Binding Circles

Binding Circles

Part 8

Author: Shamise

~(*)~

Yuugi quickly lost count of the days that followed. A type of schedule made each day similar to the last and there wasn’t anything he to mark the passage of time with.

Atem proved to have quite the charming personality and he rarely left Yuugi along for more than a few minutes. He continued to provide the teen with two meals a day and plenty of snacks in between. Yuugi was still a little confused at his whole situation, but the consistency of the days was making it easier to adapt. He didn’t flinch anymore when Atem reached for him and the tentacles didn’t creep him out as much as they used to.

‘I still don’t know much about him though.’ Yuugi thought as he lay basking in the noontime sun. He had just finished eating lunch and Atem had disappeared once again. ‘We haven’t talked much about each other…’ Atem didn’t purposely avoid talking about Yuugi’s home, but he wasn’t bringing it up either. ‘Maybe he feels awkward talking about it since he was the one who kidnapped me.’ That sounded about right.

Yuugi extended his arm straight up towards the sky; fingers spread and palm reaching for the sun. it still boggled his mind that creatures like Atem existed under the same sky he had lived under for his whole life. How did Atem live underwater? Did his people live in cities like humans did? Or were they more primeval and lived out in caves? He had so many questions.

His hand relaxed from its upright position when he heard a nearby splash. He looked up over his head, rendering the whole world upside-down, at the vision of Atem. An endearing smile was on his lips and he laughed at Yuugi's responding pout. Yuugi was surprised when Atem suddenly leaned forward and laid a quick, feathery kiss on Yuugi's lips. The contact wasn't held for long and Atem laughed at the blush that covered Yuugi's face immediately afterward.

Yuugi rolled over onto his stomach, determined not to react to Atem's invasion of his space (no matter how much he was to hit him right now).

"Where'd you go?" Yuugi asked after a moment of silence. Atem propped his elbows up on the rock ledge and leaned his chest on the ledge. His hair, which looked like a starfish underwater, lay against the sides of his head and dropped past his shoulders. Droplets of water gleamed on his skin, giving him a surreal image; one that Yuugi couldn't believe was actually real.

"I was checking that perimeters." Yuugi tilted his head at the answer. Perimeters? Around what? Absently, he thought of the rock walls that surrounded this cove.

"Like...a patrol?"

Atem contemplated his question for a moment, "Yes, I suppose it would be like a patrol. I needed to make sure that no predators could get in." Yuugi shivered at the word 'predators.' Images of sharks and their victims flashed in his mind. Shark attacks were not unheard of on his hometown's beaches. Actually, there had been reports of a bull shark sighting just a few months ago.

Yuugi twitched in surprise when Atem suddenly presses his forehead against Yuugi's. "Don't worry, Yuugi. I'll protect you." The look in the merman's eyes were serious and dedicated. It was so intense that it left Yuugi at a loss for words. He gaped like a fish for a few moments before he 'came back from space.' With a heavy blush, Yuugi rolled away and sputtered in his embarrassment.

Atem lifted an eyebrow in amusement. It was always a pleasure to see his bonded's reactions to the simplest of touches. He restrained himself from reaching out and brushing his fingers across his bonded's red face, knowing that the human would most likely retreat if he did.

It took a few moments, but Yuugi was finally able to control his blush. "So...um, what are we going to do today?" he asked, trying to divert the other's attention from his embarrassment. Yuugi pulled himself into a sitting position and let his legs dangle off the edge and into the water.

The water was a little cooler that normal today, but that was probably due to the scattered rain showers they'd been having for two days. Yuugi was surprised that he hadn't caught a cold yet, with how much exposure he had to the rain and water. He was also surprised that he could drink saltwater now. It was a know fact that drinking too much saltwater could be deadly to a human, yet with how much he had consumed he should be ten feet under by now. He suspected that the reason he was still alive had to do with the weird 'bond' he had with Atem.

"What would you like to do?"

Yuugi blinked and he redirected his attention onto Atem. He blushed when he saw Atem's smirk and for a moment, he wondered what exactly what the merman was thinking. Unwilling to think on it too much, he merely passed it off and Atem still being amused as his attention span (or his lack of one).

"Games maybe?" Yuugi thought out loud. An image of a Monopoly board and some cards filled his mind. It had been a long time since he had played any kind of board game.

"Game?" Atem repeated. Yuugi looked back to the merman and, with the expression on his face, he knew that they weren't thinking about the same 'game.'

"Like a board game." he stammered, embarrassed at what his mind suggested which kind of game Atem was thinking about. "You know, like when there's a designed area, and you have rules, and there's...a...goal?"

Yuugi chalked it up to his imagination but he thought he saw Atem look disappointed. The merman floated there silently as his expression changed to thoughtfulness.

"Hmm...I think we have something like that, but it would be back at the guinal." Atem trailed off, obviously thinking. Yuugi was confused at the new word. It sounded like 'guinea' to him, and that made him think of 'guinea pigs,' which was totally off subject. Speaking of guinea pigs, he wondered what the pets looked like down there. Would they be fish or something else? The image of Atem walking a crab on a leash scuttled across his mind and he couldn't help but snicker.

"Hm? What's so funny, Yuugi?" The pet crab was now tearing up the furniture as an irate Atem chased it around with a pot of boiling water while wearing an apron. "He-llo?"

"N-no, it's nothing." Yuugi nodded, failing to notice the mischievous look on Atem's face.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Atem's next movement was so sudden that it caught Yuugi completely off-guard. He was pushed onto his back, legs flailing with the momentum. Atem's face loomed directly above Yuugi's head; his body casting a shadow on Yuugi's body. The sun, sitting behind Atem's head, gifted the merman with a golden halo and crystal adornments.

Yuugi tried to move away, embarrassment fueling his actions, only to discover that Atem had also pinned his arms beside his head. His eyes darted from his captured hands to Atem's smirking face. He squirmed uneasily in the merman's grip, trying to find a way to escape.

"Tell me?" Atem whispered into his ear. Yuugi's eyes grew wide. His mind instantly shut down and his muscles felt like they were on fire. The only words his mouth could produce were a few "wha-?" and b-but"s. He absolutely had no idea how to react to this situation. "Please?" Electric currents shot through his ear drums and into his brain as Atem got closer.

It took a few tries before Yuugi could form any kind of understandable communication. He managed to spit out a very unstable "crab" and "pet" a few seconds later. This answer completely stumped Atem. He leaned up a few inches away from Yuugi, who gasped in much needed air, and lifted a regal eyebrow.

"Pet crab?" Atem confirmed incredulously. At Yuugi's nod he continues: "Why would we keep pet crabs? They're a food source."

"It kind of comes from a movie we have on land." Yuugi's mind, which was still recovering from whatever had been going through it when Atem was invading his personal space, had decided to pin his moment of insanity on 'The Little Mermaid' (since there wasn't much else to blame it on).

"Movie?" Atem interrupted.

"It's like a moving picture." Yuugi replied easily (that was the cliche answer for this type of question). His mind was beginning to function faster now that Atem had gotten off of him, and the merman leaned his chest against the ledge once again.

"...What is a picture?"

That stumped Yuugi. He had never heard of someone having to describe a picture before. Atem's people probably didn't have paper either, it would dissolve in water. How could he explain it?

A cloud passed over the sun as Yuugi contemplated what to say. The weather had remained peaceful, and the seagulls were active today. The temperature had cooled off in response to the rain they had a while ago, thankfully. There wasn't much shade here so the rock gathered a lot of heat throughout the day.

"Let's see...a picture? You see that rock over there?" Yuugi asked, pointing to a smooth people lying on the sand nearby. "If I were to take a 'picture' of it, then I could put that image onto a different flat...surface."

Atem's face scrunched up in thought. He suspected that a 'picture' was similar tot he carvings and etching that artists of his people could do. "Okay." He thought he could understand it.

"Now...a movie is like a picture, except that the image on the flat surface can move."

That was much harder to grasp. How could something set in stone move?

"You will have to show me one day." Atem said finally. He shifted his position against the rock wall, revealing some of the pressure against his chest.

"Show you? How? I don't think you can travel on land, and..." Yuugi trailed off. And I don't think that you'll let me leave for something so trivial. He thought silently as his mood dampened. If he had the chance he would still escape back to his home. Regardless how nice Atem was, Yuugi didn't think that he could survive living under the water. It would be too big, too empty.

"No," his attention was suddenly brought back to Atem. Somehow, Yuugi knew that he was answering for both situations. "but there is another way."

Yuugi clinked in confusion as Atem gestured for him to come closer. He did so, after a moment of hesitation. Rolling over onto his stomach, Yuugi rested his head on his hands right next to the 'drop off' of the ledge.

"I'm going to show you what I mean." Atem whispered. He reached out to put his hands on both sides of Yuugi's face and leaned forward to rest their foreheads together. Yuugi merely looked into Atem's eyes with absolute confusion. A shimmer int he corner of his eye drew his attention to the bracelet.

A sudden compulsion came over him, and his eyes closed in response. Instantly, he was swept away on a dark current.

~(*)~

Something was pulling him along through the water. It was dark here and Yuugi's pupils dilated in an attempt to collect any kind of light. His body felt weird, as if it wasn't really his body. His heart fluttered in confused fear. Where was he? What was going on?

"Yuugi?"

Atem! Yuugi sighed in relief. At least he wasn't alone here in the abyss. Where- Yuugi stopped abruptly. His mouth wasn't moving!

"Hmm?" Yuugi squeaked when his lips vibrated to form Atem's response. What the fu-

"Is something wrong?" Atem asked, and once again Yuugi's lips moved to speak his this Atem's body?!

This is...really weird....

Atem's concern (which, for some reason, Yuugi could actually feel) was instantly replaced with amusement. "Yes, I would imagine so." Atem's voice had a strange, echo-y quality to it and Yuugi arrived to the obvious conclusion that he was inside Atem's head.

I think I'm gonna pass out.

"Oh no, Yuugi! Please don't do that! " Different emotions passed through Yuugi once again (worry, concern, fear) before they turned into a light shade of amusement when Atem realized that Yuugi wasn't being completely serious.

So uh...where are we? Yuugi asked. He hoped that if he distracted himself from the reality of him being in someone's head, then he could prevent himself from actually fainting.

"Physically, we are still in the ciralen." (Living shelter,' Yuugi's mind translated for him.)

Physically?

"Yes." The body Yuugi was in glided forward. His senses were flooded with the feeling and understanding of how to use the currents to pass easily from one direction to the other. Which appendage to hold close or stick out, how to tilt the body to ride the current correctly, ect. "This is something our people call sieranul ('memory sharing). Even though physically we are still in the ciralen, mentally we are near Zynlok. I'm going to show you my home."

Color bloomed in Yuugi's vision. Golden hues mostly dominated the color spectrum but some really rich blues and red framed the strange buildings that arched out of the sea floor. The style looked like a bunch of cage coral pieced together.

A holographic shimmer covered the entirety of the city--like a coating of glitter and gave the whole design an iridescent look--and it enticed the senses, both drawing them closer and pushing them away at the same time. The bracelet on his (Atem's) writs glowed brightly in response to the city's light. Atem responded to Yuugi's curiosity by saying simply: "Watch."

With a flick of his wrist, the light of the city died. Instantly, a barren sea floor replaced the image, leaving no clue to the city's existence. Yuugi gasped in surprise at the sudden change.

"Our best defense. Only members of our society can even see our city." Atem murmured proudly. Another flick of his wrist and the glowing city winked back into view. Yuugi couldn't stop gaping at the beauty of the structure of the city. This was the most incredible thing he had ever seen!

Something Atem had said pulled at his attention. Defense? Against what?

There was a shifting of emotions as Atem read his thoughts (completely creeping Yuugi out in the process), too quick for Yuugi to follow. A bitter taste settled int he back of his (Atem's) throat and Yuugi suspected that there was more to this than he first thought.

He was about to ask when a violent bout of dizziness struck him. His conscious wavered and a sharp pain in his chest tore forth.

"Yuugi!"

Red water flooded his vision, sweeping him away from the gleaming city of Atem's people. His connection with Atem fluctuated, straining to the point where Yuugi couldn't even feel him anymore. He was sent tumbling with no direction. Screaming, he flailed, trying desperately to regain some kind of footing. Suddenly, he was jerked to a stop.

A devastating vision bleed into the black canvas before him. Sounds of screaming and fighting assaulted his ears. Despair and anguish speared his heart. A large mass of conflicting bodies swarmed all around him, their armor glaring in the pale light. Two distinct groups were distinguished by their armor; one was pale silver with purple accents, and the other was a dark brown with green accents. Faces, some he felt he knew but he had never seen before, looked on with grim determination as they struggled through the battle.

Yuugi whimpered fearfully as the water pulled him into the fray. He didn't was to be here! Where was Atem?!

The center of the battle appeared to be where he was being taken. Uselessly, he struggled in the vision's grip. His heart hurt from the tangible anger and violence that swirled around in vicious eddies and his head ached from all the screaming.

There was a cluster of warriors in the dark brown armor fighting near a giant chasm. A lone, crystal armored warrior fought valiantly with a deadly looking spear. The warrior roared, enraged, and he methodically dispatched any opponent that stood in his path. He looked like he was trying to go somewhere.

Suddenly, Yuugi was slammed into a physical form in this nightmare. Rough, violent hands grabbed him from behind. He struggled wildly, chaotic thoughts rampaging in his skull. His legs refused to move at his will; they felt like they had been tied together and his knees had been removed. His voice was screaming "No! Stop! Let me GO!" Tears flowed freely from his face.

'My fault! All my fault!'

The lone warrior had finally broken through his opponents. He stood there, breathing heavily, and faced directly where Yuugi was struggling. Those eyes, hardened with battle, caught Yuugi's gaze and something familiar flashed through them.

They were so familiar.

Instantly, those eyes glared at the people who were holding Yuugi captive. A vengeful glint took over the familiarities Yuugi had seen.

I know those eyes.

Screeching a battle cry, the lone warrior lunged at Yuugi's captives. His spear sliced through the water and he targeted the first of the captors. One set of hands released him to fight back and Yuugi's remaining captors tried to drag him away.

Save me!

The warrior's opponent fell. The victor's hand reached out towards Yuugi and a golden bracelet burst into life. The warm light consumed Yuugi as his own bracelet responded, expanding and attacking Yuugi's captors. They let go with a painful shriek and Yuugi was left suspended alone in the water.

A hand instantly closed around his wrist and pulled him up against an armor clad chest. Two strong arms, trembling now, surrounded him and his name was whispered into his ear like a prayer. Relief flooded him. He knew this person.

Atem.

~(*)~