Spoiler Alert!
It goes without saying that I don't own rights to either YuGiOh! or the animated series "Gargoyles".
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FORECAST: Hurt/Trauma Comfort warning!
Halloween 2021 FanFic Yu-Gi-Oh! X Gargoyles
When a Gargoyle Falls
Chapter 15:
Disturbia
For the first time in her life, Anzu was unsure of to proceed. They were alone. She and Atem were finally alone after a week since the events of the night she had been turned into a gargoyle, four nights since she'd overheard the private clan meeting. The brunette wasn't the only one who was at a loss for words. There was something that they were hiding, all of them, but only at the behest of their clan leader who was mere feet away from her. The initial hurt she had felt still flared, even now, but surely he had a reason to not tell her. Maybe it was best that she didn't know?
Across from her was a silent violet skinned gargoyle who was leaning his head against folded hands in deep meditation as if he were looking for anything to say in which would remedy the tense pressure in the air between them. His muscles, which were honed from training and battle, were tight with suspense as he ran through the information he had gathered; she was upset with him, that was clear to see from how she had not called him by name nor met his gaze once in the last hour, but why? He'd been furious once learning that it had not been her he had been speaking to, instead it had been Yugi masquerading, yet it had raised a valid issue that he should have been more mindful of. An apology was in order regardless. The true question was if she would listen.
Cerulean rose from the concrete beneath her feet to lock upon the gargoyle as his own eyes opened, amethyst carefully watching her every move as she marched around the pond to stand before him. This was the first she had moved since they took distant seats across from one another after the others had left. He did not dare to call her name though as her eyes darkened a shade with disappointment that caused his chest to tighten.
"I'm sorry."
He blinked as her head hung. Well, that was unexpected.
"I…I think I may have been in the wrong."
Amethyst could only stare up at her in shock and curiosity as she turned her back. Here she was apologizing yet she was still avoiding his gaze when speaking directly to him. It may be wise for her to speak first. He hummed softly, not in an "I agree" or "What makes you say that?" kind of way, just a noise to sound his acknowledgement that he had heard her and was waiting for her to continue.
It was evidently the response she wanted. Anzu settled beside him, hands resting upon her thighs in clenched fists. "I'm sure Yugi and the others told you about the friends I met when you were missing."
That would explain the mystery scents he'd picked up on her that night but, yes, they had told him of the interaction between the brunette and two individuals; one in leather known as Duke while the other who spoke with an accent called Ryuo. They had also conveyed of how the pair of males who'd started off friendly enough quickly became hostile and suspicious when she wouldn't answer their questions. Was she facing difficulties because of the tie she has to the gargoyle clan?
"You guys all know how much I value my friends by now but those two…they are like my brothers and yet I can't bring myself to tell them about you all. It's as if a part of me wants to keep you to myself," her shoulders rose and fell in a sigh, "and then they go guilt tripping me as if I'm the bad guy for being secretive."
Atem's gaze remained locked upon the young woman from the corner of his eye. "It is your choice."
"That's where you're wrong." The ring in her voice was enough to cause his head to turn slightly more in her direction. "Your secret, your very existence, hinders on the fact that I don't go and blab to the media." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Valentine told me something earlier that I would have preferred to hear from you but I understand that it might have been better I didn't know." Cerulean met amethyst. "Someone is trying to find and silence me but it's not Kokurano Toei."
He fought to keep his expression neutral as the encounter he'd had with Kaiba replayed within his mind; the human man had found out about her early departure from the first night of festivities, the footage upon the rooftop revealing their interaction, and had expressed that if the gargoyles were to encounter the dancer girl again they were to bring her to him. How had the rose hued gargoyle found out though? He made a mental note to inquire about it later and solely focused upon Anzu with an apologetic tone. "I should have been the one to tell you."
"Yes, it should've been you, but we don't have a time machine that would allow us to change that fact." Her arms crossed as she leaned back slightly. "I'd rather not know who it is. They'll probably show themselves sooner or later. What I want to know what else you're hiding."
The extremely short list of things, private and clan related, that popped up in his mind were few but none of them stood out save for his recent antics. His being tilted in her direction farther so that it was relaying the silent signal that he was about to say something important that he wanted her to hear. "In relation to the recent events of my…" he cleared his throat. "…unconscious behavior, I must offer you my sincere apology."
Now it was she who turned in his direction, eyes relaxed slightly and wearing an expression that said she was listening. That was as good as any sign for him to continue.
"The reason I had been acting out of character as of late is due to the fact that the things I am concerned about have grown tense." He internally grimaced as he heard his own words while receiving a narrowed gaze. That was a bit too cryptic and practically screamed that there were things he was attempting to hide. "That did not-"
"Move along."
"Right." His head bobbed in a stiff nod. "The rejection of a mate is never easy on either party, as you could see with Valentine she took it very hard, but that also means that we both will have to readjust to the way we were before."
Her brow twitched, though she wasn't sure why she was growing more upset with him bringing up his ex-mate. Sure the rose hued gargoyle was not trying to use her as a scratching post anymore and had even helped her out a few times, but she would never forget the hostility shown when they had first encountered. Valentine was not someone she ever wanted to get on the bad side ever again but hearing him speak of her was causing something to swirl within her stomach. "So you're saying because of that you've been avoiding me and making excuses to not spend time with me? Not trying to sound like a clingy person but that's a bit of a stretch, Atem." Her bottom lip quivered slightly. "If you didn't like me, all you had to do was say so and I would have-"
The rest of her sentence was forgotten as she was suddenly collected within an embrace and fought the urge to cling to him as they shot upwards into the sky. A glance downwards revealed that a few people had entered the Sunken Gardens where they just were; he must have heard them coming and decided that it was time for them to take this conversation somewhere else. It was taken into consideration that he had been the one to initiate physical contact, not her, awarding him a Forgiveness point or two. It was a bit chilly while they were down there so having him now so close she could feel the heat coming off of him was adding bonus points. Though she tried to remain stiff, his scent of sandalwood and cinnamon caused her own body to betray her and sound herself settling comfortably within his hold.
A breath he was not aware of holding eased up and through his nose as her being relaxed. In the distance appeared a familiar rooftop, one that she herself had designated as their meetup place the night they met, and was landing upon it within a matter of seconds. He made to place Anzu on her feet but found that she had completely attached herself to him; arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his chest. Even without him supporting her weight she looked as though her hold alone would last some time and we wasn't about to remove her. "Would it be alright if I sit?" The young woman huffed softly. He carefully maneuvered himself so that he was leaning against the brick banister, his legs folding neatly beneath them in a criss-cross manner so that she was seated upon his thighs in case she decided to relinquish her hold and his wings extended to as to shield her from the breeze. "Those friends of yours," he started, keeping his voice low but not quite a whisper, "if you need to you may show us to them if it will mend the fragile bond that you share. We will not think different of you if this course of action is what you want."
Her hold upon him changed; hands falling to rest flat palmed against his chest as her spine relaxed so that each of her legs shifted downwards until she too was sitting in the same manner as he just with his torso between herself and legs, forehead resting against his sternum. The warmth he was giving off and wings that prevented the chilly night air from stealing it was seeping into every inch of her being, causing her to farther appreciate how he was not attempting to remove himself from her. "Duke is a cop so telling him would most likely land me in a full blown investigation or possibly throw me in an asylum. Ryuo, on the other hand, is completely out of the question."
Amethyst blinked at the doubtful tone she used, an underlying hint of hurt within her words. "You said earlier that they were like your brothers, yet you doubt they would believe your words?"
"They are not the most open minded people," she sighed, "they used to tease me about the fairy tales and mythology I used to read." He grunted as her nails suddenly dug into his skin. "Is whatever you're hiding so secret that you feel better distracting me with questions of your own?"
"That was not my intention, Anzu."
Her head tilted upwards, revealing doubt filled cerulean.
The violet hued gargoyle's fists slowly unraveled until they met the top of her head and the other on his own thigh, claws digging into his flesh when he found it trembling. "What I had said in reference to Valentine was true but it is not the full truth."
"I overheard that you wanted them to keep me from learning about what was going on. It was an accident, I swear, but the others voiced against your decision to keeping me in the dark."
His breath caught. How much had she heard? No, it didn't matter. What did was the fact that she had overheard in the first place. Guilt and shame filled his being when the lingering notes of her hurt rang loudly within his ears. The trust she had striven to earn had been betrayed, plain and simple, by his own hand. "Forgive me, Anzu, it was an incredibly sensitive topic that I did not want to involve you with. This is a matter for the clan to handle and we, I, was trying to protect you from what is possibly lingering upon the horizon."
She blinked as the claws carefully combing through her chocolate hair lingered for a moment too long at the end of each stroke and a glance downward found the other hand clenching tightly to the flesh of his thigh behind her. Only one thing came to mind that would cause the normally stoic and calm gargoyle before her to react like this. "It's about that pharaoh, isn't it?" Anzu wanted to take it back the second those words had left her lips but what had been said needed to be voiced. Her breath caught as his tremors intensified, all but spelling out the answer she had been searching for. "The man you called king and friend, the same one who secretly learned sorcery then used it to curse you all to stone…" Horror filled her, eyes growing wide when she caught site of the golden bangs that had fallen in front of his face that hid his eyes. "It was him, wasn't it? The one who captured and tortured you?"
The shadow that had fallen over his eyes to conceal them thickened as her arms wrapped around his chest. He didn't care how she had found out, the near crushing pressure and weight cracked as she rose upwards until his head met her shoulder; one hand within his hair while the other rubbed the area of his back between the wings still shielding them. Her hold was gentle but it did little to ease the suppressed emotions threatening to choke him.
"No wonder you were so distracted, you were just trying to prevent the past from repeating itself…" She didn't need him to answer. The choked sound from within his throat was enough. "You're such a dependable and honorable clan leader, Atem but even you need to learn that it's okay to allow others to share the load or to confide in someone." Anzu gasped as his arms suddenly latched themselves around her, large scalding droplets meeting her skin as his being shook. The heart in her chest wept for him as he curled his being around her own until they were in a near sphere-like shape, even his wings were acting as a sort of outside shell that pressed him farther into her softness. "You've been bottling it up and I bet you haven't let anyone else know or see you like this." Her lips pressed against each of his impressive horns that were extended from his temples, hands ever so carefully lifting the heavy diadem of gold from around his forehead to place it beside them on the concrete. One by one, each of the decorative bands covering him was unclamped and joined the Eye of Horus until he was only clothed within his tunic and belt. "It must be heavy, carrying all of that responsibility and putting on a brave face in front of the others, but you don't have to with me," she whispered, cupping his face within her hands to raise it so that the shadow over his eyes could be lifted. Their gazes finally met as the moon hid behind a thick cloud that would have plunged them into darkness if not for the glistening tears that were filling his amethyst eyes. "I'm your friend as much as I am with the others, Atem, I care about you."
First it was one tear that slid down his cheek to a stop just within the hollow of his cheek. "I…"
"It's killing you inside," she whispered, resting her forehead against his own. "I can see that you're suffering and I want to help you."
Then a second, this one sliding down far enough to meet the skin of her hand.
"Her the tip of her thumb met his quivering lips, gently parting them as if the simple motion would help the flood of words rushing up his throat to allow them passage. "You're going to explode if you keep it bottled up any longer, Atem."
The third tear was shed as the muscles of his jaw tensed more when her other hand drifted down to massage his neck, as if the sharp fangs and teeth within his mouth was a last line of defense to withhold the words his own heart begged to spill. They too loosened under her gentle ministrations and soft spoken words of encouragement and care. "Anzu…"
Cerulean met amethyst as her lips lifted into a sad smile. "You men and your stupid bravado and fragile egos. Listen to me good because I'm going to only say this once: you don't have to always appear as the big brave gargoyle who isn't affected by anything. You're a living breathing creature with the right to express his emotions and you shouldn't have to feel ashamed by that." Her lips met the sensitive spot between his eyes. They fell to hesitate just for a moment above his own then ghosted a kiss within the tiny space between his upper lip and the beginning of his nose. "Let it out, Atem," she whispered.
If the passerby people below walking among the many storefronts and numerous food providers had taken just a moment to pull the earbuds out of their ears or the congested vehicles upon the road silenced their engines, they would have heard a roar that faded into a sob fill the October night air. If the private and business contracted helicopters or drones focused upon their busy schedules had taken just a moment to glance towards the rooftop of one New York City's most historical theaters, they would have seen a pair wrapped within each other's embrace. But as fate would have it, none paid them any mind. The world moved on unhindered or bothered by the peculiar pair.
. . . .
A gargoyle with golden hair paused in examination of the bags she'd retrieved, separating those she had purchased for herself in the largest bag so as to carry it easier later, but despite the distance and multitude of noises she had heard his cry. "Aw, hun," she sighed, taking a moment to stand in front of the open window with a agonized expression, "I know it hurts but at least you found a shoulder to weep on finally. Even I couldn't get through that thick outer shell to get to your heart. Anzu, you sweet little thing, you still have no idea of what this means, do you?" Her arms crossed under her large bosom, mauve eyes sliding closed as the faint cry came again. "You've done what I couldn't and I wish you luck in what's to come."
. . . .
Her hold never wavered as his tears spilled like twin rivers from his eyes, the heart in her chest clenching tighter with every scalding droplet that met her skin. She didn't once interrupt him with questions, it would have only made him worse, so she simply settled on holding him for as long as it was needed. The gargoyle she'd come to treasure felt as though he was crumbling no matter how tightly she held him.
It wasn't until nearly an hour later that he finally managed to form words.
"The leader before me…he disappeared without a trace…" his voice cracked when he heard how breathless and pathetic it sounded in his own ears but the floodgates had been opened. They weren't closing anytime soon. "We searched every inch of the palace… He was my friend…The prince, he was someone I trusted and called friend… How could he have committed such a sin…" Atem pulled back slightly so that their gazes could meet, revealing wide eyes that begged for her to tell him he was wrong. "He looked like a demon, some parts man while others were that of my predecessor… Anzu, tell me it is not true!"
"I wasn't there," she said softly, her fingers carefully lifting a golden bang to lightly trace one of the newest scars he'd acquired. "But you already know that what you saw must have been real. For you to be quaking like you are, sobbing with such grief and sadness, proves that it was no mistake." The brunette enclosed his head against her chest with another embrace as another cry wrestled up his throat. His claws were burying themselves farther into her flesh but the pain they brought paled in comparison to that which she was witnessing from the mighty gargoyle within her hold. Cerulean carefully traced over each of his new wounds as the moon finally came out. She was familiar with nearly all of the scars covering his violet skin but there were new ones that she hadn't noticed until just now. "He really did a number on you."
Amethyst blinked as she raised his head with a light tug on his hair so their gazes could meet. "He…he used weaponry that I have never seen before… The one with electricity was his favorite…" Recognizable pain flashed within her gaze. "Anzu?"
"Yeah, that's a taser alright. They cause the victim to slowly grow numb or lose conscious command over their body, sometimes even forces the parts of the body to shut down if the current is strong enough." Her fingers trailed across his tunic until they found the ridges upon his chest where the dual prongs had been placed upon his being. "For them to leave such a horrible scars the safety must have been disengaged." They drifted towards his back to come to a stop just below the junction of his right wing as his hold relaxed to allow her to move easier. "This gash here, it's from a horse riding whip…" Her fingers shifted to the upper left shoulder where his skin was puckered. "This is from that pipe I used to free you; he must have used a blow torch to heat it up then burned you with it like a branding iron."
A truly horrible image filled his mind as she leaned back farther. "Anzu, how are you so familiar with wounds such as those I myself have sustained?" It was his turn to be visited by horror. "It was that man, Toei, the one who called you-"
"Don't!" Her shout nearly caused him to jump from the sudden volume change. "And yes." She grew softer once more as she took a deep inhale through her nose. "It was because of him that I know what I do." One of her slender fingers pressed against his lips as they parted then rose to begin cleaning his face with gentle strokes, a small smile raising her lips. "I bet you feel better now after shedding all those tears but you must be exhausted. We should get you back to the palace before the sun rises."
"What about-"
Once again she prevented him from speaking but instead of her finger upon his lips it was her nose nuzzling against his own as she hummed softly. Heat threatened to bloom within his cheeks as the hum turned into a rough feline-like purr in her throat. The smaller size of her nose rubbing against his own made it easier for her to bring their faces closer until only a breath of space was between them, her cerulean eyes filled with calm that soothed the lingering frays of his nerves. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. It's wise to prepare but to allow it to devour you is a fool's mistake."
He slowly released his hold, allowing her being to slide down his own and elicited a different kind of heat and shiver from the both of them when she came to a halt upon his thighs, her hips brushing against his for a split second. She was right that he felt much lighter, better, less constricted now that he had told someone. No, that wasn't entirely true. It was because he had told her that he was feeling this way now. "Forgive me, Anzu, I should have told you sooner of the threat that has risen."
She shrugged, shimmying until her feet found concrete and began to pick up the discarded gold. "Did we learn the lesson?"
"Keeping secrets, especially from a certain young woman, is not wise."
"Now you're catching on." Her lips lifted into a smile as she returned each of the decorative pieces to their rightful places upon his being. "The next time something like that happens, you come to me instead of all that avoidance and silent treatment crap. Got it?"
His head bobbed in a nod, taking her hand when it was offered and rose to his feet. "Understood." They cast a worried glance upwards as the sky lightened. "You were right, it must be close to dawn."
Anzu's eyes widened as she glanced at the phone in her pocket. "We have about an hour yet but we should get going."
. . . .
Onyx locked upon a shadowed figure who appeared over the rooftop that took to the sky with wings larger than a normal man's arm length. "And where do you think you're going, my little friend?" A malicious grin was revealed within a swirling mass of dark violet magical energy. "We haven't finished our little chat yet so you better not go anywhere," he took aim, careful to adjust due to wind and the flying being's trajectory, "because I'm going to come find you once you fall to your death!"
. . . .
"Anzu," he glanced down so that their gazes could meet. "Thank you."
Her fair cheeks dusted with pink as she gave him a brief squeeze, causing their noses to brush once more, earning the first small smile from the violet gargoyle tonight. "Anytime, Atem."
Their worlds vanished in a flash of violet light, their unified cries piercing the air as their forms blurred.
. . . .
Valentine was out the bedroom window the second her ears had picked upon their cries. She was not the only one, Yugi had also heard and appeared on her left as she dove over the palace wall. Their gazes widened as they caught sight of two falling figures nearing certain death. Her form slimmed as if she were preparing to enter water, causing her to slice through the air until she caught hold of the clothing covering their being. It wasn't the familiar fabric of a tunic though that was in her hands as she quickly angled so that they ascended just before they could crash into one of the street lights or attract any unwanted attention. Anger filled her as she quickly gathered the small figure in her arms. "By the gods, what has he done to you, Anzu?" She tightened her hold upon the unconscious female and landed with a heavy impact within the courtyard. "Turn on the lights! Now!"
The other gargoyles raced to do as she said. Their nocturnal based eyesight had never required them to use those electrical eyesores but there had been a few times they'd used them for Anzu's sake. Each light that came to life caused her gut to clench more and more as Yugi landed beside her, his eyes probably just as wide as hers were. A unified exclamation of shock rose up as they each drew near as the pair gained consciousness.
"Anzu, are you alright?" Amethyst found her as she was helped to sit upright, growing nearly twice their size then locking upon Valentine with a narrowed gaze. "Undo it."
"It wasn't my doing so stop looking at me like that." The rose hued gargoyle kept a hold upon Anzu's shoulders when her jaw dropped.
"V-V-Valentine, are we jumping worlds again?!" Cerulean rose to meet mauve then returned to amethyst when she received a shake of her head. Swallowing the lump of initial shock, she slowly crawled until inches away from him. "He looks just like those other versions of himself!"
His head tilted. "What?"
"Not important." She took his hands, raising them so that her claws and his tanned fingers could be seen by all. The fair peach hue of her skin beside the toasted marshmallow tint of his now smooth own was quite the contrast but they both could only blink for several seconds as Valentine conjured up a mirror and placed it beside the pair.
The tanned young man that was once a violet gargoyle gaped at his reflection. He had seen several portraits of the ancient kings but he'd never once believed the words of how others would jest that he was pharaoh of the gargoyles once he had risen to the clan leader position. Gone were his wings, his violet skin, even the claws upon his hands and feet were missing. No horns were found as he rummaged around within his hair as if looking for them and the ears on either side of his head were similar to how Anzu's were. His eyesight was much worse, the temperature of the air caused him to shiver, even the ground beneath him was causing dull pain to flare up within his legs the longer he sat. "There has to be some sort of explanation-" Anzu moved to intercept his fall when he lost his balance, moving much quicker than she expected that nearly sent them both back to the ground if not for Valentine and Yugi's intervention. A glance over his shoulder confirmed that there was no tail connected to his pelvis. "By the mighty Gods of Egypt, I have been turned into a human," his gaze met Anzu's within the mirror's surface "and you a gargoyle."
See you next time!
