Hi there! Germantownmaiden here with the second chapter of the Armageddons. Now, there's not much I have to say, but this time I'm leaving the disclaimer up to you Sara.
S/N: Ok! So! You guys will probably be able to tell who wrote what! We each have somewhat distinctive writing styles.
Disclaimer: Neither I nor Germantownmaiden own Yu-Gi-Oh. Quite a shocker, huh? I (Sara) do however, own Errow, who you will meet later this chapter.
The Armageddons
Chapter Two: The wheels of Fate turns.
Yugi's monster leaped to attack Atem, if the attack was succsesful than the duel was over and Yugi would win.
With regret, Atem activated a trap, which caused the dirt and grime in the room to swirel around, blocking the view of the duel.
The dust cleared and before everyone Atem and Yugi still stood, their life-points both at zero. Jaws dropped in shock and surprise at the two duelist who stared at each other with equal, probably even more surprise than their friends. But one question ran through everone's mind, what was going to happen now?
A voice rumbled somewhere. Garbled, echoing off of the dark stone walls. It cleared, as a figure appeared.
No one could tell what it was. It was giving off light. Most likely it was Ra.
"Congratulations Pharaoh Atem, since this duel was a tie you will stay with your friends, live a lifetime here in this world, and then return to us."
More rumbling. This more female, if that was possible.
"Wrong! I can!" The blinding creature shouted at something. It turned back. "We must sort out something. Hold still. This won't hurt...Too much." It reached out a hand. It touched Atem's forehead, and as his eyes unfocused and closed, he began to scream in pain.
The light overwhelmed them. When it dulled, two figures stood panting in pain in the light.
One looked up. Golden eyes shone in the light.
"He will remember shortly. You had better appreciate this."
Golden eyes bobbed dumbly.
It left.
The room plunged into darkness.
There was the snapping of fingers, and two twin globes of black light appeared. How does black give off light? Who knows.
Everyone's eyes began to adjust, thanks to the light. And the gang began to stare in pure shock.
Standing before them was two Atems. Same height, hair, clothes, everything. Except for two details.
One had a duel disk, and crimson eyes.
The other had no duel disk, and gold eyes. They were the only details the light revealed.
The one with crimson eyes turned.
"Errow?"
"Who else?"
Blink. "I don't know. Mer?"
"His name is Arrow?" Otogi looked at him.
"No, it's EHrrow." He flicked the r's and rounded the E, making a strange accent with them. "Everyone mispronounces it." Errow mumbled.
"Wh-"
Errow's and Atem's head jerked up at the same time.
"You know-"
"We might want to-"
"Leave now." They finished each others sentences in perfect timing.
Then a rumble began. The group took off as around them the wind collapsed.
Outside, they stared at the spot where the entrance had been.
"As if It'd never been..." It was one of the two. Their voices were pretty much identical though. This was going to get annoying fast.
"So. About Arrow..." Yugi turned.
"EHrrow!"
"How do you do that? You know, the vocal thing?"
Errow stopped, mouth open. "I don't know."
In the sunlight, another detail was revealed. Skin color. Atem was tan. The one being referred to as Errow had light skin.
"You kind of . . . well . . . I don't know."
They spoke slightly different. Errow did the same trick to most Es and Rs he pronounced. It made his voice slightly softer, and foreign. It was pretty though.
"He talks like that. Don't know why." Atem dropped in.
"So who is he, why's he here?" Kaiba got straight to the point.
"Errow. My twin."
"You have a twin?"
"Yep. He has a brother. And speaking of that..." Errow socked Atem in the upper arm. Hard.
"What was that for?" He complained rubbing his now sore arm and then realization hit him. "Oh. Great. Five thousand years...and you still have a grudge."
"Yeah..." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm guessing I'm going to have three grandsons now." Gramps almost sounded like he was complaining.
"Still doesn't explain..." Anzu just gestured.
"Can we get a move on first?" Jounochi asked, looking at the sky, which was now darkening now that the sun was going down, along with a few threatening clouds that were heading their way.
Later, seated in the lurching jeeps, their question was answered.
"We were maybe ten."
"Maybe?" Yugi asked.
"Never was sure on exact age. Now shut up and let us speak. Got it Fluffy?" Errow looked at him.
"...Fluffy. Really. Have you no shame?" Atem shouted.
"No. Not really. Not like I killed him or blew up something."
"Don't bring that up. Please." Atem covered his eyes with his hand.
"The story. Ten."
"Oh. Sorry. See, with every royal family there are always people who hate them. Always happens. Every government has it's problems. And that's why . . . Errow . . . ended up dying at the edge of knife."
Errow bit his bottem lip and rubbed his side softly where he obviously got stabbed.
They looked at him sadly.
"But thing with magical twins is that while they're young, one can't survive without the other. It would drive the survivor insane within a week, and death within a matter on months. So they did something stupid."
"What's that?" Yugi was enthralled.
"It's hard to explain, but here goes nothing, they kind of bound and mixed our souls, our personalities, made us one person. Then...they erased his existence. Tombs. Records. Carvings. Nothing left."
"Why?" Anzu wondered.
They just shook their heads.
"So what was it like, bein' a part of Yu-I mean the other-I mean Atem! Geez man. Too many names." Jounochi finished.
Errow looked down, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Lo?"
A flash of...something, and a black bird of prey opened it's wings, was caught in a breeze created by the jeep, as it had only a windshield, and flew off.
"What was that?" Honda asked cautiously as he watched the bird with his jaw down.
Atem was staring at the bird as it climbed higher into the air to their left, and began to preform all sorts of tricks, spiraling higher and father away. "His escape." He said finally. "If he's not comfortable with something, or gets tired or angry at something, that's what he does. He's just not used to people. They confuse him."
Silence filled the rest of the ride as two jeeps full of passengers watched the show. He spiraled and dived, wings tight, open just before the ground, then climbing back up, loop-de-looping, barrel rolling, and just general racing through the air. At one point, he dropped beside the first jeep, flying right with it. Anzu reached out, barely touching a feather tip. So soft.
Why'd she do that anyway?
But then he rolled on the air, away and raced ahead. Maybe Rishid, who was driving, caught his spirit, because he speeded up a little.
They had decided to take the boat back and then to the airport. It gave them time to think of things like excuses. And maybe a better name for Errow. Because it might to be rather hard for the average Japanese person to pronounce. Or average person almost anywhere, for that matter.
Errow was still flying somewhere when it left the shore, but landed soon after. By crashing. Straight into Anzu.
"Um...Hi?"
"Usually you do better than that!" Atem called from somewhere.
"Yeah yeah!" He shouted back, standing up with a light blush on his face.
Watching them argue in another language, Anzu came to the sarcastic conclusion that life was going to be fun from now on.
They continued arguing. Malik just stared at them trying hard not to laugh with a single eyebrow raised.
At some point, Errow had enough, transformed, and his wings unfolding again as he dove overboard.
Anzu retreated to a room to wait and think over everything. After all, not only had her best friend and her crush become two different people, but someone who'd only been some personality traits had become his own self.
She was in there for hours.
The sun had set by the time she emerged, seeking fresh air.
"You should've seen it, Anzu! His wings went limp and he fell, only to start fly inches from the deck, skimming across it, whirling and shifting into a person just before the rail! Then he just started laughing!"
Must've been spectacular to make Ishizu gush like that.
And there was Errow, sitting against the wall outside, staring at the sky. No lights were on outside. The stars were amazingly and beautifully bright. She collapsed next to him. She noticed he wasn't wearing shoes. Strange.
"So um-Errow, right?"
He looked at her, eyes somewhat surprised.
"Why aren't you inside with everyone else?" She shivered. "It's rather cold out here."
He turned back to the sky. "I like being outside. Besides. High altitudes get colder then this."
"You've been a touch apart from everyone."
"I like being alone. It's what I've been used to."
"Oh. I-I'll leave if you want." She started to stand.
"No. It's alright." He turned to her. "For some reason, I like having you around."
Anzu was sure a light blush was walking her cheeks. They were quite familiar territory.
"What's wrong with you? Your cheeks turned pink."
Anzu got a sudden understanding that inside, he was more naive in some ways than Yugi looked.
"N-nothing." She sat down again. "Still though. It's one thing to be moving around and another to be sitting still. Wouldn't it be better if you came insid-Errow?"
He was turned away, quivering slightly. She touched his shoulder lightly. He whirled. A sheen of unshed tears sparkled in his eyes over the glaze of fear.
"I don't want to go back in the cage!" He shouted.
"Cage?"
"It's...It's nothing."
"Errow. Anything with a cage is not nothing."
He swallowed, blinking. "You know how I was bound to Atem. But there's more to it. Inside Atem, I-I was in a cage. I must've spent months or maybe even a few years screaming and shouting and hoping, wanting to be free. I could see everything going on that Atem saw. The world was no longer aware of my existence. As if I'd never been." He swallowed again, began to let tears spill away, taking his pain with them. "And then he was sealed in the puzzle, and he sealed my memory as well as his own. And then we really were one person. Even after it was solved, I was part of him, slowly becoming aware of my existence. Recently, I'd been watching again, and trying to get out. If-If he really had gone to the afterlife, I might have spent eternity trapped in him."
Tears still glittering on his face, he turned to the sky once more.
Silence and tears soaked over them as Anzu searched for something to say or do, some sort of comfort to give him. In the end, she settled on one of the most simple. She threw her arms around him, hugging him, as his body stiffened with shock and surprise. And maybe paranoia. Anzu clung on, till a moment later, a warm hand touched her arm, drawing up it as he turned. Anzu repressed a shiver trying to run down her spine. She felt his other arm settle on her back in a gentle, unsure hug. Face buried in his chest, she became acquainted with his scent. It was sand and sun, a river and freedom of flight, of tears and pain, of fear and unknowing, of rebelliousness, and in the end, of a human spirit, learning of himself. It was beautiful.
A muscle rippled slightly under the black shirt as his mouth moved to her ear.
"Thank you Anzu." He pronounced her name in a strange way, like a combination of the english words "and" and "zoo." It was pretty. She mumbled a "You're welcome" into his clothes.
His ribcage jerked in a short laugh. "My ears are up here. Not in the shirt."
She wanted to raise her head, but just knew she was blushing heavily.
After she recovered, she raised her head. "We're going to need a better name for you. How many people are going to get "Errow" right?" She asked, pulling away. Strange how she suddenly felt absolutely freezing.
"True." He sighed. He looked around. "How about...Something simple. Yami?"
She stared at him. Yami? That meant darkness!
"It's short. It's simple."
"It's dark as hell, pardon my french."
He looked at her from the corner of his eye, a small smirk gracing his lips. "I have a feeling we're going to get along great."
"Sarcastic or truthful?"
"You tell me."
This was just getting frustrating! One minute he's all kind and serious, maybe even a touch flirty, the next like this. She gritted her teeth and stood up, turning away to go inside. He grasped her hand gently. Anzu turned as the newly named Yami pressed his lips to the back of it. And suddenly, she wasn't cold anymore, as her skin turned to a warm pleasant fire.
He released her hand, letting their fingertips slide and brush each other, as she walked away. She really couldn't stay now! She liked Atem, not Yami, and she didn't want him thinking it the other way around, and have to shatter him.
But as she glanced back, she couldn't help but notice his eyes. They were like twin pools of liquid, molten gold, so soft and gentle, so haunting. They continued to haunt her for a few hours, till finally, she grabbed a blanket off of the bed and folded it.
He was still awake. She had been hoping for him to be asleep.
"Umm..." She just held it out. "Here." He looked up, taking it silently, eyes speaking something she didn't understand.
She just turned away, unable to meet them. At the door, she saw him with the white blanket wrapped around him, eyes closed and nose buried in it, as if savoring a scent.
She, still confused by his mood swings and actions, went to bed. And fell asleep, gently touching the place where he'd kissed her hand. She could still feel a ghost of it tingling her skin.
Life is confusing. And Fate loves clichés.
The full moon glowed brightly over the city as it rose in the sky. The stars, amazingly, were actually visible in the city sky tonight, glowing and glittering brightly.
A young man was standing dangerously close to the edge on one of the many tall buildings in the city. He was wearing a white tank-top, despite the Fall chill and black jeans. His silver-white hair that was put in a pony-tail flowed and fluttered in the wind. He was watching the moon with intense, pure silver eyes that looked like coins as they glowed in the moon light.
Suddenly the air warmed around him a bit and the smell of summer surrounded him. He turned his silver eyes to a shadow that was flying towards him with incredible speed. The shadow flew past him and the boy's silver hair whipped around him wildly and then slowly calmed down.
There were a few grunts and growls before there was full silence again. A second later a young man who looked the same age as the silver-haired boy stepped beside him.
He had brown hair that was a bit passed his shoulders and intense cold blue eyes, but if one looked closely at the blue eyes they would see the second hottest flame in the world. Blue fire. He was well built but wouldn't be labeled a muscle-head.
They stood together in silence for a minute or two, looking up at the moon, before the silver-haired boy spoke. "It's nice to see you again Fireball." He said in greeting.
Fireball turned his intense blue-flamed gaze at him and nodded. "Like-wise Iceage." He paused, then smirked and snorted. "I must admit, I was surprised you wanted to talk to me. This had better be good Iceage; you know I don't like to leave the equator."
"I know, and you know that I don't like to leave my Ice Castle in Antarctica, but here I am."
Fireball nodded, a light smirk still on his face. "So, why is it that you call me here? And when my grip here is just about to be turned over to your hands?"
"Because I received good news from my sister, Silver."
"And the news is . . . ?" Fireball asked, drawing it out a bit.
"She's been found, The Armageddon of Stars."
Fireball froze for a moment before turning on his heel to face Iceage. Shock and a bit of hope flowed into the blue-flamed gaze, making his eyes burn brighter. "But the Titans, I thought they destroyed her!"
Iceage snorted. "The titans were foolish. They thought that they could destroy an Armageddon with their 'powers'." He sneered.
Fireball still looked mildly confused. "Did she find a way around her destruction?"
"In a way. The titans were strong, yes, but they held grip through fear and illusions, a thing of humans. But humans, in the end destroyed them. Tired of fear, they created their destruction, through stories, and created the gods. The gods have been rather...attached," He growled out the word. "To her. When the Titans were dragged beneath, taken to treated to their endless torture, they tried to drag her with them. But the gods stopped them and placed a guard on her. In the end their illusions did nothing."
Fireball looked deep in thought and then smirked. "How amusing, we lost to illusions."
"We lost because of him." Iceage snarled. His silver eyes turned to black artic water and the air around them was rapidly cooling.
"Iceage, stop. You know it's not entirely his fault. He fell in love. Not even Armageddons can stand up to that emotion Iceage. You, the King, the Queen, his brother and sister-in-law and the Lady of Stars should know that."
"And you don't?"
"Please, I had petty crushes on the humans, which is far different then full blown love Iceage. He fell in love with the Queen, when she was still human. When he realized that the King had . . . 'taken' her, as he put it, he only wanted to get more powerful for her to see him."
"I know the rest Fireball!" Iceage snarled. "He spotted my love and fell in love with her. When he found out that she was his original love's daughter he only fell head-over-heels in love with the Lady of the Stars harder, and so he went up to the King to ask for her hand and both the King and Queen, not to mention the Princess said 'no' to him. And he started a war just because they said 'no'!"
The air around them was deathly cold, probably far past the negative numbers, if that was possible by human standers, but an Armageddon's standard, it warm. Fireball was staring at Iceage with pity, he had known that his opposite had held soft feelings for the Princess but with the amount of bitterness in his voice he had a strong feeling that the war had turned him inside out.
Fireball reached out and gripped Iceage's shoulder in a comforting way. "I know, and it was wrong for him to do that, but you know just as well as everyone else on this damned Earth that love makes you do insane things."
The fight left Iceage and the air returned to normal. "I know, but all for love? Not even the King would go that far. Fireball, that war wasn't just for love, it was for revenge. The King 'took' his first love and then I 'took' his second love, that does something to a man, human or other-wise Fireball. That war was to not only try and get his lover, but to cause pain and suffering, even to the Queen."
"And why is that?" Fireball asked, knowing that his opposite was very thoughtful.
"Because she said 'no' to him. To his offer of love for her and also his offer of love to her daughter. She said 'no' to him two times and probably more when she was a human. He wanted to cause her pain for saying 'no' to him so many times. To make her regret."
There was a dead silence as the words sank in. Fireball realized that Iceage was right, that war had a double meaning. The air was getting colder again, Fireball had to get Iceage's mind off of the whole thing before the world was rapidly thrown into an ice age.
"How long until we can get her back to us?" He asked quickly. The air warmed up and Iceage answered.
"Until the King and Queen come together and the Queen can conceive a new vessel for the Princess's soul."
Fireball nodded and they went into a comfortable silence for once. Suddenly a noise shattered the silence and the two Lords turned to see a green flamed dragon and a chocolate brown wolf tussling together.
Iceage and Fireball looked at each other and rolled their eyes. It was obvious that their servants had the same information to give.
"Claw!"
"Ro!"
The animals stopped fighting and looked at their Lords who were giving them annoyed but amused glares.
"Now, I believe you two have the same information, so, how about we save this fighting for another time and just tell us for Shadows sake." Iceage said.
The brown wolf, Ro, stepped forward eagerly. "My Lords! We have discovered them! The four! It took stalking a human for months, but as it turns out he was carrying Time's soul! And he was in turn bound to the king!"
"The queen? Her friend?" Fireball asked impatiently.
"The queen is friends with the carrier! And we found her friend!
"Finally! Where?" Fireball asked.
The green-flamed dragon, Claw, stepped forward this time. "Three are in a school called Domino High. They are on their last year. Hope is not signed up for their school, but she does live in Domino. She's home schooled. "
"Thank you, both of you. Now Fireball, I think it's time we went to school, don't you agree?" Iceage asked while looking over his shoulder at his opposite with a smile.
Fireball smiled back. "Oh yes, I quite agree. I just hope I remember how to put up with those stupid fan girls."
Iceage forgot his rivalry with him and laughed into the night.
Alrighty. I think this is enough for the second chapter. So, what did you think peeps? Was it good? Amazing? Epic?
Anyways . . . if anything confuses you just send us an e-mail and we would be happy to reply. :)
btw, if your confused about 'Fluffy' Sara will be happy to explain. LOL!
S/N: Speaking of me, please let me know what you think of Errow. He actually was only a way to get Yami in the story originally. But even as I wrote... Anyhow, I accept all responsibility for him, including complaints and ways to improve. K?