A/N: Gah, I can't finish anything these days. Now that I FINALLY have this next chapter up I might be motivated to actually finish this story. Thanks to everyone that reviewed on the first chapter and a big hello to everyone that remembers me.
In Memories Forgotten
Chapter 2
It rose up slowly out of the forest as they came closer to it, turrets twisting upwards and rusted balconies leaning out over the untamed, misty gardens. Leafless trees stretched their skeletal fingers towards it, brushing against the roof's tattered shingles. The shutters of every window were closed tight, and a high iron-spiked fence around the entire grounds warned away intruders.
Yami heard the human's sharp intake of breath at the ominous sight, and her hand grabbed a hold of his shirt collar involuntarily.
"Relax. It's just a house."
The iron gates opened of their own accord, and Yami moved over the grounds without seeming to touch them. It was a talent that he had developed. The doors also opened on their own, and shut and locked themselves as soon as Yami and Yugi were inside.
Yami carried the girl through the wide main hall of the ancient house, up many winding flights of stairs, and finally to a bedroom somewhere on a high floor. The girl was set down on the bed, still awed by the size and mysterious, shadowed quality of the house.
"I'll be back in a moment," Yami said, exiting the room silently. Yugi watched him leave, then gazed around the room. The curtains and bedspreads were colored in dull purple and crimson shades, and nothing in the room was particularly bright except for the light of a few candles. The window curtains were drawn, even though all the windows that Yugi had seen from the outside of the house had been boarded up.
Rather suddenly, Yugi noticed a pair of luminous eyes watching curiously from the end of the bed. Yugi scooted backward warily, and several more pairs of eyes appeared. The eyes abruptly moved forward, and a group of black, furry, mouse-like creatures scurried across the bed.
Yugi let out a yelp, and fell backwards off of the bed. The eyes stared down from the edge of the bed as Yugi tried to stand, but because of the injured ankle she could only scramble across the floor into a corner of the room.
The eyes blinked a few times, then looked at each other, whiskers twitching, as if conversing in a way that Yugi couldn't hear or decipher. They seemed to decide something, then slowly crawled down the side of the bed. It was at that moment that Yami re-entered, some clothes over his arm, and the little creatures disappeared through a crack in the wall.
Yami blinked at the girl sitting in the corner, who was obviously frightened, and glanced at the crack where the black creatures had gone.
"Do they frighten you?" he asked in a conversational tone.
Yugi swallowed, then said, "They just startled me… that's all."
Yami nodded absently, tossing the clothes on the bed. He walked over to Yugi, picked her up, and placed her back on the bed.
"All right," he said, looking Yugi in the eye, "There are some rules that you're going to follow if you're going to stay here. You will never open any windows or doors leading outside during the day. You'll never go outside without my permission. If you see or hear anyone while you're outside come back in immediately and don't let them see you. You can go into any part of the house except for the eastern turret. Never, ever go up there."
Yami turned towards the door, saying as he left, "If you need anything, you can ask the kegawa. They'll do anything you ask unless I say otherwise. And, if you need to call me something, my name is Yami."
The door shut, and Yugi was alone in the room. She looked around the room once more, then picked up one of the articles of clothing that Yami had brought. One was a nightdress, but it wasn't like the overly-lacy ones that her father had bought. They were an older style, simple and comfortable.
Yugi smiled to herself. It probably wasn't the best accommodations in the world, but living with Yami was beating living with her father by several miles. After changing, which was rather difficult to do without standing up, Yugi let her long black, crimson, and blonde hair out of its braid. She looked at herself in the full-sized mirror for several moments. She remembered that, when she was very little, her hair used to stick up in several points like Yami's, but her father had made her comb it back into ponytails and braids until it didn't stand up anymore. She hadn't remembered that until she had seen Yami.
/We might look like twins if my hair was still like that/ Yugi thought absently.
Feeling too tired to try to comb her hair, Yugi lay in the bed and stared at the ceiling. It had animal faces carved into the wood, and though they were made to look menacing there seemed to be a sorrowful quality to them. In fact, Yugi had noticed that there was an air of sadness that pervaded the entire house. But, Yugi's mind wandered away from that observation to other problems.
Yugi was especially concerned that Yami would discover the secret that Yugi had been keeping all of his life. Yes, his. As in male. Yugi glanced down at himself and his flat chest, which was rather unbecoming of a young woman. Yami thought that Yugi was a girl, as had everyone in the village that Yugi had lived in, and Yugi didn't know how Yami would react if he found out the truth. But, of course, the people in the village had been oblivious for 17 years already, so keeping the secret from Yami shouldn't be that hard. Right?
Yugi sighed. He was already exhausted, and worrying about everything wasn't going to help that. Since Yami already believed that Yugi was a girl, then he could go on believing that. And even with the rules Yami had laid down, this was the freest that Yugi had ever felt in his life, and he didn't want to spoil that by revealing something that might cause him to lose that freedom. Feeling his eyelids grow heavy, Yugi pulled the covers over himself, blew out the candles on the stand next to the bed, and in a few moments was fast asleep.
Yugi awoke, slowly opening his eyes, and suddenly he sat up. It took him a few moments to recognize the unfamiliar surroundings and to recall the events of the previous day. His stomach growled loudly, the hunger almost painful. Of course, he hadn't eaten since noon the day before, so it was to be expected.
Suddenly, Yugi yelped and pulled the covers over himself. The same little creatures from the day before were staring at him from the edge of the bed. Yugi gulped, determined not to be afraid of them.
"Um… good morning," he said. The little creatures suddenly sped off in all directions, and Yugi jumped back, hitting his skull on the headboard. As he rubbed the back of his head gingerly, Yugi saw that some of the little creatures had laid out a dress on one of the chairs. The sound of the door opening made Yugi look up, and a kitchen cart with a covered tray on it was wheeled in by more of the little kegawa to the side of the bed. Yugi gaped, having never experienced such treatment.
He lifted the tray cover, and saw a steaming plate of eggs, ham, and toasted muffins along with a bowl of assorted fruits that he didn't recognize. His stomach growled again, and Yugi decided that he would wonder where the food had come from later.
After nearly inhaling the entire breakfast, Yugi noticed that the kegawa were still watching him from the edge of the bed. A few of them moved forward and removed the dishes, wheeling the tray out of the room.
"Uh… thank you for the breakfast," Yugi said. "I enjoyed it very much." The creatures seemed to converse with one another, and then one came forward. Yugi forced himself to stay where he was as the little ball of fur crept up to him. He flinched slightly as the thing nuzzled his hand, but then slowly relaxed. The dark fur was surprisingly soft, and up close it was actually rather cute. Yugi smiled, and a few of the others began to approach him. He giggled as the first one crawled up his arm and to his shoulder.
Suddenly, all of them zipped toward the door, bouncing up and down and making an odd purring noise. A couple of them nudged at the dress that had been laid out.
/Oh…/
"All right, I'm coming," Yugi said, and he got out of the bed only to fall back into it with a cry of pain. He had completely forgotten about his ankle, which was still swollen and sore. Yugi whimpered softly, slowly bringing his foot up onto the bed and gently touching the bruised skin. He jumped slightly as one of the kegawa suddenly appeared next to him. It nudged at his ankle, then looked up at Yugi quizzically.
"I twisted it yesterday, and it still hurts," Yugi explained to the little creature. It made a small purr in comprehension, and then it slid down the side of the bed and disappeared out the door. Yugi blinked, confused, but moments later the creature returned. It and several others were carrying a small clay bottle and a roll of bandages. Yugi leaned down to pick them up. The bottle wasn't marked, but Yugi had a guess as to what it was for.
"Is this for my ankle?" he asked. The little kegawa bounced up and down enthusiastically, so Yugi took that as a yes. He uncorked the bottle and poured a little of the substance into his hand. It was some kind of sweet-smelling oil, but Yugi couldn't determine exactly what the scent was. The little creatures pushed the bandages towards him, and Yugi spread some of the oil onto his ankle. He was amazed that, in just moments, the soreness began to dissipate into a sort of numbness. He wrapped the bandages around his ankle, and then tried to stand up. It still hurt a little, but he could walk. Yugi bowed gratefully to the kegawa.
"Thank you," he said. The little creatures bounced up and down happily. Yugi smiled, then went to the dress that had been laid out for him. He started to take off the nightdress, then noticed that the creatures were still watching him.
"Um… do you mind?" he asked, gesturing towards the dress. The kegawa scurried out of the room and the door shut behind them, though Yugi could still hear them purring outside the door. Satisfied that he had privacy, Yugi changed into the other dress. It was a very deep red, with flowing sleeves, a skirt that was almost too long for him, and a neckline that revealed his shoulders and collarbone. The fabric was soft and heavy, but Yugi couldn't tell what kind it was. The simplicity of the dress was different compared to the frilly outfits that he was used to, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant.
Yugi glanced at the door, making sure that it was still shut, then took a few of the cloths by the washbasin and folded them, stuffing them into the front of the dress. He adjusted them until they gave a satisfactory illusion of a pair of breasts.
Deciding not to bother with his shoes, Yugi then went to the door and saw the little creatures sitting outside in the hall. As soon as they saw Yugi, they began bouncing about excitedly. A few of them scampered up the fabric of the dress and settled on Yugi's shoulders, tickling his bare skin.
"Lead the way!" Yugi said happily to the kegawa remaining on the floor. The creatures scampered down the hallway, fast followed by Yugi. They led him down many different hallways, past faded paintings and dead flower vases. They eventually came to the twisting stairs, and the creatures hopped along down the steps. Yugi followed, wondering where they were taking him. He also wondered momentarily where Yami was, as he had not seen any sign of his rescuer since the previous night.
As they finally reached the end of the stairs, the creatures bounced towards one of many doors in the main hall that Yugi remembered seeing the night before. The door swung open, and the kegawa lead Yugi into the room. He almost fell over in amazement. The room was enormous, and every wall of it was covered with bookshelves. The dust on the leather book covers stirred as the creatures hopped around, excited at Yugi's awe-struck expression.
Yugi stepped forward into the room, tearing his eyes away from the bookshelves to see that there were tables, small couches, and a desk covered with papers.
/Well, I won't have to worry about getting bored…/ he thought to himself. Also in the room was a beautiful grand piano. Yugi walked over to it and inspected it; it was dusty, but otherwise there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. The creatures on his shoulders purred happily, and Yugi smiled as he went to inspect the books. All of them were very old, their leathers covers dry and their pages yellowed.
Yugi selected a title he found interesting, and sat on one of the velvet couches. All of the creatures gathered around him as he opened the book.
"Would you like me to read to you?" Yugi asked, and he laughed at the enthusiastic purr that he got in response. "All right then," he said, and began to read aloud.
Yami drifted past the covered furniture of the east turret towards his chair by the window, wondering if it had been a wise decision to let the human girl stay with him. Thus far, the human hadn't done anything to prove herself harmful, so Yami had no reason to tell her to leave. But still…
Since the previous night when the memory of a crying woman in a green dress had resurfaced, the world had become a much more confusing place in a very short amount of time. As far as Yami knew, he had always lived in this house alone, and had always been the inhuman monster that lurked in the forest. Yami had never had memory of anything else, until now.
The memory had brought up many questions. How had he known this woman? Did she live in the house, or somewhere else? Had he once lived somewhere else? If so, where? How had he ended up in the house, and how had he become this sunlight-fearing, deathless creature? Was he even sure that Yami was really his name?
Life had been a lot simpler before Yugi had shown up, but Yami still hadn't decided if it was a good thing or a bad thing. And, he couldn't prove that Yugi had caused the memory to resurface, so it appeared that the human had done nothing wrong, but that simply put Yami back where he had started from.
Almost unconsciously, Yami turned to look at the far wall of the turret. A painting hung there, covered by an old, dusty cloth. For as long as Yami could remember, he knew that he was never, ever supposed to look at that painting, and he had never questioned this. But now, he began to wonder. What was the painting of, and what would happen if he looked at it? And where did he get the idea that he should never look at it? Did someone tell him that, or had he decided it himself?
Yami hesitantly approached the next thought that came to him: Did the painting have anything to do with the woman in the green dress?
Yami's concentration was shattered by laughter ringing through the house, causing him to jump slightly. He didn't know if he was going to be able to get used to having someone else in the house. Yami closed his eyes and mentally searched through the rooms and hallways. He eventually located Yugi in the library, and within seconds the room materialized before him in his mind.
Yugi was sitting on one of the velvet sofas with a crowd of kegawa around her, and she was reading from a leather-bound book. Each time she came to a part that the creatures particularly liked, a wave of purrs rippled through the room and Yugi would giggle at their excitement as she kept reading.
Yami sighed, feeling confused and not knowing what to do about it. He listened to the story, recognizing it from having read it many times before. It was a love story, as many of the storybooks in the library were, full of brave warriors, white towers, and romantic sunsets. A pretty image, but nothing more.
Yugi laughed again as the creatures purred and bounced about excitedly. Yami was almost certain that he had heard human laughter somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. Yet another mystery.
Watching the girl read aloud, Yami suddenly noticed just how beautiful Yugi was. Her slender body fit perfectly into the red gown, and her alabaster skin contrasted beautifully with the deep crimson. Her flushed face and luminescent eyes gave the illusion of a warm light glowing within her, and her laugh cascaded through the air as if it had wings.
/But nightwalkers cannot lust after humans/ Yami reminded himself. /I am helping this girl out of pity, and there is nothing more to it./
However, the tired hope that the darkness had not been able to quench knew that if this was true he wouldn't have to remind himself of it. Frustrated, Yami leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, welcoming unconsciousness so that his thoughts would be quieted.
A/N: Yes! It can be done! I've finished another chapter! cymbals crash And yes, for your information, I am having fun making Yugi dress up as a girl. cackles Will Yami find out? If so, how will he find out, and what will happen after he finds out? wink wink R&R, please!
P.S. Kegawa means furry or fuzzy in Japanese. I couldn't think of what to call them, so I dug my Japanese dictionary out.
P.S.S. Yes, I realize that the kegawa do seem like the sootballs from Spirited Away. I didn't realize that until very recently, long after I'd written this part, so please be nice.