With You

Here’s the seventh chapter




Here’s the seventh chapter. I only wanted to say one thing
though before the chapter comes up and that’s to the review that vegie sent me.
You told me that if I didn’t review soon you were going to kill my cat, well I
just wanted to tell you that I don’t have a cat, I’ve got four dogs instead
though. =)

 

~~

 

Yugi stepped into the small town and looked around. It was
only after a second of realizing it, but everybody who noticed him looked
frightened somehow. He supposed it had something to do with the strange clothes
he was wearing and his resemblance to the Pharaoh.

 

He decided to ignore them and he walked on, looking at the
different shops in case he didn’t have a chance later before he went to the
palace to see Yami. It didn’t even occur to him that there might be men
guarding the gates that he’d have to get by.

 

It felt like a few hours later to Yugi before he decided to
head for the palace gates to see Yami again when his arms were suddenly grabbed
from somebody behind him.

 

“Wha-“

 

“You’re under arrest for impersonating the Pharaoh!”

&nbs
Yu
Yugi’s eyes widened as he started to struggle. “No! Wait,
you don’t understand! I’m Yami’s lover, I just wanted to see him again!”

 

Yugi was thrown harshly to the ground and before he could
recover from the fall a harsh weight was placed on his back, realizing one of
the guards was sitting on him or at least his foot was.

 

“How dare you use the Pharaoh’s given name without
permission! You’ll pay dearly for that, low-life! Our Pharaoh has never taken a
lover so I’m sure he’ll be amused to find a suitable punishment! Especially for
the thievery of the sacred Millennium Puzzle!”
bsp;bsp;

“Wha…NO! I didn’t steal anything and I’m telling the truth!”
Yugi started to struggle in hopes he could get away before he could hurt. If
only he could see Yami alone without these goons there not letting him talk
then his lover would understand.

 

The guard’s foot lifted from Yugi’s hand and was hauled to
his feet roughly and dragged carelessly towards the palace. The guards didn’t
stop until they reached the dungeons and threw him into the last remaining cell
that was empty.

 

Yugi quickly jumped up and ran towards the locked cell door.
“You’re making a mistake!” He yelled. “It’s a misunderstanding! Just let me
talk to Yami!” A harsh slap crossed Yugi’s face and the young teen quickly
placed a hand over the rapidly forming bruise.

 

“Just wait until our Pharaoh has time for you, street rat!
Then you’ll be soyou you ever thought up whatever plan might’ve popped into
your impersonating little head!” The guard laughed and left the dungeon.

 

Shortly after he left fits of laughter could be heard from
the other two cells in the smelly and dank level of the palace. Yugi strained
his neck to look over into one of them, but he couldn’t see what the personokedoked like since they hid in the shadows. He quickly became agitated and
annoyed at being laughed at and growled.

 

“Stop laughing at me, you jerk! I was telling the truth
whether you or they believe it or not! I’ll prove it to everybody as soon as I
can see Yami!” He yelled out to the two still laughing prisoners.

 

“Hear this, Kura?” A very familiar voice called from one
cell to the other. “We finally get some entertainment in this place!” The voice
choked through his laur.
r.

 

“I hear it, Marik!” A second strained voice called back
before another burst of laughter took over any chance of talking again.

 

Yugi gasped, unable to believe his ears. ‘Marik and Bakura?
What are they doing down here? Yami said they’d be safe and out of trouble
working in the palace.’ “Marik? Bakura? It’s me, Yugi!” He called excitedly.

 

The laughter stopped and confusion spread over the two
thieves. They came out of the shadows to get a better look at the third
prisoner and both gave him very weird looks, like he was a madman.

 

“What the hell are you talking about, kid? We don’ow wow who
you are and we’ve never seen you before in our lives.”

 

Yugi felt his jaw drop. “Never seen me before? You two must
be mistake; I’m one of your closest friends and I’m Yami’s lover just like you,
Bakura, are Ryou’s lover and, Marik, you’re Malik’s!” He tried to explain
desperately.

 

Marik and Bakura both looked at each. “We’ve never seen you
before, ever. I don’t know how you can ever suggest that we did. I’ve never had
a lover and I’ve certainly never heard of any Malik before.” Marik told him as
if he were crazy.

 

“As I have never heard of this Ryou person you’re talking
about. You’ve clearly been out in the sun too long for your own good. So what’s
with the strange getup?”

 

“Getup?” Yugi looked down at his clothes, forgetting
momentarily that he had just been told that the two yamis and lovers of his two
closest friends had forgotten everything about them. “I always wear these kinds
of clothes. The jacket’s from my school uniform and my pants were a gift from
Yami on my birthday a few years ago.”

 

“Right? So what’s a school?” Marik asked curiously,
wondering how this Yugi seemed to be speaking a different language but still be
speaking so he knew what he was saying at the same time.

 

“A school is a place where kids and teenagers, like myself,
go to learn things like history and mathematics.” Yugi explained before his
eyes bulged and he asked suddenly, “What do you mean you don’t know what a
school is? You came with all us hikaris a few times to see what it was like.
What’s wrong with you two? You’re acting as if you’ve never even been to my
time before.”

 

“Your time? Listen – Yugi? We’ve never seen you before and
as far as we’re concerned there’s only one time and that’s the present.”

 

Bakura nodded his head in agreement with his partner.

 

“Fine if you two won’t even act like you missed me and going
to play on like this then I just won’t talk to you anymore!” Yugi burst. He
turned and hid himself in the small corner in the shadows so the two thieves
wouldn’t see his betraying tears.

 

A few hours later the silence was finally broken by Bakura.
“Yugi?” He asked, remembering the name that the little one hadd bed before.
“What’s it like; if you were telling the truth like you act you are then what’s
your time like? These Ryou and Malik people, they were in love with two thieves
like us?” He asked curiously.

 

Yugi looked up from where he was hiding his face in his
knees and crawled out of the shadows to face the white-haired tomb robber. He
nodded. “I was telling the truth about the future; 5000 years in the future for
an estimate.”

 

Marik whistled and also crawled over to the bars to better
listen, curiosity striking him up. For some reason he didn’t know he was
feeling like he really did know Yugi, but he could never remember from where no
matter how hard he tried.

 

“You loved Ryou with you’re whole being and him to you as
well. You gave him your Millennium Item, the Ring, so he could always have a
bit of you after you left to come back to this time. You used to be mean to
him, but you soon overcame that and told him how you felt and he felt the same
way. Everyone thought you were a very romantic couple, one of the best, and it
was described as the yin-yang relationship since you both were complete
opposites.”

 

“And what of this Malik?” Marik piped in eagerly, wanting to
hear of his own type of relationship even if he still have a hard time
believing that it was true to have gone 5000 years in the future and find love
there.

 

“Everybody said you two were a couple of sex-aholics and
would try to make out anywhere you could; never caring if somebody was watching
or not. Some of our friends said you two didn’t love each other and it was only
for sex since you two weren’t big on emotions in front of people. The rest of our
friends like Ryou and I knew the truth though since Malik told us a lot of
things about you. That you do have an emotionally relationship just as much as
a physical one.”

 

“What did everyone say about us? What kind of relationship?”
He asked eagerly, wanting to hear more.

 

“Some of our friends, like Joey and Seto and Mai, called you
the definition of an evil relationships since they found it hard to believe you
had an emotional one as well as physical. Ryou and I though and Yami as well
believed you were the secret relationship of the group since you were so
usually secretive about certain things that even Malik wouldn’t tell Ryou or me
about.”

 

“What about your relationship? You told us that you were
telling us the truth also about you and the high and mighty one were together.”
Bakura asked, sarcastically adding Yami’s title.

 

“Oh,” Yugi blushed. “We wcallcalled the angels of darkness
and light. I was the most innocent of the group and Yami taught me everything
when we got together years ago. We were also the most open with our
relationship, though Yami didn’t like kissing in public since he believed that
it should be a special thing that could only be shared between the couple and
nobody else should get the pleasure of watching since it really wasn’t their
business.”

 

“I still find that hard to believe, but I guess it does sort
of makes sense to how it feels we’ve forgotten something important all of a
sudden.” Marik muttered quietly to himself.

 

“Telling more lies, imposter!” A guard suddenly yelled from
the top of the stairs. The three were so engaged in their conversation that
neither had noticed when the door had opened or closed. By the sound of things
the guard had basically heard the entire thing.

 

“They’re aren’t lies!” Yugi yelled after getting over his
moment of shock. “It’s the truth; I never said you had to believe it! Besides,
it doesn’t concern you!”

 

Bakura and Marik glanced at each other and smirked, both
pair of eyes relaying the same message: if only we had met him sooner he would
have been perfect for their team and have three great thieves instead of two.

 

“Whatever you say pipsqueak.” Therd yrd yawned, bored. “I’ve
just been seen to the Pharaoh’s advisor and asked him what your punishment
should be for impersonating our King and stealing the Millennium Puzzle.”

 

Bakura interrupted, suddenly having a need to protect the
small teen. “He didn’t steal it! We’ve told you before, that way of thievery is
impossible unless he’s got magic! He doesn’t have magic since he doesn’t have
the mark of the sorcerer on his arm where all mages show their sign of magic!”
Marik growled in agreement.

 

Yugi was fairly surprised that the two thieves had tried to
protect him, but he still doubted it would help much since they were also
behind bars and the guard had the keys jingling around his waist from a piece
of rope. He felt a little guilty though that he had stolen the Puzzle, just
without knowing it. Besides, they never would’ve believed his explanation.

 

The guard ignored the tomb robbers and smirked evilly at
Yugi, who gulped under the scrutinizing stare. “The advisor told me that you
are to have fifty lashes and a beating for impersonating our Pharaoh and
another beating and five more lashes for stealing the Puzzle. I shouldn’t have
told him it was just a child or you would’ve gotten much worse.” He growled.

 

Yugi was shaking in his tennis shoes after the fifty lashes
part and moved to the back of the cell when he told him about the first
beating. Tears started streaming down his face slowly after the second beating
was mentioned and now he couldn’t control anything he did after the final
punishment had been told.

 

The guard unlocked his cell and Yugi scrambled into the
furthest corner in hopes the guard would turn away. The bulking man marched
over to where the young teen shook and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him to
the door.

 

The amethyst-eyed teen barely registered the shouting coming
from two different directions of the dungeon.

 

“That’s isn’t fair! He didn’t do anything to disserve this!”


 

“How can you do something so cruel to somebody’s who’s
innocent, you bastard!”

 

The voices drowned out when the door at the end of the
dungeon slammed shut. His wrists and ankles were cuffed to a large wooden board
standing against the stone wall.

 

Bakura and Marik stared disbelievingly at the door.

 

“I don’t believe this!” Bakura suddenly yelled. “They never
let him have the chance to explain!” He clutched his white locks and pulled
them in frustration as his partner continued to stare silently at the door.

 

It wasn’t long later until screams were heard from inside
the same room they continued to go to every night.

 

“We never told him how to help; we should’ve.” Marik
suddenly whispered, strangely afraid to speak any louder.

 

“How to what, Marik?” Bakura questioned curiously.

 

“Drown out what was happening. To think of something that
would usually make him happy so his attention wouldn’t be what was happening.”

 

Bakura’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ and he too fell silent.

 

After the screams finally stopped after what seemed like
forever they waited in anticipation for the large wooden door to creak open to
see the damage brought on their dungeon companion; but it didn’t open. Minutes
after the screams ended something sounding strangely like a body being thrown
against the door echoed painfully in their ears.

 

“Oh,” Bakura also whispered like Marik had, “he also has the
beating we forgot about.”

 

Marik suddenly growled. “They better have somebody to come
in and treat him when they’re done. That damPharPharaoh wouldn’t have one of
his prisoners killed unless he ordered it himself.

 

Nearly half an hour later the door finally opened and the
smirking guard marched back in, giving a slight chuckle when he heard the door
hit Yugi as it started to close on it’s own.

 

Bakura and Marik had to stifle their gasps until after the
guard left before calling Yugi’s name. It confused them somewhat as to why they
cared so much about the young teen’s condition since they only just met, but
they didn’t let it bother them as they continued to call for Yugi to something
or show that he was at least awake.

 

“I reckon he won’t be waking up to reality any time soon.” A
soft voice called from the dungeon door. Marik and Bakura felt like cursing out
their lungs that they had once again failed to notice when the door had been
opened and fall closed again.

 

The girl was young, maybe thirteen or fourteen, with long,
dark hair flowing behind her and tied back in a bandanna. She had kind eyes and
dirt smudged in various places across her face and arms, scrapes and bruises as
well as dirt covering her legs. She was carrying a small bowl that water
sloshed out of every so often as she continued to walk carefully down the
stares; a washcloth hung from her shoulder.

 

She unhooked the key from the side of the door which Yugi
had just been dragged out of and unlocked Yugi’s cell door with it. “The guards
always seem to get carried away when they have to beat a prisoner. Poor boy,”
she quieted her voice as she neared the still body, “he doesn’t look like he would
ever hurt a soul.” She turned back to the thieves watching her curiously.
Nobody had a girl sent down there since they were caught flirting and messing
around with the girls that had taken care of them before. “What were his eyes
like?”

 

Confused expressions turned to ones that said she was insane
for asking such a question. “Why would it matter?” Bakura asked snobbishly.

 

She just smiled and dipped the washcloth in the water and
wringing it out before dabbing it lightly on each of Yugi’s open wounds. “You
can tell a lot by a person’s eyes.” She said suddenly.

 

“They were a violet color.” Marik decided to answer. “The
were big like you would see on a four-year-old, though he’s a teenager like
us.”

 

The girl nodded without looked back. “I see, he must’ve been
very kind then.” She stood and walked out of the cell and stood in front of the
stones in the wall. Marik and Bakura watched to see what she would do. She
wedged her fingers into the cracks beside the stone and started to ease it out.
A little ways before it would fall out on its own she reached behind and pulled
out a worn blanket before shoving the stone back into place. She laid the
blanket beside her before she started to carefully work off Yugi’s shirt and
eased him onto his stomach. She carefully put the blanket over him before
leaving and locking the cell door once more, replacing the keys seconds later.
“I’ll be back tomorrow to check on him. Would you two be as so kind as to watch
him as long as you can. Such a poor thing he seems to be; I don’t think he did
anything wrong at all.”

 

Bakura and Marik absently nodded their heads at the girl and
watched her as she left dungdungeons.

 

“Strange girl.” Marik whispered, turning his eyes back to
Yugi. “I’m glad she’s nice though and covered Yugi with something warm so he
wouldn’t freeze to death when night came around.”

 

~Days Later~

 

Yugi had awoken at last to reality by a comforting dab to
his forehead. He hissed slightly as the cold wetness touched one of his wounds
that had yet to close.

 

“So you’re awake at last. Your friends have been worried
about you; they’ll be glad to know you’ve come back to reality.” A soft voice
whispered.

 

Violet eyes opened and focused on the girl still dabbing
lightly at his wounds. He shifted to sit up and he did so with the help of the
girl. He looked past her when he heard his name called by two familiar voices
and he gave a small smile to Bakura and Marik.

 

The girl suddenly stood and picked up her things. “I’ll have
to go inform our Pharaoh that you’ve finally awoken. He’s been wanting to see
you for himself since the guards told him what you’ve done and ask you a few
questions as well.” She rummaged through the small bag at her hip that she had
brought with her since the third day she came down to treat Yugi and pulled out
a familiar dark blue jacket. “The guards wanted to get rid of it but I saved it
before they could. I thought you might like it back; it only has a few wholes
in it, but other than that it’s in good enough condition.”

 

Yugi thanked her and wrapped the jacket around himself,
shivering at dirt cleansing to it and scraping lightly at his back. It reminded
his of dirty he must be and how he wished he could jump into a lake or
something to scrub himself clean. He didn’t even know how long he’d been wearing
his school uniform pants, but knew it must’ve been a while with all the
wrinkles and muck sticking to them. He grimaced in disgust and wished even
further for a bath.

 

“Someone will be down to fetch you soon so you can get
cleaned up and look presentable to our King.” The girl stated before leaving.

 

As was told to him, another girl arrived minutes later with
a clean bowl of water and a washcloth. She scrubbed him the best he could and
was thankful that she didn’t make him change into something different. He’d
feel too weird if he had to wear their clothes. She led him out of the dungeons
and handed him over to the guards waiting just outside. He was forced to kneel
on the hard floor and keep his eyes lowered to the ground as Yami walked in and
took a seat in his marble throne.

 

“So you’re the criminal who stole my Millennium Puzzle and
made yourself to look like me.” He accused in a hard voice Yugi had never heard
him use on him before, causing him to flinch slightly at the tone. Yami must’ve
mentioned for him to be left alone because seconds later the guards moved away
from Yugi and out the door, leaving the two of them alone in the throne room.

 

“I must say, you did an excellent job on imitating me.
Nobody’s ever gotten their hair to spike up like mine or get the colors right.”

 

Yugi looked up so suddenly he felt the room spin around.
Once focused he glared at Yami for all the accusations. “That’s not true!” He
shouted at the Pharaoh, who was raising one elegant eyebrow at him. “I’ve
always looked this way and I have never stolen anything in my life!”

 

“What are you trying to say then, lowlife? That you just
waltzed into Egypt and my Millennium Puzzle just appeared on your neck?” He
growled back.

 

“As stupid as it might seem, yes it did. I’m the holder of
the Puzzle where I come from and you, you’re just to ignorant to know the
truth.” He whispered the last part.

 

“Ignorant? About what might I ask?” He calmed his voice as
well, curious about what the little look-a-like was talking about.

 

“Bakura and Marik told me that they just awoke in the sands
outside the town one day not even knowing how they got there. They also told me
you were there with them feeling the same way. I know how you ended up there
because I came here the same way.”

 

“Go on.” Yami ordered eagerly, his interest caught. “How do
you think you have the right to call me by my given name without my permission?
How do you think you’re the holder of the Puzzle when I’ve had since I was
born? Start at the beginning.”

 

“You were sealed inside the puzzle during this time and 5000
years later I became it’s holder. I released you and you helped me through all
sorts of troubles.” Yugi be tea tears starting to prickle in his eyes at having
to relive what he tried to make himself forget so it wouldn’t hurt him. “About
two years later we fell in love with each other and kept it a et fet from
everybody even after we learned that our friends didn’t care if we were gay
since they were also gay.

 

“Then two years ago you had to come back to this time in
Egypt so you wouldn’t disappear from this world because the Millennium Items
couldn’t sustain you any longer. I lived in agony for those two years you were
gone and I’d give anything to see you and have you again. My grandfather had to
come back to Egypt days ago and invited me and two other of my friends to come
with us since we lost you, Bakura, and Marik to this place before; he thought
we might enjoy ourselves.

 

“I wandered off on my own the night after we arrived to be
myself and came to the palace. There a voice told me I could see you again, but
if I gave up that chance I wouldn’t get another so I chose on coming.” Yugi
took a moment to breathe. “When I did though I was captured for crimes I didn’t
commit. Since I’m the true holder of the Puzzle it came back to me when I
arrived in this time.”

 

Yami didn’t say anything for a long while and Yugi started
to get nervous, afraid Yami wouldn’t believe him and would order him back to
the dungeons. Finally though a strange look befell on his face and he looked
Yugi up and down. It felt strange though, but when he took the real chance to
look over the prisoner a sense of protection came over him and before he
realized it, he was walking towards the youth slowly. He wrapped his arms
around the little one’s waist and hid his face in his neck.

 

“I don’t know what’s come over me,” he whispered. “It’s like
I know you, but I don’t at the same time. I want to send you back to the
dungeons, but I can’t because somewhere inside me I’ve felt a sudden need to
protect you.”

 

Yugi wasn’t sure what was happening when Yami started
walking towards him and he smiled slightly after Yami’s whispered words. He
wrapped his own arms around Yami lightly and rubbed his cheek against Yami’s
hair. “Maybe you’ll be able to remember if we spend more time together; might
not be as confused if you could remember me again. Please, just trust me Yami.
I know what I’m talking about; don’t push me away.”

 

“I won’t. I’ll try to understand, I’ll try to remember
everything you said. I’ve always wanted someone to love. Now that you’ve told
me had been in love once I never want to let that feeling go.” He took in a
shaky breath and forced his tears back. “I recognize you, but you’re a complete
stranger to me.”

 &nbs