Disclaimer: I don't, never have, never will, own YuGiOh. But I do own this setting and the species in it. So yeah, don't steal, k? Thanks.
Ummmm…..
This chapter his me in a burst of inspiration while I was trying to write my other two stories. Hopefully I'll refind my motivation for Freedom Through Inferno soon, I like that plotline…
But it might take some days, this one made my hand cramp up. -.- I write all my stories by hand before typing them up and 11 pages was a lot to write at one time.
I only got three reviews for the past chapter, but I guess that's okay. This is my free time story in many respects, especially this chapter and the next. After that it gets a little heavier.
Well…anyways, tell me what you think and responses for the reviews are below the story. And I'm still taking votes for which story to do next so please let me know.
Acquisitions vs. Life on the Nile
Thanx! XD
Confined Anomalies: Chapter 2
At Home
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"Hey Marik!"
"What?"
Yugi awoke to the sound of voices shouting. Very LOUD voices.
"Guess what?"
"What?
"Guess."
"Could we quite with the twenty questions already!"
Uhh…Yugi sat up and groaned. His head hurt. REALLY hurt. What had happened? Lessee… his brow furrowed and he scrunched his face up adorably in confusion. Lessee… normal day, we were all in jars at the booth. There were various annoying people…one of them looked like Ryou…Yugi rubbed his head dazedly. He and somebody else I couldn't see were looking at me, then the jar moved and… Ah! I hit my head! I must've been knocked unconscious. But what happened after that?
"Bakura, just tell him."
"No! I want to him to guess what we bought."
"You guys bought something?" to Yugi's suddenly horrified ears the voice sounded deep, insane, and terrifying.
Bought. That one word shoved its way into his mind, refusing to be dislodged. He curled into a ball, trembling. No! I don't wanna be bought! I wanna be with my friends, at HOME. No…A heartbroken whimper escaped the little creature's mouth as he curled himself still tighter. I'll probably never see them again...Ryou…Malik…
>Yugi?>
Yugi's head snapped up >Guys?>
>Yeah! What's going on? Yugi? Ryou?>
>Malik!> Yugi leapt to his feet with an overjoyed squeak, and then-!
"Ow!"
>Yugi? Are you alright?> Ryou's timid mental voice entered their discussion for the first time.
>Yah, I'm fine.> Grimacing, he took in his surroundings (he had been too preoccupied to notice anything before). He was still in his jar, which was on its side next to Ryou's and Malik's identical prisons. Ryou was sitting on the side-now-floor of his while Malik was crouched on his hands and knees by the lid, obviously looking for a way out. Both of them were staring at him expectantly.
>Either of you know what's going on?>
>Not me.> Malik replied flatly. >All I know is that I was resting in my jar on the back of the shelf at the booth when some weird human that looked like Ryou took me down and put me in a briefcase thing next to you and Ryou. I've been in here since then. Both of you were asleep and I was bored.>
>Malik, we were unconscious, not asleep. Ryou, do you know what's going on?>
Mental silence greeted this.
>Come on Ryou, please? All I know is what I heard when I woke up; that we were bought. Probably by that guy that looks like you.>
Ryou visibly flinched and Malik froze.
>Bought? Aw no, yer friggin kidding, right? RIGHT? Dammit Ryou! What happened!>
Ryou curled into a ball, closing his eyes in resignation before replying.
>Yugi's right. We were bought. I went unconscious shortly after but what I learned was that the three of us have been bought by magic-using humans named Bakura and Yami to be experimented on. They want to compare us to real fairies. Oh, and you're going to be given to someone name Marik, Malik, one of their friends who also works with magic.>
The other two stared at him in horror, but before they could reply, light filled the small dark space.
The briefcase had been opened.
() Several minutes before ()
"Bakura, would you stop swinging that thing?"
Bakura stopped and swiveled, mock offended.
"You disapprove, Pharaoh?"
"Oh shut up, Tomb robber." Yami replied, annoyed at the use of his code name. "I just don't want you to hurt the little … things. Especially Mariks. You know how he is when angry."
"Feh, you're no fun."
Yami made a face and snatched the briefcase away as Bakura began to swing it again. The other snickered at that and Yami glared at him venomously. "YOU weren't the one forced to…"
"Ah, quit whining, we're home."
Silently smoldering, Yami followed Bakura inside.
It's not fair! All he had to do was buy these little things. I had to deal with arresting two rogue magic users! And that's not easy! Even in his own mind he sounded petulant, which only made him grumpier.
"Hey Marik, we're back."
"Hey guys."
Their roommate was sitting on a couch in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn.
Yami looked at him and snorted in amusement. "Lemme guess; you were bored."
"Hey! Catching popcorn in a complex activity and very hard to master."
Yami snickered, feeling his bad mood dissipating at the sight of his slightly insane roommate sitting cross-legged on the couch. He was attempting to glare viciously with popcorn stuck in his hair and scattered all over his clothes. "Right. Heheheh."
"It is!"
"Hey Marik." Bakura walked up behind him, leaning over.
"What?"
"Guess what."
"What?"
Yami was trying to keep himself from full-blown laughter at their antics. Turning, he set the briefcase down on a table across the room. Then turned back. They were still at it.
"GUESS what."
"Just tell me!"
"Guess."
"Could we quit with the twenty questions already?"
"Feh, fine. I'll give you a hint. Me and Yami got them while we were out."
"You got something?" Marik stood up, eagerly brushing the popcorn out of his hair. "What?"
Marik loved presents.
Bakura grinned smugly. When Yami noticed the suddenly psychotic look coming into Marik's eyes, he decided to take control.
"Bakura, just tell him."
"No! I want him to guess what we bought."
"You bought something?" Marik was shifting eagerly from foot to foot and twitching his eyes between them, as if watching a tennis match.
"Yes, we got-"
"No!" Bakura leapt on Yami's back. "Make him guess!"
"I don't wanna guess!"
"Get off me!"
"Why should I, Pharaoh?"
"Cuz I say so Tomb robber?
""Tell me!"
"That's not a good enough reason you…tie-dyed porcupine!"(1)
"WHAT! Get off you albino lab rat!"
"TELL-." Marik stopped, grumbling as the profanities increase; Yami still trying to get the larger Bakura off his back. Guess I'll just have to wait. Pfeh, yeah right. I hate waiting. He growled under his breath, for once being the mature one.
Then his eyes lit on the briefcase.
A disturbing grin working its way onto his face as he sidled closer, keeping an eye on the other two, until he was finally standing right in front of it.
Reaching down, he popped the lock, opened the lid, and…
"Eeeeeee! They're so CYUTE!"
"What the hell?" Bakura fell of Yami's back at the sudden high pitched squeal. Yami noticed what it was first.
"Marik-."
"You were supposed to guess!"
"This one's for me, right? I can have it, right?" the psychotic squeal still didn't leave his voice as he turned around, holding the little tri-color's jar. "He's just like a little Yami!"
"NO." Yami snapped, walking over to him with Bakura trailing behind him, pouting.
"That one's mine. This one," he took out Malik's jar, "is yours."
Marik leaned in closely. "Hmmmm…"
Large violet eyes met their smaller mirror before Marik's grin returned. "I like it! It's like my own little mini-me!"
"Hey, that's my line! Both of them ignored Bakura.
Malik watched his larger counterpart with fascination and fear. The guy was interesting, but he would still rather be free…MUCH rather. In fact, first chance he got, he'd bolt for an open window. If he could only get the jar open…
Then Marik reached for the lid, and Malik's eyes lit up.
-----------------------------------------
"Marik, what are you doing?"
"Letting him out!"
"No, you idiot, don't-!"
Too late. The little creature rocketed out of the jar like a bullet, flapping tawny hawk wings and heading straight for the open door.
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Malik grinned. He hadn't flown like this in ages! Not since Yugi, Ryou, and him had been caught… Aw damn! He mentally swore I can't leave them behind! Shit.
FWOOSH "Eek!"
A squeal of panic ripped itself from Malik's throat as something big and hard hit his wing, knocking him off balance. What the-
>Malik! Watch out!>
>What?>
"I got him!"
"You'd better!"
He looked down sharply. His double was standing right beneath him holding… a butterfly net?
He dodged and the guy came again.
"Come on little fairy." Marik crooned, sounding even more psychotic as he tried to tempt Malik down. "I just wanna play."
It took Malik less then a second to turn tail and fly as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
>Yugi. Ryou. See you guys later. I think I'm going to find somewhere nice, high, and dark- where this guy can't reach me- to hide.>
>Alright.>
>Seeya later.>
He took off down a hallway. Flying as fast as his wing span would allow.
"Wait! Little fairy, come here!"
CRASH
"Come back!"
"Yeek!"
"Marik, don't hurt it!"
"I'm not. Come here Little Pretty!"
BANG
"MARIK!"
"I'll get it!...Damn…"
"What now?"
"He's ummm…maybe I can get him down with food."
CRASH
"…or that works too. Come here Pretty!"
"Eek!"
"No, not there!"
BANG.
Both Yami and Bakura watched Marik chase the little creature down the hallway, waving a child's butterfly net. Yami wincing with every crash, bang, and break along the way. He could only imagine what they would be cleaning up in the morning.
But he looked ridiculous with that stupid butterfly net. Not to mention he still had popcorn stuck in his hair.
About five seconds after he left, they both collapsed laughing.
"Hahahah! Did you see the look on his face? Heehee!"
"Kwahahahahah! It was hilarious! I bet you five bucks the creature escapes by the end of the night."
"Heehee! –Ahem- I'll…hee!... take your bet, Tomb robber. And I'll also bet you that I manage to keep a hold of mine after I let it out. Aheheheh."
Bakura gasped, regaining his composure. "You're gonna let yours out? Heh, I'll take that bet."
"You're not going to take yours out?"
"Naw, you saw what happened to Mariks. I'll let mine out after I get a bigger cage for it that it can't escape from.
"We'll have to do that another day. It was midnight when we returned and that was over an hour ago. Plus we have work tomorrow. We should get to sleep."
"Yes, Mom. " Bakura sniggered, lifting his little fairy's jar out of the case and taking off down the hallway. As an afterthought, he yelled over his should, "You'll need proof about your creature for the bet!"
Yami's reply was drowned out as the door slammed.
Yugi watched his new 'owner' fearfully. After fighting with that 'Bakura' guy, he had taken Yugi into his bedroom, dropped the jar on the bed, and gone to get ready to sleep.
I hope Ryou and Malik are alright. I'm sure they're fine. Malik's hiding somewhere and Ryou's sleeping in his jar tonight. Poor Ryou… I hope-
"Well now, let's see."
Yugi's eyes jerked up, startled, when Yami's deep voice emanated from very close. He wasn't even supposed to be back yet!
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Yami watched the small creature with wonder. Now that he stopped to look, it was quite amazing. And quite scared, if the trembling was anything to go by.
A pang of remorse struck him. Of course it was scared.
"Easy, little one, I'm not going to hurt you."
Terrified lavender eyes lifted to meet his own curious crimson.
"Come on, I promise."
Slowly, Yami unscrewed the lid, noticing Yugi's tenseness at the last minute.
"Whoops! Don't want a fiasco like earlier with Mariks." He re-screwed the lid a little bit; getting up to close the door, locking it firmly, and taking something long and thin out of his desk before returning to the almost open container.
"Let's try this again, shall we?"
------------------------------------
Yugi watched timidly as the lid of the jar was slowly pulled off. Usually, the human at the carnival place would just open the jar and flip it so that its contents (him, one of his friends, or one of the fake fairies) were thrown into a large wooden box with the others.
This was a very new experience.
"Come on little one. Come to me."
Although, he mused silently, losing some of his fear at the soothing tone of voice, this guy doesn't seem so bad. I feel like I should trust him. And he hasn't hurt me so far. Might as well give this a try…
Taking a deep, bracing breath, Yugi began to inch slowly towards the giant hand.
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Yami was unable to quell his surge of joy and triumph when the little creature began to edge towards him. Its wings were slightly back in fear, but it looked like its curiosity was the stronger of the two emotions.
"Come on…"
At the sound of his voice, It instantly froze, quaking again.
Mentally cursing, Yami reached down and brought a small strawberry up into his fingers. He had gotten it earlier, while brushing his teeth, because he guessed it would come in handy. He grinned triumphantly when the little creature's eyes got wide and it began edging forward again, eyes fixed on the berry.
"Come on, atta boy. You want the strawberry? Come on…"
Yami held his breath as the little one hesitated at the mouth of the jar, then reluctantly moved over the edge and onto Yami's hand. Suspicious violet eyes broke from the strawberry and looked up at Yami for a split second.
"That's it little one…" the larger continued his soft reassurances until Yugi gingerly knelt in the palm of his right hand, and slowly reached out for the berry in the left.
Grinning, but still moving slowly in case it tried to bolt, Yami brought the other hand closer and the fruit within reach.
"Good boy." He whispered and chuckled deeply as the little one, after careful scrutiny of his surroundings and the berry itself, abruptly flopped on to his hand cross-legged and began devouring the treat.
"So, has the ice been broken?" Yami murmured, teasing and comforting at the same time. The little one didn't answer; but, then again, Yami didn't expect him to. Slowly, Yami brought the small being to his chest, stroking the hair and wings gently. He was unable to hold back a gasp.
"You're so soft!" A small squeak greeted this statement as something warm touched his hand.
"Huh!" Yami jumped, startled, and nearly dropped it. A slight whimper brought his attention back. The little one was cowering away, scared by the sudden movement.
"Oh, sorry! Easy little one, I'm so sorry." After a few minutes, the shivering died down. When the little one was fully relaxed, or at least as much as it had been before, Yami once again began to stroke the soft fur and feathers on the wings, falling into his thoughts as he realized the small one wouldn't run away unless he provoked it.
Strange. It's not like a fairy at all. Those are about the same size, but never wear clothes and are very tricky. They escape and deceive whenever they can. Somehow, I can't think of this little thing as deceiving anything. Also, fairies are cold and almost translucent, with wings the color of their body that are made from…well…nobody actually knows what they are made from, but it's not feathers, fur, or even skin. So completely opposite this little creature. Although I suppose the appetites are about the same. I'll have to try a few more things, but it obviously likes fruit just like a natural fairy would. I wonder... A slight vibration from his chest, where he was holding the creature, pulled him out of his thoughts. He could feel his heart melt at the sight that met him.
The little one had fallen asleep to the soothing feeling of being petted and was curled up in a little ball in Yami's hand, resting against his chest. It easily fit, being even smaller asleep then it was awake. One of the soft wings was hanging over the free side of the hand, the one away from his chest, while the other it had curled around itself, like a blanket. The vibration Yami had felt was the little one's even breathing.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing…" He murmured gently, all thoughts of both fairies and his bet with Bakura out of his mind.
"But where to put you?" gazing at the small jar, Yami quirked an eyebrow. He had originally intended to return it to there, but now had no desire to let the vibrant little creature be squeezed into the tight space again.
"Hope you don't mind little one." With a sigh, Yami picked up the shoelace he had taken off his desk earlier and tied it lightly around its chest. Not hampering the wings, but making it impossible for him to escape, like a harness. The other end of the string was tied to one of the bedposts. As Yami set the little one down on a small pillow on his bedside table (he didn't want to crush him by rolling over in the night so he couldn't put him on his bed), he couldn't keep from running his fingers over the soft wings one more time, eliciting a vague twitch in response.
"Good night, little one."
The gentle whisper hung in the air as Yami fell asleep with a smile on his face.
TBC.
REVIEW!
I really like that last scene. I just hope I did it justice. :-)
So…all of you tell me what you think, k?
(1) Reference inspired by a line in 'The Clothes Make the Spirit'
Black Crystall Draygon: Glad ya like. Hm.. Life on the Nile, eh? Goodly good. I like that story line. But then again, I like all my story lines, that's why they're there…and there are like ten of them…gah! But thanx XD
Thunderstorm101: Hmmm… I think I'll leave that chapter up for a little while. I'm trying to get more people to vote on the next story. Acquisitions is good… but I haven't started much of it yet, sadly. So far, Yugi's been caught by Bakura and is about to be given as a gift to Yami. But I haven't put that up. Glad ya like, though.
Ilikeyaoi: I like Freedom Through Inferno better too, to tell the truth. This is my cute story, the one I'm supposed to do in my free time (although I often find myself writing for this when I should be doing the other). That one is the one I'm trying to actually do good on. Acquistions? That's…let's see…two to one against Life on the Nile. Hrm. Glad you like. Thanx for your review.