You Can Still Be Free
Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:08![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkyourownwayTitle: You Can Still Be Free
Fandom: YuGiOh
Character(s): Otogi Ryouji, Mutou Yugi
Genre: Drama, angst
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: "You Can Still Be Free" © Savage Garden, YuGiOh © Kazuki Takahashi
Notes: Bold text = song lyrics, Otogi POV. This story takes place after Otogi duels Yugi in the manga. There are some errors when I wrote this story, but I'm not changing it....so there
Summary: 'You can still be free, if time will set you free...But it’s a long, long way to go.'
You Can Still Be Free
The gentle breeze blew strands of midnight in front of my eyes, as I walked down the busy street. My emerald orbs glanced up at people walking by, before looking down at my feet again.
I could hear bits and pieces of conversation as I pass more people, but I didn’t care for what they were saying. So detached from the world was my soul that I didn’t care for anything or anyone around me. All I could do was think about what happened a few days ago, as my heart was wrenched with the guilt again.
Cool breeze and autumn leaves
Slow motion daylight
A lone pair of watchful eyes
Oversee the living
They say time could heal all sorts of things. Pains and wounds of all kinds. Maybe even guilt. However. . . . the guilt I felt was too much for me, and time might not even consider helping me. I wouldn’t blame it really, after what my father and I did, I wouldn’t forgive myself.
It was so terrible. What was I going to do? Apologizing would never be enough. Poor kid. I overheard his friends talking in school today, and saying that he was in the hospital now. All because of what my father and I did. The guilt was too much.
I can’t change what has been done, nor can I change what has been set in motion. But maybe I could make it up to him. It was the least that I could do after what I put him and the others through.
If I didn’t, the guilt would trap me forever.
Feel the presence all around
A tortured soul
A wound unhealing
No regrets of promises
The past is gone
But you can still be free
If time will set you free
Dark clouds loomed overhead, the rain being pulled towards the earth, as I walked to the hospital. I still had no idea what I was going to say to him. But I had to do something to make it up to him. And I will. Whatever it takes.
The whole event of the burning down of the Black Clown Game Shop has been rattling through my mind, the smell of the smoke burning my sense of smell to the point I can’t sense anything anymore. The light and burn of the fire. . . . that same fire haunted my dreams in my sleep and my thoughts during my waking hours.
If it was that bad for me, who actually got out of the whole mess alive, then how would it be for someone who almost died inside?
Hopefully, time is the master healer of all things. Hopefully, in time, the night of the fire will be put behind me. And hopefully, time…and Mutou Yugi…will be able to forgive me.
Time now to spread your wings
To take flight
The life endeavor
Aim for the burning sun
You’re trapped inside
But you can still be free
If time will set you free
I finally found the room I was supposed to be looking for. I knew that his other friends were here, and I knew that they. . . . weren’t too fond of me, but I knew that I still had to do this. Swallowing my pride, I opened the door.
Crowding around the bed, as I had figured, were three of his friends; Mazaki Anzu, Hiroto Honda, and Katsuya Jounouchi. Jounouchi had his own bandages around various wounds, which was reasonable since he was also caught in the fire saving Yugi. I guess he didn’t need to be hospitalized. Their attention turned towards me as I swung open the door.
“Otogi!?” Jounouchi said, rising quickly, knocking his chair down in the process. “What are you doing here?!”
“Chill out, Jounouchi,” I replied. “I come on peaceful terms.”
“Sure ya do,” Honda retorted. “Just like the game you ‘invited’ Yugi to play with you.”
“Why don’t you just go slither back under the rock that you came from?” Anzu snapped.
Safe to say, my pride was hung, shot, and buried.
But it’s a long, long way to go
“You guys,” a small voice said quietly behind them, “don’t be so harsh.” They turned around to look at the young boy lying in bed.
“Yugi. . . .”
“Otogi, why don’t you come in?”
Even I was surprised that he was inviting me in, after what I did. But what really surprised me is what he said next.
“You guys, can I talk to Otogi alone?”
The others weren’t too thrilled with that.
“You can’t be serious, Yugi!” Jounouchi argued.
“After what he did?!” Honda agreed.
“You don’t know what he might do!” Anzu stated.
But the look on his face showed clearly that he was to be taken seriously. As understanding as they were, they got up, walking past me and out of the small hospital room. The last one to leave was Jounouchi, his brown eyes glaring hard at me before he left, and the door gently shut.
I turned back to look at the young boy lying in bed, smiling at me. Even I was surprised that he would trust me after what I did. I really don’t blame his friends for not trusting me as much as they did.
But Yugi. . . . . He was different than most people.
Keep moving way up high
You see the light
It shines forever
Sail through the crimson skies
The purest light
The light that sets you free
If time will set you free
“You wanted to talk to me, I assume?” Yugi said, doing his best to sit upright.
“Yeah,” I replied, rubbing the back of my head, looking down at my feet. “I wanted to apologize for what happened a few days ago. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
“It’s okay. Nothing major, really.”
I looked up at him, emerald meeting violet, the rain and wind pounding against the window.
Sail through the wind and rain tonight
“You can’t seriously forgive me that easily,” I said.
He just shrugged. “Why not? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t do anything wrong? Yugi, what my father and I did was terrible! Most people would call what we did kidnapping. We forced you into a game that you had no idea how to play, for such incredible high stakes, my father broke your puzzle, and you were trapped inside when the Black Clown Game Shop caught on fire!”
“Well…yeah…But the fire thing was a total accident, and I guess I don’t really blame your dad for feeling the way he did against my grandpa and me, especially after I found out what happened.”
“But my father had no right to do what he did.”
Yugi looked out the window. “That doesn’t matter now. What happened has happened, and it’s best to put all of it behind us.”
Silence loomed over us for several minutes, before Yugi started the conversation again. “So what happened to your shop? And your father?”
“The shop is being rebuilt. But my father didn’t make it.”
“Oh, I’m really sorry.”
“I’m almost glad he didn’t.”
“Otogi, that’s not right. That is your father you’re talking about.”
“But he had no right to do what he did to you!”
Yugi shook his head. “Otogi, it’s okay. Look, I’m fine.”
“You almost died.”
“But I didn’t. That’s the main thing that counts. Otogi, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
You’re free to fly tonight
And you can still be free
If time will set you free
I blinked, slightly surprised. Yet the smile on his face never left him. Relaxing, I couldn’t help but smile, too. Does he always do that?
“So now what?” I asked.
“Well, we could start over again.” He held out his hand. “As friends.”
I nodded, taking his hand in a gentle handshake.
Time indeed was a great healer of all things.
But it helped when you were talking with the right person, too.
And going higher than the mountain tops
And go high the wind don’t stop
And go high
Free to fly tonight
Free to fly tonight
The End
Fandom: YuGiOh
Character(s): Otogi Ryouji, Mutou Yugi
Genre: Drama, angst
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: "You Can Still Be Free" © Savage Garden, YuGiOh © Kazuki Takahashi
Notes: Bold text = song lyrics, Otogi POV. This story takes place after Otogi duels Yugi in the manga. There are some errors when I wrote this story, but I'm not changing it....so there
Summary: 'You can still be free, if time will set you free...But it’s a long, long way to go.'
You Can Still Be Free
The gentle breeze blew strands of midnight in front of my eyes, as I walked down the busy street. My emerald orbs glanced up at people walking by, before looking down at my feet again.
I could hear bits and pieces of conversation as I pass more people, but I didn’t care for what they were saying. So detached from the world was my soul that I didn’t care for anything or anyone around me. All I could do was think about what happened a few days ago, as my heart was wrenched with the guilt again.
Cool breeze and autumn leaves
Slow motion daylight
A lone pair of watchful eyes
Oversee the living
They say time could heal all sorts of things. Pains and wounds of all kinds. Maybe even guilt. However. . . . the guilt I felt was too much for me, and time might not even consider helping me. I wouldn’t blame it really, after what my father and I did, I wouldn’t forgive myself.
It was so terrible. What was I going to do? Apologizing would never be enough. Poor kid. I overheard his friends talking in school today, and saying that he was in the hospital now. All because of what my father and I did. The guilt was too much.
I can’t change what has been done, nor can I change what has been set in motion. But maybe I could make it up to him. It was the least that I could do after what I put him and the others through.
If I didn’t, the guilt would trap me forever.
Feel the presence all around
A tortured soul
A wound unhealing
No regrets of promises
The past is gone
But you can still be free
If time will set you free
Dark clouds loomed overhead, the rain being pulled towards the earth, as I walked to the hospital. I still had no idea what I was going to say to him. But I had to do something to make it up to him. And I will. Whatever it takes.
The whole event of the burning down of the Black Clown Game Shop has been rattling through my mind, the smell of the smoke burning my sense of smell to the point I can’t sense anything anymore. The light and burn of the fire. . . . that same fire haunted my dreams in my sleep and my thoughts during my waking hours.
If it was that bad for me, who actually got out of the whole mess alive, then how would it be for someone who almost died inside?
Hopefully, time is the master healer of all things. Hopefully, in time, the night of the fire will be put behind me. And hopefully, time…and Mutou Yugi…will be able to forgive me.
Time now to spread your wings
To take flight
The life endeavor
Aim for the burning sun
You’re trapped inside
But you can still be free
If time will set you free
I finally found the room I was supposed to be looking for. I knew that his other friends were here, and I knew that they. . . . weren’t too fond of me, but I knew that I still had to do this. Swallowing my pride, I opened the door.
Crowding around the bed, as I had figured, were three of his friends; Mazaki Anzu, Hiroto Honda, and Katsuya Jounouchi. Jounouchi had his own bandages around various wounds, which was reasonable since he was also caught in the fire saving Yugi. I guess he didn’t need to be hospitalized. Their attention turned towards me as I swung open the door.
“Otogi!?” Jounouchi said, rising quickly, knocking his chair down in the process. “What are you doing here?!”
“Chill out, Jounouchi,” I replied. “I come on peaceful terms.”
“Sure ya do,” Honda retorted. “Just like the game you ‘invited’ Yugi to play with you.”
“Why don’t you just go slither back under the rock that you came from?” Anzu snapped.
Safe to say, my pride was hung, shot, and buried.
But it’s a long, long way to go
“You guys,” a small voice said quietly behind them, “don’t be so harsh.” They turned around to look at the young boy lying in bed.
“Yugi. . . .”
“Otogi, why don’t you come in?”
Even I was surprised that he was inviting me in, after what I did. But what really surprised me is what he said next.
“You guys, can I talk to Otogi alone?”
The others weren’t too thrilled with that.
“You can’t be serious, Yugi!” Jounouchi argued.
“After what he did?!” Honda agreed.
“You don’t know what he might do!” Anzu stated.
But the look on his face showed clearly that he was to be taken seriously. As understanding as they were, they got up, walking past me and out of the small hospital room. The last one to leave was Jounouchi, his brown eyes glaring hard at me before he left, and the door gently shut.
I turned back to look at the young boy lying in bed, smiling at me. Even I was surprised that he would trust me after what I did. I really don’t blame his friends for not trusting me as much as they did.
But Yugi. . . . . He was different than most people.
Keep moving way up high
You see the light
It shines forever
Sail through the crimson skies
The purest light
The light that sets you free
If time will set you free
“You wanted to talk to me, I assume?” Yugi said, doing his best to sit upright.
“Yeah,” I replied, rubbing the back of my head, looking down at my feet. “I wanted to apologize for what happened a few days ago. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
“It’s okay. Nothing major, really.”
I looked up at him, emerald meeting violet, the rain and wind pounding against the window.
Sail through the wind and rain tonight
“You can’t seriously forgive me that easily,” I said.
He just shrugged. “Why not? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t do anything wrong? Yugi, what my father and I did was terrible! Most people would call what we did kidnapping. We forced you into a game that you had no idea how to play, for such incredible high stakes, my father broke your puzzle, and you were trapped inside when the Black Clown Game Shop caught on fire!”
“Well…yeah…But the fire thing was a total accident, and I guess I don’t really blame your dad for feeling the way he did against my grandpa and me, especially after I found out what happened.”
“But my father had no right to do what he did.”
Yugi looked out the window. “That doesn’t matter now. What happened has happened, and it’s best to put all of it behind us.”
Silence loomed over us for several minutes, before Yugi started the conversation again. “So what happened to your shop? And your father?”
“The shop is being rebuilt. But my father didn’t make it.”
“Oh, I’m really sorry.”
“I’m almost glad he didn’t.”
“Otogi, that’s not right. That is your father you’re talking about.”
“But he had no right to do what he did to you!”
Yugi shook his head. “Otogi, it’s okay. Look, I’m fine.”
“You almost died.”
“But I didn’t. That’s the main thing that counts. Otogi, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
You’re free to fly tonight
And you can still be free
If time will set you free
I blinked, slightly surprised. Yet the smile on his face never left him. Relaxing, I couldn’t help but smile, too. Does he always do that?
“So now what?” I asked.
“Well, we could start over again.” He held out his hand. “As friends.”
I nodded, taking his hand in a gentle handshake.
Time indeed was a great healer of all things.
But it helped when you were talking with the right person, too.
And going higher than the mountain tops
And go high the wind don’t stop
And go high
Free to fly tonight
Free to fly tonight
The End
