A Yugi/Yami story

Through a Dragon's Eye

Chapter 27- Under Dragon's Wing

Yami could only sit there as a paralyzing cold began to invade his already broken heart. 'How could I let this happen? What have I done?' he thought over and over again. This was worse than fighting his father. The scratches and bruises all over his friend's body were caused by him, and he could not blame any other influence for his actions this time. He knelt down beside Yugi and reached down to lift him up. He raised Yugi's head in his arms as supported his back and head. Even now he could feel the soothing warmth of his aibou's spirit touching his soul, but how long would it last? Yugi's eyes were still closed. "Speak to me, please!"

But there was no point. He might've been talking to the stone wall for all the answers he got. Hot tears feel down his face onto Yugi's still warm body as he sobbed. Yami sat there, gazing blankly at his feet, his mind in state of almost disrepair.

Yami had once again retreated within his mind, searching desperately for some spark of hope in the seemingly never-ending darkness. But Yami could no longer bring himself to hope.

How long he sat there, he had no idea. He didn't take in anything else around him for what felt like an eternity.

That is until he finally noticed something written into the thick stone near his feet.

If you break me
I do not stop working,
If you touch me
I may be snared,
If you lose me
Nothing will matter.

'That's easy,' Yami thought as he pressed his tear-stained face into Yugi's hair. He didn't have to think twice about this riddle… "My heart."

"Well, said," answered a deep voice from behind him. Yami spun around on his knees to see the dragon lying on the mostly destroyed floor, recovering from his wounds. He was looking at them with his blood-red eyes, his claws clinkered against what remained of the stone floor, and sadness seemed to be etched in his face.

Yami had forgotten all about the dragon.

"Ah," he began. "Thank you for helping me… but…"

"Yes, I haven't introduced myself have I?" the dragon said. "But I thought that you could figure out my name by now."

Yami thought for a moment… and the words that were written on the front door came back to him:

Leave behind the dark, to enter the light.
Beyond here, lies power. Here be fright.
Beyond here, the dragon, flame and flight.
Beyond here, pure fire, here be grief.
Harmful to all but those of pure belief.
Beware the creeping treasure-thief.
Beware much worse the dragon-slayer.
Beware his purse and curse his payer.
Beware these words. Preserve their sayer.
Earth and water, fire and air.
Prepare to meet a creature rare.
Enter, now, if you dare.
Enter, now... the dragon's lair!

"Misasmador," Yami croaked. "You must be Misasmador!"

Misasmador nodded his great head. "Yes, I'm glad to see that you remember my name."

Yami turned back to Yugi before asking, "Why did this happen?"

"To save you of course," replied the dragon.

Yami's eyes widen. "To—save me?" he demanded. "What are you talking about?"

Misasmador lowered his head sadly. "My duty is to guard this tower. However, in order to summon me… I need someone who has a strong and pure hear to call me out. This can only work if the person can generate a large amount of light from their heart for a prolonged period of time. Your friend had a great deal of light from his heart, just what I needed to be summoned. But given how bad his condition was…"

"You mean…" Yami began slowly, his insides turning cold as if his heart was freezing over. "Yugi… he's gone… because he wanted to save me?"

Misasmador didn't answer, which was all the answer that Yami needed.

*Yugi*

Yugi carefully walked through this neverending darkness; trying so hard to be brave, although all he could see was fear covering his eyes as they started to flow with tears. As he wondered, yearning for Yami to come here to embrace and comfort him; he started to cry and wonder why he was left alone to hope alone... in this dreamland.

He didn't have the slightest idea where he was. All he could remember was his energy slowly fading away and hearing Yami's voice yelling at his father.

He rubbed at his eyes to force the tears away and continued walking through this dark realm… trying to find his way out. Until he came to a large river that seemed to stretch into eternity, and he knew that there was no way to get across it on his own.

Hopelessness seemed to enter his heart as he fell back down onto the ground. Finally, he was ready to give up… ready to fade away so that he wouldn't have to feel anything anymore.

"Do you really want to give up now?" asked a voice that radiated wisdom and power from behind him. Yugi swirled around to see two people standing there watching him.

One was a woman that looked to be very young… and very pretty. She had long dark hair that reached her waist, and also fell elegantly around her perfect face. She was dressed in long spangled robes, that matched what her companion was wearing.

Her friend was a very old man, he had a long white beard that looked like a large puffy cloud around his lower face… yet he had deep gray eyes that sparkled like a child's would.

"W-who are y-you?" Yugi stammered.

The old man smiled kindly. "My name Yugi… is Merlin. And this here is my dear friend Morgan le Fay. We have come here to ask you what you want to do now."

*Yami*

Yami buried his face in Yugi's hair, trying to think of a way to change this. To find a way to escape from reality. "This can't be happening. I can't believe it."

"Believing or not believing will not change anything, this is what's real."

"Who asked you?" Yami yelled. "Just go away! Leave me be. Please, just let me wake up from this nightmare."

"You know as well as I do that this is no nightmare."

"Shut up!"

"This is real."

"I said SHUT UP!"

"Tell me what do you want to do?"

Yami was about to tell him to shut up again, but the question caused him to freeze. "Isn't it obvious? I want my best friend back! I want my abiou back with me! So that we can get off this god-forsaken island and back were we belong. I want to keep living together. Is that too much to ask for?"

The dragon looked at him for a long time, as if trying to figure out if Yami was truly sincere. "And what would you be willing to do to get that?"

"What?" Yami asked stunned.

"If you could bring back your friend… what would you be willing to give up?"

Yami was frozen for a second. Was there way to prove just how sorry he was for everything and he could be given a second chance to make things right? "Can you bring him back?"

"No," answered Misasmador. "But there might be a way for you to do that."

"How?" Yami cried out. "What can I do? What do I do to save him?"

"Then you chose to save him?"

"Of course I do! You said that there might be a way to save him right? Well, I have to try don't I? So I will. What do I do?"

"That depends," said Misasmador. "What are you willing to give up to save him?"

"Anything."

*Yugi*

"You—You're Merlin and…"

"Morgan le Fay," replied the young woman striving forward to shake his hand. "But please, just call me Morgan. How are you feeling Yugi?"

"How do you know my name?" Yugi croaked.

Morgan and Merlin both laughed. "Oh, we've known about you for a long time, Yugi," Merlin said, "A long, long time."

"Yep, even before you were born."

"What?" Yugi cried.

Merlin came forward and said, "Long ago, we created this tower to hide the crystal of power. To ensure that no one else will have to suffer because of it."

"No offence," interrupted Yugi, "But it didn't really work."

"Yes, and we're truly sorry of what you were forced to go through," Morgan said. "But everything had to happen for a reason."

"We knew that one day, a child would be born with the ability to make it all the way to the top of the tower and finish what we started."

"But it wasn't me," Yugi said. "Yami was the one who fought…"

"Yes, but you were the one who was willing to die to make sure that your friend would live."

"Is Yami alright then?" Yugi asked.

"Well," Morgan said quietly. "He's alive… but he's far from alright."

"What? Why? What's happening?"

"He's mourning your death," Merlin replied. "He's desperate to find a way to save you."

"How do you know about all this?"

"Because we knew what was to happen. You and Yami were meant to meet up with each other. So we did our best to make sure that happened."

"What do you mean?"

Merlin smiled before he transformed. His body began to shake all over and right before Yugi's eyes he turned into a man, about in his forties… while Morgan transformed into an old donkey. He recognized them both. Yugi took a step backwards and fell on his butt before he was able to cry out, "It's you! You're the man that offered me a ride the day that I left home! That man with the donkey called Alfleda!"

"Glad to see that you remember us," Merlin said before he transformed again. This time he turned into a large horse, while Morgan transformed into a young woman again. "You never saw us in these forms," Morgan said, "But we took these forms to help Yami get to the village just shortly after you did."

Yugi could only stare at them.

"Do you remember the dream that you had that night? You dreamt of seeing Yami before you ever met him?" Morgan asked.

"That was you?" Yugi demanded.

"Yes, we influenced your dreams that night. And we were also the ones that caused those villagers to chase you guys right into each other in the morning. Sorry about that, but we couldn't think of another way for you guys to met up."

Yugi couldn't believe it. All this time… there were two powerful wizards influencing in his and Yami's lives. But why did they do all this?

Both wizards began to transform again…

They took on the form of an old couple… ancient-looking with worn out clothes, and hoods over their heads.

They looked familiar… but he couldn't think where he saw them before…

"So how come I'm the ivy?" Morgan asked. "Why are you the stone?"

"Oh, come on. You're a stubborn woman, just like the ivy is and I'm the stone because I'm never changing. But you always loved change," replied Merlin.

Yugi gave a start. They were the old people that he and Yami saw walking down the road that day…

"You've been watching us all that time?" he croaked.

They altered back to their old forms and Merlin spoke, "Yes, making sure that you both were well taken care of. But to be honest, we really didn't need to do much. Yami took very good care of you."

Yugi's heart gave a small pang. He was wishing more than anything to be back with Yami.

"But why? Why were you doing all this?" he asked.

"We knew that Yami's father was determine to gain this power… to do anything to get it," Merlin said.

"It really is sad," Morgan agreed. "After he lost his wife, he was driven insane by the grief. He wanted the power so that he could find a way to bring her back."

Yugi stared at them, "He did all that to bring someone he loved back to life?"

They both nodded, "We feel sorrow for him. But that still doesn't excuse him for what he's done. He knew that you would have what it takes to reach the top of the tower. And he made you suffer for it."

"But why me?" Yugi demanded. "Why would it be me? I don't understand what's so special about me."

"Because you cannot see what others see," Morgan said.

"Yugi, you have a heart that is completely devoid of darkness. Only a heart like that has the potential to make it here and survive. Only a heart like yours could call Misasmador. You are the chosen one because of your heart."

"But I never could've done it without Yami," Yugi said. "If I didn't have him with me, I would've given up long ago!"

Merlin nodded, "Yes, he was with you all the way. But you also had the guts to look at others and face up to what you saw there. You and Yami faced your demons in the eye and dealt with them. And it is the bond that you both have that has given you the chance to choose what you want."

Yugi cocked his head, not sure what they were talking about.

"What is it that you want to do?" Morgan asked.

"You mean…" Yugi whispered, "I can go back?"

"There is one last challenge you must do however," Merlin answered. "If you are sure that you wish to return to your friend you must solve one last riddle."

"Another riddle?" Yugi moaned.

Morgan laughed, "Yes, but remember… no one is forcing you. You are more than free to decide what you want to do."

"You can choose to go back to Yami… or you can go to where your parents are," Merlin finished.

Yugi's jaw dropped. He could see his mommy and daddy again? He wanted to go and see them again. To be at peace and not have to worry anymore… but… Yami.

"What's the riddle?" he asked quietly.

"Then… You want to keep living?" Morgan asked.

"Yes! Don't get me wrong, I want to see mom and dad again! But if I go, then Yami will be alone again won't he? No one deserves to be alone like that," Yugi cried out. "For god's sake, I'm only a kid. Me and Yami haven't had a chance to live yet! I want… I want to be strong and healthy again. To go back and be with Yami."

"You are on the border of the afterlife. You can go on to heaven, don't return to life, you could go on and suffer no more. Once you make this choice you cannot change your mind. Is this what you really want?" Merlin said as if he was just making sure that Yugi knew what he was getting himself into.

"Yes it is. I don't want to go on just yet. Not without Yami. I still want to go back… even if I'm still weak and sick… I want to keep living with my best friend."

"You do realize what you are asking?" Morgan asked. "Death is peaceful… easy even. Living is the hard part."

"But still… still… I want more life, I can't help myself. I do, I really do want to keep living. I've lived through such difficult ordeals, but there are people who suffer every day, and they keep finding reasons to keep living! I don't know if it's better to die, but I can recognize the habit… the addiction to being alive. We live pass hope. If I can find hope anywhere, then that's it. That's the best I can do. I know that it's not enough… I know that we need something more. But still… I want to go back. I want more life, more time with Yami back on earth."

Yugi took a deep breath before he finished by saying, "What is the riddle?"

The couple smiled and said in a duo:

Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, green, gold, and gray,
I'm read from both ends,
And the same either way.
What am I?

(Hey! Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for sticking with this story for so long. And sorry for not updating for so long. I've had a bad case of writer's block.)