Author’s Note: A few people were wondering about what
I had Yami do to the men in the last chapter. Well, I wanted it to be
a combination of things. From what I know of Yami, he’s always
had complete control of his power. He can summon monsters in the past
with ease as seen when he first arrived in his memory world. And according
to the early manga and Series 1 of the anime, he can also summon the mystical
energies of a “Game of Darkness” or the “Shadow Realm”
as they call it in the dub, much like Pegasus, Bakura, and Marik did.
And yet, Yami has never been angry, truly angry as I described him to be in
my last chapter.
To me Yami has always had his emotions in check (which is another reason I
wanted to write this story since I wanted to delve deeper into his thoughts
and feelings, opposed to what has been shown in either the manga or the anime).
I began to wonder what would happen if he were enraged enough, what kind of
power he would call forth! Surely he would be a force to be reckoned
with if all of this were happening in the present! But in my story he
doesn’t have full control of his abilities yet, as seen with the difficulty
that he had at the end of my last chapter when trying to take hold of it all.
But there will be more on that later…..
In short, I wrote that Yami was angry enough to summon forth a “Game
of Darkness” himself, the same kind that Pegasus used that nearly
killed Yugi during their duel, and I had him attempt to summon a duel monster
from the “Temple of Tablets” that Simon mentioned at the beginning
of the “Egypt Arc” of the manga. Whether it was a normal
monster or even a god that he summoned, even he, and perhaps even I don’t
know as I intentionally wanted it to be vague. However, because of his
inexperience, the added pressure in maintaining the “game of darkness”
or the “shadow realm,” his feelings for Teana in the mix, and
perhaps the absence of a tablet to help contain the monster that he called
forth, Yami found himself overwhelmed, failing to do what he originally intended.
I hope that clears things up! Now, on with the story! :)
Chapter 6
“Just one swift clean crack…. That’s all it would
take…..” The man had said.
That brute….. How could he? He had treated Teana like an
object, a thing….. How he had frightened her, begun to defile
her even…. And how he had laughed….. Images such as
these had started to flash in Yami’s mind, as he slowly awakened from
his earlier loss of consciousness…. What he comprehended….was
that he was now laying on his back, though curiously he felt his head resting
against something...soft…?! In addition to these observations,
for a moment he thought that he had heard the sound of weeping…
He then became aware of the warmth and smoothness of skin on his cheeks, as
well water or some sort of liquid dripping on his head…. And yet
before he could respond to any of it, before he could open his eyes, the darkness
returned, and he sensed no more…..
Almost simultaneously the Yami of the present, the one who was reliving this
memory, saw the many parallels with his current situation. For a split
second, the line between past and present, if the setting within his “memory
world” could even be considered the present, had been blurred.
Was he awakening on the cold tiling of the palace floor, with Teana at his
side? Or was he beginning to stir from that terrible encounter that
he had had with the thieves? As he had concluded beforehand, his pain,
which surely would have been the defining factor in this mystery, was still
dulled, thus forcing him to confuse his surroundings and the time frame that
he was in even further. And yet, just when Yami would have guessed that
he was indeed in the present, he soon found himself unable to ponder the situation
any longer. He was, unquestionably, taken back to that very instant,
the last moment of the recollection that he had experienced…..
He was taken back to that same night….
Reviving once more, this younger Yami again noted that he was lying not on
his stomach, as he would have presumed, judging by the way he had fallen,
but on his back, his head leaning on….something other than sand!
His right hand however, was pressed within that coarse desert sand; he knew
for he felt its grainy texture between his fingers as he cautiously began
to test the extent of his body’s mobility. He knew that a presence
was nearby as well…. Someone….sitting next to him perhaps…?
However, these minor details quickly became the least of his worries as Yami
suddenly discovered a new cause for concern! Before he could even regain
the use of his senses, he soon felt a hand on his shoulder, near his neck!
His unsteady mind began to panic at that realization as he began to relive
that evening's events once more. As he did so, Yami’s anger was
rekindled; it all rushed back to him immediately! Was it him?
That man…. That vicious, horrid man…. Was it he that
was there with him....? Yes, Yami could still see his face…
That sadistic grin…. Those merciless eyes…. Everything
was still so fresh in his mind! It was all so vivid…. So
real…. “The little wench is all yours now!”
The thief had taunted as Yami again watched; once more, he saw the man callously
toss Teana aside!
“No!” Yami growled, feeling his energy return to him.
In an attempt to defend himself, he had quickly reached up, forcing the figure
to the ground. Using his upper torso to hold the potential attacker
in place, he then proceeded to claim the advantage, his grip tightening on
that person’s own neck. Still rather groggy, with his vision unfocused,
in addition to the darkness of the evening hour, Yami concluded his forward
advance by flashing an angry glare at the one he held, ready for any retaliation.
All of this had occurred in a matter of seconds. And yet….
He was a moment too late to realize that it wasn’t the despicable thief
that was within his grasp. No, it wasn’t him who Yami had suddenly,
violently, pinned down, in a possible attempt; though he couldn’t be
certain due to the pace of it all, to squeeze the man’s very life away
with his bare hands! Before he had even become fully lucid in his mode
of thinking, Yami’s eyes had burned a hateful, threatening gaze….at
Teana…..
She didn’t move……though her body was clearly on edge.
She trembled slightly, her shoulders raised in a protective manner.
Mostly, however, she just continued to stare back at him, her expression filled
with nothing but dread once again. Because of her fear, all she was
able to manage was her rhythm of short breaths that sounded as quickly as
Yami sensed her heartbeat raced. No, Teana never even had a chance to
scream as he lunged atop of her….. There was only a deep gasp,
a startled intake of air, then a pained grunt when her back had slammed into
the earth. It all happened so fast…. If only she had cried
out, said his name….anything that would have given him an indication
that it was her…. Maybe then he would have been able to stop himself!
But no, there was no point in making excuses. He had done it….
All of it…. Starting with the fact that he had allowed his anger
to take hold of him, not once but twice! Yes, he knew that he was guilty….that
he was at fault…. If there was any blame for what had just occurred
Yami had already placed it upon himself.
Yami’s rage was gone….. Whatever was left of it had been
replaced… He now felt only an awful, paralyzing remorse….
He found that he was unable to speak at that time as well. He had tried,
but his mouth seemed frozen, his voice refusing to function, to state the
assortment of words that he so wished to say! Instead, Yami attempted
to allow his eyes to beg for forgiveness as he continued to agonize over the
look that Teana was giving him. *No…. Not again….
Please don’t look at me that way….* Yami thought internally.
In the back of his mind, he began to question what she would do next.
Would she run from him again? Is that why she had left him as she did,
earlier that night...? Because she had found something in him to be
afraid of? Through it all, Yami failed to realize that he had lost himself
again, though this time within the depths of his contemplations. He
didn’t even notice, at first, that his hand was still around her throat!
How long had he held her like that? A minute? A second?
Regardless of the time that had passed before he had acknowledged his stance,
he quickly released Teana, his hands shaking, shooting back, as if her touch
had been blazing with heat! He then raised his body, retreating away
from her, allowing her room to collect herself. Teana too forced herself
up then, coughing, inhaling deeply; rubbing her neck as she waited for her
breathing to stabilize again.
As she did so, Yami discovered that he was now sitting a few feet away, unable
to do anything but stare into space. For some reason, he thought back
to when he had first met Teana, that innocent, almost comedic collision, when
he had been running through the streets of the village market; mentally mocking
his determined pursuers like an insolent child! In the end, he and Teana
were in a position much like the one they had been, moments ago…..
The only difference was that she had been angry…. Though not like
he had been…. No, it was nothing like this…. Just
days before…. At that time, Yami had felt certain that that encounter
was the beginning of something….something that he found himself looking
forward to, to see how it would develop.… It was all so different
from now.... Yes, how ironic it was indeed that an aggressive yet similar
circumstance would mark the end for them instead!
Breaking the silence and the inactivity between them, Yami then noticed the
Millennium Puzzle at his side; the gold-like, overturned, pyramidal structure,
partially buried in the sand, while the section that was visible to his eyes
gleamed brightly in the moonlight. Placing a hand on it for a moment,
he felt a slight sense of relief amongst his sadness. He was thankful
that it hadn’t shattered, that it hadn’t broken into its original
separate pieces during its previous fall to the ground. He then raised
it, placing the thin rope that it was tied to over his head; until it finally
rested around his neck. Without a word, Yami stood up, still facing
away from Teana. “I’m sorry.” Yami said at last.
“I never meant to hurt you…. Or frighten you. I only
hope…. that someday you can forgive me….” He closed
his eyes for a moment as he concluded his remark. He, and perhaps even
Teana, noticed a certain finality in his words. Somehow Yami knew that
if he walked away from her now that it would be the end. He would probably
never see her again. But then…. Maybe that was for the best….
Perhaps too much had happened….. Yes, it was very possible that
they would never be able to move past this, this unforgettable night…..
It was then that, Yami felt yet another new emotion course through him!
He sighed. What was it this time? He was already nearly overcome
with his remorse, his despair…. And yet beyond that, he now experienced
guilt and shame…. Guilt for everything that had transpired thus
far, and shame for what he was about to do, how he would leave things.
All of these wild, troublesome sentiments! How oblivious he had been
to these foreign sensations before he had met Teana! He felt his face
harden at that thought, as aggravation was added to the already abundant mix!
Perhaps that was the problem….. He had allowed her to get too
close….. He had willingly let down his guard; he had broken away
from the facade that permitted no such feelings!
Undeniably, it was true that he was aware of a playfulness within him, evident
by the fact that he did enjoy his escapes, his wanderings throughout the village,
but up to that point, up until he had stumbled upon Teana, it had been nothing
more than an outlet, a way in which he could temporarily avoid the strictness
and severity of his life style: a distant and impassive pretense that his
heritage and title, both current and forthcoming, demanded…. Yes,
he had always longed to abandon these disciplines, to be like the people he
would someday be expected to rule, to be able to freely express himself, to
feel….. But he never wanted this….. He would now gladly
embrace his position of power, to turn back the clock, if it meant that he
could rid himself of what currently clouded his mind and heart….
Maybe it was true….. Perhaps ignorance was bliss after all, though
he never ever would have thought such a thing to be accurate in any case!
And yet not only could he never undo what had happened, but there was also
nowhere for him to turn to… Nowhere that he could run….
If he returned home he would be faced with even more pain, more suffering….!
He would be confronted with the harsh reality that his father would-
He had had enough! Yami was through with everything! All of it!
The torment! The emotions! His damnable affections for this woman!
Affections… Even in the midst of his anguish, he still felt it…
.It was there…. Despite his confusion, the suddenness, and, if
he was honest, the speed of all that he had experienced with Teana, in some
way he felt no regret about that at least, regardless of what had just coursed
through his mind. No, he hadn’t meant it…. He had
been lying to himself a moment ago, attempting to suppress his feelings….but
to no avail.... Though he wasn’t exactly sure why or how it could
even be possible in such a short time, he somehow knew that he would always
feel that way towards her….. It was perhaps the one feeling he
didn’t want to escape from, the one pure emotion that he wanted to keep
with him, even if he could never experience it again. But maybe that
was enough…. Yes, he had wanted more, but that was over now….
He would have to settle for those brief moments with her. He would have
to leave it at that…. He had to! And he would….if
he could only find the strength, or arguably the cowardice (no, he was done
debating this!) in him to walk away for good…. If he could just
take that first step....
Ultimately, Teana had indeed managed to seize control of her rattled nerves.
Her heart beat tranquilly again, as did her systematic inhaling and exhaling.
Allowing her own mind to process the long chain of events that had taken place,
Teana continued to sit there, torn emotionally. She simply watched Yami
where he stood, solemnly, wordlessly, though he had long since kept his back
to her. He hadn’t spoken to her at all after his apology.
Yes, she knew what it had meant, what those words suggested…..
During the silence she had attempted to speak several times, even opening
her mouth to address him, but she just wasn’t sure what to tell him,
how to make things better…..just as she couldn’t earlier that
evening….. Before they…. She wanted to reach out to
him, to help him as she had tried to do several times that night, even during
all the terror, all the chaos! She was only able to…when it was
too late….. When he was descending….. When she watched
his lifeless body hitting the ground with a loud thud!!
She had felt her eyes widen then, followed by a piercing, devastating, sting
inside of her! She had called out to him, crying his name….
It had been a deafening scream.... But that didn’t matter to her….
She didn’t care if her voice cracked or even if anyone had heard her….
She only worried whether or not he had heard, whether or not he would respond….
When he hadn’t, she had begun fearing the worst, that when he had finally
gotten control of his anger, his power, that it was more than a simple case
of losing consciousness….
Uncertainty and distress had begun to emerge in Teana’s mind.
Several moments had passed and he still hadn’t come to! Incapable
of containing her alarm any longer she began to make her way towards him.
Only she was unable to stand! Her ankle was still throbbing, still bleeding!
But she couldn’t think of that now! There was no time for that!
With her determination and emotions moving her forward, she then proceeded
to crawl to him. Once more, she disregarded her own pain…
She even dismissed the trail of blood that had begun to soak into the sand
behind her…. Her thoughts were filled with nothing else but reaching
Yami…..
When she finally did, she grabbed for his wrist right away, attempting to
feel for a pulse. Having found it, following her tremendous sigh of
relief, she then struggled to turn him over, to lay his head on her lap so
he could rest quietly. And there she stayed, holding him, waiting for
him to awaken….. As she did so, she began to feel a deep regret,
an overwhelming sorrow that had started the formation of tears in her eyes.
Her vision had begun to blur…. She bit her lip in a last resort
to control herself….. But as she gazed down at his face again,
she found that she couldn’t restrain herself any longer. She felt
herself being strongly affected, completely engulfed by her grief…..
At once she lowered her arms and her own head to encircle his.
“Yami!” Teana cried. “I’m sorry! I’m
so sorry for everything!”
As her shoulders shook, her tears had begun pouring down her cheeks, falling
into his hair. Teana sobbed uncontrollably, mournfully even, and she
continued on for what seemed like an eternity…. Finally she was
able to take hold of herself….to stop….. For all that time,
it didn’t seem that he had heard her weep and in a rush she quickly
wiped away any remaining tears, fearing that he would rise up, any minute,
to see the blubbering, wailing mess that she had become! When she had
finished composing herself she simply continued to wait patiently, allowing
Yami to sleep comfortably in her embrace.
Looking down at him again, she was troubled when she watched him begin to
toss and turn, to twitch slightly, as he began to utter faint moans and mumbles.
This was soon followed by the movements of his right hand, as it began to
claw deeply within the desert sand. *Is he having a dream perhaps? A
nightmare?* Teana asked herself. Seeing a tenseness in his body,
she lowered a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to stroke his arm. She had
hoped to ease his suffering….. And yet she had barely touched
him when he had suddenly snapped awake…..!
Yes, Teana had been afraid…. She had felt the wind being knocked
out of her when he had forced her down. It had been so unexpected!
So instantaneous! She never even saw it coming….! But…
She knew… Somehow she just knew that it wasn’t her that
he had thought he was attacking. It was true that she had been terrified
regardless! She was taken completely by surprise after all, as she was
unsure how long it would take for Yami to realize, to fully awaken!
But she didn’t blame him….. She couldn’t….
*The nightmare…..* Teana reasoned. *Yes that’s it!
He must have been remembering! He thought that I-* For a moment,
Teana chided herself for her actions, for disturbing him with her touch when
it was so clear that-
She ended her thought process then, recalling that Yami was about to
walk away, to march out of her life forever! She watched as he had at
last taken that first step…..! No! She couldn’t let
him leave! Not like that! She had to tell him that she understood!
She had to tell him about-
“Yami!” Teana began. “Yami don’t-!”
She had attempted to stand as she had begun calling to him, forgetting the
extent of her injury, entirely. Unable to sustain her weight, she then
collapsed on the ground with a cry. In response, Yami turned towards
her, hurrying to her side, kneeling by her once more. “Yami…..
I….” Teana grimaced, clutching her exerted leg. She
watched as the hardness in his face diminished; as he simply stared down at
the deep gash on her ankle. Afterwards, as if something had dawned on
him, he looked down at her lap, then towards the trail of blood, which spanned
from where she now sat, all the way up to the wall in which he had seen her
positioned earlier. With a slight nod, it appeared as if he were piecing
it together, deciphering all that had occurred in his mind.
Seemingly without emotion, and still unable to look her in the eye, Yami then
proceeded to tear his cloak, tending to her wound, wrapping it tightly to
stop any additional bleeding. Teana wanted to smile at him…..to
thank him for helping her, to show her gratitude yet again, but before she
could, Yami had reached over, scooping Teana up in his arms once more!
It stunned her! And though it felt like the most inappropriate time
to do so, she felt her cheeks begin to burn brightly. It reminded her…..
She remembered their similar experience days before…even if it had been
different then…...
“Yami…. What are you-”
“I’ll take you home.” Yami interrupted.
“Home?!” Teana exclaimed *Oh no! I can’t
let him see where I-* Teana thought to herself.
“Don’t worry….. I won’t stay.… When
I see that you are both safe and well, I will then take my leave. I
will return to the palace. You can trust my word on this matter, Teana.
Please, all I ask is that you show me the way.”
“Um….I….all right then…. It’s this way…..”
Teana sighed, pointing towards the western side of the village.
As Teana continued to guide Yami, she noted that throughout their journey,
he had continued to avoid her gaze; he continued to ignore her, focusing only
on her words and the direction in which he traveled. This upset her….
It made her uneasy….. She was now truly concerned that when
he did finish his task that he would, in fact, disappear, never to return!
Unless she could do something, she would never see him again…!
*I have to explain it to him….make him understand……
I have to tell him what happened, why I….!* Teana thought to herself.
Looking into his cold expression above her, she felt that ache in her heart
return. She had to raise a hand to her mouth in an attempt to contain
her emotions, to hold back her tears once more. *No…. Yami!
I can’t let it end like this…. I can’t lose you now!
I won’t!* she said to herself. *Please Ra, just let us get there…..
Let us make it home…. When we do, I promise you….
I’ll tell him. Yes…. .I’ll tell him…everything……*