Fugitives: Of Light and Darkness –
Chapter 2 - The Millenium Items
Authoress – Ebony
Disclaimer – I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! , though, it would be fun if I did XD
Ebony – Page 3! Awesome! XD
Marik's POV
We set off after the Yami and Yuugi. Yuugi's usually cheery, immature features had become possessed by a serious expression, which I had never seen before on Yuugi. He looked exactly like Yami; it was getting difficult to tell the difference from this distance.
Ryou was looking slightly tormented; his wild hair flowing in the breeze and his eyes completely focused on Yami with a cold stare, for some, unknown reason.
We walked back the way we had come to school in silence, we followed Yami and Yuugi through the streets, feeling a little out of place in our blue school uniforms on a Tuesday. Yami stopped a little way outside the game shop where he was greeted by his Grandfather who was waiting for them axiously in the entrance to his shop.
I looked back curiously at Ryou who had finally stopped staring and had focused his wide, brown eyes on the ground. I began to wonder if it really was the best idea to follow Yami and Yuugi, but I wanted to know why the strange Egyptian puzzle around Yami's neck seemed so… so much darker than usual. Maybe I was selfish to drag my terrified friend out into public just to satisfy my curiosity.
However, were here now so we might as well finish what we started, why turn back now?
I watched as Yuugi followed his grandfather into the game shop.
"Come on." I whispered to Ryou, tugging at his sleeve to try and wake him up. I walked slowly over to the game shop entrance and hovered by the door, Ryou at my side, making sure that we remain out of sight of the people inside.
I could hear voices inside, the deep voice of Yami and the innocent voice of his twin, his other half. I couldn't make out the words though, so I leaned as close as I could to the door frame without looking too suspicious or being actually seen by anyone inside.
Yuugi's Grandfather had begun to talk,
"Thank you for getting here so quickly, I'm sorry to pull you out of your studies but this is important."
I tuned out the background noise and focused my full attention on the Motou's inside.
"What's wrong Grandpa?" Yuugi asked.
"It's the millennium items in the basement, well, the ring and the rod to be exact. You might want to come see for yourselves."
I heard heavy footfalls as Solomon Mouto exited the shop part of the home he shared with his two grandsons. I held my breath as two more pairs of feet followed him. I peered around the door frame and watched as Yami's back faded into the darkness of the back of the store.
I grabbed Ryou's arm, shaking him out of his thoughts and strode into the now empty shop. Looking past the eye catching duel monsters card packs, board games, figurines and comics.
"What now Marik?" Ryou frowned at me. I looked around, and began walking off in the direction of the Mouto twins without answering Ryou's question.
"Marik?"
Even I don't know what I'm doing, but I feel drawn to do it, as if I'm being pulled by invisible, yet unbreakable chains. My mind screams no, and yet, I know I have to go through with it.
I always have followed my heart and its emotions over my mind...
RYOU'S POV
"Marik?"
His eyes look glazed over, as he brushed past me. I ran after him, what is he doing?
"Marik?" … He can't hear me… either that or he doesn't want to.
Why wouldn't he want to listen? Maybe because he is feeling the same way I am. Dragged towards somewhere I have no idea about by some irresistible force. I follow Marik through another door whilst my mind rages against the shadows telling me to keep on searching, for what I don't know, but I guess I'll know when I see it.
"Marik! Where are we going? I've got a bad feeling about this… listen to me!" I grab his sleeve but he shrugs me off and carries on as if I'm not there. I can't jus leave him on his own though, or he's going to end up in trouble. So I follow him through the trapdoor which had been obscured by various items before Marik had thrown them aside. I could feel the darkness creeping on the walls as we descended down a flight of steps, fear and dread coursing through my body.
"Marik, please…" He stops, and then I hear voices and I know why, he drags me into a space in the wall and we hide in the darkness.
"What could this mean?" Yami pondered to himself.
"I don't know, Grandpa, the last time the items acted strange was around the time when I was born right? Maybe it's something like that…" Yuugi speculated.
"No Yuugi, that was different, the aura coming the items was good and strong, this time the air is filled with malevolence and disaster. Brrr, it sends shivers down my spine to be in such a presence." Solomon explained.
Yuugi sighed, I don't know what it means, but maybe we should keep surveillance on the items, just to be safe. It's our job as the future millennium protectors after all! We might as well get some practise. Who knows, we might even learn something about them." Yuugi said cheerfully, he always was always looking on the bright side.
"Your right Yuugi, we should go and bring some stuff down here though so we don't get bored, and some food. There is still quite a good part of the day to live through yet."
"I'll bring our decks down!" Yuugi yelled and ran off up the stairs, I held my breath as he ran past me, I felt a rush of wind hit my face moments after he ran past me.
"Yuugi, Come back!" Yami laughed and went after him. I cringed as the shadows reacted to his presence.
Finally, Solomon began plodding up the staircase, mumbling and groaning about his back and how he really should invest in something to carry him up the stairs, like an escalator.
At last, there was no-body around apart from me and Marik, I stepped out cautiously and continued proceeding down the old, worn steps. I gasped as I entered the chamber.
It was filled with Egyptian artefacts that littered the floor, scriptures and stone tablets hung from the walls, hieroglyphs were scattered on the walls. I gazed around in awe, trying to take it all in.
There was so much of it… and then it struck me. Why would Yami and Yuugi have all of this stuff? I mean, they lived with their grandpa who owned a game shop. What does that have to do with all of these priceless objects? They could easily become millionaires if they sold them, but then again, maybe they held sentimental value.
I halted my gazing feeling another tug at my heart and my head snapped over to Marik who was standing at the centre piece of the room, a huge stone tablet surrounded by gold items with an Egyptian eye on each of them. I strode over to him, my heart beat speeding up as I neared the tablet and the trinkets that surrounded it.
I stood over the tablet, peering down at it. There were holes in it that appeared to be meant for the items to be slotted into. I stared at the items on there pedestals, there was what looked to be a golden sphere with an eye carved into it. The were what also looked like a pair of old fashioned golden scales, a golden necklace, and few others, like the ankh and an odd item that resembled a sceptre with an extremely sharp edge. But there was in specific that caught my attention, a golden ring, adorned with that eye and five needles falling from its base.
I ached to reach out and grab but I held myself back and gazed at it, it is surrounded by the purple haze, but I ignore it, my mind racing with questions, what is its purpose… why is such a thing of beauty locked away down here in this basement?
I glanced at Marik he was reaching out to pick up the sceptre, "Marik, don't touch it!" I hissed, but he ignored me anyway and grasped it anyways. A black, purple haze shimmered around the sceptre and vanished.
I looked at it warily, and then Marik began to speak.
MARIKS POV
The very moment I picked up that rod, I knew it had been a bad idea and yet to be able to relieve that temptation made me feel so much better.
A shiver ran down my spine as I brought it to eye level and examined it closer.
"This is the millennium rod…" I muttered.
"What?" Ryou asked, looking puzzled.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, it's just that, this… thing, it kind of triggered a memory of when I was little." I smiled; it was one of the few memories of my younger childhood I cherished, you see, my childhood is kinda' twisted and tainted thanks to my father.
After my mother died, there was no-one left to control him, no-one there to soothe his temper, and without her, he took it out on either me or Odion. But there were moments when light would shine through the darkness, such as when Ishizu came home. Every time my sister came home, she would tell me of her findings and great Egyptian stories. My sister is an archaeologist and would always tell me of her journeys, like her tale of the millennium items…
FLASHBACK
"There are seven items in this world, the millennium puzzle, the millennium necklace, the millennium eye, the millennium scales, the millennium key, the millennium ring, and the millennium rod."
"What do they look like Ishizu?" I interrupted.
"Well, they are rumoured to be golden and each one had an Egyptian eye carved onto it, like this…" She picked up a pencil and paper from my bedside table and roughly sketched the millennium rod. "This is the eye that you would find on any of these seven mystical items," she tapped the sketch with the pencil.
"Ohhh… ok…" I nodded.
"It is unknown for what purpose these items were created, but on the ancient scriptures, it is said that a great battle will take place in the future, and these items will be at the centre of it, lending power to the bearers. But only the chosen few may wield there power." She finished ominously.
"Do you think I could wield a millennium item one day Ishizu?" I asked naively.
"Ahaha, maybe one day brother, we'll just have to see now won't we!" Sha smiled and laughed at my protesting as she ruffled my hair. "I think its time for you to go sleep now, or you won't get up in the morning!"
"Just one more story! Please sister!" I pleaded.
"No, you need your sleep, now go to bed." She gently pushed me back and pulled my covers up to my shoulders.
"Do you promise to still be here in the morning?" I asked, praying that she would say yes.
"I promise, now go to sleep!"
I smiled, feeling content, Ishizu never broke her promises, so I smiled and closed my eyes. "Goodnight sister…" I yawned.
"Goodnight brother, sleep well" I heard the door shutting faintly as my eyes drooped and I sank into sleep.
PRESENT
"My sister used to tell me of these items," I explained, turning over the rod in my hands. I looked over to Ryou who reached out and picked up the millennium ring, he frowned after doing so and I swear the room temperature fell a few degrees.
I named all the items on show in turn realising that one was missing. "I reckon Yuugi or Yami hold the real millennium puzzle, they can't both have the real one, there only exists one of each item after all." I said, my eyes drifting to the empty pedestal.
Suddenly I heard footsteps and voices echoing down into the chamber, I shared a look with Ryou saying that we had to leave, now. Whatever the Mouto's were doing hiding such relics down here was beyond me but I didn't think they would be too pleased if we got caught. I looked down at the millennium rod and debated whether to put it back. It had been a childhood dream to wield this thing, and now, here it is, in my hands… my fate depended on what I would do next, of course, it was impossible for me to have known that at the time.
I took off towards that small hole in the wall that we had hidden in before, the rod still within my clutches as I shrank into the safety of the shadows, sealing my fate.
"Marik," Ryou hissed and followed me, knowing Ryou he probably just forgot to put the ring back. He made it just in time, I saw a light at the top of the stair case and knew that Yami, Yuugi or their Grandpa was about to make their way down, we'd have to make a run for it.
I held back a snigger as Yami tripped up and steadied himself, despite the tense atmosphere I just wanted to laugh so badly, just to release some of the tension.
As soon as he had walked past and entered the chamber, I grabbed Ryou's arm and yanked him up the stairs, careful not to make him cry out or trip though, we didn't need to give ourselves away.
"Marik, we need to put these back!" I turned.
"Ryou, we don't have time for this! We need to go, and how would we give them back now? I'm sure that Yami will notice any second now and when you go to hand it to him… what will he think? He is going to think you stole it anyways, and there is also having to explain just what were doing inside there basement which I gathered was kinda' off limits, with the hidden door and everything. What would you say? Oh, I just started going a little crazy and seeing stuff that can't exist and they all seem to be radiating from you so I thought that I would stalk you."
I watched his expression turn pained and his eyes shifted to the floor, his white fringe falling over his eyes, I felt bad instantly.
"Look Ryou, I'm sorry, but we need to move! We can't explain now, he's never trusted us and any minute now, if we don't hurry up, we are going to get caught!"
"…you're right… but… I never told you that the shadows appeared to be coming from Yami…" Ryou looked up at me through his fringe and began jogging up the stairs, more silent than I could ever manage.
I said nothing, I don't think I was seeing them like Ryou was, his description had been a lot more vivid, and he had described more of them. You might put it down too exaggeration in the face of fear, but something in his face had told me it wasn't, it made my stomach turn imagining what Ryou may be seeing.
I followed Ryou and climbed out of the trap door, we had made it to the shop when we heard Yami shout, "QUICKLY, GRANDPA, YUUGI! THE ITEMS, THERE MISSING!" from below us.
I glanced at Ryou and then legged it out of the shop. Sincerely hoping no-one saw us leave, or remembered for that matter.
Ebony – Wow, I wrote quite a bit again : ), Hehe, as always, R&R, if you have any questions, go ahead and ask them. See you next chapter, and let me tell you, the next chapter should bbe quite a bit more exciting! ((I'm moving the rating up for violence next chapter ^_^)) Byee!