Light Dark
by Kurohi Tatsaki
Chapter Thirteen: Twin Soul
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! You can't sue me cuz I have no money!
Summary: A boy who is hated by his parents, and hunted by Rare Hunters on a nightly basis, flees to Domino City, which he has spent unsuccessful time with Battle City Tournament. Two people he meets changes his life, how he views it, and learns the full meanings of friendship and... love...?
Pairings: OC's yami/OC, Seto/Jonouchi, Yugi/Yami, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, OC3/Pegasus, & *eventual* Anzu bashing! Wait a sec, how about I omit her as much as possible? Is that better?
School has returned so I can't type as often as I'd like. Not only that, I apologize for the delay, as I couldn't update anything at all until 10/2/03 b/c the zip drive was shot in the pasture. Then, I got writers block... Aaaaaaaaagh! No fun, no fun, no FUN!
Ranma Higurashi - Are you talking about Pegasus? If it's Nekome you're talking about... hahaha. You're mistaken. Does he really seem THAT evil? I mean, come ON! He's smart enough not to take after his parents!
"speech" [thoughts] /Hikari to Yami/ //Yami to Hikari// (author notes)
***********************************************
The next day was fruitless - there wasn't a trace of the light-haired Bakura anywhere! Nekome couldn't even enter the Domino High School to find him - because he wasn't even a student!
"This sucks..." he muttered, standing near the gates of Domino High. His face was tugged in a frown as he regarded the empty school.
//I agree.//
[There's no sight of that damn bi-ach!]
Nekome's stomach gurgled. He frowned a moment before pulling a snack out of his bag. As he munched on the marshmallow-chocolate cookie, he gazed at the light sky.
The sun began its agonizingly slow descent from their heavens. It cast reds and yellows among the blue sky.
"I hope Seishin's okay."
//Seishin?//
Instinctively, his head turned to face the source of the voice. However, the voice was only in his soul. His heart panged with disappointment that the voice seemed to not have an origin. /My young sister. I'm the middle kid. I left her at Yugi's house. She should be okay - I trust him./
Silence took their minds as the day ended.
Nekome stood up on his feet as soon as the sun set. He sighed and a small frown crossed his face.
Where to sleep?
His gaze flicked across his surroundings. He spotted a bench and a tree nearby it. He dashed up toward the bench and leaped from the armrest. As soon as his body came into contact with the tree, his body instantly clung to the rough bark and he flipped up it to the top. He perched atop a branch, letting the soft wind caress his face. His clothes ruffled in that breeze and he found himself closing his eyes in contentment.
//You can't be serious! Sleeping in a tree??// [We'll fall!]
/My brother did it once,/ replied Nekome, grinning. /He didn't fall off, and he could tell when someone was coming. I'm no exception./
[Did he read my mind?]
There was a light pause. Then, Nekome asked, /Wanna duel in my soul room?/
~~~~~~
The black-haired boy paced back and forth in his soul room, restless. Pegasus had insisted he go to bed, since it was late, but then yielded at the boy's earnestness.
Nekome looked at his gray ceiling. It wasn't pure, because HE wasn't exactly pure. He, too, like his older brother, had done and thought things that would cause this reaction far before he received the Seikinen Earring.
He fondly touched said earring on his left ear before delicately tracing the contours of the outside of his ear. His fingers trailed down his neck to the hollow of his throat and he sighed. He was always sensitive there, and even his own touches would cause him to sigh.
"Mmmnnn..." He tilted his head back as he let his hand explore. His hand trailed southward to pleasure himself, but he was stopped cold as he heard the door creak open. He straightened himself up immediately and looked at the door as the elegant man came inside.
"Evening, Nekome."
The boy smiled. "Ev'ning. Have a seat?" He gestured toward the floor where he had set up the game as he tried to steady his breathing and reduce the aroused blush on his face.
The man sat on his lower legs, but Nekome, in one fluent motion, sat cross- legged on the carpet. Still wearing that smile, his eyes conveyed that the other man didn't have to sit so formally.
"Ro-Sham-Bo for first turn?"
He nodded.
"Ro. Sham. Bo!"
Nekome flipped out Rock as Pegasus pulled a Paper. The boy smirked. "I'll go first. I won't use my powers, since, obviously, you don't have yours."
He drew five cards into his hand. Pegasus did the same.
The boy gulped at his horrible hand and frowned. He set a card in defense mode. "Your turn."
Pegasus set a card in defense mode and ended his turn.
"You like toons, no?" asked Nekome, drawing a card.
"H-hmm, me to know, you to find out!"
The boy grinned. "Okay!" He placed a card in attack mode. "I play Harpie's Brother - in attack mode! Strike his face-down card!"
It was Toon Crocodile - 800/1600. The monster was destroyed.
Nekome placed one card face-down...
***
"I win, Neko-boy!"
"Hahahahahaha! Good job! Hahahaha!" giggled Nekome, practically rolling on the floor with mirth. "I can't - heh-hahahaha! - BELIEVE I fell for it!! Hahahahahahaha!" His neck arched slightly as he laughed and he rolled on his side to better view the man. He was cleaning up his cards.
One bronze eye flicked up at the boy. "...Nan desu ka?"
[You're...] "It's nothing," he immediately replied. His tone did not hold any secrets lying within, though, he himself didn't even know about those secrets to their fullest. "I'm just tired..." [...gorgeous when you duel. You know that?] He closed his eyes and rested them. If only for a moment.
Pegasus eyed the boy with his one eye after some time. A slight change in the atmosphere's feel told him the boy had fallen into the gentle grasp of slumber. He crawled over and pulled the boy almost into his lap before picking up the lightweight boy. He placed him on the soft, blue, velvety bed and looked at his childish face.
"Who are you...?" murmured the man. "You go through this trouble to try and help me... You don't seem to be asking for anything in return. I don't know how to thank you for your efforts..." He paused. "You seem so innocent, just like my beloved Cecilia... I miss her so..."
The boy's face twitched into a frown. "Max......" he murmured. He rolled over, into a fetal position, and fell silent.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the soul of the man who painted the Duel Monsters Cards with his two hands watched over the boy.
***
The alleyway was dark. Nekome blocked a punch coming his way, flipping his opponent around. He received a kick in the side, and was sent to the dirty pavement. His feet dug into the cement to slow his slide, and he got to one knee.
He scrambled up and pulled back a delicate fist before letting it fly. The punch was caught and tossed aside, throwing him off-guard. Again, he fell to the ground. His body heated up twice as much as anger fueled his inner fire.
His golden eyes flared their heat at the evil chocolate orbs.
"You were a fool to come here! Be prepared to be sent to the Shadow Realm!" exclaimed the Tomb Robber.
Nekome growled. "If we're gonna fight like that, I challenge you for that Millennium Eye you have!" he shouted, standing up. "After all, I have an artifact MUCH more powerful than that stupid Ring of yours!" he bluffed. The items were all equal in strength. Now that mattered, what how they were used.
The boy's Earring flashed in the light.
Pegasus felt waves of déjà vu from the speaking of that realm he himself had cast upon Yugi.
The Shadow Realm was a very weird place. Full of duel monsters and ghosts of the past.
However, now, before his very eyes, a mere boy had found the way for him to become conscious once more!
As Nekome and Bakura squared off for dominance in the dark realm, the full moon, which had been clouded earlier that night, showed itself in all its pale glory.
As he fought, without realizing it, the change began... and as memories he no longer wished to recall surfaced, the strange man threw the other's memories back at him.
After some time, Bakura collapsed to one knee. Nekome fiddled through the boy's clothing until he came upon the Eye.
"Be grateful I only take this Eye, and not your life for what you did, Bakura," rumbled a deeper voice. "Hai, be grateful you have such a precious hikari. Take good care of him, Tomb Robber no baka."
With that, the taller shadow left Bakura on the ground, exhausted out of his mind. That same weariness, though not as harsh, plagued his mind as well. He stared up at the pale opal in the sky. This was what caused such a strong physical change within him.
//So.. this.. is what you meant with the full moon. Your body shifts to the form of an adult "you"...// Pegasus appeared in a translucent form beside the other man. Twin golden eyes with the intensity of the sun's flames gazed over to the older man.
/This is so,/ replied the hikari. He smiled wanly. /I shall return your Eye tomorrow, since I cannot enter the building, and I am... so... tired......// With that, and a small groan, Nekome's body slumped to the ground.
He slept undisturbed 'til morning.
***
"Sumimasen, I would like to see Mr. Pegasus."
"Up on the third floor, room 347. Make a left after you ascend via the elevator."
Nekome followed the same path. He came to the room and stopped at Pegasus's bed. His ears picked up no one needing to come here for at least the hour, judging by their sound. Then again, sounds could be mistaken.
Carefully, he removed the bandages that covered the wounded eye socket that refused to heal. He placed the eye inside the familiar place and watched as the area immediately mended itself. After a moment, Pegasus's bronze human eye blinked open.
Nekome closed the link that broadcast what he saw to the man, so as to not confuse his sight. "You're awake... I can't believe it..."
Pegasus blinked and turned his head to the adult form of Nekome.
Nekome was very handsome, yet very pretty. His figure was surely that of a male's, as it had muscles that rippled enticingly behind flawless white skin. His curves were not boasted, but they certainly showed past his new wardrobe. He wore a tight black tank top and black jeans that eagerly showed off his figure. His soft eyes shone with unadulterated joy and relief.
"Thank you, Neko-boy. What's it with that form of yours, might I ask?" [It's rather... becoming, despite the fact you're barely past the beginning of your teens...]
The boy - no, man - nodded. "Every full moon, I become either my normal form or this one. Once I get to this age, I shall be able to change my age at will. Until then, it is a cycle that I cannot deter. That can be considered both a blessing, or even, a curse..."
Nekome's ears failed him. A nurse barged in suddenly. The man shot his gaze up in surprise. "Eh?!"
"OH! Mr. Pegasus! You've awakened at last!"
The woman pushed the black-haired one aside, resulting in his head banging against the headboard - Nekome gave a shout - and then the floor rather harshly. He lost consciousness.
An image of a blond-haired, dark blue-eyed woman entered his mind. She spoke mentally.
"Oh? Who might you be?"
Colors swirled around them. It seemed like a void of some sort. The male opened his subconscious eyes, though no matter what, he could see, and looked up at the lady from the ground. He frowned slightly and answered, almost, as if, against his will, "Nekome Tatsaki. You?"
"Cecilia Pegasus," replied the woman.
Nekome's eyes widened. He slowly climbed to his knees, and then to his feet, which upon he almost wobbled unsteadily. He "held" against the air to maintain balance. "Pegasus's wife? Aren't you dead?"
"Yes... I became ill at our wedding and died on the spot. This is just my spirit talking to you," she replied sadly. She had tears in her dark eyes that threatened to spill at any second.
The man frowned lightly, in his confusion. "Why would a spirit like you want to speak with me?"
"When that nurse goes, let me use you as a vessel to speak to my dear Max. Please! I need to speak with him! Please!!" she begged. [I am incomplete without being able to speak to my dear Max! Even more so without him!] She grasped the man's hands in her own. Nekome felt nothing at the contact. After all, she was Pegasus's wife, both in body and soul.
Nekome didn't love her. As a person, and nothing more, he liked her.
[I have heard of love, but never experienced it. I am not in love with this woman. I am merely a child, anyway.
[However, this is a dream, isn't it?] The black-haired man would not be deterred. His feline gold eyes unveiled some of his confusion and yearning for the truth. "First, please tell me what's going on. Above all, why can you speak to me?"
She smiled. "It seems I have been reincarnated. You are the consciousness, I am the spirit, but our soul is one."
Nekome blinked once, frowning. He didn't quite get it. Was this a lot like that anime on TV called Inu-Yasha?
"She's gone. Wake up, young one."
The man groaned and opened his eyes.
"You're up?"
Nekome looked up from his own bed and met Pegasus's eyes with his own. "Um, yeah..." His mind tickled, and he shook his head and popped his neck a little. "Yeah, I'm up... so, what did she say?"
"She said that I had to go through a few things to make sure I was well enough to leave or not."
The male grinned. "That's great!" He sat up and walked over to Pegasus's bed and sat on the edge. "Ha ha ha ha ha..." he fiddled with his Seikinen Earring. He completely forgot about Cecilia in his joy that the man he admired has awoken at last. "Well, it's good to be awake, ain't it?" he asked suddenly. "You get to live your life to the fullest, and you don't sleep your days away!"
"I can't thank you enough, Neko-boy."
He giggled again in his deep voice. "Just try not to fall into any more comas, okay?"
"Will do."
Nekome looked around and made a sigh of relief. "I guess my work here is done... pardon the cliché." He grinned. "...or, maybe my work here ISN'T done just yet..." He frowned slightly and leaned forward on the bed, eyes watching the floor.
"How would that be?"
"I can't go home," he murmured. "and I need to find my older brother..." He stood up and turned to his idol. "A-and, I can't really go anywhere I normally can while looking like this...!" he said, folding his arms against his chest. [Seishin-chan'll be fine for now.... I can't *bear* to show my face when I'm like this...]
"Call it pay-back, but I suppose you could stay with me." [Though, the only estate I have is in Duelist Kingdom...]
"I do not wish to impose," replied the hikari.
"You won't! It's the least I can do for returning me to the living world!"
The boy smiled lightly. "Thank you."
***
"Wow, this is a huge place..." Nekome looked around. "And I don't have to share a room?"
"Not at all."
He turned to Pegasus. "Well, I'm gonna go look around, find a room, and crash for a bit. Will you tell me when dinner's ready?"
"Certainly. Though, if you don't get up, you're S. o. L."
Nekome grinned. "I won't be 'shit outta luck'. You'll see." He spun on his heel toward the rooms, subconsciously knowing where they were.
Cecilia Pegasus looked through this young male's shining eyes. Ah. so close, yet so far.
As he entered a room, he closed the door - but didn't lock it - and plunked his stuff down on the bed and fished around. He found a black case and a small boom box. He smiled at it and looked for a plug. He found one on the far end of the wall, plugged it in, and threw in a CD. He clicked a few buttons and started up the music.
It went through the opening bits and he sang, "Ah... Machikado, nagareru hitonami ni
Ima sakarau you ni
Aruite'ku, hitori;
Tooi hibi, miushinatta
Taisetsu na, ano egao wo
Mune ni kizande;
NEVER GIVE UP, Kanashimi ni
Kokoro wo tamesarete mo
Ikutsu mo no, toki wo koe
NEVER GIVE UP, Kaze no naka
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Doko made mo, tadoru no sa
LONELY WAY;"
The lyrics paused in favor of some bits of instrumental. It was at this time, he was unaware of the one-man audience he had acquired. He proceeded to remove the tank top that he somehow always got every time he "grew up" for a month. He stared at the garment before tossing it atop the bed.
On the wall, he noticed a mirror - that DIDN'T show who was at the door - and let his eyes roam across his torso. It was strange - going from the boy of willowy limbs to the man with lean muscles and incredible endurance. He hoped that he would fully become this beauty when he got older.
As long as he kept himself in health and shape, that was possible.
He always felt strange whenever he became such a figure. He found it strange to be in one form one day, and another a bit later.
Also, how did his clothes change all the time?
Cecilia blushed at the sight of this male's body before her soul-sight. He certainly was a treasure to behold. Black bangs dropped into his eyes, giving his expression a rather innocent, dashing touch. His lazy spikes swayed slightly as he maintained his impeccable, feline balance.
His golden eyes shone with a dimmed fire. This fire was contained for a moment until he blinked once. That fire raged wildly, but he didn't know how that fire came to be. He gazed curiously at his own eyes, trying desperately to figure out the source of such a passion.
Cecilia recognized this passion. [Oh... Oh my lord... He's...]
The lyrics came back on again.
"Ah... Dare ka no, yasashisa ni omowazu
Kogoeta kimochi ga
Yureta sono, toki mo;
Hitomi toji, tada tsubuyaku
Nuku mori wa Sou ore ni wa
Niawanai yo to;"
He turned away from the mirror, eyes closed.
"NEVER GIVE UP, Yume dake wo
Ima wa dakishimenagara
Unmei ni, michibikare
NEVER GIVE UP, Ate mo naku
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Mirai e to, arukidasu
LONELY WAY;
The final bridge passed through, and Nekome's head turned to see Pegasus. Unconsciously, he continued the song, "NEVER GIVE UP, Kanashimi ni
Kokoro wo tamesarete mo
Ikutsu mo no, toki wo koe
NEVER GIVE UP, Kaze no naka
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Doko made mo, tadoru no sa
LONELY WAY."
Nekome hit pause on the boom box and simply stared at Pegasus.
"I thought you were going to go to bed, not sing, Neko-boy." [Though, you have a nice voice. It's very soothing.]
The man frowned and strode up to his idol. His heart beat faster and he poked the silver-haired man in the chest as if to emphasize a point. "I changed my mind. Is that wrong?"
"No..." He looked slightly indignant at such behavior. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that dinner will be served in half an hour."
Nekome nodded once. "Thanks for the info." As he made his way over to the bed, as he had his foot on a voyage to strike the play button lightly, he paused.
His heart was still pounding against his chest. It was strange and unique.
He wanted more...
But how to go about it?
[Pegasus-sama...] He shivered at the mere thought of the other's name. He sat on the edge of the silky bed before laying atop the sheets. His long ebony hair spread elegantly across the surface as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Before his open, unmoving eyes, he saw images - so strange it were nearly frightening - of love-making.
He felt himself become hard, and he groaned against it. His feline eyes slowly closed and his body took in shuddering breaths.
"Haa... kami..." His hands clawed slightly at the blankets underneath his form as he held the urge to pleasure himself at bay. His body wanted to arch at the strain. It wanted to feel the pleasure of Pegasus. It wanted so much and wanted to inflict so much upon the other to such a degree his body shivered in both delight and despair. He felt dirty for liking the man in such a way.
"Rrrrnnnaaaahh..." he growled, then panted. "Haa... kami, kami, kaaaamiii..." He shut his eyes and grit his teeth.
It felt like an eternity when the hardness disappeared
After a moment, he heard from someone, "Pegasus-sama wishes for your presence at the table."
His body tingled at the name. "Tell him I'll be there."
The man left.
Nekome forced himself up on the bed, snagged his shirt back from the top of the bed and threw it on. On his way, he idly observed the elegant, vibrant hallways.
He came upon the dining room and his eyes widened slightly. [Oh my...] He sensed a surge of power through him. It tickled his mind, and he became wary of it. Where was it going?
"I see you like the spread. Be seated and eat up before it gets cold, ne?"
Nekome smiled. "Sure thing!" He went at a brisk pace and picked a seat on the rectangular table to the man's right. He forced himself to eat slowly enough and keep his emotions in check. He glanced up at Pegasus delicately sipped some wine, seemingly oblivious to the other's stare.
[Oh my god... he's... he's...]
That tickle in his mind again. He paused and his eyes unfocused. Something was...!
"Pe~ga~suuuuusssss," he purred in a mild sing-song voice. "Is that YOU in my head?"
[Oops! Busted.]
"Get out of my head," deadpanned Nekome, picking up his glass and drinking the milk in it. "I don't appreciate the intrusion. I may have let you stay in my soul room, but I'd like to keep most of my thoughts to myself, thank you."
They finished their meal in silence. The dark-haired man rose from his seat - dark hair spilling across his shoulders like water - and strode away.
"Nekome?"
The man paused at the doorway. He didn't turn his head.
"Would you come with me?"
The male's eyes closed. "Where are you going to go?" He sharply hissed in a breath as his hand was grasped. He turned his head, body shaking lightly. He stared up at Pegasus like a fish out of water before recovering his wits.
Pegasus tugged the other's hand and led him... somewhere. Nekome wasn't paying any attention to where they were going. His focus was intently stuck on that simple physical contact.
He shivered as a brush of cool air touched his face. He blinked in curiosity. "...Here?"
"I wanted to show you this. I guess, as another way to thank you."
Nekome nodded once. "I see." He looked to the sky. "It's very beautiful." [Not just the stars, Pegasus...]
Some silence took hold of the conversation. As Nekome gazed at the sky, Pegasus's gaze was riveted on the boy's face.
"I know this is a little swift, but..."
Nekome turned his head. His lips were parted slightly.
"Will you let me paint you?"
The male smiled and nodded once. "You may..." His head pounded once - not like Pegasus was in his head again, but... "oh...!" He held it with one hand. "N-Nan da yo?! Boku--" A sharp pain thrust through his head. His mind felt like it would split in two. "Ghe-aaAAAAH!!" He slumped against the railing, groaning softly.
"Nekome!! Nekome!" Pegasus urgently shook the male's shoulder. "Nekome! Nekome!!!!"
"Uh-ugh... Oh..." The boy slowly straightened himself up and held his head. "My head..." [...That woman! She must have... Maybe...] He grit his teeth. "Yes, that woman... that *woman*... Maybe she... but how could she at all?!" he rambled. "What she claimed - what she claimed!! What she..."
"Nekome!!"
He felt a nudge to his shoulder and looked up, groggily. "Huh...?"
"Daijoubu?" asked the rich man.
Hesitating, Nekome shook his head. He sat on the ground and patted the ground next to him, staring up at him with pained eyes.
Pegasus quickly took the invitation and sat right next to him. A silence ensued and Nekome closed his eyes. "At the hospital, when the nurse knocked me out..." The dark-haired man hesitated. "...I saw... a woman... She said her name was... Ce...Cecilia Pegasus..."
He didn't look up, so he didn't see the shocked expression on the man's face. "Go on, if you can. Please."
"...She... she... wants to talk to you... She's... a part of me... she... I'm..." He choked back a sob of confusion. "...Sh-she said... I was..." He clamped a hand over his mouth and bit back a growl. His entire being shook from head to foot. "Ah-I was... I'm..."
A sturdy limb wrapped around his being, and pulled him toward its source. It held him close. It was warm... safe...
Nekome's eyes lowered halfway, as if in a trance-like state. "...her reincarnation... She wants to talk to you... My head... I..."
[Nekome, I'm sorry for hurting you, but I need to speak with Max!!] Again, she thrust her consciousness against Nekome's, making him cry out in pain.
Pegasus only held the male tighter.
The cries slowly subsided. Cecilia looked up at Pegasus. "Oh, Max! I can't talk long, but will you listen to me?"
Without hesitation, Pegasus nodded.
"I live in this vessel. Nekome is my reincarnation. Please take care of him, Max!" she pleaded. "I love you, and we can still be together!"
"My Darling Cecilia... I..." He struggled with his words. "I love you, too." He pulled her in for a kiss. His bronze eye fluttered shut and Cecilia's gold eyes swiftly closed.
Nekome watched from a distance. He felt his heart burning and tearing into pieces very, very slowly. He clutched at his chest with one hand and sat on the cold ground. "You seemed so sincere, Cecilia... Now I see. You cannot forget him, so you wish to live again by taking my life as your own." His own words brought him pain, but he shoved it all aside. Better to distance himself before he got hurt worse. "...Fine. Do that. As long as I can see Pegasus..." He bit his lip as he vaguely registered the sensations that Cecilia felt through his own senses. It was. euphoric... heavenly...
But...
HE wanted to give that to Pegasus. He didn't want to be some nonexistent 3rd party...
His eyes widened in realization. "I..."
He stood up and strode through the darkness. Some glass-like wall stopped him from proceeding any further than a few steps. He banged on the glass.
"PEGASUS!! AI SHITERUUU!! PEGASUS!! HELP ME!! GET ME OUT OF HERE! YOUR WIFE - SHE TRICKED ME!!" He paused, taking a deep breath. Tears trickled down his face. *"SHE ***TRICKED*** ME!!!!!!!!!"*
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Finished: 10/25/03
My only comments to my own work... OMG.
by Kurohi Tatsaki
Chapter Thirteen: Twin Soul
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! You can't sue me cuz I have no money!
Summary: A boy who is hated by his parents, and hunted by Rare Hunters on a nightly basis, flees to Domino City, which he has spent unsuccessful time with Battle City Tournament. Two people he meets changes his life, how he views it, and learns the full meanings of friendship and... love...?
Pairings: OC's yami/OC, Seto/Jonouchi, Yugi/Yami, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, OC3/Pegasus, & *eventual* Anzu bashing! Wait a sec, how about I omit her as much as possible? Is that better?
School has returned so I can't type as often as I'd like. Not only that, I apologize for the delay, as I couldn't update anything at all until 10/2/03 b/c the zip drive was shot in the pasture. Then, I got writers block... Aaaaaaaaagh! No fun, no fun, no FUN!
Ranma Higurashi - Are you talking about Pegasus? If it's Nekome you're talking about... hahaha. You're mistaken. Does he really seem THAT evil? I mean, come ON! He's smart enough not to take after his parents!
"speech" [thoughts] /Hikari to Yami/ //Yami to Hikari// (author notes)
***********************************************
The next day was fruitless - there wasn't a trace of the light-haired Bakura anywhere! Nekome couldn't even enter the Domino High School to find him - because he wasn't even a student!
"This sucks..." he muttered, standing near the gates of Domino High. His face was tugged in a frown as he regarded the empty school.
//I agree.//
[There's no sight of that damn bi-ach!]
Nekome's stomach gurgled. He frowned a moment before pulling a snack out of his bag. As he munched on the marshmallow-chocolate cookie, he gazed at the light sky.
The sun began its agonizingly slow descent from their heavens. It cast reds and yellows among the blue sky.
"I hope Seishin's okay."
//Seishin?//
Instinctively, his head turned to face the source of the voice. However, the voice was only in his soul. His heart panged with disappointment that the voice seemed to not have an origin. /My young sister. I'm the middle kid. I left her at Yugi's house. She should be okay - I trust him./
Silence took their minds as the day ended.
Nekome stood up on his feet as soon as the sun set. He sighed and a small frown crossed his face.
Where to sleep?
His gaze flicked across his surroundings. He spotted a bench and a tree nearby it. He dashed up toward the bench and leaped from the armrest. As soon as his body came into contact with the tree, his body instantly clung to the rough bark and he flipped up it to the top. He perched atop a branch, letting the soft wind caress his face. His clothes ruffled in that breeze and he found himself closing his eyes in contentment.
//You can't be serious! Sleeping in a tree??// [We'll fall!]
/My brother did it once,/ replied Nekome, grinning. /He didn't fall off, and he could tell when someone was coming. I'm no exception./
[Did he read my mind?]
There was a light pause. Then, Nekome asked, /Wanna duel in my soul room?/
~~~~~~
The black-haired boy paced back and forth in his soul room, restless. Pegasus had insisted he go to bed, since it was late, but then yielded at the boy's earnestness.
Nekome looked at his gray ceiling. It wasn't pure, because HE wasn't exactly pure. He, too, like his older brother, had done and thought things that would cause this reaction far before he received the Seikinen Earring.
He fondly touched said earring on his left ear before delicately tracing the contours of the outside of his ear. His fingers trailed down his neck to the hollow of his throat and he sighed. He was always sensitive there, and even his own touches would cause him to sigh.
"Mmmnnn..." He tilted his head back as he let his hand explore. His hand trailed southward to pleasure himself, but he was stopped cold as he heard the door creak open. He straightened himself up immediately and looked at the door as the elegant man came inside.
"Evening, Nekome."
The boy smiled. "Ev'ning. Have a seat?" He gestured toward the floor where he had set up the game as he tried to steady his breathing and reduce the aroused blush on his face.
The man sat on his lower legs, but Nekome, in one fluent motion, sat cross- legged on the carpet. Still wearing that smile, his eyes conveyed that the other man didn't have to sit so formally.
"Ro-Sham-Bo for first turn?"
He nodded.
"Ro. Sham. Bo!"
Nekome flipped out Rock as Pegasus pulled a Paper. The boy smirked. "I'll go first. I won't use my powers, since, obviously, you don't have yours."
He drew five cards into his hand. Pegasus did the same.
The boy gulped at his horrible hand and frowned. He set a card in defense mode. "Your turn."
Pegasus set a card in defense mode and ended his turn.
"You like toons, no?" asked Nekome, drawing a card.
"H-hmm, me to know, you to find out!"
The boy grinned. "Okay!" He placed a card in attack mode. "I play Harpie's Brother - in attack mode! Strike his face-down card!"
It was Toon Crocodile - 800/1600. The monster was destroyed.
Nekome placed one card face-down...
***
"I win, Neko-boy!"
"Hahahahahaha! Good job! Hahahaha!" giggled Nekome, practically rolling on the floor with mirth. "I can't - heh-hahahaha! - BELIEVE I fell for it!! Hahahahahahaha!" His neck arched slightly as he laughed and he rolled on his side to better view the man. He was cleaning up his cards.
One bronze eye flicked up at the boy. "...Nan desu ka?"
[You're...] "It's nothing," he immediately replied. His tone did not hold any secrets lying within, though, he himself didn't even know about those secrets to their fullest. "I'm just tired..." [...gorgeous when you duel. You know that?] He closed his eyes and rested them. If only for a moment.
Pegasus eyed the boy with his one eye after some time. A slight change in the atmosphere's feel told him the boy had fallen into the gentle grasp of slumber. He crawled over and pulled the boy almost into his lap before picking up the lightweight boy. He placed him on the soft, blue, velvety bed and looked at his childish face.
"Who are you...?" murmured the man. "You go through this trouble to try and help me... You don't seem to be asking for anything in return. I don't know how to thank you for your efforts..." He paused. "You seem so innocent, just like my beloved Cecilia... I miss her so..."
The boy's face twitched into a frown. "Max......" he murmured. He rolled over, into a fetal position, and fell silent.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the soul of the man who painted the Duel Monsters Cards with his two hands watched over the boy.
***
The alleyway was dark. Nekome blocked a punch coming his way, flipping his opponent around. He received a kick in the side, and was sent to the dirty pavement. His feet dug into the cement to slow his slide, and he got to one knee.
He scrambled up and pulled back a delicate fist before letting it fly. The punch was caught and tossed aside, throwing him off-guard. Again, he fell to the ground. His body heated up twice as much as anger fueled his inner fire.
His golden eyes flared their heat at the evil chocolate orbs.
"You were a fool to come here! Be prepared to be sent to the Shadow Realm!" exclaimed the Tomb Robber.
Nekome growled. "If we're gonna fight like that, I challenge you for that Millennium Eye you have!" he shouted, standing up. "After all, I have an artifact MUCH more powerful than that stupid Ring of yours!" he bluffed. The items were all equal in strength. Now that mattered, what how they were used.
The boy's Earring flashed in the light.
Pegasus felt waves of déjà vu from the speaking of that realm he himself had cast upon Yugi.
The Shadow Realm was a very weird place. Full of duel monsters and ghosts of the past.
However, now, before his very eyes, a mere boy had found the way for him to become conscious once more!
As Nekome and Bakura squared off for dominance in the dark realm, the full moon, which had been clouded earlier that night, showed itself in all its pale glory.
As he fought, without realizing it, the change began... and as memories he no longer wished to recall surfaced, the strange man threw the other's memories back at him.
After some time, Bakura collapsed to one knee. Nekome fiddled through the boy's clothing until he came upon the Eye.
"Be grateful I only take this Eye, and not your life for what you did, Bakura," rumbled a deeper voice. "Hai, be grateful you have such a precious hikari. Take good care of him, Tomb Robber no baka."
With that, the taller shadow left Bakura on the ground, exhausted out of his mind. That same weariness, though not as harsh, plagued his mind as well. He stared up at the pale opal in the sky. This was what caused such a strong physical change within him.
//So.. this.. is what you meant with the full moon. Your body shifts to the form of an adult "you"...// Pegasus appeared in a translucent form beside the other man. Twin golden eyes with the intensity of the sun's flames gazed over to the older man.
/This is so,/ replied the hikari. He smiled wanly. /I shall return your Eye tomorrow, since I cannot enter the building, and I am... so... tired......// With that, and a small groan, Nekome's body slumped to the ground.
He slept undisturbed 'til morning.
***
"Sumimasen, I would like to see Mr. Pegasus."
"Up on the third floor, room 347. Make a left after you ascend via the elevator."
Nekome followed the same path. He came to the room and stopped at Pegasus's bed. His ears picked up no one needing to come here for at least the hour, judging by their sound. Then again, sounds could be mistaken.
Carefully, he removed the bandages that covered the wounded eye socket that refused to heal. He placed the eye inside the familiar place and watched as the area immediately mended itself. After a moment, Pegasus's bronze human eye blinked open.
Nekome closed the link that broadcast what he saw to the man, so as to not confuse his sight. "You're awake... I can't believe it..."
Pegasus blinked and turned his head to the adult form of Nekome.
Nekome was very handsome, yet very pretty. His figure was surely that of a male's, as it had muscles that rippled enticingly behind flawless white skin. His curves were not boasted, but they certainly showed past his new wardrobe. He wore a tight black tank top and black jeans that eagerly showed off his figure. His soft eyes shone with unadulterated joy and relief.
"Thank you, Neko-boy. What's it with that form of yours, might I ask?" [It's rather... becoming, despite the fact you're barely past the beginning of your teens...]
The boy - no, man - nodded. "Every full moon, I become either my normal form or this one. Once I get to this age, I shall be able to change my age at will. Until then, it is a cycle that I cannot deter. That can be considered both a blessing, or even, a curse..."
Nekome's ears failed him. A nurse barged in suddenly. The man shot his gaze up in surprise. "Eh?!"
"OH! Mr. Pegasus! You've awakened at last!"
The woman pushed the black-haired one aside, resulting in his head banging against the headboard - Nekome gave a shout - and then the floor rather harshly. He lost consciousness.
An image of a blond-haired, dark blue-eyed woman entered his mind. She spoke mentally.
"Oh? Who might you be?"
Colors swirled around them. It seemed like a void of some sort. The male opened his subconscious eyes, though no matter what, he could see, and looked up at the lady from the ground. He frowned slightly and answered, almost, as if, against his will, "Nekome Tatsaki. You?"
"Cecilia Pegasus," replied the woman.
Nekome's eyes widened. He slowly climbed to his knees, and then to his feet, which upon he almost wobbled unsteadily. He "held" against the air to maintain balance. "Pegasus's wife? Aren't you dead?"
"Yes... I became ill at our wedding and died on the spot. This is just my spirit talking to you," she replied sadly. She had tears in her dark eyes that threatened to spill at any second.
The man frowned lightly, in his confusion. "Why would a spirit like you want to speak with me?"
"When that nurse goes, let me use you as a vessel to speak to my dear Max. Please! I need to speak with him! Please!!" she begged. [I am incomplete without being able to speak to my dear Max! Even more so without him!] She grasped the man's hands in her own. Nekome felt nothing at the contact. After all, she was Pegasus's wife, both in body and soul.
Nekome didn't love her. As a person, and nothing more, he liked her.
[I have heard of love, but never experienced it. I am not in love with this woman. I am merely a child, anyway.
[However, this is a dream, isn't it?] The black-haired man would not be deterred. His feline gold eyes unveiled some of his confusion and yearning for the truth. "First, please tell me what's going on. Above all, why can you speak to me?"
She smiled. "It seems I have been reincarnated. You are the consciousness, I am the spirit, but our soul is one."
Nekome blinked once, frowning. He didn't quite get it. Was this a lot like that anime on TV called Inu-Yasha?
"She's gone. Wake up, young one."
The man groaned and opened his eyes.
"You're up?"
Nekome looked up from his own bed and met Pegasus's eyes with his own. "Um, yeah..." His mind tickled, and he shook his head and popped his neck a little. "Yeah, I'm up... so, what did she say?"
"She said that I had to go through a few things to make sure I was well enough to leave or not."
The male grinned. "That's great!" He sat up and walked over to Pegasus's bed and sat on the edge. "Ha ha ha ha ha..." he fiddled with his Seikinen Earring. He completely forgot about Cecilia in his joy that the man he admired has awoken at last. "Well, it's good to be awake, ain't it?" he asked suddenly. "You get to live your life to the fullest, and you don't sleep your days away!"
"I can't thank you enough, Neko-boy."
He giggled again in his deep voice. "Just try not to fall into any more comas, okay?"
"Will do."
Nekome looked around and made a sigh of relief. "I guess my work here is done... pardon the cliché." He grinned. "...or, maybe my work here ISN'T done just yet..." He frowned slightly and leaned forward on the bed, eyes watching the floor.
"How would that be?"
"I can't go home," he murmured. "and I need to find my older brother..." He stood up and turned to his idol. "A-and, I can't really go anywhere I normally can while looking like this...!" he said, folding his arms against his chest. [Seishin-chan'll be fine for now.... I can't *bear* to show my face when I'm like this...]
"Call it pay-back, but I suppose you could stay with me." [Though, the only estate I have is in Duelist Kingdom...]
"I do not wish to impose," replied the hikari.
"You won't! It's the least I can do for returning me to the living world!"
The boy smiled lightly. "Thank you."
***
"Wow, this is a huge place..." Nekome looked around. "And I don't have to share a room?"
"Not at all."
He turned to Pegasus. "Well, I'm gonna go look around, find a room, and crash for a bit. Will you tell me when dinner's ready?"
"Certainly. Though, if you don't get up, you're S. o. L."
Nekome grinned. "I won't be 'shit outta luck'. You'll see." He spun on his heel toward the rooms, subconsciously knowing where they were.
Cecilia Pegasus looked through this young male's shining eyes. Ah. so close, yet so far.
As he entered a room, he closed the door - but didn't lock it - and plunked his stuff down on the bed and fished around. He found a black case and a small boom box. He smiled at it and looked for a plug. He found one on the far end of the wall, plugged it in, and threw in a CD. He clicked a few buttons and started up the music.
It went through the opening bits and he sang, "Ah... Machikado, nagareru hitonami ni
Ima sakarau you ni
Aruite'ku, hitori;
Tooi hibi, miushinatta
Taisetsu na, ano egao wo
Mune ni kizande;
NEVER GIVE UP, Kanashimi ni
Kokoro wo tamesarete mo
Ikutsu mo no, toki wo koe
NEVER GIVE UP, Kaze no naka
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Doko made mo, tadoru no sa
LONELY WAY;"
The lyrics paused in favor of some bits of instrumental. It was at this time, he was unaware of the one-man audience he had acquired. He proceeded to remove the tank top that he somehow always got every time he "grew up" for a month. He stared at the garment before tossing it atop the bed.
On the wall, he noticed a mirror - that DIDN'T show who was at the door - and let his eyes roam across his torso. It was strange - going from the boy of willowy limbs to the man with lean muscles and incredible endurance. He hoped that he would fully become this beauty when he got older.
As long as he kept himself in health and shape, that was possible.
He always felt strange whenever he became such a figure. He found it strange to be in one form one day, and another a bit later.
Also, how did his clothes change all the time?
Cecilia blushed at the sight of this male's body before her soul-sight. He certainly was a treasure to behold. Black bangs dropped into his eyes, giving his expression a rather innocent, dashing touch. His lazy spikes swayed slightly as he maintained his impeccable, feline balance.
His golden eyes shone with a dimmed fire. This fire was contained for a moment until he blinked once. That fire raged wildly, but he didn't know how that fire came to be. He gazed curiously at his own eyes, trying desperately to figure out the source of such a passion.
Cecilia recognized this passion. [Oh... Oh my lord... He's...]
The lyrics came back on again.
"Ah... Dare ka no, yasashisa ni omowazu
Kogoeta kimochi ga
Yureta sono, toki mo;
Hitomi toji, tada tsubuyaku
Nuku mori wa Sou ore ni wa
Niawanai yo to;"
He turned away from the mirror, eyes closed.
"NEVER GIVE UP, Yume dake wo
Ima wa dakishimenagara
Unmei ni, michibikare
NEVER GIVE UP, Ate mo naku
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Mirai e to, arukidasu
LONELY WAY;
The final bridge passed through, and Nekome's head turned to see Pegasus. Unconsciously, he continued the song, "NEVER GIVE UP, Kanashimi ni
Kokoro wo tamesarete mo
Ikutsu mo no, toki wo koe
NEVER GIVE UP, Kaze no naka
Tasogare ni se wo mukete
Doko made mo, tadoru no sa
LONELY WAY."
Nekome hit pause on the boom box and simply stared at Pegasus.
"I thought you were going to go to bed, not sing, Neko-boy." [Though, you have a nice voice. It's very soothing.]
The man frowned and strode up to his idol. His heart beat faster and he poked the silver-haired man in the chest as if to emphasize a point. "I changed my mind. Is that wrong?"
"No..." He looked slightly indignant at such behavior. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that dinner will be served in half an hour."
Nekome nodded once. "Thanks for the info." As he made his way over to the bed, as he had his foot on a voyage to strike the play button lightly, he paused.
His heart was still pounding against his chest. It was strange and unique.
He wanted more...
But how to go about it?
[Pegasus-sama...] He shivered at the mere thought of the other's name. He sat on the edge of the silky bed before laying atop the sheets. His long ebony hair spread elegantly across the surface as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Before his open, unmoving eyes, he saw images - so strange it were nearly frightening - of love-making.
He felt himself become hard, and he groaned against it. His feline eyes slowly closed and his body took in shuddering breaths.
"Haa... kami..." His hands clawed slightly at the blankets underneath his form as he held the urge to pleasure himself at bay. His body wanted to arch at the strain. It wanted to feel the pleasure of Pegasus. It wanted so much and wanted to inflict so much upon the other to such a degree his body shivered in both delight and despair. He felt dirty for liking the man in such a way.
"Rrrrnnnaaaahh..." he growled, then panted. "Haa... kami, kami, kaaaamiii..." He shut his eyes and grit his teeth.
It felt like an eternity when the hardness disappeared
After a moment, he heard from someone, "Pegasus-sama wishes for your presence at the table."
His body tingled at the name. "Tell him I'll be there."
The man left.
Nekome forced himself up on the bed, snagged his shirt back from the top of the bed and threw it on. On his way, he idly observed the elegant, vibrant hallways.
He came upon the dining room and his eyes widened slightly. [Oh my...] He sensed a surge of power through him. It tickled his mind, and he became wary of it. Where was it going?
"I see you like the spread. Be seated and eat up before it gets cold, ne?"
Nekome smiled. "Sure thing!" He went at a brisk pace and picked a seat on the rectangular table to the man's right. He forced himself to eat slowly enough and keep his emotions in check. He glanced up at Pegasus delicately sipped some wine, seemingly oblivious to the other's stare.
[Oh my god... he's... he's...]
That tickle in his mind again. He paused and his eyes unfocused. Something was...!
"Pe~ga~suuuuusssss," he purred in a mild sing-song voice. "Is that YOU in my head?"
[Oops! Busted.]
"Get out of my head," deadpanned Nekome, picking up his glass and drinking the milk in it. "I don't appreciate the intrusion. I may have let you stay in my soul room, but I'd like to keep most of my thoughts to myself, thank you."
They finished their meal in silence. The dark-haired man rose from his seat - dark hair spilling across his shoulders like water - and strode away.
"Nekome?"
The man paused at the doorway. He didn't turn his head.
"Would you come with me?"
The male's eyes closed. "Where are you going to go?" He sharply hissed in a breath as his hand was grasped. He turned his head, body shaking lightly. He stared up at Pegasus like a fish out of water before recovering his wits.
Pegasus tugged the other's hand and led him... somewhere. Nekome wasn't paying any attention to where they were going. His focus was intently stuck on that simple physical contact.
He shivered as a brush of cool air touched his face. He blinked in curiosity. "...Here?"
"I wanted to show you this. I guess, as another way to thank you."
Nekome nodded once. "I see." He looked to the sky. "It's very beautiful." [Not just the stars, Pegasus...]
Some silence took hold of the conversation. As Nekome gazed at the sky, Pegasus's gaze was riveted on the boy's face.
"I know this is a little swift, but..."
Nekome turned his head. His lips were parted slightly.
"Will you let me paint you?"
The male smiled and nodded once. "You may..." His head pounded once - not like Pegasus was in his head again, but... "oh...!" He held it with one hand. "N-Nan da yo?! Boku--" A sharp pain thrust through his head. His mind felt like it would split in two. "Ghe-aaAAAAH!!" He slumped against the railing, groaning softly.
"Nekome!! Nekome!" Pegasus urgently shook the male's shoulder. "Nekome! Nekome!!!!"
"Uh-ugh... Oh..." The boy slowly straightened himself up and held his head. "My head..." [...That woman! She must have... Maybe...] He grit his teeth. "Yes, that woman... that *woman*... Maybe she... but how could she at all?!" he rambled. "What she claimed - what she claimed!! What she..."
"Nekome!!"
He felt a nudge to his shoulder and looked up, groggily. "Huh...?"
"Daijoubu?" asked the rich man.
Hesitating, Nekome shook his head. He sat on the ground and patted the ground next to him, staring up at him with pained eyes.
Pegasus quickly took the invitation and sat right next to him. A silence ensued and Nekome closed his eyes. "At the hospital, when the nurse knocked me out..." The dark-haired man hesitated. "...I saw... a woman... She said her name was... Ce...Cecilia Pegasus..."
He didn't look up, so he didn't see the shocked expression on the man's face. "Go on, if you can. Please."
"...She... she... wants to talk to you... She's... a part of me... she... I'm..." He choked back a sob of confusion. "...Sh-she said... I was..." He clamped a hand over his mouth and bit back a growl. His entire being shook from head to foot. "Ah-I was... I'm..."
A sturdy limb wrapped around his being, and pulled him toward its source. It held him close. It was warm... safe...
Nekome's eyes lowered halfway, as if in a trance-like state. "...her reincarnation... She wants to talk to you... My head... I..."
[Nekome, I'm sorry for hurting you, but I need to speak with Max!!] Again, she thrust her consciousness against Nekome's, making him cry out in pain.
Pegasus only held the male tighter.
The cries slowly subsided. Cecilia looked up at Pegasus. "Oh, Max! I can't talk long, but will you listen to me?"
Without hesitation, Pegasus nodded.
"I live in this vessel. Nekome is my reincarnation. Please take care of him, Max!" she pleaded. "I love you, and we can still be together!"
"My Darling Cecilia... I..." He struggled with his words. "I love you, too." He pulled her in for a kiss. His bronze eye fluttered shut and Cecilia's gold eyes swiftly closed.
Nekome watched from a distance. He felt his heart burning and tearing into pieces very, very slowly. He clutched at his chest with one hand and sat on the cold ground. "You seemed so sincere, Cecilia... Now I see. You cannot forget him, so you wish to live again by taking my life as your own." His own words brought him pain, but he shoved it all aside. Better to distance himself before he got hurt worse. "...Fine. Do that. As long as I can see Pegasus..." He bit his lip as he vaguely registered the sensations that Cecilia felt through his own senses. It was. euphoric... heavenly...
But...
HE wanted to give that to Pegasus. He didn't want to be some nonexistent 3rd party...
His eyes widened in realization. "I..."
He stood up and strode through the darkness. Some glass-like wall stopped him from proceeding any further than a few steps. He banged on the glass.
"PEGASUS!! AI SHITERUUU!! PEGASUS!! HELP ME!! GET ME OUT OF HERE! YOUR WIFE - SHE TRICKED ME!!" He paused, taking a deep breath. Tears trickled down his face. *"SHE ***TRICKED*** ME!!!!!!!!!"*
***********************************************
Finished: 10/25/03
My only comments to my own work... OMG.