Gaia stood pounding at the door, not receiving an answer and not willing to
leave. Finally he stopped and used a little trick another warrior had
taught him and opened the door. His friend and the elf were nowhere to be
seen, but the door to the bedroom was slightly ajar and he didn't mind
poking his head in for a look.
He smiled as he looked at the scene before him. Dark held the elf close and neither seemed to be aware of their position, but that wasn't what caught his eye. No, it was the smile that had long been missing from the Magician's face, now firmly back where it belonged.
He moved in closer and noticed that his presence disturbed the elf; who clutched the Magician tightly as if protecting. That confirmed what Gaia had thought. They were bonded, rare yes, but not unheard of. But knowing this didn't help the one problem he knew would happen. Dark would never admit that he loved another, not when he knew his fate.
But looking at the two lying together, so happy, he was tempted to curse fate, destiny and the whole mess. They belonged together! But his training stopped him, and he could only sigh while his mind started forming plans to help these two as much as he could. Finally his stomach reminded him there was food in the next room and that these two had yet to eat as well.
He reached over and tapped Dark lightly on the nose, knowing from the past that it was the best way to wake him up. He chuckled quietly as the violet magician crunched up his face before opening his eyes and staring at Gaia in annoyance. Gaia just shook his head slightly and cocked his head towards the elf in his friend's arms. Dark looked over in surprise and noticed their position and his face turned a shade of red the Knight thought wasn't possible although looked quite nice.
The elf took this moment to wake up and saw Dark blushing and decided to ignore it, to Gaia's amusement. He just stretched and sat up, bringing Dark with him and then raised an eyebrow at the Knight.
"Food?" The elf asked and Gaia smiled and waved to the other room.
"In there, I brought enough for all of us. I was just waiting until you guys woke up." Dark got out of bed, grumbling to himself. He had been comfortable, although he wouldn't admit it, more than comfortable actually, and now he had to wake up.
The Knight led the elf to the food and watched him dig in. He was glad that Neo had told him to grab extra for the blond. He had forgotten how thin the elf had looked when they rescued him, speaking of which.
"I guess I should tell you that the Slavers won't be coming anywhere near here anymore. A lot of people were upset to see an elf as an unwilling Card and the Free Cards used their own methods to remove them from the city." He grinned viscously as he remembered the Cards coming to him to make sure the elf was all right, with what was left of the Slavers. No they wouldn't be coming around here, ever again.
The elf nodded his head firmly and stared off into the distance for a minute. The ruby eyes grew hazy and Gaia could easily see the pain within them.
"They'll never hurt you again. Many here will protect you and even more will stand by you." For more reasons than those you know, he added silently. He heard Dark enter the room and handed his friend a plate. They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company, although Gaia caught the glances going between his two dinner companions when they thought the other wasn't looking.
He finally excused himself and went to look for a friend. He was going to get the two together, but he would need help to do so, a lot of help if he knew Dark. He walked to the barracks and went in search of another warrior with a weird bond. A bond to a mortal of all creatures.
Dark stared at the elf across from him and sighed. He wished life had been kinder to him, not having to give him a glimpse of what he could never have and would always want. Maybe he shouldn't have gone outside yesterday, shouldn't have slept by this beautiful elf for just a little while. But who could have resisted? Red eyes looked up at his sigh and locked with his. They just looked at each other and then finally Celtic looked away slightly.
"You don't want me here, do you?" He whispered. "I thought you were going to be upset if I left, but I guess you were unhappy with me staying." Dark wanted to tell him he was wrong, to share what was on his mind, but he couldn't. This would be kinder to Celtic. He turned his head away from the beautiful elf and looked out the window.
He heard nothing for a long time and when he turned back, Celtic had left. Dark just stared in shock, he had known that elves moved silently, but he hadn't been prepared for this disappearing act. He looked all through his rooms and when he was sure Celtic was nowhere to be seen, he cried. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he be allowed to love? Why must he push everyone away? But he remembered a different set of red eyes that had called to him, a call he couldn't refuse.
"It seems I'll be forever doomed by red eyes."
Celtic didn't let his tears fall. He wouldn't, it would tear him apart. He had been wrong to even think the Magician could ever want him there, no matter what he thought he had seen. His own people didn't even want him. He walked quickly away from the Tower and when he was passing by the barracks when he heard a familiar voice. The Knight.
Curiosity took him closer and he listened to the voices.
"So you are sure he loves him?"
"Yes, I've never seen Dark so peaceful, he was actually smiling."
"That is rare. He hasn't smiled for years or at least none I've seen."
"So, will you help?"
"I don't know if I can. I mean it won't be easy for them. Maybe it's better if it never happens to them."
"It's not fair! Why did Yami have to choose Dark? Why not let him live in peace?"
"It is not our place to decide."
"But you can be with that mortal and that wasn't easy."
"It still isn't."
"Flame, please."
"The elf has to decide if he is willing to live with Dark for the short time he has left. He must know before he makes a decision that Dark is bound to Yami's deck and that can't be changed."
Celtic left the voices and stood there in the shadows thinking about what he had just heard. This certainly explained why Dark had been sad and didn't answer him, but could he love him and stay with him, only to have to give him up in a short period of time?
He, like all others in this world, knew of Yami's choice. Every thousand years, Yami created a Deck, holding the best of the best Cards. Many thought it was an honor and strove to be a part of that Deck, to live in the mortal realm, but a few others did not.
Like Dark it seemed. He knew there wasn't much time left; The Deck would be formed at the end of this year. He knew what he must do.
He ran back up the tower and wrote a message for Dark. He then took off into the night, heading towards the desert. If Dark was going to become part of the Deck, than so was he. Even if all he could give was his life.
'I've found something I never thought I could. My Kin didn't understand me, didn't take the time to.'
He turned and looked back to the city.looking at the tower.
"And yet in a few hours you made me feel at home." He smiled slightly. "I hope I'll be able to come back."
He smiled as he looked at the scene before him. Dark held the elf close and neither seemed to be aware of their position, but that wasn't what caught his eye. No, it was the smile that had long been missing from the Magician's face, now firmly back where it belonged.
He moved in closer and noticed that his presence disturbed the elf; who clutched the Magician tightly as if protecting. That confirmed what Gaia had thought. They were bonded, rare yes, but not unheard of. But knowing this didn't help the one problem he knew would happen. Dark would never admit that he loved another, not when he knew his fate.
But looking at the two lying together, so happy, he was tempted to curse fate, destiny and the whole mess. They belonged together! But his training stopped him, and he could only sigh while his mind started forming plans to help these two as much as he could. Finally his stomach reminded him there was food in the next room and that these two had yet to eat as well.
He reached over and tapped Dark lightly on the nose, knowing from the past that it was the best way to wake him up. He chuckled quietly as the violet magician crunched up his face before opening his eyes and staring at Gaia in annoyance. Gaia just shook his head slightly and cocked his head towards the elf in his friend's arms. Dark looked over in surprise and noticed their position and his face turned a shade of red the Knight thought wasn't possible although looked quite nice.
The elf took this moment to wake up and saw Dark blushing and decided to ignore it, to Gaia's amusement. He just stretched and sat up, bringing Dark with him and then raised an eyebrow at the Knight.
"Food?" The elf asked and Gaia smiled and waved to the other room.
"In there, I brought enough for all of us. I was just waiting until you guys woke up." Dark got out of bed, grumbling to himself. He had been comfortable, although he wouldn't admit it, more than comfortable actually, and now he had to wake up.
The Knight led the elf to the food and watched him dig in. He was glad that Neo had told him to grab extra for the blond. He had forgotten how thin the elf had looked when they rescued him, speaking of which.
"I guess I should tell you that the Slavers won't be coming anywhere near here anymore. A lot of people were upset to see an elf as an unwilling Card and the Free Cards used their own methods to remove them from the city." He grinned viscously as he remembered the Cards coming to him to make sure the elf was all right, with what was left of the Slavers. No they wouldn't be coming around here, ever again.
The elf nodded his head firmly and stared off into the distance for a minute. The ruby eyes grew hazy and Gaia could easily see the pain within them.
"They'll never hurt you again. Many here will protect you and even more will stand by you." For more reasons than those you know, he added silently. He heard Dark enter the room and handed his friend a plate. They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company, although Gaia caught the glances going between his two dinner companions when they thought the other wasn't looking.
He finally excused himself and went to look for a friend. He was going to get the two together, but he would need help to do so, a lot of help if he knew Dark. He walked to the barracks and went in search of another warrior with a weird bond. A bond to a mortal of all creatures.
Dark stared at the elf across from him and sighed. He wished life had been kinder to him, not having to give him a glimpse of what he could never have and would always want. Maybe he shouldn't have gone outside yesterday, shouldn't have slept by this beautiful elf for just a little while. But who could have resisted? Red eyes looked up at his sigh and locked with his. They just looked at each other and then finally Celtic looked away slightly.
"You don't want me here, do you?" He whispered. "I thought you were going to be upset if I left, but I guess you were unhappy with me staying." Dark wanted to tell him he was wrong, to share what was on his mind, but he couldn't. This would be kinder to Celtic. He turned his head away from the beautiful elf and looked out the window.
He heard nothing for a long time and when he turned back, Celtic had left. Dark just stared in shock, he had known that elves moved silently, but he hadn't been prepared for this disappearing act. He looked all through his rooms and when he was sure Celtic was nowhere to be seen, he cried. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he be allowed to love? Why must he push everyone away? But he remembered a different set of red eyes that had called to him, a call he couldn't refuse.
"It seems I'll be forever doomed by red eyes."
Celtic didn't let his tears fall. He wouldn't, it would tear him apart. He had been wrong to even think the Magician could ever want him there, no matter what he thought he had seen. His own people didn't even want him. He walked quickly away from the Tower and when he was passing by the barracks when he heard a familiar voice. The Knight.
Curiosity took him closer and he listened to the voices.
"So you are sure he loves him?"
"Yes, I've never seen Dark so peaceful, he was actually smiling."
"That is rare. He hasn't smiled for years or at least none I've seen."
"So, will you help?"
"I don't know if I can. I mean it won't be easy for them. Maybe it's better if it never happens to them."
"It's not fair! Why did Yami have to choose Dark? Why not let him live in peace?"
"It is not our place to decide."
"But you can be with that mortal and that wasn't easy."
"It still isn't."
"Flame, please."
"The elf has to decide if he is willing to live with Dark for the short time he has left. He must know before he makes a decision that Dark is bound to Yami's deck and that can't be changed."
Celtic left the voices and stood there in the shadows thinking about what he had just heard. This certainly explained why Dark had been sad and didn't answer him, but could he love him and stay with him, only to have to give him up in a short period of time?
He, like all others in this world, knew of Yami's choice. Every thousand years, Yami created a Deck, holding the best of the best Cards. Many thought it was an honor and strove to be a part of that Deck, to live in the mortal realm, but a few others did not.
Like Dark it seemed. He knew there wasn't much time left; The Deck would be formed at the end of this year. He knew what he must do.
He ran back up the tower and wrote a message for Dark. He then took off into the night, heading towards the desert. If Dark was going to become part of the Deck, than so was he. Even if all he could give was his life.
'I've found something I never thought I could. My Kin didn't understand me, didn't take the time to.'
He turned and looked back to the city.looking at the tower.
"And yet in a few hours you made me feel at home." He smiled slightly. "I hope I'll be able to come back."