Disclaimer: See previous chapter.
Confusing Beloved
A/N: I honestly hadn't planned on writing a second chapter, but after reading the reviews, I decided to add a bit more to this. This time, it's going to be a little different than before. Now we're looking at things from Yami's POV and working from there. I'll say this though. Writing from a semi-whacko Yami's POV is harder than writing a depressed Yugi. Also, this has sort of a flashback thing going on towards the beginning just like in Yugi's bit before moving onto the present. Hope there's no confusion from this, even though it's might be expected since this was a major ramble on my part. -.-;
Rage, hatred, and a desire for revenge were all that occupied my mind during the countless years of darkness I endured within the confines of the Millenium Puzzle. Oh, how I longed for the day when I would be free of this wretched place and allowed to walk among men again so that the world may know my wrath. I wanted everyone and everything to know the pain that I felt, only tenfold.
Exactly how I would carry out these plans for revenge and destruction were another of the only things that kept me occupied during my long darkened isolation. It was probably what also kept me from losing my mind entirely to the shadows that made up the world that surrounded my soul. If I had been weak or lost even an ounce of my will to escape, then I most certainly would have forgotten everything that I had been in my previous life.
Yet even remembering can be a curse at times when memories are all that one has when trapped in nothingness. I can still see the faces of Seth and Bakura as they tricked me into stepping onto the dais which would allow them to stun my body long enough to seal my soul within the nearby Millenium Puzzle. Their expressions were ones of triumph and relief as they removed the world's rightful ruler from his place.
Oh what I would have given to wipe those smirks off their faces for what they had done. But it would have to wait until I was free again and I would have the chance to track down the pair's descendants. Then they would pay for the crimes that their forefathers had committed against me. So I bided my time, mapping out every single detail of how I planned to regain my kingdom and punish those that had dared to challenge me. Awaiting the day when I would again see the days darkened, as night would blanket the world forever.
That time came much later than I would have ever anticipated. With all my planning, I never would have believed that the first thing I saw in over five millennia would not be eternal darkness settling over the world, but someone as beautiful as my sweet little Aibou. When it came to my eventual escape, I always believed that the one who released me would just be some hapless mortal who had solved the Puzzle during one of Ra's more fickle moods. Someone that I would have no trouble controlling for my own ends and that I would feel no remorse when I sealed them away in some corner once their usefulness for my purposes would run out.
I wouldn't kill the mortal of course. Though it might have been amusing to see them squirm both in body and soul, it would have been suicide for myself if I went that far. That was a side effect of the spell cast by that backstabbing worm of a high priest Seth when he tricked me into the accused Millenium Puzzle. Whoever completed the Puzzle, even if they solved it through pure chance, was destined to be the other half of my soul, my supposed Hikari. I would not be able to kill them if I wanted to ensure my own existence, so the best that I could do to my Hikari was torture them at my leisure.
This certainly wouldn't be killing them, so I didn't have to worry about dying myself. But it would give me the chance I needed to show my Hikari just what their place would be. I wouldn't allow them to think that just because they were my hikari that would mean that they were immune from my wrath. I would inflict as much pain upon them as I would anyone else, only theirs would be eternal physical pain while others were forced to endure that of the soul.
If there was one thing that I had never been, it was softhearted. Since my earliest days, my heart and mind had been as cold as stone and just as hard. I let no one into my soul, as there was no one worthy of that honor. After all, I am the son of Ra himself, which meant that there was no one in the world who was my equal. So why should I bother with the trivialities that the rest of humanity considered so important?
Oh, what a fool I had been thinking that I was immune to such things. I may have been the son of Ra, but even I had a weakness that could be my downfall. The beginning of which happened when I felt the slightest tinges of warmth for the first time in millennia. It started as a speck that illuminated a single point in the otherwise blackened horizon of my world. Excitement had filled me the instant I was aware of this new addition, as it meant that my freedom would soon be at hand.
Freedom would not come as swiftly as I might have wished. Instead, it came slowly, over a period of years as someone once again started to make my prison whole. It was frustrating at times, watching as the warmth and light only increased slightly at varied intervals. But if there was one thing that I had been, despite the temper I possessed sometimes, was how to be patient. If it meant that I would be free once more, I was willing to wait for whoever was solving the Puzzle to complete it in their own time. They would face my wrath for the inconvenience later on once I really was free.
Eventually, this proverb would pay off for me. When the warmth reached what I can only assume was its peak, a blinding flash filled my consciousness and for the first time in what seemed forever, I felt myself being ripped out of the Puzzle. It hurt nearly as much as when I had first been sealed within the inverted pyramid but I didn't care. I was getting my freedom and that was all that mattered.
The sensation of reentering the physical world after spending so long in the spiritual abyss was quite an experience. I honestly didn't know if I was supposed to feel better in a body or just given into the nausea that suddenly hit my reformed stomach. The feeling only lasted a matter of seconds before fading away like the bright flash of light which temporarily blinded me upon my return.
My vision cleared slowly, as old sensations that had long been lost to me started to make their way into my memory once more. A chill very different from the shadows ran over my face as a slight breeze from some opened portal blew by me. Leather, though I knew not how it became my clothing in place of the royal robes I had once worn, clung to my body as if it were a second skin. The same effect which I discovered was played upon the other occupant of the small chamber in which I had been released into.
The moment I laid my eyes upon the little one who had freed me, everything that I had thought I would do changed in an instant. Seeing his innocent eyes staring back at my own deep crimson with such confusion and fear, I knew that there was no possible way for me to harm him or to throw him away like some broken toy. In that instant, I knew that I would keep and treasure my Hikari for the rest of eternity.
Why my heart took this unexpected turn, I never knew nor did I care. All that mattered is that I had finally found that one piece of myself that I hadn't even known I was missing until that moment. In this person from an age so removed from my own, I could see an innocence that complimented my darkness completely. A completion that I would do everything within my power to keep whole for the rest of eternity.
My resolution had been strengthened when I felt the mind link open itself for the first time. The link had been forged between the little one and myself when he had come into contact with the Puzzle and then completed it. It would allow us to communicate telepathically with our minds, to visit one another's soul rooms when we were deep in unconsciousness, and to see one another's memories when we chose. The middle variable would come much later when the little one had fallen asleep and we were better acquainted with one another.
When it first opened though, it mostly allowed me to sense the emotions that were floating about my Hikari's mind. There were other things that I picked up on of course, like recent memories that had driven him into the frenzy of completing the Puzzle at the unconscious level. Seeing these, particularly the ones where he had been teased by those fools Jonouchi and Honda and later beaten by Ushio for protecting the former, sent rage and indignation running through me like wildfire.
How dare anyone touch my Hikari in such a manner?! Not only did it defile his flawless skin with their filth, but it also tainted his innocence with their mortal inferiorities such as greed and hubris. I could not allow that, not then, not now, not ever. Already, as I scanned through more of the little one's thoughts with the delicate touch of a trained concubine, a plan for revenge was forming in my mind. Oh, how those mortals were going to pay when I got my hands on them, twisting their souls beyond recognition as compensation for what they had put my Hikari through.
I did not allow my Hikari to know what was thinking nor did I make him aware of the mind link. I saw no reason to have him asking me unnecessary questions when we could better spend our time getting to know one another. So with my emotions carefully guarded and my voice filled with a gentleness that felt alien yet so right, I steered my Hikari's attention to other matters. I explained to him about our relationship, that I was there to protect him and that from that moment on, he would never be alone again so long as I was there.
Which was true enough. Even if I had not found it in myself to feel affection towards the little one, I would have been obligated to protect my Hikari for my own interests. And I would never really leave him alone, as we were apart of one another and our souls would forever be connected. But now that things had changed between us, I meant those words in a greater sense. When I said that my Hikari would always have my protection and presence by his side, I meant it with every fiber of my being.
What helped to make all the difference was the way that the little one received my news. He was reluctant at first, which I suppose though annoying was natural under the circumstances. But once he had gotten past that, he began to welcome my presence in his life with open arms. He was happy that he might be able to have a friend that would stand by him and give him the support that he could not find with the worthless mortals who called themselves his family.
From that moment, I gave him all that and more. We were together at all times, whether I was in my soul room while he was moving about the physical realm or I had taken over during times of trouble. Together we faced many trials and obstacles that both strengthened my Hikari's spirit and gave me the opportunities necessary to start regaining my kingdom and mete out punishment without alarming the little one. More importantly, our bond grew stronger with each passing day, bringing the little one's warmth and radiance closer to me as it melted my heart just enough for him.
Spending one on one time together is what I believed helped our relationship the most during this time. Even if I had to in order to make Aibou happy, I hated sharing his attention with anyone else. By Ra, he was mine and none of the pathetic mortals that he hung around should been allowed anywhere near him. They should have been destroyed and scattered like dust to the wind for daring to think that they deserved a share of his brilliance.
That is why I treasured the moments that we spent alone together. Just to have him smile and look at me with those adoring amethyst jewels of his on those long and stormy nights when he would turn to me for comfort. I would hold my Aibou in my arms, cradle him tightly against me while whispering reassurances in his ear. Then he would smile at me and snuggle closer to my warmth. I would only hold him closer then, watching as he finally fell asleep and he became peaceful in the way that only rest can bring. I would then keep guard over him as he slept, always reading to push away any nightmares that dared to invade his innocent dreams.
Then there were the lazy afternoons when we were alone in his room and he would chatter away to me about what had gone on during the week and what was coming up. Things that I already knew about since I always listened to the world through my Aibou, but what I took in nonetheless. As long as I was able to spend time with the little one, then he was welcome to speak about anything that he wished.
Sadly, as they tend to, times such as that are long since past. Aibou doesn't turn to me for comfort as he did what seems a lifetime ago. Instead, he flinches at my touch, though I don't know why. He knows that I would never hurt him, not for anything in this life or the next. I would do anything and everything to keep him happy and safe. Aibou is the only thing that I truly care about in this world. Everything I do is to make my little one happy.
That's why I spent so much time avenging the crimes that had been done against my Hikari instead of going straight into regaining my kingdom. I wanted to make sure that those who had hurt him were punished for their crimes. I wanted them to know that to inflict pain upon one so pure and innocent would come back to them tenfold. And they all still do so to this very day, be it with their minds trapped forever in the Shadow Realm or serving as toys for my loyal servants, the Duel Monsters.
Aibou is aware of this, but some part of him still remains ignorant of what I have done. He does not know that I waited so long before retaking my kingdom so that I could avenge his honor. The little one believes that I spent so much time biding my time because I was still weak from my imprisonment and needed to gather my energy before moving onto larger tasks. He thinks that was why I tended to use his body instead of creating one of my own as I did after a time.
Sometimes I am tempted to correct this error in conclusion, but most of the time I decide against it. If Aibou wishes to remain ignorant, then I will allow it to be so. He would not believe me if I told him the truth anyway. Like so many other times, he would claim that I was lying to him so that he would lower his guard towards me. I do not wish to start another argument with him over the matter, as happened in the past when he protested over my treatment of the ones I punished.
He protested the loudest when I dealt with his mother and grandfather. I suppose one can't blame him for that, as these were the people who had raised Aibou from infancy and who gave him the Puzzle that contained my soul. They were the ones who had comforted him when no one else had bothered to. For that I would have allowed them to remain in my kingdom alive and well cared for as repayment.
They lost that chance when they discovered my presence and threatened to take my Aibou away from me. I could not allow them, so I dealt with them as I had with others who had displeased me. Their souls were torn from the mortal shells and then sentenced to a forgotten corner of the Shadow Realm. A place where they could think about their mistake and know how wrong it would have been to separate a yami from his hikari.
Aibou still remembers them, since I don't want to strip so precious memory from his mind. But he can no longer recall how they met their demise, I saw to that myself. I erased every trace of their delicious screams and the blood that painted the walls of our former home from my beloved. If I had left those memories, it would have tainted him to the point where it would drive him away from completely.
The same thing applied when he watched as I finally rid the world of the girl Anzu. She was once the undeserving focus of my Aibou's affections when he had a childhood crush on her and had been his friend for just as long. But things came to a point where I no longer desired to share Aibou's attention with her and then sent her mind and body alike to the Shadow Realm to dwell with the others.
A better fate than what I handed out to the ones known as Jonouchi and Honda. The ones who had once tortured Aibou and then befriended him after he had risked his own health to protect them. I let them stay around because it was amusing and it made Aibou happy to have someone his own age to talk to. They were something to occupy the time when I wasn't able to give Aibou my full attention.
When their usefulness ran out however, I gave the pair to my faithful Monsters as playthings. The two had shown loyalty to Aibou, but it was only after he had put himself at risk that they changed their tune. It was time for them to pay for the crimes of their past and what better way than to let their pain serve as an amusement for my Monsters. As they have remained since I stopped hiding in the shadows and reclaimed all that I had lost.
Lost and altered memories occurred quite often in earlier times when Aibou managed to catch a glimpse of my handiwork. If his memory were allowed to remain intact, then he would become afraid and start to doubt his trust in our bond. Then he would fear me and try to run away from me. I couldn't allow that, so whenever he started to get fussy about things, I would put him to sleep and then wipe every trace of the incident from his mind. When he awoke, he simply thought that he had blacked out and nothing more.
This is a tactic that I no longer rely upon very much. If used too often then it could cause great problems with the mind, possibly even causing one to go insane from the constant strain of having to fill the void of memories. I will not risk that no matter what the results might be when Aibou watches me punish the scum who dare to stand in my way and the plans that he picks up on through our link. Instead there are some things, even if I wished differently, that Aibou will just have to learn to deal with.
Just as I must deal with him for disobeying me again. From the beginning, I have been firm that his mind remain open to mine at all times. This way I can monitor his moods and intentions, as well as to make certain that no one is attempting to threaten my little one. Like he always did in the beginning, Aibou did not question me when I first suggested this. But now, despite the fact that I punish him for it, he continually blocks off our link when I am unable to be with him.
This time, I felt the connection break about midday. I had been sentencing yet another lot of prisoners my Monsters had captured near the western border to my palace. The fools, led by a pair of wretches named Otogi and Mai, had actually believed that they stood a chance of breaking through my defenses and defeating me. They had only gotten as far as the farthest border of my palace before my Monsters had sensed them and captured them.
After having a bit of fun on their own, they brought the mortals to me. The entire lot looked like pigs clothed in tattered rags compared to the splendor of my throne room. I really had no interest in them beyond the fact that they had dared to encroach upon my domain. I was fully prepared to just wave my hand and let my Dark Magician and the others do whatever they wished with the fools.
As I was about to give out the order, a wave of nothingness hit my mind. It was a shock that almost sent me reeling from my throne to the limestone floor below. Only by gripping the armrests of my throne was I able to keep my balance and attempt to figure out what I had just felt. A quick search of my mind told me that Aibou had cut off our connection again, as I felt a void in the area of my mind where he normally occupied.
Annoyance and anger boiled through me as I understood that Aibou had disobeyed me yet again. He had cut off the link even after I had told him that it wasn't allowed. He was to keep his mind open to me at all times so that we would be in contact in case of an emergency. But time and time again he ignored my instructions and each time I am forced to punish him for his disobedience.
So without a second thought to the fate of the prisoners, I simply waved for the Monsters to take them away and left the throne room and all within behind. I did not storm through the corridors of the palace, as that would be below my station as Pharaoh and Son of Ra. But I did allow my annoyance to show in other ways. More than one statue found itself being shattered by bursts of erratic shadow magic as I passed.
By the time I reached the set of apartments in which I had given to Aibou to dwell, my anger had simmered back to simple annoyance. I could feel him on the other side of the door which only I may pass through. Not his mind, but his general aura of light and innocence which he radiates at all times. Only now it was radiating tinges of fear and uncertainty that came from him sensing my approach.
He knew then that I was displeased with him right now, knew that I was coming to punish him again. Aibou had always been such an empathetic little thing, even when there were barriers between himself and others. It's a trait which I admire in him, as it makes him more sensitive to the rest of the world. But it can be a problem at times, especially like now.
As I approach the doorway which only I can pass through, I wish that Aibou were a little less sensitive. Then it would make what I have to do a little bit easier for us both to deal with. I can already see that things will be difficult as I enter the room where Aibou is waiting, his eyes already watching my approach with the same fear and uncertainty that I felt outside.
He was leaning against a desk that was littered with puzzle pieces and old Duel Monster cards. His lilac tunic was hanging loosely on him, showing me that he hadn't been eating properly again. Something else that I would have to look into when this was all over. But that could wait.
Right now, I have to punish my Hikari for disobeying me again. But it was nothing he really needed to fear. It was just going to be a little lesson in obeying the rules that are set down for him. It will help him to understand that I do what I do for his own good. Then he'll understand that I know what's best for him and so there's no reason for Aibou to ignore my rules so often.
As I come closer, I notice that tears are filling his defiant amethysts eyes. My own widen at the sight as I fear that he had somehow managed to hurt himself despite all the protection spells that I have placed upon the little one. I almost rushed to his side to see how badly he was damaged when I realized that he were not hurt in the way that I believed. Aibou was hurting because I was there and how my presence will affect his own now.
I know that he fears me more than anything and that cuts deeper into my soul than anything else in this world. I know that he longs for the release of death and constantly tests me to see if I will give it to him. But that is something that I will never give to Aibou, no matter how much my precious little one begs for it. He is mine and I will keep him with me for eternity. He just has to learn that, be it easily or the hard way.
I continued to approach my Hikari until he is backed up against a wall and has no other way to run. Reaching out to wipe away Aibou's tears, I can sense the fear rising in his mind through our link again. He tries to stay strong, to keep from feeling the weaknesses that he believed amuses me. I truly wish that my Hikari wouldn't think things. Those things just aren't true. I don't find amusement in his pain, I never have. Sometimes I might find my little one's actions adorable or confusing, but never amusing in the sense that he believe.
It hurts me even more to know that Aibou believes that I would ever think such things about him. I've never seen him as weak, even when he was at his worst. My Hikari has a strength all his own and that is something that I admire in him. I love everything about my sweet Aibou, I always will. That's why I do what I do, why I keep him away from the rest of my kingdom, why I'm about to punish him as I'm about to do and have done. I do it all because I love him.
I tell him so as lead him to the bedchamber and use shadow magic to bind him to the sofa within. It doesn't stop him from cringing and whimpering slightly at my touch, but I tell him anyway. I want him to know that this isn't done out of spite or annoyance as he so often believes. I want him to understand that this is done because it is from the unparalleled love that I have for him.
My words are soon drowned out by the screams that escape my Hikari to echo through the chambers as I allow the shadows to crawl over him. There is no pain to be felt when I punish Aibou. His screams are more fright than anything else, as the light always has some instinctual fear of being snuffed out by the cold of the darkness. I would never allow that to happen of course, just enough for him to feel dampening cold as it seeps into his body and down to his very core. The very same chill that I felt while trapped within the Puzzle that Aibou wears.
Each scream that escapes him is like a lash upon my own heart. It is hard for me to do this to my precious one and more than once I have been tempted to stop. To just take him in my arms and soothe his fears until his tears finally dry and he smiles at me again. But I can never do this. I must remain firm with how I punish Aibou. It is the only way he'll ever learn that everything is done for his own good. So even if it hurts me as well, I forced myself to stand by and watch as the shadows continue to drive more cold into the little one's twitching form.
Unconsciousness claimed him long before I had finished administering his punishment. I wasn't too surprised. Whenever he allows himself to wallow in self-pity, it always takes its toll on him. The precious energy that he should save for more important activities is wasted on frivolous things that have no consequence. It annoys me that this happens, but I won't make too much of a fuss about it right now.
I think he's been scolded enough for now. If I have anything else to talk with him about, I will wait for another time. Right now, it's getting late and little Hikaris like mine need their rest. Time to put Aibou to bed and pass the night safely tucked away in my arms while I wait for sleep to claim my own mind while I watch over him. So with a single flick of the wrist, I allow shadows and bindings alike to dissipate and free my sleeping Hikari.
Moving silently, I scooped him up and carried him over to the bed which we share each night. Drawing back a corner of the lilac and ebony sheets, I gently slide Aibou under the covers. He snuggles unconsciously into them, looking even more desirable than ever as he does so. I watch him for a moment before joining him under the sheets, scooting closer to the center of the bed so that neither of us falls off during the night.
Wrapping Aibou in my tightest embrace as I wait for sleep to claim me, I can't help but wish that he would not fear me and would look upon me I do him. I really do love my precious little one. I have from the first moment that I laid eyes upon. That is why I give him every possible comfort in the world, why I make sure that nothing in this world brings harm to him, even himself. I want to protect and shield him and his light for all eternity so that we may be together always. As it was meant to be and always will.
A/N: Okay, I know that some of Yami's thoughts were a bit different from Yugi's impression of him, but it's for a purpose. I wrote this in a different mind set than when I wrote Yugi's POV, meaning I wasn't dead tired and wanting to strangle my stupid cat. I guess I was going for a psycho Yami with a loving obsession towards his Aibou. Kinda like Yami Marik, only without looking like his head got caught in a blender for two hours and the desire to destroy basically anything that moves. .
Confusing Beloved
A/N: I honestly hadn't planned on writing a second chapter, but after reading the reviews, I decided to add a bit more to this. This time, it's going to be a little different than before. Now we're looking at things from Yami's POV and working from there. I'll say this though. Writing from a semi-whacko Yami's POV is harder than writing a depressed Yugi. Also, this has sort of a flashback thing going on towards the beginning just like in Yugi's bit before moving onto the present. Hope there's no confusion from this, even though it's might be expected since this was a major ramble on my part. -.-;
Rage, hatred, and a desire for revenge were all that occupied my mind during the countless years of darkness I endured within the confines of the Millenium Puzzle. Oh, how I longed for the day when I would be free of this wretched place and allowed to walk among men again so that the world may know my wrath. I wanted everyone and everything to know the pain that I felt, only tenfold.
Exactly how I would carry out these plans for revenge and destruction were another of the only things that kept me occupied during my long darkened isolation. It was probably what also kept me from losing my mind entirely to the shadows that made up the world that surrounded my soul. If I had been weak or lost even an ounce of my will to escape, then I most certainly would have forgotten everything that I had been in my previous life.
Yet even remembering can be a curse at times when memories are all that one has when trapped in nothingness. I can still see the faces of Seth and Bakura as they tricked me into stepping onto the dais which would allow them to stun my body long enough to seal my soul within the nearby Millenium Puzzle. Their expressions were ones of triumph and relief as they removed the world's rightful ruler from his place.
Oh what I would have given to wipe those smirks off their faces for what they had done. But it would have to wait until I was free again and I would have the chance to track down the pair's descendants. Then they would pay for the crimes that their forefathers had committed against me. So I bided my time, mapping out every single detail of how I planned to regain my kingdom and punish those that had dared to challenge me. Awaiting the day when I would again see the days darkened, as night would blanket the world forever.
That time came much later than I would have ever anticipated. With all my planning, I never would have believed that the first thing I saw in over five millennia would not be eternal darkness settling over the world, but someone as beautiful as my sweet little Aibou. When it came to my eventual escape, I always believed that the one who released me would just be some hapless mortal who had solved the Puzzle during one of Ra's more fickle moods. Someone that I would have no trouble controlling for my own ends and that I would feel no remorse when I sealed them away in some corner once their usefulness for my purposes would run out.
I wouldn't kill the mortal of course. Though it might have been amusing to see them squirm both in body and soul, it would have been suicide for myself if I went that far. That was a side effect of the spell cast by that backstabbing worm of a high priest Seth when he tricked me into the accused Millenium Puzzle. Whoever completed the Puzzle, even if they solved it through pure chance, was destined to be the other half of my soul, my supposed Hikari. I would not be able to kill them if I wanted to ensure my own existence, so the best that I could do to my Hikari was torture them at my leisure.
This certainly wouldn't be killing them, so I didn't have to worry about dying myself. But it would give me the chance I needed to show my Hikari just what their place would be. I wouldn't allow them to think that just because they were my hikari that would mean that they were immune from my wrath. I would inflict as much pain upon them as I would anyone else, only theirs would be eternal physical pain while others were forced to endure that of the soul.
If there was one thing that I had never been, it was softhearted. Since my earliest days, my heart and mind had been as cold as stone and just as hard. I let no one into my soul, as there was no one worthy of that honor. After all, I am the son of Ra himself, which meant that there was no one in the world who was my equal. So why should I bother with the trivialities that the rest of humanity considered so important?
Oh, what a fool I had been thinking that I was immune to such things. I may have been the son of Ra, but even I had a weakness that could be my downfall. The beginning of which happened when I felt the slightest tinges of warmth for the first time in millennia. It started as a speck that illuminated a single point in the otherwise blackened horizon of my world. Excitement had filled me the instant I was aware of this new addition, as it meant that my freedom would soon be at hand.
Freedom would not come as swiftly as I might have wished. Instead, it came slowly, over a period of years as someone once again started to make my prison whole. It was frustrating at times, watching as the warmth and light only increased slightly at varied intervals. But if there was one thing that I had been, despite the temper I possessed sometimes, was how to be patient. If it meant that I would be free once more, I was willing to wait for whoever was solving the Puzzle to complete it in their own time. They would face my wrath for the inconvenience later on once I really was free.
Eventually, this proverb would pay off for me. When the warmth reached what I can only assume was its peak, a blinding flash filled my consciousness and for the first time in what seemed forever, I felt myself being ripped out of the Puzzle. It hurt nearly as much as when I had first been sealed within the inverted pyramid but I didn't care. I was getting my freedom and that was all that mattered.
The sensation of reentering the physical world after spending so long in the spiritual abyss was quite an experience. I honestly didn't know if I was supposed to feel better in a body or just given into the nausea that suddenly hit my reformed stomach. The feeling only lasted a matter of seconds before fading away like the bright flash of light which temporarily blinded me upon my return.
My vision cleared slowly, as old sensations that had long been lost to me started to make their way into my memory once more. A chill very different from the shadows ran over my face as a slight breeze from some opened portal blew by me. Leather, though I knew not how it became my clothing in place of the royal robes I had once worn, clung to my body as if it were a second skin. The same effect which I discovered was played upon the other occupant of the small chamber in which I had been released into.
The moment I laid my eyes upon the little one who had freed me, everything that I had thought I would do changed in an instant. Seeing his innocent eyes staring back at my own deep crimson with such confusion and fear, I knew that there was no possible way for me to harm him or to throw him away like some broken toy. In that instant, I knew that I would keep and treasure my Hikari for the rest of eternity.
Why my heart took this unexpected turn, I never knew nor did I care. All that mattered is that I had finally found that one piece of myself that I hadn't even known I was missing until that moment. In this person from an age so removed from my own, I could see an innocence that complimented my darkness completely. A completion that I would do everything within my power to keep whole for the rest of eternity.
My resolution had been strengthened when I felt the mind link open itself for the first time. The link had been forged between the little one and myself when he had come into contact with the Puzzle and then completed it. It would allow us to communicate telepathically with our minds, to visit one another's soul rooms when we were deep in unconsciousness, and to see one another's memories when we chose. The middle variable would come much later when the little one had fallen asleep and we were better acquainted with one another.
When it first opened though, it mostly allowed me to sense the emotions that were floating about my Hikari's mind. There were other things that I picked up on of course, like recent memories that had driven him into the frenzy of completing the Puzzle at the unconscious level. Seeing these, particularly the ones where he had been teased by those fools Jonouchi and Honda and later beaten by Ushio for protecting the former, sent rage and indignation running through me like wildfire.
How dare anyone touch my Hikari in such a manner?! Not only did it defile his flawless skin with their filth, but it also tainted his innocence with their mortal inferiorities such as greed and hubris. I could not allow that, not then, not now, not ever. Already, as I scanned through more of the little one's thoughts with the delicate touch of a trained concubine, a plan for revenge was forming in my mind. Oh, how those mortals were going to pay when I got my hands on them, twisting their souls beyond recognition as compensation for what they had put my Hikari through.
I did not allow my Hikari to know what was thinking nor did I make him aware of the mind link. I saw no reason to have him asking me unnecessary questions when we could better spend our time getting to know one another. So with my emotions carefully guarded and my voice filled with a gentleness that felt alien yet so right, I steered my Hikari's attention to other matters. I explained to him about our relationship, that I was there to protect him and that from that moment on, he would never be alone again so long as I was there.
Which was true enough. Even if I had not found it in myself to feel affection towards the little one, I would have been obligated to protect my Hikari for my own interests. And I would never really leave him alone, as we were apart of one another and our souls would forever be connected. But now that things had changed between us, I meant those words in a greater sense. When I said that my Hikari would always have my protection and presence by his side, I meant it with every fiber of my being.
What helped to make all the difference was the way that the little one received my news. He was reluctant at first, which I suppose though annoying was natural under the circumstances. But once he had gotten past that, he began to welcome my presence in his life with open arms. He was happy that he might be able to have a friend that would stand by him and give him the support that he could not find with the worthless mortals who called themselves his family.
From that moment, I gave him all that and more. We were together at all times, whether I was in my soul room while he was moving about the physical realm or I had taken over during times of trouble. Together we faced many trials and obstacles that both strengthened my Hikari's spirit and gave me the opportunities necessary to start regaining my kingdom and mete out punishment without alarming the little one. More importantly, our bond grew stronger with each passing day, bringing the little one's warmth and radiance closer to me as it melted my heart just enough for him.
Spending one on one time together is what I believed helped our relationship the most during this time. Even if I had to in order to make Aibou happy, I hated sharing his attention with anyone else. By Ra, he was mine and none of the pathetic mortals that he hung around should been allowed anywhere near him. They should have been destroyed and scattered like dust to the wind for daring to think that they deserved a share of his brilliance.
That is why I treasured the moments that we spent alone together. Just to have him smile and look at me with those adoring amethyst jewels of his on those long and stormy nights when he would turn to me for comfort. I would hold my Aibou in my arms, cradle him tightly against me while whispering reassurances in his ear. Then he would smile at me and snuggle closer to my warmth. I would only hold him closer then, watching as he finally fell asleep and he became peaceful in the way that only rest can bring. I would then keep guard over him as he slept, always reading to push away any nightmares that dared to invade his innocent dreams.
Then there were the lazy afternoons when we were alone in his room and he would chatter away to me about what had gone on during the week and what was coming up. Things that I already knew about since I always listened to the world through my Aibou, but what I took in nonetheless. As long as I was able to spend time with the little one, then he was welcome to speak about anything that he wished.
Sadly, as they tend to, times such as that are long since past. Aibou doesn't turn to me for comfort as he did what seems a lifetime ago. Instead, he flinches at my touch, though I don't know why. He knows that I would never hurt him, not for anything in this life or the next. I would do anything and everything to keep him happy and safe. Aibou is the only thing that I truly care about in this world. Everything I do is to make my little one happy.
That's why I spent so much time avenging the crimes that had been done against my Hikari instead of going straight into regaining my kingdom. I wanted to make sure that those who had hurt him were punished for their crimes. I wanted them to know that to inflict pain upon one so pure and innocent would come back to them tenfold. And they all still do so to this very day, be it with their minds trapped forever in the Shadow Realm or serving as toys for my loyal servants, the Duel Monsters.
Aibou is aware of this, but some part of him still remains ignorant of what I have done. He does not know that I waited so long before retaking my kingdom so that I could avenge his honor. The little one believes that I spent so much time biding my time because I was still weak from my imprisonment and needed to gather my energy before moving onto larger tasks. He thinks that was why I tended to use his body instead of creating one of my own as I did after a time.
Sometimes I am tempted to correct this error in conclusion, but most of the time I decide against it. If Aibou wishes to remain ignorant, then I will allow it to be so. He would not believe me if I told him the truth anyway. Like so many other times, he would claim that I was lying to him so that he would lower his guard towards me. I do not wish to start another argument with him over the matter, as happened in the past when he protested over my treatment of the ones I punished.
He protested the loudest when I dealt with his mother and grandfather. I suppose one can't blame him for that, as these were the people who had raised Aibou from infancy and who gave him the Puzzle that contained my soul. They were the ones who had comforted him when no one else had bothered to. For that I would have allowed them to remain in my kingdom alive and well cared for as repayment.
They lost that chance when they discovered my presence and threatened to take my Aibou away from me. I could not allow them, so I dealt with them as I had with others who had displeased me. Their souls were torn from the mortal shells and then sentenced to a forgotten corner of the Shadow Realm. A place where they could think about their mistake and know how wrong it would have been to separate a yami from his hikari.
Aibou still remembers them, since I don't want to strip so precious memory from his mind. But he can no longer recall how they met their demise, I saw to that myself. I erased every trace of their delicious screams and the blood that painted the walls of our former home from my beloved. If I had left those memories, it would have tainted him to the point where it would drive him away from completely.
The same thing applied when he watched as I finally rid the world of the girl Anzu. She was once the undeserving focus of my Aibou's affections when he had a childhood crush on her and had been his friend for just as long. But things came to a point where I no longer desired to share Aibou's attention with her and then sent her mind and body alike to the Shadow Realm to dwell with the others.
A better fate than what I handed out to the ones known as Jonouchi and Honda. The ones who had once tortured Aibou and then befriended him after he had risked his own health to protect them. I let them stay around because it was amusing and it made Aibou happy to have someone his own age to talk to. They were something to occupy the time when I wasn't able to give Aibou my full attention.
When their usefulness ran out however, I gave the pair to my faithful Monsters as playthings. The two had shown loyalty to Aibou, but it was only after he had put himself at risk that they changed their tune. It was time for them to pay for the crimes of their past and what better way than to let their pain serve as an amusement for my Monsters. As they have remained since I stopped hiding in the shadows and reclaimed all that I had lost.
Lost and altered memories occurred quite often in earlier times when Aibou managed to catch a glimpse of my handiwork. If his memory were allowed to remain intact, then he would become afraid and start to doubt his trust in our bond. Then he would fear me and try to run away from me. I couldn't allow that, so whenever he started to get fussy about things, I would put him to sleep and then wipe every trace of the incident from his mind. When he awoke, he simply thought that he had blacked out and nothing more.
This is a tactic that I no longer rely upon very much. If used too often then it could cause great problems with the mind, possibly even causing one to go insane from the constant strain of having to fill the void of memories. I will not risk that no matter what the results might be when Aibou watches me punish the scum who dare to stand in my way and the plans that he picks up on through our link. Instead there are some things, even if I wished differently, that Aibou will just have to learn to deal with.
Just as I must deal with him for disobeying me again. From the beginning, I have been firm that his mind remain open to mine at all times. This way I can monitor his moods and intentions, as well as to make certain that no one is attempting to threaten my little one. Like he always did in the beginning, Aibou did not question me when I first suggested this. But now, despite the fact that I punish him for it, he continually blocks off our link when I am unable to be with him.
This time, I felt the connection break about midday. I had been sentencing yet another lot of prisoners my Monsters had captured near the western border to my palace. The fools, led by a pair of wretches named Otogi and Mai, had actually believed that they stood a chance of breaking through my defenses and defeating me. They had only gotten as far as the farthest border of my palace before my Monsters had sensed them and captured them.
After having a bit of fun on their own, they brought the mortals to me. The entire lot looked like pigs clothed in tattered rags compared to the splendor of my throne room. I really had no interest in them beyond the fact that they had dared to encroach upon my domain. I was fully prepared to just wave my hand and let my Dark Magician and the others do whatever they wished with the fools.
As I was about to give out the order, a wave of nothingness hit my mind. It was a shock that almost sent me reeling from my throne to the limestone floor below. Only by gripping the armrests of my throne was I able to keep my balance and attempt to figure out what I had just felt. A quick search of my mind told me that Aibou had cut off our connection again, as I felt a void in the area of my mind where he normally occupied.
Annoyance and anger boiled through me as I understood that Aibou had disobeyed me yet again. He had cut off the link even after I had told him that it wasn't allowed. He was to keep his mind open to me at all times so that we would be in contact in case of an emergency. But time and time again he ignored my instructions and each time I am forced to punish him for his disobedience.
So without a second thought to the fate of the prisoners, I simply waved for the Monsters to take them away and left the throne room and all within behind. I did not storm through the corridors of the palace, as that would be below my station as Pharaoh and Son of Ra. But I did allow my annoyance to show in other ways. More than one statue found itself being shattered by bursts of erratic shadow magic as I passed.
By the time I reached the set of apartments in which I had given to Aibou to dwell, my anger had simmered back to simple annoyance. I could feel him on the other side of the door which only I may pass through. Not his mind, but his general aura of light and innocence which he radiates at all times. Only now it was radiating tinges of fear and uncertainty that came from him sensing my approach.
He knew then that I was displeased with him right now, knew that I was coming to punish him again. Aibou had always been such an empathetic little thing, even when there were barriers between himself and others. It's a trait which I admire in him, as it makes him more sensitive to the rest of the world. But it can be a problem at times, especially like now.
As I approach the doorway which only I can pass through, I wish that Aibou were a little less sensitive. Then it would make what I have to do a little bit easier for us both to deal with. I can already see that things will be difficult as I enter the room where Aibou is waiting, his eyes already watching my approach with the same fear and uncertainty that I felt outside.
He was leaning against a desk that was littered with puzzle pieces and old Duel Monster cards. His lilac tunic was hanging loosely on him, showing me that he hadn't been eating properly again. Something else that I would have to look into when this was all over. But that could wait.
Right now, I have to punish my Hikari for disobeying me again. But it was nothing he really needed to fear. It was just going to be a little lesson in obeying the rules that are set down for him. It will help him to understand that I do what I do for his own good. Then he'll understand that I know what's best for him and so there's no reason for Aibou to ignore my rules so often.
As I come closer, I notice that tears are filling his defiant amethysts eyes. My own widen at the sight as I fear that he had somehow managed to hurt himself despite all the protection spells that I have placed upon the little one. I almost rushed to his side to see how badly he was damaged when I realized that he were not hurt in the way that I believed. Aibou was hurting because I was there and how my presence will affect his own now.
I know that he fears me more than anything and that cuts deeper into my soul than anything else in this world. I know that he longs for the release of death and constantly tests me to see if I will give it to him. But that is something that I will never give to Aibou, no matter how much my precious little one begs for it. He is mine and I will keep him with me for eternity. He just has to learn that, be it easily or the hard way.
I continued to approach my Hikari until he is backed up against a wall and has no other way to run. Reaching out to wipe away Aibou's tears, I can sense the fear rising in his mind through our link again. He tries to stay strong, to keep from feeling the weaknesses that he believed amuses me. I truly wish that my Hikari wouldn't think things. Those things just aren't true. I don't find amusement in his pain, I never have. Sometimes I might find my little one's actions adorable or confusing, but never amusing in the sense that he believe.
It hurts me even more to know that Aibou believes that I would ever think such things about him. I've never seen him as weak, even when he was at his worst. My Hikari has a strength all his own and that is something that I admire in him. I love everything about my sweet Aibou, I always will. That's why I do what I do, why I keep him away from the rest of my kingdom, why I'm about to punish him as I'm about to do and have done. I do it all because I love him.
I tell him so as lead him to the bedchamber and use shadow magic to bind him to the sofa within. It doesn't stop him from cringing and whimpering slightly at my touch, but I tell him anyway. I want him to know that this isn't done out of spite or annoyance as he so often believes. I want him to understand that this is done because it is from the unparalleled love that I have for him.
My words are soon drowned out by the screams that escape my Hikari to echo through the chambers as I allow the shadows to crawl over him. There is no pain to be felt when I punish Aibou. His screams are more fright than anything else, as the light always has some instinctual fear of being snuffed out by the cold of the darkness. I would never allow that to happen of course, just enough for him to feel dampening cold as it seeps into his body and down to his very core. The very same chill that I felt while trapped within the Puzzle that Aibou wears.
Each scream that escapes him is like a lash upon my own heart. It is hard for me to do this to my precious one and more than once I have been tempted to stop. To just take him in my arms and soothe his fears until his tears finally dry and he smiles at me again. But I can never do this. I must remain firm with how I punish Aibou. It is the only way he'll ever learn that everything is done for his own good. So even if it hurts me as well, I forced myself to stand by and watch as the shadows continue to drive more cold into the little one's twitching form.
Unconsciousness claimed him long before I had finished administering his punishment. I wasn't too surprised. Whenever he allows himself to wallow in self-pity, it always takes its toll on him. The precious energy that he should save for more important activities is wasted on frivolous things that have no consequence. It annoys me that this happens, but I won't make too much of a fuss about it right now.
I think he's been scolded enough for now. If I have anything else to talk with him about, I will wait for another time. Right now, it's getting late and little Hikaris like mine need their rest. Time to put Aibou to bed and pass the night safely tucked away in my arms while I wait for sleep to claim my own mind while I watch over him. So with a single flick of the wrist, I allow shadows and bindings alike to dissipate and free my sleeping Hikari.
Moving silently, I scooped him up and carried him over to the bed which we share each night. Drawing back a corner of the lilac and ebony sheets, I gently slide Aibou under the covers. He snuggles unconsciously into them, looking even more desirable than ever as he does so. I watch him for a moment before joining him under the sheets, scooting closer to the center of the bed so that neither of us falls off during the night.
Wrapping Aibou in my tightest embrace as I wait for sleep to claim me, I can't help but wish that he would not fear me and would look upon me I do him. I really do love my precious little one. I have from the first moment that I laid eyes upon. That is why I give him every possible comfort in the world, why I make sure that nothing in this world brings harm to him, even himself. I want to protect and shield him and his light for all eternity so that we may be together always. As it was meant to be and always will.
A/N: Okay, I know that some of Yami's thoughts were a bit different from Yugi's impression of him, but it's for a purpose. I wrote this in a different mind set than when I wrote Yugi's POV, meaning I wasn't dead tired and wanting to strangle my stupid cat. I guess I was going for a psycho Yami with a loving obsession towards his Aibou. Kinda like Yami Marik, only without looking like his head got caught in a blender for two hours and the desire to destroy basically anything that moves. .