A/N: The Surgeon General has placed a warning on the next scene. It has been proven to cause extensive tooth decay, nausea, vomiting, and even uncontrollable fits of laughter. Read at your own risk. (Ow! My sides hurt!)
Blossoms and Shadows
After discussing plans for the day, Yugi took his twin to one of Domino City's finest parks. Feeling giddy from summer's promise, Yugi ran all the way there, with Zeri close behind. He led his violet-eyed sister to what used to be his most favorite spot: a grass-covered hill topped with a graceful Sakura tree. Winded, the two youths collapsed on their backs in the tall, cool grass, their heads almost touching. All around them, pink blossoms wafted gently in the perfumed breeze. Seed heads from the tall grass undulated; the grass' gentle soughing was a balm to their youthful ears. They laid there together, allowing their heartbeats to return to normal.
Feeling completely at ease, Zeri pulled up a stalk of grass and began nibbling on the tender, succulent end. Puffy clouds sailed the dazzling blue sky like mighty ships; two pairs of violet watched them serenely.
"Hey!" Yugi exclaimed, pointing at a cloud. "That one looks like the Dark Magician!"
The small boy's ears detected his twin's amusement. Almost in unison, the pair rolled over onto their stomachs. Zeri cupped her chin in her nimble hands, while Yugi used his crossed arms to support his shoulders. Blades of grass and pink Sakura blossoms clung to their hair, giving them the appearance of fairyland refugees. The effect was even more stunning with Zeri as the wind played with her golden antennae bangs.
The bi-color-haired boy smiled and asked, "What's so funny?"
This drew out an amused look from his female counterpart. "I swear, Yugi, you are so totally obsessed with the Dark Magician! If he were real I'd bet anything that you'd ask him out!" Zeri kicked her legs playfully, a nymph of the wild sucking on a stem, its spray of seed bobbing gently.
Scarlet heat overthrew the soft fairness of his cheeks. His amethyst orbs gazed at her gently, huge and bright. When the petite girl noticed the look on her twin's countenance, she wrapped her slender fingers around her throat and made strangling noises.
"Oh no! Not that! Anything but Puppy Eyes!" she exclaimed. "Too… cute… can't… go… on…" she gurgled weakly, faking a melodramatic death that succeeded in felling Yugi. He threw himself onto his back and clutched his sides; his body was wracked with uncontrollable laughter that echoed in the distance. The boy's innocent eyes glistened with tears of happiness.
Like a soft-footed cat, Yami suddenly appeared and towered over the two supine forms. His shadow almost engulfed the twins. The once pharaoh harrumphed and mock-glared at the pair; his fists rested on his hips.
"You look like a pair of tumbleweeds," he reproved gently.
"Oh really?" Zeri chirped. Her eyes glinted like giant purple baubles. "And all this time I thought I looked like a yami that dresses in leather and whose hair resembles the sun's rays. And he has pink flowers in his hair to boot!"
The twins burst out in hysterical laughing. Yami reached up and pulled a petal from his hair. Scowling at the soft, pink defiler, he tossed it over his leather-clad shoulder. Unbeknownst to him, the breeze promptly blew it into his hair again, increasing the pair's hysterics. Glowering at them, he waited for the twin lights to calm down.
"H—hi Yami," her male counterpart croaked happily, his amethyst orbs still flowing with liquid diamonds.
Unable to intimidate the twin hikaris, he smiled. "Sit up, you two," he said firmly. "Let's get you both more presentable."
Once the two were sitting up, Yami sat on his knees and began picking debris from Yugi's hair. The ex-pharaoh was about to toss aside another blade of grass when Zeri grabbed his light around the neck with one arm. With her free hand, she then rubbed her knuckles in his hair, making the boy squirm. This continued until the pair began wrestling and tickling each other. So engrossed in their exuberant tussle, they rolled down the hill, leaving a carpet of pressed grass in their wake.
Crimson eyes blinked twice, and Yami surrendered the blade of grass to the breeze with a sigh. The wind quickly lodged Yami's discard into one of his golden bangs. The spirit shifted his body until he sat cross-armed and cross-legged, his eyes smoldering. Squeals and laughter from innocent play reached him from the bottom of the hill. Yami sighed again, looked at his wrist—something he'd seen his light do many times—and continued fuming quietly.
Unable to stand it any longer, the spirit jumped to his feet and growled. His temples throbbing, he yelled, "I'll have you two know I used to be a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago! I didn't do any baby-sitting back then either! Now get your tushies back up here pronto!" With a stiff pose, he pointed at the ground for emphasis.
Down below, the grass stained twins shared mischievous looks. They began nonchalantly walking up the hill, as if obeying Yami's royal command. When they had almost reached the crest, they ran all out and tackled the unsuspecting once pharaoh, sending him flying into the grass with a thud.
Their bodies wiggled and squirmed against each other, with Yami doing his best to pin down the energetic twins. It didn't help matters that he was laughing, enjoying the contest of wills. When the ancient spirit finally got the better of them by straddling their backs, everyone's hair resembled frizzled rat's nests.
"Now let's try this again, shall we?" Yami said, his grin suggested that he hasn't had this much fun in ages.
"Gee, for a 5,000-year-old dead guy, you sure are heavy," Zeri groused; her lower lip stuck out in a sultry pout.
Unable to do much else, the duo let the leather-clothed ex-pharaoh play hair stylist.
"Yami?" Yugi asked. "What's so important that you have to 'make us presentable'?"
The ex-pharaoh's crimson eyes smiled down at the boy as he replied, "Don't you remember? Joey won the lottery and we're all invited to a big ice cream bash at his place."
~~~
Yugi hugged the pillow closer to his face. Visions of ice cream galore made him smile. He jumped out of bed, however, when shrieks of terror jarred him from slumber. Bolting from his room, another shriek led him to his sister's. His own heart thundered in his ears, Yugi opened her door.
His twin sat upright, her face drenched in sweat; her body, dressed in a simple white nightgown, shook violently. She clutched at something on a golden chain, near her heart. Zeri took shuddering breaths through her mouth like she had run for her life. The wild disarray of her crimson and gold hair only seemed to confirm his suspicion.
"Are you okay Zeri?" her male counterpart asked, slowly approaching her.
Her eyes, unfocused moments before, moved toward him. "It—it was—was a nightmare. Just a nightmare, that's all."
The teen boy sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Tell me about it, sister."
"I-I'm okay, Yugi, really." she said. The violet-eyed boy could still feel his sister's heart race. She continued trembling against him, slow to yield to his caring embrace.
A long shadow fell across the pair. "Are you two quite done waking the neighborhood?" asked their grandfather. The shadows that cloaked his face made it difficult to tell if he was teasing or irritated.
"Zeri had a nightmare," her male counterpart stated. Yugi's sister pulled away from his grasp and willed her body to steadiness.
"I'll be okay, grandfather," the teen girl said flatly. "I'm too old to be afraid of nightmares."
The elder Muto gestured for his grandson. "Come on Yugi. Your sister can tell us about it in the morning."
Zeri's twin nodded and left; their grandfather closed the girl's door. With them gone, the youth wrapped her shoulders in the bedcovers. She laid down in a fetal position and shuddered once more.
It's always the same nightmare, every night, she thought. I remember every detail…
~~~
Zeri found herself trapped in darkness so absolute that it's like being encompassed in the unborn universe. Her violet eyes couldn't penetrate, couldn't fathom the magnitude, depth, or breadth of it. This impossibly black abyss acted like it wanted, needed to consume her; it pressed heavily against the cocoon of light that surrounded her body. The gloom was oppressive. She trembled involuntarily, as if it's silly for a fourteen-year-old to be afraid of the dark.
A feline-like yowl penetrated the veil of darkness. Turning in the direction where she thought the sound came from, Zeri saw two luminous feral eyes staring at her. The petite teen could scarcely breathe and wasn't given time to think.
"Light-bringer! Hikari! Welcome!" the thing said, its voice echoed ominously with hisses. The creature stepped into Zeri's protective cocoon of light, just on the outer edge.
Tall, lean and well-muscled, the yellow-eyed creature bore a striking resemblance to a lioness in human form. It wore what looked like Zeri's spike-studded collar and golden pendant around its neck. And around its shapely torso, it wore a simple white tank top with short, flared sleeves. The creatures' savanna-gold thighs were covered in knee-length black pants that hugged every curve possessively. Shiny black leather boots completed the thing's attire. But what was most striking about this monster was its hair: its head was covered in a shaggy mane of crimson and two golden sprays fanned out from the forehead like peacock feathers. Its face, though elongated, looked vaguely familiar, almost human... almost like Zeri!
"We've gone through this before, Zeri," the thing said. "You need not fear me." The creature showed its long white teeth; Zeri took a step back.
"No! No, I can't trust you!" the small teen exclaimed, taking another step backward. "Y-you've done bad things! I know you have!"
Taking a step forward and kneeling, the creature extended lean arms covered in short fur; it offered the youth an embrace. "Please, little light," it implored, "I'm here to help you."
The athletic figure displayed its teeth again. Zeri shook her head, turned, and bolted.
"Aibou! Zeri, don't run! The Goddess Sekhmet sends me as your protector!"
The thing in the darkness yowled once more; whether it was out of sadness or anger, the small girl wasn't about to go back and find out. Zeri could hear its footfalls echoing on the featureless surface. The girl tried speeding up, but tripped and skidded to a painful halt on the floor. The bi-color-haired teen attempted to rise, but it was too late—the thing was already upon her. It wrapped one muscular arm around her chest and lifted the girl in the air in a firm, but caring, embrace. Zeri thrashed about vainly, trying to escape as the creature raised its free hand to the bruise forming on her pale cheek.
"Here, I'll show you again," the monster rumbled deep in its bosom, a soft reverberation. "I'll heal your injury. I'll chase your aches away."
Sparkles of golden light flowed from the creature's hand and enveloped the struggling youth in healing warmth. Once finished, this cat-woman tried cradling Zeri in its arms. Tried was all it could do, because the girl continued resisting.
"There now," its luminous eyes blinked, the corners of its mouth twitched up, "Was that not better?"
"Why can't you just go away and leave me alone, demon?" the petite teen asked, her violet eyes full of raw terror. A series of cough-hisses emitted from the creature's throat.
"Because, little hikari," it explained, showing those long teeth once again and nuzzling against the terrified girl's cheek, "we are one, Zeri. You and I can never truly be separated. Not ever."
~~~
Well, if I can't get rid of that monster, maybe I have her on a tight enough chain this time that she won't hurt anyone, Zeri thought sleepily. The petite girl yawned and slowly drifted back to slumber.