Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-GI-Oh!
Yugi watched Yami while he dozed. She could feel Yami's exhaustion through their link. Yugi was glad that Yami hadn't freaked out when he had found out about them. Yugi knew that plenty of people who would have gone into denial. She sighed. She had always had a small crush on Yami. This was her chance to get to know him better. Yugi took a deep appreciative sniff of whatever Mei-Lin was cooking.
"Dinner's ready!" Mei-Lin came in, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Casting an eye on her napping cousin, she commented, "Wake Sleeping Beauty before you come in." Mei-Lin turned and left.
Yugi gently shock Yami's shoulder, "Yami, time to wake up," she murmured. Yami's head came up.
"Huh?" he questioned, only half-awake.
"Dinnertime."
"Oh." Yami got up and followed Yugi into the kitchen. Mei-Lin had made a stir-fry containing chicken, sugar snap peas, sliced white onions, minced garlic, and soy sauce. To Yami it smelled like heaven. There was steamed white rice to go with it.
"Help yourself," Mei-Lin said. Yami piled his plate with food and sat down. Yugi and Mei-Lin also served themselves. Yugi watched, amused, as Yami inhaled his dinner. /Hungry/ Yugi asked. Starving came the reply. Yugi silently marveled at how natural it was for the two of them to communicate telepathically. Being able to talk telepathically with the small teen hadn't bothered Yami.
When the meal was over, Yugi and Yami cleaned up the kitchen while Mei-Lin prepared a couple guestrooms. It was only eight o'clock but Yami could barely keep his eyes open so Mei-Lin sent him to bed.
After Yami had left, Mei-Lin turned to Yugi. "What do you think?"
"He's going to be good help. Yami's going to have to master his power faster than we had to."
"No, what do you think of him as a person?"
"I have to give him a good amount of credit for not freaking out on us earlier. I think Yami's a very intelligent person and that he won't balk at the amount of time being a Guardian is going to require."
"You like him," Mei-Lin murmured.
Yugi blushed softly, "Yeah," she whispered. Mei-Lin knew that her best friend had had a crush on her cousin. Mei-Lin bid Yugi goodnight and both girls headed to bed. As Yugi lay down to sleep, she wondered if Yami fully understood what they being asked to do.
The next morning, after breakfast, Yami asked what the plans for that day were. Mei-Lin replied that they were going to Maldera to introduce Yami to the rebels there.
"Just how are we going to get to Maldera?" Yami questioned.
"We're going to find a portal and go through that." Yugi answered.
"You'll have to be in Guardian for while we're there," added Mei-Lin.
"How do we find these portals?" Yami queried.
"I'll show you," Mei-Lin said. She left the kitchen and returned with an old battered scroll of parchment. Yami's cousin spread the scroll out on the kitchen table and held her blood-red crystal over the parchment. The crystal glowed for a brief second and left a map with an "X" marked on it on the scroll.
"That's the city," Yami breathed.
"Mm-hmm, and that 'X' is the location of a portal. We're in luck, this portal is only a few blocks from here," Mei-Lin informed him, "Let's go."
Mei-Lin stood up and grabbed her keys. Yugi and Yami followed her as Mei-Lin left and locked up. \What's Maldera like?\ /It's pretty grim, but that's to be expected with Phoebus in charge. The people are very resourceful and live for the day when Phoebus no longer rules./ Yugi drew to a halt and Yami looked up. He stared in awe at the glowing, swirling, silver patch hanging in mid-air. The portal was located in an alley so they didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them transform. Mei-Lin and Yugi went first and then Yami went into the portal.
Yami looked around. The three of them were standing on a cliff that overlooked a gloomy, medieval-era city. Father on, an evil, forbidding-looking castle sat atop another cliff. Above the castle purple-black clouds boiled and seethed as they spread to fill the sky. Yami looked around and saw that Yugi and Mei-Lin were already in the air. Yami pumped his and joined his companions in the air.
"It's this way," Mei-Lin called and flew down the cliff away from the city. Yami and Yugi flew as fast as they could catch up with her. When the two arrived they found Mei-Lin talking with a young, blonde-haired man. \Who's that?\ / That's Marik; he's the leader of the Rebellion./ Mei-Lin and Marik had finished talking and walked over to the other Guardians.
Now that Yami had a better view he could see that Marik was between seventeen and eighteen years old. Marik had long, corn silk blonde hair and lavender eyes. The Rebel Leader was slightly taller than Yami but that could've been because of his boots. He was lithe and wiry rather than big and bulky. Marik's skin was a dusky, golden brown. He was giving Yami a glare that looked like it would've killed the Guardian several times over.
"So, you're the new Guardian," Marik sneered. Yami, not liking Marik's attitude, struggled to be polite.
"Yes, I am," he said.
Marik turned and indicated that the Guardians should follow him.
"What's his problem?" Yami asked, being careful to keep his voice low, so Marik and Yugi couldn't overhear.
"Marik likes Yugi and he sees you as a threat. Being the Shadow Guardian makes you an even bigger threat because it gives you a bond with Yugi that Marik will never have." Mei-Lin explained. Yami nodded, thinking that it might have been easier if he was a different element. Yami also thought that Marik's attitude of decided unwelcome could not bode well.
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Yay! I finally updated! Sorry I took so long, everyone. Please review. See ya later!
Renoirkmk