Chapter Two: Guardian
Yami slowly surfaced from his sleep, consciousness gently bubbling up from the depths of slumber. An unfocused pair of crimson eyes blinked several times before they lost their dream-glazed look. It took several moments for Yami to realize that he was not in the palace, tucked in the safety of his parents' embrace. He was in the oddly familiar room he usually found himself in when he awoke from sleep. The comfortable bed with sheets of midnight blue in which he lay occupied most of the room. Toys and puzzles crowded the floor like a miniature city made of colourful interlocking pieces. He breathed in the warm smell of the room, pulling the linens up to his chin to delight in their soft touch. It felt as if he belonged in this place or perhaps, it belonged to him. He could never put a finger on the feeling, but the room felt as though it was only complete when he was in it. Although he had spent many hours searching for the room in the palace, he had never been able to find it. Only late at night, when the world was asleep and somehow, he too lay dreaming as he did now in another place between his mother and father, he would come to this special room. He was awake in this room and yet, still sleeping.
Shifting liquid forms flowing on the ceiling caught the eye of the young prince. Yami took a moment to examine them. They were pictures of events that had happened to him, dancing across the broad expanse of the ceiling as they replayed themselves as if to the prince's amusement. The edges of memories blended together in swirls of colours more brilliant than those that clothed the jewels in his mother's beaded necklaces. Changing perspective, the little prince shifted his focus so that he was looking at the golden film that covered the moving images. Like the river waters on a clear sunny day, he could look through the film to look into the ceiling's depths at his memories, but at the same time he could see the surface itself. There were slivers of light swimming on the surface of the memory ceiling like needle-thin fish. Yami squinted briefly to look at the delicate symbols of waves, sticks, dots and animals. He could identify it as writing but he could only pick out the few words that his tutors had taught him.
As interesting as the ceiling was however, it was hardly enough to satiate the appetite for curiousity of a little boy. Fully awake now, Yami sat up and rolled off the bed. Picking himself up, he made his way carefully across the labyrinth of toy pieces to the only door in the room. Yami opened it easily. Unlike the doors at the palace, this one was perfectly his size and height so that he did not have to perch on his toes to reach the handle. The young prince giggled to himself, his face alight with mischief. The laughter bounced off the blocks in the stone hallway, the mirthful sound making them glow in faint hues of gold. The stones were warm under the boy's bare feet, as if they had been absorbing the warmth of the desert sun.
The stone hallway opened into an enormous area. As far as the eye could see, it was filled with stairways and slides made of stone and clay that twisted about each other like geometric snakes. Yami rushed eagerly to the closest stairway of the gigantic playground in barely contained excitement and began to climb step by step, making his way to a pinnacle of rock. This was what he looked forward to every day. The playground was on endless room of fun. He never ran out of stairways to explore, slides to go down, doors to explore. It was as if all the stairs, slides and doors moved around everyday to invent new adventures.
He jumped onto a slide and began his descent. The air whistled in his ears as a surge of adrenaline rushed through him. Yami felt as if he were flying, a falcon in a tight dive knifing through the sky to plunge towards the ground only to soar upward as the wind blew under its outstretched wings. He spread his arms outwards, letting the wind rush through his fingers. Any moment, he should pull up from the dive.
Suddenly, the bottom of the stone slide gave out and blackness dropped in like a stone. Panicking, the little boy flailed his arms and legs to catch the wind as he felt himself falling through the dark, trying to soar back to the slide, back to the room where he belonged.
Yami jolted awake with a sensation of falling. He clutched the bunched-up linens tightly in clammy wet hands, waiting for his heart to stop racing. He looked around, unsure of where he was. Bright sunlight was slicing through the air, hurting his eyes. Hadn't he just fallen into a dark hole?
Yami, time to wake up sleepy-head. Ra has journeyed far across the sky already. The child groaned as he heard his father chiding him awake. He shut the day out with his eyelids and turned onto his side, trying to invite sleep again. He had had barely any time to play, let alone rest.
Yami suddenly found his shell of linens whisked off him as two strong hands hauled him off the bed by his armpits. Stubbornly, he attempted to curl his knees to his chest but the hands were persistent in keeping him awake. Annoyance puckered the prince's face, an amusing expression since his eyes were still closed.
Your father and I will be away for two days, little dark, a gentler voice intoned. Be good and work hard at your lessons. Wide crimson eyes filled with disappointment opened as if to search for the source of the voice. Not again. His parents had just returned two days ago and now they were off again. He felt his parents feather a soft mental kiss in his mind. A moment too late, he tried to reach out with his own but they had withdrawn from the Bond, leaving him alone.
Yami sighed. Another day by himself. Again. He felt a small nudge of anger. It wasn't fair. Why did his have to be so busy all the time? He glared at his nurse as she began to brush through his wild shock of hair, wrinkling his nose as she worked out the snarls among the gold streaks. Her hands began to efficiently slip him into a cotton skirt and buckle sandals on his feet but the little boy hardly noticed as he was deep in thought. His mind knew that his parents were important people and needed to take care of the many things in the Two Lands. but that included him as well, so why couldn't they spend a few more days with him?
Ab and oum are busy. They need to look after the needs of the people, his mind whispered.
But when do they take care of me? his heart replied.
I must be mature so that I may learn to act like a Big Person.
Then why do I feel so small?
Yami thought of the long dull hours in front of him, crawling by like the slow plod of a tired donkey. The days he spent alone seemed like they would never end. Lesson after lesson of writing and reading and training; it felt as if he were tossed around like a ball from one teacher to the next.
A hand worn by years of work, still soft under the calluses, brushed against Yami's wet cheek. The little boy looked up to stare into the sympathetic brown eyes of his nursemaid. The gentle brown face offered her young charge a small smile of comfort. She crouched in front of the little boy and wiped away the tears on his face with the edge of her dress. He quickly swiped at them with a small palm, embarrassed that he still needed Serrah for comfort. Seeing that the young prince was in no mood for sympathy from her, Serrah stood up and took his hand in her worn calloused one. He thanked her with a half-hearted nod, noticing that she was carrying her small infant, a sweet babe with big eyes of liquid brown like hers. The infant smiled down at him as if there was nothing wrong in the world. Yami looked at the infant enviously as Serrah led him to the tables where the morning meal would be served. If only things were that simple.
* * * * *
Yami stared at the dry sheets of papyrus laid out in front of him, willing them to burn to ash by the sheer ferocity of his gaze. They rustled as he sighed, realizing that they would not ignite anytime soon. He needed to finish his mathematics before he could have any dinner but the warm evening made him drowsy and sluggish. Small dots and lines began to sway back and forth across the sheet as the young prince's vision blurred. Slowly, the symbols blended together into fuzzy black shapes swimming on a tan background as Yami's eyes drooped and closed. The student cradled his head in his arms over his work and let sleep take over.
The little boy awoke at an easy pace. He stretched limbs cramped from bending over his work for too long, feeling his muscles quiver with pleasure. Looking around, Yami found that he was sitting in the middle of a long hallway lined with marching rows of doors that stretched behind and before him. The young heir of the throne to the Two Lands cocked his head to the side in perplexion. He had never been here before.
Stepping up to a door, Yami tried to open it. Locked. Undeterred, the little boy moved on to the adjacent door, which was locked as well. The third one opened easily but much to his disappointment, it was completely empty. Yami frowned in frustration. The doors in his waking dreams held no secrets from him and were usually filled with fun toys and puzzles. These mysterious doors that refused to open and held nothing exciting were strange. They did not belong to his room. His room did not keep shut him out as these doors did. He stuck his tongue out at them and hmphed in contempt when they did not respond to his challenge.
Yami walked down the hall slowly, pausing every now and then to try yanking a door open. Most doors were closed and the ones that were open were empty. Yami gave up on unravelling the mystery of the locked doors and settled instead for examining the intricate artwork engraved in the cold stone walls. The stone reliefs displayed different animals and warriors engaged in battle. Important-looking people stood behind them, staring at the scene with cold pupil-less eyes. Yami shivered slightly and walked faster to get away from the silent spectators. He did not like the way their eyes were empty. Wandering farther down the hall, the young prince found images of large scaly creatures that, despite being carved in stone, looked powerful and regal. Small jewels set as eyes sparkled in the dim light of the hallway so that they appeared to follow the child. These powerful creatures reminded him of his father when he assumed his office as king and forgot to be his ab. Yami wondered where his father was. He wished he could show him these animals and ask him what their names were, for surely his father would know. His father knew everything but unfortunately he was not there to divulge his knowledge. Yami sighed slightly and moved on.
The young boy was examining the image of what seemed like a ball of fur with large eyes when he felt a breath of air move past him. Turning around, Yami discovered that a door was slightly ajar. The dark crevice beckoned to him in invitation, finding a willing reply in the little prince. Something urgently whispered to Yami that he needed to find out what was behind that particular door.
The little boy slipped inside. His crimson eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and awe as he saw what the room held. The expansive atrium was dimly lit as if sunlight were filtered through clouds of dancing dust motes. The entire room was filled with giant stone tablets perched haphazardly in seeming disarray, though they were arranged in concentric rows of semi-circles so that the grey planes of the tablets were all facing the visitor. Yami held his breath as he studied the tablets, slowly wandering around to get a better view. They were unlike anything he had ever seen before. On the tablets were carvings of the animals and warriors that he had seen outside, one creature occupying the face of each single stone slab. The entities stood at attention, eyes staring ahead at nothing. Yami touched several of them lightly, pulling his hand away quickly so as not to awaken them from their stony silence. The shadows shifted when he walked among the tablets, making it seem as though the creatures were moving.
Yami slid deeper into the maze of tablets, drawn by the strange warriors and creatures. An uncomfortable feeling descended on him as the shadows began to envelop him and cold fear gripped his heart as he slowly became aware of the feeling that a pair of eyes were burning into his back. Frequently looking over his shoulder, Yami softened his footsteps and slowed his breathing to make less noise in the oppressive gloom. He felt scared and alone but he felt a relentless fascination for the stone tablets. He knew he would not be satisfied if he had left without looking through the entire room. The young prince felt as if he were looking for something, something of great important. He had no idea what this unnamed something was, only that it was here and if he looked hard enough and long enough, he would find it. Teetering between his fear of being followed and the need to finish his search, Yami pressed on.
The little boy squeezed between two tablets to reach another tier. Letting his feet carry him, he found himself in front of an enormous slab of shiny black stone. On it was carved a serious-looking man with flowing robes that matched his long hair, which was mostly hidden underneath a tall pointed hat. Yami smiled as his heart leapt at the sight of the tablet. He knew that this was what he was looking for although he still had no idea why. It just felt right. This tablet belonged to him like no other tablet in the room. It was like his room with the memoryscape ceiling. It had the power to make him feel complete. He reached out a hand to touch the tablet.
A click of a claw sounded behind him. The fear that he had momentarily forgotten flared to consume all other feelings. Yami pivoted on one foot, taking a step back with the other but his pursuer was faster. Before the boy could turn to face his opponent, a dark blur sprung onto his back and dug in its nails. The little boy yelled in pain and fell forward, smashing onto the black tablet. The weight jumped off its victim to survey it from the shadows between two large tablets. Black muscles tensed in anticipation as a low growl filled the young prince's ears. Yami rolled onto his back, crawling backwards as he stared in terror at many pairs of cold green eyes. The powerful cat-like creature was enormous but what terrified Yami the most was the green flame of hunger that burned in the many eyes. Without warning, the creature took to the air again in a powerful bound. Unable to get out of the way in time, Yami thrust his hands in front of his face in a useless gesture of defence and slammed his eyes shut. He reflexively placed his strongest mental barriers in front of him but he knew it was futile. They were simply not strong enough. He shook uncontrollably, waiting for the fury of the sharp claws.
The attack never came. Through closed eyelids, Yami sensed a flash of bright light. The monster roared in pain. He dared not look, making himself as small as possible as another flash burst in a brilliant moment before the room was plunged into silence and darkness. A few ragged sobs broke the stillness as the young prince curled around himself. He felt a warm liquid splash onto his hands and knees and found that the sobs were the sound of him crying.
Yami felt a pair of strong arms lift him up from behind. Still in shock, he exploded in a flurry of arms and legs, trying to get away. His back burned like fire but he continued to fight blindly though he had no knowledge of what or who he fought. The arms held him close to a warm body until he had finished thrashing and was just crying, sobbing, the fear running out of him in hot tears. The arms held him close, soothing him until he was quiet. The boy cried until he was exhausted and the tears gradually lessened. He felt hot and sleepy, a dry sob wracking through him every once in a while. Letting sleep fold over him, he slowly relaxed into the arms, sensing that they meant him no harm. A hand brushed his cheek softly. Yami dared open his eyes long enough to see a pair of blue eyes filled with concern, framed by long purple hair. With that last image, the little boy fell asleep in the safety of the arms.
Yami slowly surfaced from his sleep, consciousness gently bubbling up from the depths of slumber. An unfocused pair of crimson eyes blinked several times before they lost their dream-glazed look. It took several moments for Yami to realize that he was not in the palace, tucked in the safety of his parents' embrace. He was in the oddly familiar room he usually found himself in when he awoke from sleep. The comfortable bed with sheets of midnight blue in which he lay occupied most of the room. Toys and puzzles crowded the floor like a miniature city made of colourful interlocking pieces. He breathed in the warm smell of the room, pulling the linens up to his chin to delight in their soft touch. It felt as if he belonged in this place or perhaps, it belonged to him. He could never put a finger on the feeling, but the room felt as though it was only complete when he was in it. Although he had spent many hours searching for the room in the palace, he had never been able to find it. Only late at night, when the world was asleep and somehow, he too lay dreaming as he did now in another place between his mother and father, he would come to this special room. He was awake in this room and yet, still sleeping.
Shifting liquid forms flowing on the ceiling caught the eye of the young prince. Yami took a moment to examine them. They were pictures of events that had happened to him, dancing across the broad expanse of the ceiling as they replayed themselves as if to the prince's amusement. The edges of memories blended together in swirls of colours more brilliant than those that clothed the jewels in his mother's beaded necklaces. Changing perspective, the little prince shifted his focus so that he was looking at the golden film that covered the moving images. Like the river waters on a clear sunny day, he could look through the film to look into the ceiling's depths at his memories, but at the same time he could see the surface itself. There were slivers of light swimming on the surface of the memory ceiling like needle-thin fish. Yami squinted briefly to look at the delicate symbols of waves, sticks, dots and animals. He could identify it as writing but he could only pick out the few words that his tutors had taught him.
As interesting as the ceiling was however, it was hardly enough to satiate the appetite for curiousity of a little boy. Fully awake now, Yami sat up and rolled off the bed. Picking himself up, he made his way carefully across the labyrinth of toy pieces to the only door in the room. Yami opened it easily. Unlike the doors at the palace, this one was perfectly his size and height so that he did not have to perch on his toes to reach the handle. The young prince giggled to himself, his face alight with mischief. The laughter bounced off the blocks in the stone hallway, the mirthful sound making them glow in faint hues of gold. The stones were warm under the boy's bare feet, as if they had been absorbing the warmth of the desert sun.
The stone hallway opened into an enormous area. As far as the eye could see, it was filled with stairways and slides made of stone and clay that twisted about each other like geometric snakes. Yami rushed eagerly to the closest stairway of the gigantic playground in barely contained excitement and began to climb step by step, making his way to a pinnacle of rock. This was what he looked forward to every day. The playground was on endless room of fun. He never ran out of stairways to explore, slides to go down, doors to explore. It was as if all the stairs, slides and doors moved around everyday to invent new adventures.
He jumped onto a slide and began his descent. The air whistled in his ears as a surge of adrenaline rushed through him. Yami felt as if he were flying, a falcon in a tight dive knifing through the sky to plunge towards the ground only to soar upward as the wind blew under its outstretched wings. He spread his arms outwards, letting the wind rush through his fingers. Any moment, he should pull up from the dive.
Suddenly, the bottom of the stone slide gave out and blackness dropped in like a stone. Panicking, the little boy flailed his arms and legs to catch the wind as he felt himself falling through the dark, trying to soar back to the slide, back to the room where he belonged.
Yami jolted awake with a sensation of falling. He clutched the bunched-up linens tightly in clammy wet hands, waiting for his heart to stop racing. He looked around, unsure of where he was. Bright sunlight was slicing through the air, hurting his eyes. Hadn't he just fallen into a dark hole?
Yami, time to wake up sleepy-head. Ra has journeyed far across the sky already. The child groaned as he heard his father chiding him awake. He shut the day out with his eyelids and turned onto his side, trying to invite sleep again. He had had barely any time to play, let alone rest.
Yami suddenly found his shell of linens whisked off him as two strong hands hauled him off the bed by his armpits. Stubbornly, he attempted to curl his knees to his chest but the hands were persistent in keeping him awake. Annoyance puckered the prince's face, an amusing expression since his eyes were still closed.
Your father and I will be away for two days, little dark, a gentler voice intoned. Be good and work hard at your lessons. Wide crimson eyes filled with disappointment opened as if to search for the source of the voice. Not again. His parents had just returned two days ago and now they were off again. He felt his parents feather a soft mental kiss in his mind. A moment too late, he tried to reach out with his own but they had withdrawn from the Bond, leaving him alone.
Yami sighed. Another day by himself. Again. He felt a small nudge of anger. It wasn't fair. Why did his have to be so busy all the time? He glared at his nurse as she began to brush through his wild shock of hair, wrinkling his nose as she worked out the snarls among the gold streaks. Her hands began to efficiently slip him into a cotton skirt and buckle sandals on his feet but the little boy hardly noticed as he was deep in thought. His mind knew that his parents were important people and needed to take care of the many things in the Two Lands. but that included him as well, so why couldn't they spend a few more days with him?
Ab and oum are busy. They need to look after the needs of the people, his mind whispered.
But when do they take care of me? his heart replied.
I must be mature so that I may learn to act like a Big Person.
Then why do I feel so small?
Yami thought of the long dull hours in front of him, crawling by like the slow plod of a tired donkey. The days he spent alone seemed like they would never end. Lesson after lesson of writing and reading and training; it felt as if he were tossed around like a ball from one teacher to the next.
A hand worn by years of work, still soft under the calluses, brushed against Yami's wet cheek. The little boy looked up to stare into the sympathetic brown eyes of his nursemaid. The gentle brown face offered her young charge a small smile of comfort. She crouched in front of the little boy and wiped away the tears on his face with the edge of her dress. He quickly swiped at them with a small palm, embarrassed that he still needed Serrah for comfort. Seeing that the young prince was in no mood for sympathy from her, Serrah stood up and took his hand in her worn calloused one. He thanked her with a half-hearted nod, noticing that she was carrying her small infant, a sweet babe with big eyes of liquid brown like hers. The infant smiled down at him as if there was nothing wrong in the world. Yami looked at the infant enviously as Serrah led him to the tables where the morning meal would be served. If only things were that simple.
* * * * *
Yami stared at the dry sheets of papyrus laid out in front of him, willing them to burn to ash by the sheer ferocity of his gaze. They rustled as he sighed, realizing that they would not ignite anytime soon. He needed to finish his mathematics before he could have any dinner but the warm evening made him drowsy and sluggish. Small dots and lines began to sway back and forth across the sheet as the young prince's vision blurred. Slowly, the symbols blended together into fuzzy black shapes swimming on a tan background as Yami's eyes drooped and closed. The student cradled his head in his arms over his work and let sleep take over.
The little boy awoke at an easy pace. He stretched limbs cramped from bending over his work for too long, feeling his muscles quiver with pleasure. Looking around, Yami found that he was sitting in the middle of a long hallway lined with marching rows of doors that stretched behind and before him. The young heir of the throne to the Two Lands cocked his head to the side in perplexion. He had never been here before.
Stepping up to a door, Yami tried to open it. Locked. Undeterred, the little boy moved on to the adjacent door, which was locked as well. The third one opened easily but much to his disappointment, it was completely empty. Yami frowned in frustration. The doors in his waking dreams held no secrets from him and were usually filled with fun toys and puzzles. These mysterious doors that refused to open and held nothing exciting were strange. They did not belong to his room. His room did not keep shut him out as these doors did. He stuck his tongue out at them and hmphed in contempt when they did not respond to his challenge.
Yami walked down the hall slowly, pausing every now and then to try yanking a door open. Most doors were closed and the ones that were open were empty. Yami gave up on unravelling the mystery of the locked doors and settled instead for examining the intricate artwork engraved in the cold stone walls. The stone reliefs displayed different animals and warriors engaged in battle. Important-looking people stood behind them, staring at the scene with cold pupil-less eyes. Yami shivered slightly and walked faster to get away from the silent spectators. He did not like the way their eyes were empty. Wandering farther down the hall, the young prince found images of large scaly creatures that, despite being carved in stone, looked powerful and regal. Small jewels set as eyes sparkled in the dim light of the hallway so that they appeared to follow the child. These powerful creatures reminded him of his father when he assumed his office as king and forgot to be his ab. Yami wondered where his father was. He wished he could show him these animals and ask him what their names were, for surely his father would know. His father knew everything but unfortunately he was not there to divulge his knowledge. Yami sighed slightly and moved on.
The young boy was examining the image of what seemed like a ball of fur with large eyes when he felt a breath of air move past him. Turning around, Yami discovered that a door was slightly ajar. The dark crevice beckoned to him in invitation, finding a willing reply in the little prince. Something urgently whispered to Yami that he needed to find out what was behind that particular door.
The little boy slipped inside. His crimson eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and awe as he saw what the room held. The expansive atrium was dimly lit as if sunlight were filtered through clouds of dancing dust motes. The entire room was filled with giant stone tablets perched haphazardly in seeming disarray, though they were arranged in concentric rows of semi-circles so that the grey planes of the tablets were all facing the visitor. Yami held his breath as he studied the tablets, slowly wandering around to get a better view. They were unlike anything he had ever seen before. On the tablets were carvings of the animals and warriors that he had seen outside, one creature occupying the face of each single stone slab. The entities stood at attention, eyes staring ahead at nothing. Yami touched several of them lightly, pulling his hand away quickly so as not to awaken them from their stony silence. The shadows shifted when he walked among the tablets, making it seem as though the creatures were moving.
Yami slid deeper into the maze of tablets, drawn by the strange warriors and creatures. An uncomfortable feeling descended on him as the shadows began to envelop him and cold fear gripped his heart as he slowly became aware of the feeling that a pair of eyes were burning into his back. Frequently looking over his shoulder, Yami softened his footsteps and slowed his breathing to make less noise in the oppressive gloom. He felt scared and alone but he felt a relentless fascination for the stone tablets. He knew he would not be satisfied if he had left without looking through the entire room. The young prince felt as if he were looking for something, something of great important. He had no idea what this unnamed something was, only that it was here and if he looked hard enough and long enough, he would find it. Teetering between his fear of being followed and the need to finish his search, Yami pressed on.
The little boy squeezed between two tablets to reach another tier. Letting his feet carry him, he found himself in front of an enormous slab of shiny black stone. On it was carved a serious-looking man with flowing robes that matched his long hair, which was mostly hidden underneath a tall pointed hat. Yami smiled as his heart leapt at the sight of the tablet. He knew that this was what he was looking for although he still had no idea why. It just felt right. This tablet belonged to him like no other tablet in the room. It was like his room with the memoryscape ceiling. It had the power to make him feel complete. He reached out a hand to touch the tablet.
A click of a claw sounded behind him. The fear that he had momentarily forgotten flared to consume all other feelings. Yami pivoted on one foot, taking a step back with the other but his pursuer was faster. Before the boy could turn to face his opponent, a dark blur sprung onto his back and dug in its nails. The little boy yelled in pain and fell forward, smashing onto the black tablet. The weight jumped off its victim to survey it from the shadows between two large tablets. Black muscles tensed in anticipation as a low growl filled the young prince's ears. Yami rolled onto his back, crawling backwards as he stared in terror at many pairs of cold green eyes. The powerful cat-like creature was enormous but what terrified Yami the most was the green flame of hunger that burned in the many eyes. Without warning, the creature took to the air again in a powerful bound. Unable to get out of the way in time, Yami thrust his hands in front of his face in a useless gesture of defence and slammed his eyes shut. He reflexively placed his strongest mental barriers in front of him but he knew it was futile. They were simply not strong enough. He shook uncontrollably, waiting for the fury of the sharp claws.
The attack never came. Through closed eyelids, Yami sensed a flash of bright light. The monster roared in pain. He dared not look, making himself as small as possible as another flash burst in a brilliant moment before the room was plunged into silence and darkness. A few ragged sobs broke the stillness as the young prince curled around himself. He felt a warm liquid splash onto his hands and knees and found that the sobs were the sound of him crying.
Yami felt a pair of strong arms lift him up from behind. Still in shock, he exploded in a flurry of arms and legs, trying to get away. His back burned like fire but he continued to fight blindly though he had no knowledge of what or who he fought. The arms held him close to a warm body until he had finished thrashing and was just crying, sobbing, the fear running out of him in hot tears. The arms held him close, soothing him until he was quiet. The boy cried until he was exhausted and the tears gradually lessened. He felt hot and sleepy, a dry sob wracking through him every once in a while. Letting sleep fold over him, he slowly relaxed into the arms, sensing that they meant him no harm. A hand brushed his cheek softly. Yami dared open his eyes long enough to see a pair of blue eyes filled with concern, framed by long purple hair. With that last image, the little boy fell asleep in the safety of the arms.