A/N:
/.../ Yami to Yugi
... Yugi to Yami (no "..." or /.../ just plain. it WAS backslash, but it wouldn't come out for some reason so... use your imagination!)
It's all in the eyes
Chapter 4 (finally!)
"Yugi…"
"What is it, Yami?"
"Have you ever looked at Sahara's eyes?"
"Uh, yes… why?"
"No, I mean really looked."
"I don't – "
"At school tomorrow, look. I want your opinion on something."
"Okay… uh, sure."
"Go to sleep, Yugi. You'll need to be well rested tomorrow."
"Good night."
"Yuge!"
"Hey, Joey! How are you?"
"Fine… I think… and you?"
"What do you mean 'you think'?"
"Oh, it's nothing…"
"Well, if you want to tell someone, you know where to come, ok?"
"Sure, thanks Yuge."
"Anytime." A bell rung shrilly. "C'mon, let's get to class."
They pushed their way through the masses in the hallways, and were right by their classroom when Joey stopped dead, causing Yugi to crash into him.
"What is it, Joey?"
"Look," was all Joey could say. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open slightly. Yugi stood on tiptoe to peer over his friends shoulder, and gasped.
"Kaiba!"
The tall brunette turned at the sound of his name, then scowled and sloped away. His hair looked almost as wild as Joey's, as though he had only smoothed it down with his fingers rather than with a comb, and his face was pale and thin. He wore faded jeans and a blue zip-up tracksuit top. Yugi had never seen Kaiba look like this, not ever. He'd never seen Kaiba walk with any movement but a stride, either. It was, on a whole, one of the scariest things he'd ever seen.
"Hey guys, you're going to be late for class!" called Tea, grabbing the two dumbstruck boys by their collars and dragging them into the classroom.
/There/
Huh?
/Look, there by the window/
Oh, right, Sahara
/Look, Yugi, I know seeing Kaiba shook you, but if you do this I may be able to help him as well/
Oh, okay…
"Hi Sahara," said Yugi, walking up behind her.
"Wha – oh, it's you."
Yugi looked at her eyes, and stifled a gasp. The pupils of her eyes were jagged, like a smashed pane of glass. But that wasn't the worst of it… "Uh… I have to go…" He backed away and the turned and ran to his desk.
Sahara didn't even notice. She turned back to the window, feeling listless. She found she always felt like this, unless she was with Joey. She sighed, and put a hand to her head.
/Did you see/
HER EYES!
/Calm down, Yugi. Tell me what you saw/
They were… dead. And her pupils…
/Jagged, I know. Now, Yugi, I'll be gone for some time today. Don't worry. I'm just appealing to a higher authority/
Okay. Good luck
/Thank you. I'll probably need it/
Yami, with effort, pulled himself from his light half's body. He paused to survey the class and then, after briefly touching Yugi's shoulder, pushed off and soared upwards. Once he had flown through the school's ceiling, he paused and checked the sky. He set off again, ascending rapidly.
He stopped above the clouds, and checked his surroundings again. He took off again, head northwest. He flew for quite a long time, every so often altering his course slightly. Eventually, in the distance, he saw a cloud shaped like a giant pyramid. He swooped towards it. As he got closer, howling wind swept around him. On the edge of his conscious, he heard a voice demand his name and business.
In as loud a voice as he could manage, Yami spoke his name, and was all but drowned out by the roar of the wind. Suddenly, the winds shifted, and a male form appeared in front of Yami, a form comprised entirely of wind.
"Lord Shu," Yami greeted the god of wind, bowing.
"Your business, Millennium Spirit?"
"I would speak with Ra, over an important matter concerning the reincarnated spirit of the priest who served in my court," said Yami, bowing again.
"I will convey your request," sighed the god, and the figure disappeared. The rushing air around Yami did not, and he held himself still in the air, trying to conserve energy. Going away from Yugi and the Puzzle took a lot of effort, and he could not stay for long before he was snapped back like a dog on a leash. He hoped that being in the presence of Ra would slow the process a little – he didn't have much time.
Eventually the wind shifted beneath him and began to carry him. He could not see where he was going, as the winds around him continued to swirl, but he knew he was being taken to the sun god. He sent a prayer of thanks to Shu, for travelling on the winds was a lot easier than propelling himself, and he needed all the energy he could spare.
Finally the winds calmed, and he was carefully placed on a floor of what seemed to be pure white marble. It was very misty, so Yami could only see a little way around himself. The place seemed to be deserted.
A tall man, with a falcon's head, walked majestically through the mist.
Yami knelt, his head bowed.
"What troubles thee, son of the sky?"
"I seek thine counsel upon a matter of greatest severity."
"Which matter dost thou speak of? Speak, and I shall hear thee."
"The matter of the punishment of the Priest Seth in his present form. Hast thou seen what thy equal hath done?"
"What hath mine equal done, that it causes such pain to mine son?"
"The Priest hath lost everything he loved, but still thine equal takes from him."
"What?" The god abandoned the formal tone.
"Seto Kaiba, the reincarnation of Priest Set, has lost his brother, his business, his home… everything he ever loved. But a new love has entered his life – I think she may even be his soul mate, but you'll have to check that – and she's been tampered with so that she does not love him."
"Tampered with? Are you sure?"
"Yes, sire. Even my lighter half can see it."
"HERA!" The god's voice shattered the heavens.
Yay! I finally updated! It's a miracle! Well, you know the drill - press that cute lil' purple button... please?