A Yugi/Yami story

Through a Dragon's Eye

Chapter 28- A Dragon's Eye

*Yami*

"Anything," he replied.

The dragon nodded his head. "Then answer me one final riddle:"

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?

Yami thought it over for a few minutes before he said, at the exact same moment that Yugi did wherever he was, "An eye."

Yugi felt himself being pulled back, away from Merlin and Morgan's waving figures. He felt warm and safe again… but still very tired and weak. He could feel hot drops of water fall onto his face… what was going on? Where was he? He opened his eyes to see that he was staring straight into Yami's tear filled ones.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered so quietly that no sound came out. He could only mouth the words.

"Y-yami?" croaked out Yugi. "Is that you?"

Yami pulled up Yugi's weakened form and held him tightly; as if he was the only line he had that kept him from going into insanity. "Yugi—don't you EVER scare me like that again!"

"I'm sorry!" Yugi said a little louder. "But what happened? How did I get back here?"

"The bond that you both share is more powerful than your father's desire for power," said the dragon as it stretched his large bat-like wings. "You both deserve another chance. Now you have to leave before it's too late."

"W-wait!" Yami screamed as he half drag/half carried Yugi towards the great dragon. "What do you mean before it's too late?"

At that moment, the floor underneath their feet began to quake. The room was shaking, as if a giant was rumbling right outside, and the sound of crashes and miniature explosions beneath them made it sound as if the floors beneath them were falling apart.

"Get going! Now!" the dragon shouted. "Now that the crystal is destroyed, the island has fulfilled its purpose."

"What do you mean?" Yami shouted.

"Tell us!" Yugi agreed.

"It means that this island is going to sink! Along with everything else on it!"

"SINK!" both boys shouted.

"But how are we supposed to get off?" Yami screamed, "We don't have any way to get off the island!"

Misasmador turned his great head towards the giant window. "I think your ride is already here." Yami and Yugi both looked at where Misasmador was looking—and then they saw it.

Swiftflight… the destroyed, rotting ship that Yami's father had sailed with was floating just outside. But something was happening to it. Both boys stared as the dead ship was coming back to life. The barnacles, weeds, mold, were falling off. The wooden planks that were infested with damaged from worms, rot, battle wounds, and age, were slowly starting to repair itself as the black tar on the hull was fading away as if it was being sprayed with water.

The decayed and rotten ship had just somehow began to mend itself… it was as if someone was turning back the clock to when it was first built.

The rigging was becoming polished and glossy while the huge bowsprit, which was nothing more than a few giant splinters, were mending and fusing together until it was as tall and straight as a tree. Its large square sails hanging from arms on the three masts that were all torn and stained were stitched back together—good as new.

"But… But… How…?" was all Yami could croak out. At least he was able to say anything at all. Yugi just lay there gaping like a big-mouthed bass.

"The ship has a mind of its own," Misasmador replied. "It takes on a form depending on the captain. Your father's heart was black as coal, and ship was forced to become a reflection of it. Now that he's gone, the ship belongs to you now."

"U-U-us?" Yugi stammered.

"You both more than earned it. Just get on board and the ship will do the rest."

"But what about you?" Yugi cried.

"I'm leaving a different way. You both need to leave or you'll end up trapped in the remains," old red-eyes said.

But when they hesitated again, he reached over and was able to pick them both up with his great claw and literally threw them out the window. They landed on the deck of the ship with a loud bang, and immediately, the ship began to move away from the island. Yugi had the wind completely knocked out him; he rolled over onto his back to try and get some air. While Yami hit his head and saw stars. He got back to his feet however and looked back to see that the magnificent tower was shaking and beginning to crumble.

"Misasmador!" Yami called out from the edge.

But he didn't need to worry, among the rubble at the very top of the collapsing structure, a large black shape emerged. The dragon spread out its wide wings and kicked off. For a brief moment, the black dragon shone like an ebony shadow with ruby eyes. He looked down at them for a brief moment, and Yami could've sworn that he saw the dragon wink.

The boys stared up at him in astonishment before he rose up even higher and higher until finally… he disappeared in the silvery mist. Yami couldn't do anything but star, trying to see where Misasmador had gone—but at that second the tower began to fall. It was shattering into millions of pieces like it was made of glass, the stone tumbled like a tower of blocks that's been knocked over by a toddler.

They fell, one after another, into the water—disappeared, never to be seen again. Once the tower was nothing more than a giant pile of ruins, the island itself was engulfed the giant waves. It was pulled down beneath the water just as a wave overtakes a toy boat.

The roaring of the waves was so horrible that Yami had to cover his ears with his hands and shut his eyes as he ducked down behind the sides of the ship. The ship flew far from the island and with a splash landed in the sea. But Yami didn't look up. He just continued to keep wishing that it would all be over soon, and after a few minutes, he felt a small hand on his own.

He opened his eyes to see Yugi looking at him. He gestured his head, telling him to look, and Yami slowly turned his head to see what Yugi was trying to tell him.

The crystal of power was made by the gods. They created it so that they could control mankind and their destiny, by merely touching it, you gain power unlike anyone had ever seen. However, to make sure no one could easily take its power, the crystal was stored at the Vanishing Isle, in a large tower. From the top of the tower, light spills out the crystal, which makes the tower look like a lighthouse… was now gone without a trace. As if it never existed.

"Wow," was all Yugi could say.

"You can say that again," Yami whispered.

"But what happened to Misasmador?" Yugi asked quietly.

Yami looked up at the sky and said, "He's finally free. He doesn't have anything to guard here anymore. So now he can go wherever he wants."

"Good for him," Yugi said. "But is it really all over?"

Just as he asked that, the silver mist that surrounded them slowly dissolves around them. The fog was so thick that you could cut through it with a knife. But now rays of light began to shine through, until the mist had completely dispersed.

They were in sitting on a large ship in the middle of the ocean, there was hardly a trace of a wave, and the sun was shining brightly. It was hard to believe that an entire island with a tower that was a few miles high had just been standing there, with a cursed haze protecting it.

Yami shut his eyes again and let the sun hit his face. He loved it; he missed the light and longed for it more than anything from the moment that they were kidnapped. He breathed in the salty air, as if he never tasted it before, and the sound of the waves and the distant seagulls was music to him. He decided at that moment that he was never going to be separated from the sun and the sea air by anyone. He would live his life out as sea—with his abiou— his little brother by his side.

"Yami?" Yugi croaked out, leaning up against the side gasping for air. "What now?"

"What do you mean?" Yami said serenely.

"I mean… where do we go now?"

"Anywhere we want to. Just like Misasmador. We don't have to worry anymore," Yami replied. He opened his eyes, bent down next to Yugi and pulled him into a tight hug. "We have what we set out to get. We found the ship, we're both still alive, the Vanishing Isle is gone, and we're free. From now on, I swear that I'm going to protect you. From now on, we're going to be ok… I promise."

Yugi started crying as he wrapped his arms around Yami, holding him as if he were the only thing that was keeping him here.

"You're still sick," Yami whispered. "Come on, let's get you to bed. We'll decide what to do when you're better."

And with a great heave, he was able to pull Yugi back up. "You do want to stay with me right?" he asked. "I mean, I don't know where I'm going… but you're welcome to come along for the ride."

Yugi closed his eyes and smiled. "Of course, I'll be going too. Every good captain needs a co-captain, right?"

*6 years later*

It had been 6 years since the Vanishing Isle sank beneath the waves. No one had seen a trace of the two boys or the flying ship since then… but then again, no one knew what happened that day.

On the shores of a small fishing village however a familiar teenage boy with spiky hair was shopping for food. He paid for a large red apple before he took the rest of his groceries and headed back down towards the docks. As he walked, he took a big bite from the apple and looked around for his big brother.

Knowing that his brother didn't like to let him out of his sights for longer than 10 minutes, he was sure that he would see him soon. And sure enough, a teen that could've easily passed for his twin came running up to him carrying a few other supplies.

"I've been looking for you," the older one said as if he were a parent.

"Yami," Yugi said exasperated, "I'm not 10 years old anymore. I think I do the shopping without you holding my hand."

"I just don't want to any chances of something happening," Yami said defensively. "I mean, I can't fly the ship on my own. And there is no way that I'm going to lose my little brother."

Yugi laughed. "And remind me—what's so scary and dangerous about the marketplace? And speaking of the ship—don't you think it's about time that we get a crew? I mean we already have a Captain and a co-Captain. But what about a first mate, musician, cook, lookout, cabin boy, powder monkey, parrot, deck swab…"

"Parrot?" Yami question with eyebrows rose.

"What? All good pirates need parrots," Yugi said sweetly.

"We aren't pirates," Yami answered. "We're high-risk traders."

"In other words—pirates," Yugi said.

"Well, if you want to put it that way. And maybe we do need a few more shipmates. I'm tired of doing all the cooking all the time."

"I would do it if you let me."

"I'm not taking any chances when it comes to your safety."

"You make it sound like the slightest thing could kill me off."

"I don't care. I nearly lost you, not once, but a few times!"

"That was 6 years ago!"

They continued their argument until they finally reached the ship, but they were both smiling. It didn't matter how much they argued, they just couldn't get mad at each other.

"Hard to believe how much time has passed. In some ways, it doesn't seem long at all—others time it feels like decades," Yugi said.

"Tell me about it," Yami agreed.

They both climbed aboard the ship and began to make ready to set sail. "You know?" Yami said, "I met some kids while you were shopping. A few boys and a couple girls. You think they could be our crew?"

"What were they like?" Yugi asked.

"Well, there was this blonde kid named Joey… he could be the first mate. Then there was his friend Tristan—maybe he could be like the powder monkey that you mentioned. And then there was the white haired kid, what was his name? Bakura? Yeah, I think that's it, anyway I could see that he eats a lot, so maybe he could be the cook?"

"That all sounds really cool!" Yugi said, "Who else was there?"

"Well, Joey had a little sister named Serenity, and then there was another guy named Duke, an older girl named Mai… oh and some brothers Seto and Mokuba. Not sure if Seto would be keen joining our crew. I personally thought that he was something like an ego manic who talks too much. By the time I finally left, he must've talked about himself for half an hour."

"Wow, he sounds like a real keeper," Yugi said sarcastically. "But I say that we sleep on it first. I mean, it's going to feel strange if we have new people around. For years, it's just been you and me."

Yami smiled as he put his arm around Yugi's shoulders and they both headed below deck to put the stuff away. Yugi grinned and they both began to start laughing at the top of their lungs.

"Yami," Yugi said between their laughs. "Promise me not to walk in front of me; and don't walk behind me. Promise to just walk beside me and be my friend."

Yami looked at him dead in the eye. For years it had just been the two of them against the world. After they left the site where the Vanishing Isle had been, Yugi had recovered slowly from his ordeal. Ever since then, Yami had done good on his promise and always made sure that they were safe and well taken care of.

After Yugi had fully healed, they've been sailing around the world looking for adventure and treasure. The ship was their home and all they had to do was tell it where to go and off it went by itself, using some kind of magic to sail it.

They only came to shore when they needed to pick up supplies, or when they were on the trail of a treasure hunt. But Yami couldn't care less about the jewels and money that were left behind from pirates. His greatest treasure was walking side by side with him…

… and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I promise," he whispered. "The two of us… we'll always be a team."

"We'll always be family," Yugi agreed.

They finished putting everything away before they went back up top. Soon after that, they left port—ready to beginning searching for their next adventure.

THE END

(Thanks you all for sticking with this story for so long. I hope that you all enjoyed it.)