A/N- Yay! You can't imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out I had 9 new
reviews! Copious amounts of thanks to you all. Sorry this is late. I was
running out of cryptically vague things to say.
Another/Note- Eh...Another Note, Author's note, what's the difference? Anyway, this to explain the botching of the last chapter. In a vain attempt to explain myself and yet not give away what little plot remains, this little change was not intended to be here...yet (Maybe?)...Oi... I feel really stupid now...(You stay out of this, Silvara!)
Disclaimer- Um...no.
Missing, But Always There
Seto woke with a start, eyes wide, ears swiveling to catch that faint sound that had jolted him from his sleep. Beside him the tiger slumbered on, oblivious to the distressed cries Seto had heard. Getting to his feet, Seto glanced around to see that the sun had started to set, the wind dying down until the lake was once again glass-smooth.
Moving a few feet away for the water's edge to hear better, Seto's ears flattened against his skull as he heard it again. Those same familiar voices calling him. Cursing him. Pleading with him. In his mind's eye, he could see the shadowy forms of their faces, catch fleeting glimpses of their eyes.
There was one thing Seto had learned early on in life, and that was always watch your opponent's eyes. It wouldn't matter how accomplished at lying they were, the eyes would always give them away in some way. Either by blinking too much, or too little. By darting about frantically. A shift to the right, to the left. It was the small things like that that he'd learned to look for.
And he could read the intent in another person's eyes like he could read the text in a book. It was all a matter of interpretation.
_That_ was where the true skill lay. Anyone could see what he did in an opponent's eyes, but they wouldn't know what the signs were if they weren't looking for them. Wouldn't know the warning markers without understanding what they meant. It was a skill that he had refined to an art, until it was second nature to him. And it had kept him alive.
So it was only natural that Seto had learned to recognize people on their eyes alone. Eyes, like fingerprints, popcorn, and snowflakes were unique.
He felt a flare of panic as he realized that a familiar face, familiar eyes, were missing from the shadowy image he saw in his mind's eye. The only eyes that had ever held any power of him were gone. Nowhere to be seen.
//Seto.//
Turning, Seto found the tiger watching him intently.
//Are you ready to remember yet? Ready to go home?//
Seto backed away from the tiger as it advanced on him, slowly, step by step. Its glowing, crimson eyes never leaving his.
//You can't stay here forever, Seto. No human is meant to. This is not the way humans were meant to live.//
//I'm afraid.//
The tiger stopped, staring at Seto, some indefinable emotion flickering in the back of its eyes.
//Why are you afraid?//
Ducking his head, Seto clenched his eyes shut.
//Because of what I _can_ remember. I remember pain, and suffering, and more pain. I don't want to go back to that!//
//Is that really all you remember, Seto? Don't you remember anything but the pain?//
Flinching as he felt a the tiger's mental sigh wash over him, Seto brought his head up to meet the tiger's gaze evenly.
//Why are you here? You don't belong here, anymore than I do. I can feel it.//
The tiger's crimson eyes narrowed, ears going back.
//I'm here because you called me to you, Seto.//
//No! That's not the only reason, I can see it in your eyes. Why are you here?//
Turning to gaze out over the lake, the tiger remained silent for a long time, the only sound that of the waves lapping at the rocky shore and the musical twittering of songbirds.
//Because I want to be here, Seto. Because you called to me...and I came. Because you needed me.//
Bristling at the implication that he needed anyone, Seto pawed at smooth pebbles beneath his feet, lining the lakeshore, a low growl escaping his throat.
//Who are you?//
Looking over at him, the tiger seemed to smile.
//Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul.//
As before, the words sent a shiver through him. Made him feel something he could barely understand, but desperately wanted to. Snarling, Seto looked away first, unable to meet the tiger's eyes.
//I don't understand you.// He admitted, feeling strangely hollow and empty inside. Feeling as though he was missing some integral part of himself. Feeling as though...as though he were broken, with no hope of being fixed.
He heard the soft scrape and slide of rocks shifting as the tiger moved to his side, glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye, but made to move.
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//
It took a moment for those words to sink into his mind, into his body. A moment for them to work their magic. A moment, and then they ran.
A/N- Yes, I am very aware of the fact that this is short. But don't worry. As soon as I can find where I put my notes for the next part, I'll begin typing that up. As always, review please. And one more thing. If you have any pranks I could use for my next story, I would be very grateful... I have an entire binder full of wise cracks and smart remarks, just not defined pranks...
Another/Note- Eh...Another Note, Author's note, what's the difference? Anyway, this to explain the botching of the last chapter. In a vain attempt to explain myself and yet not give away what little plot remains, this little change was not intended to be here...yet (Maybe?)...Oi... I feel really stupid now...(You stay out of this, Silvara!)
Disclaimer- Um...no.
Missing, But Always There
Seto woke with a start, eyes wide, ears swiveling to catch that faint sound that had jolted him from his sleep. Beside him the tiger slumbered on, oblivious to the distressed cries Seto had heard. Getting to his feet, Seto glanced around to see that the sun had started to set, the wind dying down until the lake was once again glass-smooth.
Moving a few feet away for the water's edge to hear better, Seto's ears flattened against his skull as he heard it again. Those same familiar voices calling him. Cursing him. Pleading with him. In his mind's eye, he could see the shadowy forms of their faces, catch fleeting glimpses of their eyes.
There was one thing Seto had learned early on in life, and that was always watch your opponent's eyes. It wouldn't matter how accomplished at lying they were, the eyes would always give them away in some way. Either by blinking too much, or too little. By darting about frantically. A shift to the right, to the left. It was the small things like that that he'd learned to look for.
And he could read the intent in another person's eyes like he could read the text in a book. It was all a matter of interpretation.
_That_ was where the true skill lay. Anyone could see what he did in an opponent's eyes, but they wouldn't know what the signs were if they weren't looking for them. Wouldn't know the warning markers without understanding what they meant. It was a skill that he had refined to an art, until it was second nature to him. And it had kept him alive.
So it was only natural that Seto had learned to recognize people on their eyes alone. Eyes, like fingerprints, popcorn, and snowflakes were unique.
He felt a flare of panic as he realized that a familiar face, familiar eyes, were missing from the shadowy image he saw in his mind's eye. The only eyes that had ever held any power of him were gone. Nowhere to be seen.
//Seto.//
Turning, Seto found the tiger watching him intently.
//Are you ready to remember yet? Ready to go home?//
Seto backed away from the tiger as it advanced on him, slowly, step by step. Its glowing, crimson eyes never leaving his.
//You can't stay here forever, Seto. No human is meant to. This is not the way humans were meant to live.//
//I'm afraid.//
The tiger stopped, staring at Seto, some indefinable emotion flickering in the back of its eyes.
//Why are you afraid?//
Ducking his head, Seto clenched his eyes shut.
//Because of what I _can_ remember. I remember pain, and suffering, and more pain. I don't want to go back to that!//
//Is that really all you remember, Seto? Don't you remember anything but the pain?//
Flinching as he felt a the tiger's mental sigh wash over him, Seto brought his head up to meet the tiger's gaze evenly.
//Why are you here? You don't belong here, anymore than I do. I can feel it.//
The tiger's crimson eyes narrowed, ears going back.
//I'm here because you called me to you, Seto.//
//No! That's not the only reason, I can see it in your eyes. Why are you here?//
Turning to gaze out over the lake, the tiger remained silent for a long time, the only sound that of the waves lapping at the rocky shore and the musical twittering of songbirds.
//Because I want to be here, Seto. Because you called to me...and I came. Because you needed me.//
Bristling at the implication that he needed anyone, Seto pawed at smooth pebbles beneath his feet, lining the lakeshore, a low growl escaping his throat.
//Who are you?//
Looking over at him, the tiger seemed to smile.
//Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul.//
As before, the words sent a shiver through him. Made him feel something he could barely understand, but desperately wanted to. Snarling, Seto looked away first, unable to meet the tiger's eyes.
//I don't understand you.// He admitted, feeling strangely hollow and empty inside. Feeling as though he was missing some integral part of himself. Feeling as though...as though he were broken, with no hope of being fixed.
He heard the soft scrape and slide of rocks shifting as the tiger moved to his side, glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye, but made to move.
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//
It took a moment for those words to sink into his mind, into his body. A moment for them to work their magic. A moment, and then they ran.
A/N- Yes, I am very aware of the fact that this is short. But don't worry. As soon as I can find where I put my notes for the next part, I'll begin typing that up. As always, review please. And one more thing. If you have any pranks I could use for my next story, I would be very grateful... I have an entire binder full of wise cracks and smart remarks, just not defined pranks...