea what to do. He regained himself and bowed respectfully. "I'll do whatever I can."
He left without another word, leaving the elder to his determined vigil at his grandson's bed side. Yugi was still dressed in the kimono, which had returned to its normal state sometime during the ride but had gone unnoticed by anyone in the panic. But Grandpa noticed it now. He remembered how Yugi said it had been specially made for him by one of this Yami's children and that the threads holding the leaves to his obi were actually hairs. The two bracelets jingled sweetly at his wrists, as if to soothe the boy's condition and the pendant, which had shook itself free during his episode, rested peacefully on his chest: the five icy feathers clicked together like a wind chime each time they touched.
"Why don't you boys go get some coffee," Grandpa told them softly. His eyes till on Yugi.
Joey and Tristan, wisely, said nothing.
When they were gone, Grandpa's hands started shaking, a tiny cold drop landed on his hand and another landed on Yugi's cheek. "Oh Yugi," he cried. "What's happened to you?"
"Hurry up!" Syrus called, more out of worry than anger. Their feet hammered against the metal as they stormed up the spiral staircase. Jaden almost tripped only missing slamming into the metal by grabbing onto the railing.
They met their third sibling at the top of the stairs. His snow caked boots slid across the wooden floor causing them all to crash in a chain reaction. Their terror was too great to spark an argument; they all clambered to their feet and ran to their father's room where a crowd of palace staff had gathered.
"Let me through!" Syrus demanded, weaving his small body between the fairies.
"Let us through!" Jesse added, shoving people aside. Jaden just bulldozed through, barely finding his footing when he escaped the crowd. He found Chazz huddled in a ball on the floor, his face buried deeply in his arms. He only looked up when he heard them enter. His face was ashen grey, his cheeks wet and his unnaturally bright blue eyes were dull, red-rimmed, and shiny with unshed tears. He stumbled weakly to his legs. His three brothers all panted from exhaustion, their eyes pleading for answers.
Chazz couldn't speak, so instead he pointed to the bed. They followed his finger and their eyes bulged in horror. Syrus covered his mouth to stifle a scream. Jaden wanted to scream but his voice had stopped working. Jesses could only stare.
The proud and noble Frost King lay sprawled out on his bed, his weak appendages, thin, unmoving and thrown about in the aftermath of his violent spasm, and his skin even more ashen gray than Chazz's. He was completely still like a frozen statue. His chest didn't even rise or fall with his breathing, if he was breathing at all. His eyes were closed and his face was marred by visible stress marks, fever flushed his cheeks. Even his four magnificent wings had lost their luster and lay fallen at his sides. The feathers no longer jingled when they moved and were now dulled and molted, like gray, wet slush polluted by salt and gravel.
On either side of him were his siblings. His sister cried loudly while the Magisters tried to comfort her. Isis brushed wisps of hair that had darkened to black in her sorrow away from her face. Shadi attempted to aid Mahado in applying whatever Alchemy he could to cure their King of his disastrous alignment.
Mahado's sharp eyes caught his nephews out the corner. Their horrified faces, tear-rimmed eyes and shaking forms terrified him more than his younger sibling's current state. "Come here," He told them, gesturing with a curved finger. They obeyed robotically, but their steps were hesitant and unsure.
"What's wrong with him?" Syrus asked weakly.
"To be honest, I have no idea," Mahado explained removing his purple, plastic gloves. "If I had to guess, I'd say he's dying from a broken heart."
"Dying!" the four screamed at once but their weak voiced could barely manage above a whisper.
Mahado shook his head and turned his solemn gaze to his brother. "Not in that sense, I've watched him these past weeks, he grows weaker each day, his will is no longer strong and his life keeps draining away and he makes no desire to fight it, and yet he still functions, is still…healthy in a sense…I can't explain why he would suddenly collapse or why his body has suddenly surrendered like this…"
Chazz watched his father exhale softly, barely breathing. Watched his lips move together than flatten over and over…like he was whispering something. He tried to read his lips. You—gee…YUGI!
A bell clicked in his head. "Wait, Mahado," Chazz asked. "You said it was like he had a broken heart? What if that's it? What if that is literally killing him?"
Mahado raised an eyebrow then moved a knuckled to his lip in concentration. "I suppose if his mind and physical heart decided to stop working, but I don't see how it's possible," he turned to his younger brother. "Unless, of course, he was Bonded in some form. Bondeds rarely live long after one of them passes but in order for that to be true both parties would have had to established some type physical act that would solidified an emotional bond between them. Sexual magic aside, it wouldn't be enough to forge a Bond unless there was some true, honest, emotion between-" he turned to his nephews only to see Chazz bolting from the room.
"My Lord?" Shadi called after him, but Chazz didn't stop.
Jaden, Jesse and Syrus looked over their shoulders, seeing Chazz run, than whirled around after him. The staff parted immediately for their fairy princes.
Mahado watched them leave than turned to his little brother and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
"What was that about?" Shadi asked confused, watching the door as if he expected the boys to come back in at any moment.
"I haven't the foggiest idea," Mahado lied, pressing a hand to Yami's forehead. He kept it there even when the unnatural heat burned his Frost Fairy skin.
I hope you know what you're doing Chazz, He prayed. And I hope even more that it works for both their sakes.
"Grah!" The force of the punch hit the coffee machine so hard it left a dent. "Damnit!" Joey cursed and slammed his forehead against the plastic.
"Joey, calm down!" Tristan soothed, grabbing the hot coffee from Joey's hand.
"How can I calm down, Trist?" Joey demanded his voice choked with tears. "Yugi could be dying right now all because that stupid, selfless, idiot didn't want us to spend the rest of our lives worrying about him!"
Joey's words were like a whip lash to Tristan's side. He bit his lip and looked at the black coffee spiraling in his cup, too dark to leave a reflection. They had never talked about it, not with each other, with Yugi or even with Grandpa, but Yugi's words that night had never once faded from his mind:
"I missed everyone, and I know you guys were worried about me, and if I stayed…having that hanging over my head, it would've ruined everything, not just for you guys but for Yami and me, and I…I didn't want that to happen."
It had hurt more than anything else. That Yugi hadn't really wanted to come back. That he was happier with this Yami and the "fairies" than he was in his own home with his friends and family, but at the same time, that single act of selfishness made him want to kick his own butt. How many times had Yugi said he wasn't happy? How many times had he said it felt like something was missing from his life? Something he couldn't have here? He'd found it, but he'd abandoned it, not by any choice of his own but to give his friends and grandfather the closure lord only knows how many people with missing family members would never have. He didn't return to the "real" world because he wanted to, he didn't "wake" up from a dream so he could make it happen in the real world. That only happened in books and movies. No, Yugi had come back simply because he was a selfless kid who didn't want his loved ones to worry about him and didn't want the fact that he was abandoning them to ruin his life with his new family. In reality really, the situation wasn't much different than if Yugi had a boyfriend or even a fiancé, the honest truth was that none of them wanted to lose Yugi, and in their minds, this Yami, these "fairies", his children and family, they had all taken Yugi away from them. Like a family who didn't want their daughter to get married because they were jealous of sharing her love with someone who she clearly loved more. It had never occurred to Tristan until that point, but he could almost laugh at how unbearably stupid and hypocritical the so-called "right choice" was.
"So what are we gonna do?" Tristan asked. Joey looked at him like he had three heads.
Tristan rolled his eyes. "You just said he came back for us" he gestured his thumb to his chest. "That means this is by default, our fault, so what are we gonna do to help our buddy?"
Joey blinked and looked at floor. He tried to think of an answer but no ideas came. His mind was still processing the actual question in its shock.
"You said the needle and the IV stuff was hurting him? You were right, so what was your logic for that?"
"It was just hurtin him, like the pot a couple days back? It burned him? And he never ate the hotel food, but he devoured those all natur-ale burgers we got him? That's like? Stuff fairies do, like in that book of yours?"
"Yeah," Tristan nodded, wishing he still had the book but the library had a one-week policy for older materials. "Cold iron hurts fairies 'cause its technically unnatural, so by default anything else that isn't natural hurts them, ya thinka…maybe…Yugi's going fairy?"
"Well, he doesn't have wings," Joey half-joked. "But I don't know, maybe, prolong stay or something? Either way, somethin happened on that mountain. We gotta get there."
"How? It's an hour away?" Tristan reminded. "We're better off just taking Yugi there." He'd meant it rhetorically, but something in Joey's hazel eyes lit up and he flashed a goofy grin.
"Tristan ya a genius!" he grabbed the boy's shoulders in a half hug! "You drove ya car here right?"
"Yeah, there wasn't enough room in the ambulance remember?"
"Good! Go drive it around to the garage, than meet me at Yugi's room! Pronto!" Joey bolted up the stairs.
"Wait, Joey… what's? Screw it; I don't care at this point!" Tristan called and ran back towards the lobby, digging his car keys out of his back pocket on the way.
Chazz jumped over the rail of the stairs skipping the last six steps as he did so. He slid into his corner of the room, dropped to his knees and dug through the towers of his things, like a fox after its burned stash, sending discarded objects flying past him. "Damn it! Where is it?" He rolled onto his stomach and looked under his bed. He shoved the stacks of books and notepads out of his way, a black material peeked out under the comforter bunched up on the other side. "Eureka!" He leapt onto the bed, climbed over the frame and stretched until his fingers brushed the material. "YES!" He fell back in victory, the material unfurled over him as it landed, revealing its contents: a long black blazer with a trench coat tail and trimmed with gray, the coat he'd worn the day he came to the Frost King's world.
He remembered that day well. He'd worn it as a strong reproach against his former brothers who'd both worn pitch, perfect, black suits when they brought him to, unwittingly, meet his fiancé. He hadn't known why he had kept it; he knew he'd never return to the human world. The time he'd saved Jaden had been strictly business. Looking at it now, maybe, just maybe, he knew he'd need it.
He stripped off his current blue and black trench coat, slipped it off his wings. They sprang free and proud for a brief moment before he covered them with his human coat. He felt them stiffen and fidget like insects coat in a butterfly net when they found no holes to slip through. He forced the appendages to relax and buttoned the coat from neck to his calves. He was grateful he only had two wings and that they were smaller and lighter than his father's and thus easier to conceal. He tugged on a pair of long, leather gloves over his fingers, careful to hide their extra joint, and folded the feathery tips of his ears behind a pair of large earmuffs. He checked himself in the mirror he shared with his brothers, making sure not a hint of his fairy origins were visible. "Perfect." He smirked.
Now he just had to escape the same way Yugi did. Fortunately, it didn't take much effort to get to the Moon Tree. The entire mansion had taken a vigil outside the Frost King's room in case they were needed. Even the kitchen faye had relocated there, waiting for his Alchemist's uncle's reports.
He had no idea, how Yugi managed to figure this out. Everyone knew about the Moon Tree, but the Royals kept its secret well. Even the apprentices who gathered moondrops Chazz doubted knew its actual purpose.
Pitch black except for the pale silvery glow of the moondrops, Chazz stumbled and stubbed his feet trying and failing to maneuver through the jungle of roots. He cursed when he stubbed his toe, tripped, and crashed into another root. He mumbled curses under his breath, took a moment to hold his proud nose, before climbing up the labyrinth of roots. Groans and curses morphed into growls of frustration each time a stray branch or twig tugged and pulled at his clothes, hair and skin like tiny hands dragging him backwards. The tunnel was choked with roots and earth, making the air sale. A weird combination of wet wood, mud, and leafepiles made it hard to breathe. How had Yugi managed this, with a normal, bulky human body? Even with his slender, flexible limbs and lighter body, Chazz found the task difficult. His wings twitched uncomfortable, begging to be free. He was actually glad for his coat since the extra appendages would've only made this brutal climb even more uncomfortable and difficult.
Determination and the desire for freedom drived him forward. The night air and overheard starlight promised that the exit was close, blazing so close, Chazz could practically taste it. It made him climb faster, until his hands touched air, and with a heave, he pulled his upper body free. The feel of air felt wonderful compared to the dank, stale, claustrophobic environment of the tunnel.
He nearly screamed in surprised when three pairs of hands grabbed his arms and yanked him free from the tunnel with force and threw him onto the snow, he landed in a crucifix shape. He sat up, and his angry yells morphed into stunned silence. All three of his younger brothers stood in front of him, their wings, feathery ears and frosty white skin hidden behind heavy winter coats, gloves, winter hats, and earmuffs.
"Where did you?" He pointed and blinked bewildered.
"I'm Mana's apprentice." Syrus said simply folded all his fingers but his thumb in a gesture to himself. "We got these from the supply closet."
"And since everyone is hauled up in dad's room, we figured it be faster if we used the back door." Jaden chimed in, flashing Chazz a grin.
Chazz stared at him as the realization set in. He growled in fury. He moved into a pounce, poised to attack Jaden, but Jesse grabbed him from behind the second he did. The older boy fought his hold but Jesse held strong.
"Hey don't get mad at us, 'cause you took the long way, Chazz," Jesse snapped.
"Fine!" Chazz shoved him off and started climbing up the Tree's upper roots. "You three go home, I've got work to do."
"The hell you are!" The three protested.
"Come on, you didn't think we'd go through all the trouble to make sure you didn't leave without us to go home now, did you?"
"Yes!" Chazz snapped, his boot slipping on a particularly slick root.
"Come on, Chazz," Syrus protested. "You know just as well as us, you can't go to the human world by yourself. You haven't been there in ten years, you have no idea what's changed. You don't know where Yugi is, or have any clue on where to even start looking for him? Need I go on?" Chazz felt Syrus' victorious grin on his back, and felt his ego dented. Syrus didn't wait for an answer, the growls spurred from Chazz's bruised pride were all the confirmation he needed.
"Which is why, we're going with you!" Jaden announced, jumping after him.
Chazz wanted to scream. "Fine! Just hurry up and don't slow me down!" He commanded, swallowing his pride, and slipped into the divided knothole in the bark. "Let's go!"
And where do you four think you're going? The voice echoed in their heads as loudly as if its owner had spoken directly in their ears. All four fairy boys froze, turning around slowly and came to face to face with all too familiar golden eyes.
Solomon Mouto watched Yugi with a heavy heart. Yugi's body rose and fell rapidly with his heavy breathing, his normally soft-pink skin was pallor with fever, dusting his cheeks and forehead with dark red stains. Suction cups dotted his arms and chest in replace of needles, in light of Yugi's sudden allergic reaction. His heart rate beeped monophonically, but his temperature spiked and receded every few minutes. They had tried alternative methods to get nutrients into Yugi's system but his body rejected anything processed, until they finally gave up. His body peacefully slept, which all tests showed, but his fever was getting worse and Yugi's body grew progressively weaker.
The case baffled his doctors. They were oblivious to any solution to Yugi's condition and Solomon knew it, even if they wouldn't say it. They were doctors after all: they were supposed to have all the answers, know exactly what was wrong, and exactly how to treat it. It was their job. If they couldn't do that then there was no point, but they wouldn't admit it.
"Yami…" Solomon shot up when he heard Yugi speak. The name rolled off his tongue for the fourth time in less than thirty minutes. Yugi's expression was always different after he said it. The name was always spoken in a dreamy, loving tone laced with trust and affection, other times it was high and panicked in a desperate cry for help for this person to save him from something. Those calls were often followed by Yugi shaking and thrashing in his bed. This time it, however, it was a combination of both; a heart broken plea for the one Yugi loved most to come back to him.
It tore at his aged heart. He didn't want to believe Yugi when he'd told him about his mysterious Yami character and of his true origins. He'd wanted so much to believe it had been an illusion conjured by the fever of hypothermia, and had he simply been Yugi's grandfather he might've been able to believe that. But he wasn't. He'd raised Yugi: he'd been the one to care for him when his parents were away, read him bed time stories and made his school lunches, scolded him for his bad report cards, spanked him when he misbehaved as a child and grounded him when teenage rebellion compelled him to do things he shouldn't have, and took him in when his parents died. He hadn't wanted to be Yugi's surrogate parent: he'd already raised his children, now he wanted to spoil his grandchildren. But he'd never regretted raising Yugi, the second that sweet boy had entered his life he'd wanted nothing more than to keep him forever. It was a selfish wish he'd always felt guilty for, especially since he'd finally got it when a plane crash took his son and daughter-in-law from Yugi when he was a young teenager. Part of him couldn't help but think that he'd gotten his wish after that.
When the boys had told him Yugi hadn't come back from the storm, his old heart feared Kami was finally punishing him for that selfish wish that unwittingly got Yugi's parents killed. A silly thing to blame himself for, he knew, but Yugi had been like a child to him rather than a grandson and Yugi's father was his son, how could he not blame himself in some form for them dying before him. Now, it seemed another of his children was about to die before him, and this one was even less fair than when his son and daughter died.
Yugi was young and had a full life to live, and, as much as he didn't want it to be true, it sounded like Yugi had found it with this Yami and these Frost Fairies. Even now, he didn't want to believe his grandson has been seduced into some mythical supernatural world, but it seemed to become more and more true with each passing day. He knew Yugi was no liar: the words he'd spoken when he'd revealed what happened during that storm were spoken with nothing but truth and honesty. It seemed so impossible to believe that Solomon hadn't wanted to even try at the time, but Yugi refused to claim otherwise. Deep down, Solomon knew it was true, as hard as it was to believe his son had found love and a family with a being known as the Frost King.
Part of it made him happy, to know his grandson had finally found someone who could love and respect the wonderful person he was and who could fulfill the happiness he'd searched so hard for. But another part of him was angry and sad: angry at this Yami for taking his beloved Grandson away from him, sad at the horrible thought of losing him, and relief that Yugi had chosen to come back to them.
Except, Yugi hadn't chosen to come back. He only returned because Yugi thought he had to, because he didn't want his grandfather and his best friends to suffer from losing him. It had broken his heart to learn that Yugi hadn't chosen, but felt obligated to come back to him. And yet another part of Solomon, the elder, wiser part of him knew the desire for Yugi to want to come back to him was the selfish wish of a child who wanted more attention than its siblings. Of course, he wanted Yugi to be happy, but he didn't want to never see his grandson again either, if that meant persuading Yugi to stay, it seemed the lesser of two evils.
But seeing him writhe in pain and pant with sickness, hearing him whisper that single name so passionately over and over, Solomon wanted nothing more than to track down this Yami and beg him to save his grandson. He'd do it too if he could. The fact being he couldn't, and now his grandson was suffering.
He exhaled a sign and looked at the door. It couldn't take Joey and Tristan that long to get coffee, but when he looked at the clock he saw not much time had passed. Had he truly become so lost in his thoughts? His worries? It seemed even time had lost any real meaning. And where were the doctors? Shouldn't they at least be running tests or something? He didn't trust the nurses after that last incident.
Deciding he was done waiting and with one last look at Yugi's slumbering form, Solomon hopped off his chair and stepped outside Yugi's room intent on finding someone.
"Excuse me?" he asked politely but was ignored. Not having the patience to wait, Solomon stomped out of the room and grabbed the first doctor he could fine, "Excuse me?" he asked in a voice full of forced chivalry. "But would you be so kind as to update me on my grandson's case? Yugi Mouto?"
"Um?" The doctor fumbled through his clipboard, pretending to know something when he obviously didn't. He directed Solomon to another office, where he finally met the doctor from earlier, but the man knew even less than the other doctor. Instead of listening to the repetition of how complicated Yugi's cases was and how the only thing they were certain of was that Yugi was getting weaker and weaker, but that the cause eluded them, Solomon finally gave up and decided to return to Yugi's room and continue his vigil.
Except instead of Yugi's slumbering form, he found a pile of empty suction cups, wires, the machines beeping endlessly, the sheets pushed back and note set on Yugi's pillow. His first instinct was to have a heart attack; his second was to scream for help. Solomon did neither, instead he charged as fast as his short legs could move and grabbed the note, immediately recognizing the hand writing:
Meet us at the car. We know what's wrong with Yugi. And we know how to help him. Trust us.
-Joey
"I cannot believe we are doing this."
"This is a bad idea…like such a bad idea that bad is spelled in big, fat, red, capital letters BAD, bad idea."
"Hey you got any better ideas, start spillin. I'm all ears."
"I didn't say I did, but come on, Joey, we're so going to get caught!"
"We will if you don't shut up and act look out like ya supposed to! I can't carry Yugi, and look out at the same time." Joey carried Yugi's passed out body on his back, down the second flight of stairs. "I still can't believe we got him out of the room without anyone seeing us!"
"I can't believe you just left a note, for Grandpa, he's gonna kill us!" Tristan snapped from the bottom of the stairs, and slid against the wall adjacent to the door when he saw a doctor walk by.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Joey said, flatly.
"We're kidnapping our sick best friend from a hospital? This goes beyond desperate!" Tristan looked over to see how far behind Joey was. Once the blond got to the bottom of the stairs he roses his arms, carefully readjusting Yugi, so his arms draped over his neck and Yugi's cheek rested against Joey's shoulder. The fever radiating from Yugi's skin made Joey's neck and ears sweat, but he didn't care. Yugi started a coughing fit again, alerting them that they had to move faster. "We got get him outta here, Trist. He's getting sicker!"
"Hold on!" Tristan looked out the window and carefully opened the door. He double-checked to make sure the hallway was empty, then slid outside and motioned for Joey to follow. He held the door open for him, as he did so.
"Which raises the question?" Tristan added "How are we supposed to get him to the mountain? Remember the last time he was in the car?"
"I know, Trist, but we ain't got any other choice. Ya see anyone?" Joey snapped, following Tristan down the hallway, keeping as close to the wall as he could. If anyone saw him carrying Yugi and their plan was doomed.
Tristan held an arm out once they reached the end, forcing him to stop. Nurses and patients were running a mock, blocking their only exit: the staircase that led to the garage. Tristan found it ironic that the only way to get there was through the first floor and that all the elevators to it were locked and labeled "Emergency Only". It made him wonder if they were the first ones to try a stunt like this.
"Now what?" Joey asked.
"I got an idea, wait for my signal," Tristan said quickly and hopped into view before Joey could ask what the signal was.
Thinking quickly, and looking for anything that might earn a distraction without evacuating the entire building. He sneaked up behind a janitor walked back a few steps then ran straight forward. When he reached the public corridor, Joey's heart leapt into his throat when his feet slid out from under him and he crashed to the floor with a fake scream.
"AH!" he cried alerting everyone to his predicament and was suddenly surrounded by nurses and doctors asking him if he was alright and offering to help him up. He looked up assuring them he was fine and smoothly lied, but not before swaying his hand high enough for Joey to see.
Getting the signal, Joey double-checked to make sure everyone was occupied then bolted across the room, opened the door to the garage and slipped inside, extra careful with Yugi. Once they were safe, Tristan got to his feet, assured everyone he was alright and chased after them. "Dude! I cannot believe that worked!" Tristan cheered, jumping two steps at a time behind Joey.
"I can't believe you pretended to trip, I mean ya couldn't come up with something more original?" Joey teased.
"Hey shut up, I got us out of there didn't I?" He slipped in front of Joey, skipped the last step and shoved open the door opening into the parking garage.
"Yeah, yeah, where'd you park the car?" Joey demanded, chasing Tristan through the parking lot. When they found the car, Tristan plopped into the front seat and turned it on. After getting the door open, Joey maneuvered Yugi, so he was holding him like a bride and carefully set Yugi in the back, than got in next to him. "Drive around to the front, we gotta get Grandpa too."
"Got it!" Tristan pulled out. Grandpa was already outside by the time they drove by. The man looked ready to kill them, but hospital security wasn't behind him, so that was a plus, right?
"Hey gramps!" Tristan waved.
"You two…"The man was red with rage and concern. His eyes darted to Yugi who was lying in Joey's lap in the backseat. His fists clenched and unclenched like his teeth, unable to properly speak. "You better have an explanation."
"Look Grandpa, something happened to Yugi on that mountain, and the only way he's gonna get better is if we take him back there," Tristan explained.
"And hopefully, this Yami guy knows what's going on," Joey added.
"Fine, move over," Solomon demanded, trying to climb into the driver's seat.
"What? It's my car?" Tristan protested, but climbed over into the passenger side anyway.
"You two drive too slow," Grandpa said putting the car in drive, swerved out of the parking lot and hit the gas the second the tires hit the pavement, leaving Tristan and Joey screaming.
They reached Niku-Ku Mountain faster than they expected. When Solomon parked the car, it took Tristan and Joey several minutes to realize they had stopped. Terrified fingers gripped the leather of the seats for dear life, Joey's arm wrapped extra tight around Yugi's waist, while the other clamped the back of the seat. Their eyes were wide and unblinking and their mouths hung open in voiceless screams. No wonder Yugi had practically begged them to teach him how to drive. Fortunately, the speed had done well for Yugi. He'd remained passed out the entire trip, but his coughing had grown suffocatingly worse, surrounded by so much metal.
The sounds of Grandpa slamming and opening the doors brought the two older boys back to their sense. Joey felt Grandpa tugging on Yugi's limp body and he surrendered the boy long enough to remove his seat belt, both him and Tristan piled outside, and directed Solomon towards the slope they had taken into the mountain. Solomon took a moment to bundle Yugi up in his coat-he'd be damned if Yugi caught pneumonia with his fever-and carefully carried the light boy in his arms, his back unable to support the weight.
To their relief the resort was empty. The trio trekked through the ice, carefully passing Yugi off between the three of him, his safety being their prime concern. They journeyed deeper until their knees sank in the snow and towering conifers dusted with snow surrounded them like a wooden army. Only the red arrows along the trees alerted them that they were anywhere near civilization.
"Hello!" Joey cupped his mouth with his hands, letting his voice echo into the sky. "Anyone there? Yami?"
"Um…hello, what was that cats name…Luna! LUNA!" Tristan called! "Hello!"
"Please!" Solomon joined in, whether or not he believed in Frost Fairies didn't matter at this point. The mountain air had proven effective already: Yugi had stopped coughing, his breathing was returning to normal, and his fever seemed to be lowering. If these "beings" could help his grandson, he didn't care if he made a deal with the Yuuki-oona. "My grandson…Yugi…he's sick! Please help him!"
Snow started falling and the wind suddenly picked up, sending cloud of white powder into the air. "Stay together!" Grandpa warned, holding Yugi tighter against his body.
"Look! Frost Fairies, whatever you are?" Joey kept screaming. "Please just help him!"
"We'll make a deal or something," Tristan promised "Just saved Yugi okay!" The brunette stepped back, but his foot stepped on air instead of ground. He screamed as the ground beneath him vanished, and he rolled down the hill, crashing into the snow.
"Tristan!" Joey called. "You okay man?" Joey called rushing over.
"Is he alright?" Grandpa asked being careful about the edge. Joey bolted over, calling Tristan's name over and over again. "Tristan, holler if you can hear me-YAH!" He skidded to a halt at the edge and nearly stumbled back in horror. The bottom of a hill, Tristan sat sprawled in the snow, staring straight into the bright gold eyes of a giant, silver wolf.
Fearing for his friend's safety, Joey ignored Grandpa's calls and leaped over the edge and skidded the entire way down. He jumped when he landed and ran in front of Tristan, arms open in a defensive stance. "Beat you mutt!" Joey said instantly, 'Before I-"
"Stop!" Joey blinked and looked up just in time to see a pale-blue haired kid running up the wolf. 'It's okay he won't hurt you!" The boy promised.
"Where the heck did you come from?" Joey blinked, bewildered. Three other boys suddenly appeared from the storm of snow, all of them looked far too be out on their own.
"It's okay." One of the brunettes spoke. "Silver Fang's just helping us,"
"Silver Fang?" Joey blinked. He couldn't possible mean the wolf could he?
Cease your needless bravado, child. I'm here to help you!
Joey was frozen, staring at him. "What the heck?" Did that wolf just…
"Boys, what's going on?" Grandpa called from above the hill.
The wolf looked up following his voice. Its eyes widened in what looked like shock? Was that possible? Did wolves even get shocked? Why was he even thinking about this, why wasn't he grabbing Tristan and running like hell?
"Boys…" Grandpa breathed, his eyes deadlocked with those of the golden wolf, but he quickly realized the wolf wasn't looking at him, but who he was holding.
Yugi! The wolf's voice echoed in their mind. It whirled around, towards the boys. All of their eyes widened and they looked up than cheered excitedly!
"Yes!"
"We found him!"
"Oh yes, Yugi's back! That didn't take long at all."
"Later, later," a tall boy with black hair ran past Joey and Tristan and up the hillside with surprising ease. "We gotta get him back home."
"What the fuck is going on!" Joey screamed suddenly, shaking his head, unable to take anymore weirdness.
"It's okay!" the brunette in a red coat came over and waved his hands in defense. "We're Yugi's friends, we're here to help."
"Silver Fang too," the third boy with green hair, who looked the same age as the brunette added. In agreement, the wolf, Silver Fang, bowed and lowered himself into a submissive position.
Please be still, human, I mean you no harm. Not when you are the companions of our consort. Please do not be afraid.
"It's talking Joey," Tristan said. Just now Joey noticed he hadn't moved from his spot on the ground. "The wolf is talking…"
I am no wolf. The wolf corrected. I am Silverfang Familiar to Frost King Yami, Lord of Winter and the Faye of Snow and Ice.
"You know this Yami?" Grandpa asked hopeful, stepping closer to the edge, barely noticing the boy with black hair, running up to help him. He barely noticed his presence until he felt his grip on Yugi falter and someone catch him.
"Hi" the boy said meekly. Only then did Solomon get a good look at him, and realized just how…different he looked. His eyes were sharp, upturned and impossibly bright like summer storm clouds, too bright, too fierce to be human. Tall ears parted his shiny black hair, visible even beneath the thick earmuffs. There was a luminescence to his skin, a kind of frosty brightness, like sunlight over sheets of ice that made his complexion glitter feverishly. And there was something about his shape. He was abnormally thin, but not unhealthily so, but impossibly slender, even under the thick coat he wore, and his back was hunched, his coat nearly sliding off his shoulders like something was trying to climb out.
"It's okay, I'm Yugi's…friend," he said, scooted closer, stretching his long twig-like fingers towards Yugi. He was so close, Solomon could smell him, a bizarre combination of pine needles, pen ink and wet wood. Solomon shook his head and pulled Yugi closer. It was too much, he looked past him, at the snow, the trees, normal, familiar things, things that didn't bring anymore "weirdness" as the kids called it.
"It's okay!" the boy stepped back, balancing himself unnaturally well on the slippery slope, his feet not even sinking in the snow. He threw up his hands in a effort to look harmless, his face reflected concern for the old man's fear. "The Frost Ki-Yami, I know him, he's my dad. We can take you to him."
At the mention of Yami's name, Solomon's entire expression transformed again to hopeful pleas. "Please, we need his help my grandson".
Too late Solomon realized he'd over stepped his footing and the snow collapsed beneath his feet. He hollered as well as an old man could, fearing for Yugi's sake rather than his own. "Ah! Help!"
"Yugi!" Both boys hollered and motions to move, but time seemed to stop. Suddenly the wolf, SilverFang, leapt over them, hollowing something they couldn't understand. Immediately the wind stilled and the snow stopped. An orange and green flash shot past them.
"Look out!" They screamed, racing up the hill with unnatural speed, catching Solomon, just before his grip on Yugi faltered. Solomon screamed in horror, when he felt Yugi's body slip from his fingers. Images his unconscious grandson's broken body sprawled across the snow surrounded by blood flashed through his vision. Suddenly, a blue dash eloped Yugi, shedding the black coat. Something flicked loose, rising so fast it almost slapped Solomon's cheek, just before it and Yugi spiraled into the air. His eyes followed Yugi assuring his safety. What he saw gave his old heart such a shock he thought it would stop beating. His ages boned crashed into something hard, and landed against the snow with an impact.
"It's okay, Mister Grandpa, we got you," two voices echoed in his ears, helping him to his feet. Solomon rolled around and gasped seeing the children, not unlike the other child. The old man tried to scream but he could not.
Two more screams broke the silence: one from Joey, the other from Tristan. "Shit!" Joey screamed and stumbled backwards, backing away from the blue-haired boy trying to help him up. All of their eyes focused on the boy still on the cliff, holding Yugi. "Fucking shit!"
Except the dark-haired man wasn't standing on the hill, rather he was floating above it, struggling to hold Yugi's heavy body in his arms, the appendages glittered brightly in the air like a peacock boasting its brilliance, even as the boy embarrassingly tried to hide them. He floated to the bottom of the hill, allowing them to rest wetly about his back, even then they sparkled, brilliant and black and speckled with different colors, identical to one of the feathers, shinning on Yugi's pendant.
"Oh Kami!" Joey finally said. "You have wings!"
The sight of them sent a thrill through not only him, but Tristan and Solomon as well, married to the horrible fear and realization that they were real. They were real!
"You're a Frost Fairy?" Joey finally laughed before passing out.