[YGO!/HL, AU] “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (07/15)
Title: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (07/15)
Fandom: Highlander, Yu-Gi-Oh!, with some ideas borrowed from The Dresden Files.
Author: darkjediprinces (Hi there, that’s me!)
Feedback: IS ALWAYS WELCOME, THANK YOU~! <3
Rating: R/M
Word Count: 3,524
Characters: Yami/Atemu, Yugi Mutou, Ryou Bakura, Methos, Yami Bakura/Malik, Duncan MacLeod, Joe Dawson, Kronos, Adam Pierson (OC), Seshata-per-say (OC)
Pairings: Yami/Yugi, Yami/Persy (OC)
Warnings: Maleslash/Shounen-ai, violence, gore, swearing.
Summary: Five thousand years ago, Pharaoh Tepeysa-Yami lost his closest friends in a ritual to imprison the enemy that threatened to tear about his people and country, while he continued to live, an Immortal destined to outlive all of his mortal lovers and friends. Now, something has drawn him to the sleepy town of Seacouver, Washington, and while he’s not sure what it is, events are certain to make what was once a boring little town on the west coast of the United States a place of chaos and death…
Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Highlander. Yu-Gi-Oh! is most definitely the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I don’t know who owns Highlander, but it ain’t me. Ideas borrowed from The Dresden Files belong to Jim Butcher. Seshata-per-sey/Persy/Phoebe Vance belongs to my dear friend kawaiispinel. <3 I do, however, own Adam Pierson :). Sort of. You’ll see. Anyway, this is just a wacky place-swap AU for one of my other stories. No money is being made, etc etc.
Author’s Notes: So... I'm not sure as to the... accuracy, I suppose, of some of the swordplay lessons in this chapter; it's been awhile since my friend jayiin gave me any lessons myself ^_^; Oh well! :D Enjoy some more Yugi/Yami in the meanwhile <3
Crosspostings: card_crossings, yami_no_hikari, highland_cross, crossoverfic
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
Chapter 07: Immortality
“When you were standing in the wake of devastation
When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
And with the cataclysm raining down
Insides crying, ‘save me now’
You were there, impossibly alone
Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
Let it go”
- “Iridescent”, Linkin Park
I was midway through “Irisdescent” by Linkin Park when Yugi started to come to. He began coughing a bit as the bullet hole sealed itself, his eyes fluttering open gradually. I stopped playing as he did, setting aside the violin and going over to him.
“You play violin?” he croaked.
“And several other instruments I’ve picked up over the centuries,” I answered with a small smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Like someone shot me in the heart,” he replied, voice hoarse, but a with very small, very strained smile across his mouth.
He was trying to joke about it. I suppose that was about as good a reaction as I could’ve expected, under the circumstances. I smiled, but it was thin and tight. “I’m sorry,” I said, lowering my head. “I should’ve stopped him. Taken the gun from him.”
“He shot you in the heart too,” Yugi answered, grasping my hand and squeezing it. “There wasn’t anything you could do.”
“Arguable,” I told him. “I was at least still mobile.”
“Just barely.” Yugi shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself,” he said, looking up into my eyes. “This isn’t what I wanted, but I can’t change it now. So I’ll make the best of it.”
I gave him a strained smile, then went over to the sink and filled a glass with water and handed it to him. He drained it in one pull.
“Who was he?” he asked.
“Kronos. Old enemy of mine. I have no idea if he knew you were Pre-Immortal or not, or if he just saw you with me and presumed we were related. Or perhaps”-I coughed-“involved. If the latter is true, he likely shot you just to hurt me. If it’s the former, I can’t imagine what his goal might’ve been. He had to have known he’d be making another enemy for himself.”
Yugi frowned. “I’m not the kind of guy who hates easily. And I try not to hold grudges,” he said.
“It’s going to be hard to let this one go,” I told him, gently. “Especially since you had wanted a normal life.”
He shook his head. “My chances at a truly normal life were taken away from me when I was little.”
“How so?” I asked, frowning.
“My dad,” he said, after a moment of hesitation, “was a lawyer at some law firm that I now know serves the supernatural community. And not any of the good guys, either. He had some supernatural abilities himself.”
I frowned. “So you’ve been Clued since you were born?”
He nodded. “Pretty much. He was telekinetic.”
“I’m guessing your mother died in childbirth.”
He nodded, looking rather surprised. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Mine did too,” I answered. “So did Persy’s. Every Pre-Immortal’s mother dies in childbirth. I think perhaps we take too much life from her as we’re born.”
Yugi nodded. “Well… my father used his powers to…” he blanched. “Well… beat me, every time I wasn’t perfectly behaved. Unfortunately he had standards that were way too high for me to ever meet, so I endured it a lot.”
A look of fear, anger, and disgust crossed my face. I felt like throwing up.
“When I was six, I decided…” he took in a deep breath. “…I decided enough was enough. I went to the police. They arrested him. My dad came at me with a knife.” He rolled to one side and tugged up his mangled shirt, revealing a portion of a thick, angry scar that ended near his right waist and curved diagonally towards his left shoulder. “I still have the scars,” he finished. “Not just this one. Others too. Not all of them visible.”
He turned back onto his back as I covered my mouth with my hand, eyes closed and fighting down bile. I must’ve looked very ill, because he said, “I… thought Immortals couldn’t get sick.”
“Not from viruses or bacteria or anything,” I answered hoarsely. “Reacting to horrific events is a bit different. We still have a gag reflex and everything.”
He grimaced. “Anyway… yeah. I doubt I’d’ve ever had an entirely normal life, even if I hadn’t died a violent death.”
I lowered my hand and sighed. “I can’t imagine anyone doing that to their child… Some people just…” I shook my head. “…I don’t understand mortals sometimes.” I sighed again, picked up my violin, and began playing “Iridescent” again. Yugi grinned a bit.
“Hey, I know that one!” He coughed. “Don’t think I’m quite up to singing along, though…”
I just smiled and kept playing. “Seems we share some taste in music,” I noted once I finished.
He grinned and nodded. “Looks like.” He sobered after a moment. “What happens now?” he asked.
I sighed. “It’s late. I don’t think it’s feasible to actually start teaching you now, so we’ll start in the morning. I’ll wait at least until Adam and Methos return.” I nodded at the door. “You should probably go back to your room. Get some rest.”
He shook his head a little. “Uhm… if it’s okay with you, I’d rather stay here.”
I arched an eyebrow. “It’s a bit early for that,” I noted, an amused tone in my voice. I might also have been flirting. Just a bit.
He snorted, turning a bit pink. “I mean… just sleep on your couch, or something. I’d just like to have the company.” He stared down at his sneakers some more. “I’d feel safer, knowing you’re there.”
I turned a bit pink myself and cleared my throat. “That’s… Uh, thank you, Yugi. That’s… good to know.” I nodded. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
He smiled at me, then fingered the hole in his shirt. “Dammit. I liked this shirt. Now it’s got a bullet hole in it.”
* * *
I woke to the sound of the door’s lock clicking as someone inserted a card key into it, and to find that Yugi had, during the night, wandered over to the bed and flopped down on it, perpendicular to me and with his head lying on my belly, using me for a pillow.
The door opened and Methos stepped through, apparently currently in control of Adam’s body, the Puzzle swinging around his neck a bit. He froze when he saw Yugi lying on top of me as he was, his expression showing something of shock. Then he took a step forward, face transitioning to something angry and protective.
“Methos,” I croaked. “Stop.”
He halted. “Why is he on your bed?” he demanded of me, quietly, apparently still angry.
I shrugged. “He must’ve sleepwalked over here. I don’t mind it.”
He just stared at me, apparently uncomprehending as to my reasons for not minding the situation. “You… don’t mind,” he repeated.
“No. I don’t.”
“But he’s…”
“-Using me as a pillow. Yeah, I’m aware of that.”
Methos frowned. “As I recall, I once found you and Setep-sy like that when I came to wake you up.”
I smiled a bit at the memory. “True.”
He narrowed his eyes a bit.
“Methos, he told me what happened when he came out to Bakura and Adam. Said you didn’t react that well.”
“And?” Methos asked, a bit defensively. “Look, Yami, he’s… it’s something that could deny him access to Duat. Cause his soul to be devoured.”
I eyed him. “And you were feeling protective of him because he reminded you of me?”
Methos blanched, but nodded.
“Our interpretation of that story was in error,” I told him. “Or so I’ve come to believe.” I stared at him, my expression entirely serious. “He can’t help it, Methos.” I took a deep breath and continued, “And neither can I. It’s not a conscious choice. It’s never a conscious choice, who we find ourselves drawn to. Nor who we find ourselves in love with.”
He stared at me for a moment before his eyes became distant. “Are you saying…?” He began, glancing sharply between me and Yugi.
I snorted in embarrassment, going a little pink. “No!” I said. “Ra’s beak, Methos, I barely know him! But I am saying I’m the same as him. Bisexual. Attracted to both men and women. I can’t change it about myself. And I won’t try to.”
He stared at me, sinking slowly into an armchair. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
I sighed and sat up, gently dislodging Yugi’s head from my stomach and repositioning it on my thighs instead. He stirred a little but did not wake. I gave Methos a very direct look.
“Did you choose to fall in love with Emuishéré?” I asked him, pointedly.
“Of course not,” he answered.
I smiled and nodded. “Didn’t think so. I’ve had many partners over the millennia, men and women both, and I didn’t choose to fall in love with any of them, either.” I shrugged. “I find it hard to believe than our gods would punish us for something we can’t control.”
He just sat there for a moment, apparently thinking.
I gave him a bit longer, then said, gently, “Does that help you deal with the idea?”
He looked at me, then, very slowly, he nodded.
“Good.” I reached down carefully and retrieved a t-shirt. “What did you find out?” I asked as I did so.
“Not much thus far. Just came back up here to check on you.”
I smiled. “Appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. The residual pain’s gone too. As soon as Yugi’s awake, I’ll be back on my feet.”
He nodded. “Good to know. Anything you need?”
“Not right now. I’m going to find Duncan in a bit. From what I’ve heard, he owns a dojo here in town. I can start training Yugi there.”
He stood up again, taking in a breath. “Okay then. I guess I’ll get back to the gumshoe work.”
I smiled and nodded. “Luck, Methos.”
“You too.” He left. I sighed and leaned back against the headboard, reaching for the book I’d been reading last night before Yugi had shown up. I just sat there for another hour or so, relaxing and reading while I waited for Yugi to wake up.
Finally he stirred, “mmm”-ing a little and blinking his eyes open. Then he seemed to realize he was using my legs as a pillow and immediately scrambled up to a seated position, going beet-red.
“Oh God,” he said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how I got over there.”
“Sleepwalked, looks like,” I said. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mind. Didn’t even notice until I woke up, in fact.”
“How long ago was that?”
“An hour or so. And if I’d been bothered by it, I would’ve moved you.”
He went red again. “Oh…”
I got out of bed and found my shoes and coat. “Go ahead and get dressed. We’re going to go find Duncan.”
“Why?” Yugi asked, though he immediately went to retrieve his own coat and shoes.
“I hear he owns a dojo. We can start on your sword lessons there. He might even be able to help out with them.” I picked up my rapier and tucked it into the extra pocket I’d sewn into the lining of my coat in order to hide it. I gave him a wry smile. “You are likely going to need to get a long coat,” I noted. “Hides the sword.”
He snorted and pulled on his jacket. “Um. Okay.”
I chuckled a little. “Shall we?” I asked, opening the door and holding it for him. He smiled at the gesture and nodded.
“We shall.”
* * *
When we showed up at Duncan’s dojo, he was in the middle of a kata using an ivory-handled katana. We just stood there, watching, until he was finished and had put his sword away.
“Yami,” he greeted, with a nod of his head. “Didn’t I see that guy at Joe’s last night?”
I nodded and smiled. “This is Yugi.” Yugi sheepishly offered his hand, massaging a bit at his temple. Duncan shook it.
“I got a hum from him last night,” he noted. “Now it’s a full-blown Buzz. What happened?”
I shook my head. “Old enemy of mine showed up by the name of Kronos.”
“Oh yeah. Joe and Persy were looking for his Chronicle when I stopped in at Joe’s.” He frowned. “She… looked kind of anxious, actually.”
“She would be,” I shrugged. “He’s probably in town for her.”
Duncan grimaced. I looked over at Yugi, who looked a little pained.
“First Buzz?” I asked.
“First one while I was conscious,” Yugi confirmed.
“You’ll get used to it,” I told him. “Duncan, I was wondering if we could borrow your dojo for some sword lessons.”
Duncan nodded. “Of course. Need any help?”
“That would be appreciated,” I said with a nod, removing my coat and withdrawing my sword from it. “You wouldn’t happen to have any straight swords on hand, would you, or is it just katanas here?”
He snorted and went out of the room for a moment, returning with a short sword. Yugi blanched a little. “Uhm,” he said, “we’re not going to start with practice swords?”
“Why?” I asked. “An injuries we get will heal pretty much instantly. And I certainly won’t be going for a decapitating blow with these. We’ll use practice swords when I’m teaching you to defend against those. For now, we’ll be fine with real swords.”
“Oh.”
Duncan had a few practice dummies, which I warmed up on. Finally I turned to the practice mat, spinning my sword in my hand once. Yugi was, as always, uncertain as he held the short sword Duncan had retrieved for him in his right hand, flicking it around a bit. I smiled at him.
“Don’t worry,” I told him reassuringly, “it’ll come naturally. And I won’t hurt you if I can help it.”
He nodded. I set my sword down and went over to him to help correct his grip, grasping his hands gently and repositioning them in an equally gentle manner. “You want your off hand on the top of the hilt,” I told him. “Your main hand needs to rotate and spin the sword, and the way you do that is from the pommel end.” I’d wrapped my arms around his own, loosely, as I corrected his grip, and I felt him relax a little when I did, causing my heart to skip a beat.
Dammit, Yami, focus, I chided myself.
I let go and backed off, slowly, while Yugi adjusted the position of the sword so it was slightly more comfortable. Then I stepped up beside him and nodded down at his feet.
“Likewise, your off foot is supposed to be the one in front,” I continued. “That’s so your main foot will have most of the momentum when you move. And also so that your first step is on your main foot.”
He nodded and slid his left foot in front of his right.
“Excellent.” I stepped across the mat and picked up my rapier again. “Hmm,” I said, thoughtfully. “I’m a fencer. Involves a lot of thrusts and stabs.” I tried to ignore the innuendo potential of that statement, but apparently Yugi caught it, because he visibly suppressed a laugh after I said it. “Not so good for slicing and decapitating, unfortunately. But I suppose we’ll start with basics for any sword style.”
From there, I began teaching him the basics of blocking, attacking, parrying, that sort of thing. As I had thought, he picked it up quickly. Duncan taught him some of the basics of Kendo as well. It was a style rather different from the one I was used to. Several hours later, we’d actually made some good progress, and by the time we decided to take a breather, we’d discovered Persy, Adam, and Bakura waiting for us in the doorway.
“How long were you guys at it?” Persy asked, grinning and winking at me.
I glared at her in return before answering, “A few hours now.”
“Looks like you’ve made good progress,” she said.
“And how’s your progress?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “Going nowhere. We can’t find any of them in the Chronicles.”
I sighed but nodded at Bakura and Adam. “How about you guys?” I asked.
Bakura shook his head. “No luck.”
I sighed. “Dammit.”
Persy shrugged. “Tomorrow’s another day? Let’s get some dinner. We can figure things out then.”
I sighed again and sheathed my sword. Yugi handed the short sword back to Duncan. Then the six of us left to find food.
* * *
When we finished up, most of us went back to my hotel room. Persy went back to her own room to continue her research, and Duncan went back to his dojo.
“Okay,” I said, leaning back into one of the armchairs, “less practical lessons now.” Methos and Malik joined us again as I said this. I glanced over at them and inquired, “Anyone have any questions?”
Adam frowned. “You said Persy first met you in the middle of a fight with another Immortal,” he said. “Why fight other Immortals?”
I sighed. The answer was incredibly complex, but it was one Yugi needed to know. “It’s… very complicated. The long and short of it is, every Immortal is playing the Game. We fight each other, take each other’s power, until there’s only one of us left.” I closed my eyes, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. “In the end, there can be only one, and whoever it is gets the Prize.”
Yugi looked incredibly pale. “You mean… we might have to fight and kill each other one day?” he asked me, quietly.
I sighed. “Gods, I hope it’s not for a long time.”
“What’s the Prize?”
“No-one knows,” I answered. Yugi simply stared at me.
“Why fight for a Prize you know nothing about?” Bakura asked, bewildered. “That… doesn’t make any sense.”
I shrugged. “I tend to be of the same opinion, but it’s very difficult for any Immortal to completely withdraw themselves from the Game. We’re all drawn to it on an instinctive level.” I sighed. “Some think it’s true Immortality, which would make the person completely indestructible, even if decapitated. Some think the last Immortal will become mortal again. There are all sorts of theories.”
“What happens when an Immortal ends up having to fight someone they care about?” Yugi asked, quietly.
“Pain,” I answered, just as quietly. He winced. “Luckily, I’ve not had to do so very often.”
There was a strained silence for several long minutes. “There’s one thing that can protect you,” I said, after awhile. “Holy ground. Doesn’t matter what religion it belongs to, just as long as it’s holy ground to someone. No Immortal would dare fight on holy ground, so you’ll be safe.”
Yugi nodded. “Okay. In danger, find a church.”
“Or a mosque. Or a temple. Or a monastery.”
“Get thee to a nunnery?” Yugi inquired. I laughed. So did Adam and Bakura.
“That too,” I agreed. I tried to remember if there was anything I was forgetting. For the moment, I couldn’t think of anything, so I leaned back and asked, “Any more questions?”
They didn’t seem to have any at the moment. We sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Yugi suggested, “Hey, Yami… why don’t you play a little for us?” He pointed at my violin, resting on the nearby desk.
I arched my eyebrows, but stood and retrieved it. Malik and Methos eyed me.
“Violin, Tepeysa?” Malik asked, arching an eyebrow.
“One of the ways I passed the time over the centuries,” I told him with a wink, before settling down to consider what I would play. I decided on a song called “The Headless Waltz” by an amazingly funny man called Voltaire.
Not the philosopher. The other one.
Apparently Yugi listened to him too, because he laughed the moment I started playing the opening notes. I grinned at him and kept going through the song. I played several more by Voltaire after that, at Yugi’s request. When it looked like Adam and Bakura were about to fall asleep, I set the violin aside and rose to see them to the door, saying good night to Malik and Methos as I did.
Yugi stayed behind for awhile longer. We simply sat, talking and… well, getting to know each other, really. I told stories from my incredibly long life as an Immortal. Yugi talked about the Duelist Kingdom tournament, about his other friends back in his home city of Dominion, about his grandfather… Despite his shy exterior, he actually proved to be quite talkative, once you got his walls down.
I enjoyed the conversation immensely, relishing the chance to get to know my student a bit better. Finally, Yugi managed to fall asleep with his head resting against the back of the sofa. I laughed quietly and rearranged him gently so that he was lying on his back, with his head against a pillow. Then I, myself, went to bed.
* * *
<- Previous || Next ->
Fandom: Highlander, Yu-Gi-Oh!, with some ideas borrowed from The Dresden Files.
Author: darkjediprinces (Hi there, that’s me!)
Feedback: IS ALWAYS WELCOME, THANK YOU~! <3
Rating: R/M
Word Count: 3,524
Characters: Yami/Atemu, Yugi Mutou, Ryou Bakura, Methos, Yami Bakura/Malik, Duncan MacLeod, Joe Dawson, Kronos, Adam Pierson (OC), Seshata-per-say (OC)
Pairings: Yami/Yugi, Yami/Persy (OC)
Warnings: Maleslash/Shounen-ai, violence, gore, swearing.
Summary: Five thousand years ago, Pharaoh Tepeysa-Yami lost his closest friends in a ritual to imprison the enemy that threatened to tear about his people and country, while he continued to live, an Immortal destined to outlive all of his mortal lovers and friends. Now, something has drawn him to the sleepy town of Seacouver, Washington, and while he’s not sure what it is, events are certain to make what was once a boring little town on the west coast of the United States a place of chaos and death…
Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Highlander. Yu-Gi-Oh! is most definitely the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I don’t know who owns Highlander, but it ain’t me. Ideas borrowed from The Dresden Files belong to Jim Butcher. Seshata-per-sey/Persy/Phoebe Vance belongs to my dear friend kawaiispinel. <3 I do, however, own Adam Pierson :). Sort of. You’ll see. Anyway, this is just a wacky place-swap AU for one of my other stories. No money is being made, etc etc.
Author’s Notes: So... I'm not sure as to the... accuracy, I suppose, of some of the swordplay lessons in this chapter; it's been awhile since my friend jayiin gave me any lessons myself ^_^; Oh well! :D Enjoy some more Yugi/Yami in the meanwhile <3
Crosspostings: card_crossings, yami_no_hikari, highland_cross, crossoverfic
<- Previous || Next ->
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Chapter 07: Immortality
“When you were standing in the wake of devastation
When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
And with the cataclysm raining down
Insides crying, ‘save me now’
You were there, impossibly alone
Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
Let it go”
- “Iridescent”, Linkin Park
I was midway through “Irisdescent” by Linkin Park when Yugi started to come to. He began coughing a bit as the bullet hole sealed itself, his eyes fluttering open gradually. I stopped playing as he did, setting aside the violin and going over to him.
“You play violin?” he croaked.
“And several other instruments I’ve picked up over the centuries,” I answered with a small smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Like someone shot me in the heart,” he replied, voice hoarse, but a with very small, very strained smile across his mouth.
He was trying to joke about it. I suppose that was about as good a reaction as I could’ve expected, under the circumstances. I smiled, but it was thin and tight. “I’m sorry,” I said, lowering my head. “I should’ve stopped him. Taken the gun from him.”
“He shot you in the heart too,” Yugi answered, grasping my hand and squeezing it. “There wasn’t anything you could do.”
“Arguable,” I told him. “I was at least still mobile.”
“Just barely.” Yugi shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself,” he said, looking up into my eyes. “This isn’t what I wanted, but I can’t change it now. So I’ll make the best of it.”
I gave him a strained smile, then went over to the sink and filled a glass with water and handed it to him. He drained it in one pull.
“Who was he?” he asked.
“Kronos. Old enemy of mine. I have no idea if he knew you were Pre-Immortal or not, or if he just saw you with me and presumed we were related. Or perhaps”-I coughed-“involved. If the latter is true, he likely shot you just to hurt me. If it’s the former, I can’t imagine what his goal might’ve been. He had to have known he’d be making another enemy for himself.”
Yugi frowned. “I’m not the kind of guy who hates easily. And I try not to hold grudges,” he said.
“It’s going to be hard to let this one go,” I told him, gently. “Especially since you had wanted a normal life.”
He shook his head. “My chances at a truly normal life were taken away from me when I was little.”
“How so?” I asked, frowning.
“My dad,” he said, after a moment of hesitation, “was a lawyer at some law firm that I now know serves the supernatural community. And not any of the good guys, either. He had some supernatural abilities himself.”
I frowned. “So you’ve been Clued since you were born?”
He nodded. “Pretty much. He was telekinetic.”
“I’m guessing your mother died in childbirth.”
He nodded, looking rather surprised. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Mine did too,” I answered. “So did Persy’s. Every Pre-Immortal’s mother dies in childbirth. I think perhaps we take too much life from her as we’re born.”
Yugi nodded. “Well… my father used his powers to…” he blanched. “Well… beat me, every time I wasn’t perfectly behaved. Unfortunately he had standards that were way too high for me to ever meet, so I endured it a lot.”
A look of fear, anger, and disgust crossed my face. I felt like throwing up.
“When I was six, I decided…” he took in a deep breath. “…I decided enough was enough. I went to the police. They arrested him. My dad came at me with a knife.” He rolled to one side and tugged up his mangled shirt, revealing a portion of a thick, angry scar that ended near his right waist and curved diagonally towards his left shoulder. “I still have the scars,” he finished. “Not just this one. Others too. Not all of them visible.”
He turned back onto his back as I covered my mouth with my hand, eyes closed and fighting down bile. I must’ve looked very ill, because he said, “I… thought Immortals couldn’t get sick.”
“Not from viruses or bacteria or anything,” I answered hoarsely. “Reacting to horrific events is a bit different. We still have a gag reflex and everything.”
He grimaced. “Anyway… yeah. I doubt I’d’ve ever had an entirely normal life, even if I hadn’t died a violent death.”
I lowered my hand and sighed. “I can’t imagine anyone doing that to their child… Some people just…” I shook my head. “…I don’t understand mortals sometimes.” I sighed again, picked up my violin, and began playing “Iridescent” again. Yugi grinned a bit.
“Hey, I know that one!” He coughed. “Don’t think I’m quite up to singing along, though…”
I just smiled and kept playing. “Seems we share some taste in music,” I noted once I finished.
He grinned and nodded. “Looks like.” He sobered after a moment. “What happens now?” he asked.
I sighed. “It’s late. I don’t think it’s feasible to actually start teaching you now, so we’ll start in the morning. I’ll wait at least until Adam and Methos return.” I nodded at the door. “You should probably go back to your room. Get some rest.”
He shook his head a little. “Uhm… if it’s okay with you, I’d rather stay here.”
I arched an eyebrow. “It’s a bit early for that,” I noted, an amused tone in my voice. I might also have been flirting. Just a bit.
He snorted, turning a bit pink. “I mean… just sleep on your couch, or something. I’d just like to have the company.” He stared down at his sneakers some more. “I’d feel safer, knowing you’re there.”
I turned a bit pink myself and cleared my throat. “That’s… Uh, thank you, Yugi. That’s… good to know.” I nodded. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
He smiled at me, then fingered the hole in his shirt. “Dammit. I liked this shirt. Now it’s got a bullet hole in it.”
* * *
I woke to the sound of the door’s lock clicking as someone inserted a card key into it, and to find that Yugi had, during the night, wandered over to the bed and flopped down on it, perpendicular to me and with his head lying on my belly, using me for a pillow.
The door opened and Methos stepped through, apparently currently in control of Adam’s body, the Puzzle swinging around his neck a bit. He froze when he saw Yugi lying on top of me as he was, his expression showing something of shock. Then he took a step forward, face transitioning to something angry and protective.
“Methos,” I croaked. “Stop.”
He halted. “Why is he on your bed?” he demanded of me, quietly, apparently still angry.
I shrugged. “He must’ve sleepwalked over here. I don’t mind it.”
He just stared at me, apparently uncomprehending as to my reasons for not minding the situation. “You… don’t mind,” he repeated.
“No. I don’t.”
“But he’s…”
“-Using me as a pillow. Yeah, I’m aware of that.”
Methos frowned. “As I recall, I once found you and Setep-sy like that when I came to wake you up.”
I smiled a bit at the memory. “True.”
He narrowed his eyes a bit.
“Methos, he told me what happened when he came out to Bakura and Adam. Said you didn’t react that well.”
“And?” Methos asked, a bit defensively. “Look, Yami, he’s… it’s something that could deny him access to Duat. Cause his soul to be devoured.”
I eyed him. “And you were feeling protective of him because he reminded you of me?”
Methos blanched, but nodded.
“Our interpretation of that story was in error,” I told him. “Or so I’ve come to believe.” I stared at him, my expression entirely serious. “He can’t help it, Methos.” I took a deep breath and continued, “And neither can I. It’s not a conscious choice. It’s never a conscious choice, who we find ourselves drawn to. Nor who we find ourselves in love with.”
He stared at me for a moment before his eyes became distant. “Are you saying…?” He began, glancing sharply between me and Yugi.
I snorted in embarrassment, going a little pink. “No!” I said. “Ra’s beak, Methos, I barely know him! But I am saying I’m the same as him. Bisexual. Attracted to both men and women. I can’t change it about myself. And I won’t try to.”
He stared at me, sinking slowly into an armchair. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
I sighed and sat up, gently dislodging Yugi’s head from my stomach and repositioning it on my thighs instead. He stirred a little but did not wake. I gave Methos a very direct look.
“Did you choose to fall in love with Emuishéré?” I asked him, pointedly.
“Of course not,” he answered.
I smiled and nodded. “Didn’t think so. I’ve had many partners over the millennia, men and women both, and I didn’t choose to fall in love with any of them, either.” I shrugged. “I find it hard to believe than our gods would punish us for something we can’t control.”
He just sat there for a moment, apparently thinking.
I gave him a bit longer, then said, gently, “Does that help you deal with the idea?”
He looked at me, then, very slowly, he nodded.
“Good.” I reached down carefully and retrieved a t-shirt. “What did you find out?” I asked as I did so.
“Not much thus far. Just came back up here to check on you.”
I smiled. “Appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. The residual pain’s gone too. As soon as Yugi’s awake, I’ll be back on my feet.”
He nodded. “Good to know. Anything you need?”
“Not right now. I’m going to find Duncan in a bit. From what I’ve heard, he owns a dojo here in town. I can start training Yugi there.”
He stood up again, taking in a breath. “Okay then. I guess I’ll get back to the gumshoe work.”
I smiled and nodded. “Luck, Methos.”
“You too.” He left. I sighed and leaned back against the headboard, reaching for the book I’d been reading last night before Yugi had shown up. I just sat there for another hour or so, relaxing and reading while I waited for Yugi to wake up.
Finally he stirred, “mmm”-ing a little and blinking his eyes open. Then he seemed to realize he was using my legs as a pillow and immediately scrambled up to a seated position, going beet-red.
“Oh God,” he said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how I got over there.”
“Sleepwalked, looks like,” I said. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mind. Didn’t even notice until I woke up, in fact.”
“How long ago was that?”
“An hour or so. And if I’d been bothered by it, I would’ve moved you.”
He went red again. “Oh…”
I got out of bed and found my shoes and coat. “Go ahead and get dressed. We’re going to go find Duncan.”
“Why?” Yugi asked, though he immediately went to retrieve his own coat and shoes.
“I hear he owns a dojo. We can start on your sword lessons there. He might even be able to help out with them.” I picked up my rapier and tucked it into the extra pocket I’d sewn into the lining of my coat in order to hide it. I gave him a wry smile. “You are likely going to need to get a long coat,” I noted. “Hides the sword.”
He snorted and pulled on his jacket. “Um. Okay.”
I chuckled a little. “Shall we?” I asked, opening the door and holding it for him. He smiled at the gesture and nodded.
“We shall.”
* * *
When we showed up at Duncan’s dojo, he was in the middle of a kata using an ivory-handled katana. We just stood there, watching, until he was finished and had put his sword away.
“Yami,” he greeted, with a nod of his head. “Didn’t I see that guy at Joe’s last night?”
I nodded and smiled. “This is Yugi.” Yugi sheepishly offered his hand, massaging a bit at his temple. Duncan shook it.
“I got a hum from him last night,” he noted. “Now it’s a full-blown Buzz. What happened?”
I shook my head. “Old enemy of mine showed up by the name of Kronos.”
“Oh yeah. Joe and Persy were looking for his Chronicle when I stopped in at Joe’s.” He frowned. “She… looked kind of anxious, actually.”
“She would be,” I shrugged. “He’s probably in town for her.”
Duncan grimaced. I looked over at Yugi, who looked a little pained.
“First Buzz?” I asked.
“First one while I was conscious,” Yugi confirmed.
“You’ll get used to it,” I told him. “Duncan, I was wondering if we could borrow your dojo for some sword lessons.”
Duncan nodded. “Of course. Need any help?”
“That would be appreciated,” I said with a nod, removing my coat and withdrawing my sword from it. “You wouldn’t happen to have any straight swords on hand, would you, or is it just katanas here?”
He snorted and went out of the room for a moment, returning with a short sword. Yugi blanched a little. “Uhm,” he said, “we’re not going to start with practice swords?”
“Why?” I asked. “An injuries we get will heal pretty much instantly. And I certainly won’t be going for a decapitating blow with these. We’ll use practice swords when I’m teaching you to defend against those. For now, we’ll be fine with real swords.”
“Oh.”
Duncan had a few practice dummies, which I warmed up on. Finally I turned to the practice mat, spinning my sword in my hand once. Yugi was, as always, uncertain as he held the short sword Duncan had retrieved for him in his right hand, flicking it around a bit. I smiled at him.
“Don’t worry,” I told him reassuringly, “it’ll come naturally. And I won’t hurt you if I can help it.”
He nodded. I set my sword down and went over to him to help correct his grip, grasping his hands gently and repositioning them in an equally gentle manner. “You want your off hand on the top of the hilt,” I told him. “Your main hand needs to rotate and spin the sword, and the way you do that is from the pommel end.” I’d wrapped my arms around his own, loosely, as I corrected his grip, and I felt him relax a little when I did, causing my heart to skip a beat.
Dammit, Yami, focus, I chided myself.
I let go and backed off, slowly, while Yugi adjusted the position of the sword so it was slightly more comfortable. Then I stepped up beside him and nodded down at his feet.
“Likewise, your off foot is supposed to be the one in front,” I continued. “That’s so your main foot will have most of the momentum when you move. And also so that your first step is on your main foot.”
He nodded and slid his left foot in front of his right.
“Excellent.” I stepped across the mat and picked up my rapier again. “Hmm,” I said, thoughtfully. “I’m a fencer. Involves a lot of thrusts and stabs.” I tried to ignore the innuendo potential of that statement, but apparently Yugi caught it, because he visibly suppressed a laugh after I said it. “Not so good for slicing and decapitating, unfortunately. But I suppose we’ll start with basics for any sword style.”
From there, I began teaching him the basics of blocking, attacking, parrying, that sort of thing. As I had thought, he picked it up quickly. Duncan taught him some of the basics of Kendo as well. It was a style rather different from the one I was used to. Several hours later, we’d actually made some good progress, and by the time we decided to take a breather, we’d discovered Persy, Adam, and Bakura waiting for us in the doorway.
“How long were you guys at it?” Persy asked, grinning and winking at me.
I glared at her in return before answering, “A few hours now.”
“Looks like you’ve made good progress,” she said.
“And how’s your progress?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “Going nowhere. We can’t find any of them in the Chronicles.”
I sighed but nodded at Bakura and Adam. “How about you guys?” I asked.
Bakura shook his head. “No luck.”
I sighed. “Dammit.”
Persy shrugged. “Tomorrow’s another day? Let’s get some dinner. We can figure things out then.”
I sighed again and sheathed my sword. Yugi handed the short sword back to Duncan. Then the six of us left to find food.
* * *
When we finished up, most of us went back to my hotel room. Persy went back to her own room to continue her research, and Duncan went back to his dojo.
“Okay,” I said, leaning back into one of the armchairs, “less practical lessons now.” Methos and Malik joined us again as I said this. I glanced over at them and inquired, “Anyone have any questions?”
Adam frowned. “You said Persy first met you in the middle of a fight with another Immortal,” he said. “Why fight other Immortals?”
I sighed. The answer was incredibly complex, but it was one Yugi needed to know. “It’s… very complicated. The long and short of it is, every Immortal is playing the Game. We fight each other, take each other’s power, until there’s only one of us left.” I closed my eyes, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. “In the end, there can be only one, and whoever it is gets the Prize.”
Yugi looked incredibly pale. “You mean… we might have to fight and kill each other one day?” he asked me, quietly.
I sighed. “Gods, I hope it’s not for a long time.”
“What’s the Prize?”
“No-one knows,” I answered. Yugi simply stared at me.
“Why fight for a Prize you know nothing about?” Bakura asked, bewildered. “That… doesn’t make any sense.”
I shrugged. “I tend to be of the same opinion, but it’s very difficult for any Immortal to completely withdraw themselves from the Game. We’re all drawn to it on an instinctive level.” I sighed. “Some think it’s true Immortality, which would make the person completely indestructible, even if decapitated. Some think the last Immortal will become mortal again. There are all sorts of theories.”
“What happens when an Immortal ends up having to fight someone they care about?” Yugi asked, quietly.
“Pain,” I answered, just as quietly. He winced. “Luckily, I’ve not had to do so very often.”
There was a strained silence for several long minutes. “There’s one thing that can protect you,” I said, after awhile. “Holy ground. Doesn’t matter what religion it belongs to, just as long as it’s holy ground to someone. No Immortal would dare fight on holy ground, so you’ll be safe.”
Yugi nodded. “Okay. In danger, find a church.”
“Or a mosque. Or a temple. Or a monastery.”
“Get thee to a nunnery?” Yugi inquired. I laughed. So did Adam and Bakura.
“That too,” I agreed. I tried to remember if there was anything I was forgetting. For the moment, I couldn’t think of anything, so I leaned back and asked, “Any more questions?”
They didn’t seem to have any at the moment. We sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Yugi suggested, “Hey, Yami… why don’t you play a little for us?” He pointed at my violin, resting on the nearby desk.
I arched my eyebrows, but stood and retrieved it. Malik and Methos eyed me.
“Violin, Tepeysa?” Malik asked, arching an eyebrow.
“One of the ways I passed the time over the centuries,” I told him with a wink, before settling down to consider what I would play. I decided on a song called “The Headless Waltz” by an amazingly funny man called Voltaire.
Not the philosopher. The other one.
Apparently Yugi listened to him too, because he laughed the moment I started playing the opening notes. I grinned at him and kept going through the song. I played several more by Voltaire after that, at Yugi’s request. When it looked like Adam and Bakura were about to fall asleep, I set the violin aside and rose to see them to the door, saying good night to Malik and Methos as I did.
Yugi stayed behind for awhile longer. We simply sat, talking and… well, getting to know each other, really. I told stories from my incredibly long life as an Immortal. Yugi talked about the Duelist Kingdom tournament, about his other friends back in his home city of Dominion, about his grandfather… Despite his shy exterior, he actually proved to be quite talkative, once you got his walls down.
I enjoyed the conversation immensely, relishing the chance to get to know my student a bit better. Finally, Yugi managed to fall asleep with his head resting against the back of the sofa. I laughed quietly and rearranged him gently so that he was lying on his back, with his head against a pillow. Then I, myself, went to bed.
* * *
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