Author's notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. Greater powers than I deserve to own it, but they own naught either.
Warnings: Mild violence and shounen-ai, swearing. I have fixed the formatting now ^^;;;
This fic was both inspired by both His Lordship Chaos's fic "Tales of the Dreamworld" and LJ Smith's "Nightworld" novel series. A big thanks to Petite-Hikari-san for spending the time and effort beta-ing this :)
But enough about that. Sit back, relax, and let the chill night air sweep over your senses and dull your reality. Come and let me take you to the Darkworld.
*************************************************************
There is a separate world that lies like a shadow inside our own. Those that are a part of it come out only at night-time. They dominate, betray, attack, and love within their self-maintained society.
The only restriction is that their world cannot be discovered by humans
because the humans would do anything to destroy them
for they are against the will
of God
*******************************************
Darkworld
Chapter 1 - The Nighthunter and the Child
His foot splashed noisily in a puddle.
The figure swore as he heard the chorus of excited shouts nearby. He clutched his wounded right arm; some of the blood dripped thickly onto the wet pavement.
He heard footsteps nearing him and his eyes narrowed as he slunk closer to the wall and held his breath. A pair of haughty laughing voices pierced the tension.
"He's somewhere around here."
"Huh. We'll get that bastard. He can't run far - not with a cut like that."
Melting within the shadows, he watched the two disappear before daring to relax. Even under the veil of midnight darkness, he was not safe. The figure tensed his leg muscles and leapt into the air, soaring to an incredible height. Above the alley corridors, the figure was easily exposed by the moonlight, revealing a beautiful youth bearing a crown of scarlet, gold and ebony-black hair.
He grunted as he landed on the rooftop, swaying precariously as blood continued to dribble from his cut. The youth's ruby eyes were unfocused in pain. Yet he refused to give up, gathering the remaining dregs of his energy to leap across several rooftops. His cape fluttered like a regal pair of wings behind him, half-covering his pale skin.
Something moved close to him. He had no time to react before a horrendously distorted creature slammed into him in mid-leap. Its pair of iron-cold hands grappled at his neck.
Hair and clothing fluttering madly against the wind of the impact, the youth snarled and twisted as he tried to shove the creature off. They remained suspended in mid-air for a moment, locked in an aerial embrace before falling rapidly, the attacking creature still latched onto the spiky-haired youth.
The youth's scarlet eyes narrowed in warning. With a cry of absolute rage, he bared his teeth, showing for the first time a pair of ivory incisors below his upper lip. A glowing insignia flared to life on his forehead like a third eye.
Everything within a ten-meter radius suddenly burst into a brilliance of ruby-red light. There was not enough time for the attacking creature to scream before it disintegrated into nothingness.
The youth swung his body sideways in mid-fall and grabbed a nearby railing with his injured arm. He winced as the pain dug into him. Swearing and sweating profusely, he grabbed the railing with his other hand and pulled himself upwards, landing gracelessly on what appeared to be the stairs of an emergency exit. The worn and rusted metal bit at his skin, but he ignored the discomfort and collapsed in exhaustion.
At that moment, the sky chose to rain.
The youth blinked owlishly as he felt the wet substance glance off his skin and then pummel him until he was numb with cold. His hair, now damp, sagged lifelessly on either side of his face; his clothes a ragged, dirty mess. Slight tendrils of mist escaped through his lips between each heavy breath.
The youth - not a youth but a nighthunter - forced his body upright and leaned towards the railing. Rain poured from the skies to hit the pavement in thick, satisfied smacks. A flash of lightning arced snake-like against the murky night sky.
Battered and exhausted, he threw his back his head and laughed. The roar of the rain and thundering clouds drowned out the mad roar of his laughter.
**********************************************
Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the end credits roll. After what seemed like hours of fear and terror, he was finally free from the captivating screen of death.
In other words, it was Friday night, and Yuugi, along with the rest of his friends, were up late watching TV. This time, it was at Jounochi's house and the blonde had decided to rent a classic horror movie.
'Which he did to purposely spite me,' Yuugi thought to himself. The small boy looked at his friends, and hid a smug smile as he realized that he wasn't the only one relieved.
Jounochi turned off the TV with a flick of the remote control. The blonde groaned as he realized that the VCR was still playing and reluctantly shuffled towards the humming machine to fumble with the "Stop" button. Two other people were still glued to the couch; the first frozen in fear, the latter frozen in sheer disbelief at the bad special effects.
"I am _never_ watching that again." The white-haired teen on the couch shuddered and drew his knees closer towards his chest. He closed his eyes, mind still reeling. "Why do they have to make horror movies so bloody?"
The other, a platinum-blonde youth, grinned wickedly. "Why, Ryou, the better to scare you with." He gave a small frown. "Unfortunately, the effects were a bit too cheesy, if you ask me."
"I was scared too," Yuugi confessed. He gave a nervous laugh. "I don't mind some things, like vampires, because most of the time they look like people. I just don't like things that twist and become grossly mutated."
"It's also bad when horror movies enhance the gross and disturbing parts of what could be normal things," Ryou added in, sensing the shift in topic. "I mean, I like werewolves and all, but do they _have_ to claw at their faces and rip off their skin to transform?"
The platinum-blonde, Malik, gave a wry smile. "Or even better, if they use possessions. Where the attacker looks completely human and innocent, and then butchers the victims into bloody pieces."
"Hate to interrupt this," Jounochi suddenly yawned, "but it's probably really late right now. You guys should be getting home."
"Well, I refuse to go home in _that_." Malik jerked his thumb towards the window, where heavy accents of rain trickled down the glass in rivulets.
Jounochi simply shrugged. "Your call. I'm going to go to my room to crash. You guys can decide who gets what room." And with that, he meandered to the washroom and slammed the door.
Malik, Ryou, and Yuugi stared at each other, dumbfounded. Realization then hit their heads at the same time.
There were only two other rooms available.
"I get a room!" they all shouted simultaneously.
The rest was pandemonium.
*************************************
How long he stayed in the rain he could not remember. When one had lived for as long as he had, the nuances of time no longer bothered him.
The ruby-eyed nighthunter glanced at his still bleeding forearm. He squinted, lifting his arm closer for detailed inspection. Something was preventing his wound from healing.
He had no other choice. The nighthunter took his other unwounded hand and dug his fingers deep into his cut, moving them to feel around. He almost collapsed from the incredible pain but his fingers continued to dig and search. At last, he was rewarded when he pulled out something between his forefinger and thumb.
It was as thin as a needle, covered in blood. The nighthunter placed the object in his open palm and let the rainwater wash away the blood. Even though it could barely be seen, it glistened a malevolent green, almost glowing on its own.
He hissed. "Snakewood." The single word shot venomously from his lips, rich and cold. He let the offending object fall downwards onto the pavement.
The pain was dying down now. The otherworldly - for he could not be of this world - youth leaned backwards with a soft sigh. He tilted his head upwards to let some of the sweet rainwater dribble into his mouth. Several times he swallowed, licking his lips slowly as if suffering from great thirst.
A great bang suddenly jerked the nighthunter back into awareness. Eyes narrowed, he tensed his muscles and snarled, trying to make his form appear as menacing as possible to any potential attackers.
He found himself staring at a human. She stood within her bedroom, head and rotund chest sticking out to hold the window shutters open. It was only moments before she noticed him standing in the rain.
"What are you doing here?" the irate woman snapped, plump figure jostling in annoyance. "You better leave or I'll report you to the police."
The nighthunter looked at her in an almost bemused manner. "I don't think you should tell me what to do." His voice sounded slightly hoarse, but still as powerful and resonant as before.
"Excuse me young man," the woman huffed, "but you are in _no_ state to argue with me." Her beady eyes gazed suspiciously at him. "Why are you out at a time like this anyway?"
He felt himself reacting before he could stop it. She was only a couple meters away; easily covered by the span of a few steps. His feet took one trembling step after another, bridging the gap between the two until he was face to face with her. He gazed at her with insatiable eyes and raised his upper lip to expose his fangs.
Suddenly he stopped, his trance broken. He stared almost guiltily at the woman, hesitating.
The woman did not hesitate. She screamed, shrill voice piercing the rain and echoing in the murky darkness.
His eyes shot wide open. At this rate, the woman's screaming would awaken the entire neighbourhood, attracting those who sought to kill him. He forced himself to gaze right into the human's eyes. Her screaming immediately strangled to a half-gargle; the type a prey makes before it accepts its death.
Eyes glowing an intense crimson-red, he did not release her until he once again extended his fangs and snaked his head underneath the woman's frozen, pudgier chin.
Eye contact broken, the woman once again had control of her body.
It was too late.
She could only stare in surprise and terror as he sunk his fangs deep into her vulnerable throat. Fresh crimson blood dribbled from the corners of his lips down his chin. They made no stain as they fell in droplets onto his pure-black clothing.
Half-sheltered by the alcove of the window, he drank, paying no heed to anything else around him. All that mattered was the vital liquid burning his mouth with flames of pleasure. He closed his eyes. His pale cheeks flushed as he pressed his lips firmer onto the woman's neck to drain the last of the warm, crimson liquid.
After an eternity of heartbeats fading to silence, he reluctantly pulled away, pushing his latest victim backwards into the room. Her body fell with a soft thud on the carpeted ground, glassy eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.
He slid through the window after her and kneed by her prone body. He gently pressed his fingers against her neck, covering up the two identical holes on her pale skin. The third-eye insignia once again flared to life on his forehead before vanishing completely. There was no sign of the puncture-wounds as if they had never been.
Feeling smug and sated, the nighthunter stood up and stretched his cramped muscles. His wet clothes dripped water onto the thick carpet as he walked towards the window and climbed out.
He closed the wooden shutters and stretched, arching his back and showing off his canines in a wide yawn. The nighthunter froze in mid-stretch, sensing someone else watching him. Slowly he turned his cold ruby eyes around...
... and came face to face with a pair of violet ones.
******************************************
Yuugi hated being short. At school, it meant not being able to make the basketball team, having instead to satisfy himself watching his friends score points and congratulate each other. Out of school, it meant being the brunt of all jokes, thus diminishing a large part of his long-suffering ego.
'And now,' the short, violet-eyed teen thought to himself, absently brushing a jagged golden bang back into his crown of scarlet and black hair, 'it meant _not_ getting a bedroom.'
Yuugi sighed uncomfortably as he turned and twisted yet again. The scratchy couch fabric bit at his exposed skin, rewarding each of his movements with an insatiable itch. At this rate, he doubted if he would even get comfortable, lest fall asleep.
He threw the covers over his head, but succeeded only in getting himself extremely hot. Thoroughly fed up with the couch, Yuugi stood up and walked across the vacant living room towards the window. Glistening trails of silver and white laced down the thick glass panels, accompanied by the dull patter of raindrops. Ghostly white squares imprinted themselves shadow-like on the living room carpet.
The small teen fiddled with the window lock before sliding the glass panel wide open. He was immediately greeted by a blast of rain and chill air. Yuugi blinked in surprise before wiping dry his face with his shirtsleeve.
The moon was especially large tonight, peeking out strategically from an opening between the thick rain clouds. The combination made an eerie and supernatural sight; like the glowing face of a goddess shedding icy-cold tears.
Curious and awed by the sight, Yuugi ignored the rainwater blatantly pummelling his face and stuck his head out the window to get a better look. A muffled sound of wood slamming against wood caught his attention.
His eyes widened. Outside the window standing on the emergency exit railing was a person who looked like the mirror image of himself. Upon closer inspection, Yuugi realized that there were some considerable differences.
The other held a tall and regal air, face confident and unnaturally beautiful. His clothes were drenched so that they clung to his skin, flaunting his sinuous muscles and lean figure. The figure chose at that moment to crane his neck and yawn, full ruby lips suddenly parting to reveal a set of unnaturally long canines.
Yuugi's heart began to pound uncontrollably. Fangs. The strange look-alike of him had fangs.
The other suddenly whipped around, as if sensing Yuugi's presence, and Yuugi found himself gazing into a pair of menacing ruby eyes.
**********************************************
Never before had the nighthunter seen a _human_ that resembled him so closely. He glared at the human accusingly, maintaining eye contact to stop any potential screaming.
Damn this human. Now he had to kill this boy too. A pity the boy looked so much like him but the rules of his world had to be followed at all costs. No human was allowed to see him and live to tell the tale.
The ruby-eyed nighthunter suppressed any compassion and forced his eyes to harden. He gave a coy smile as he ambled over towards the human-boy and cupped his icy-cold hand on the boy's cheek. It was flushed and warm to the touch.
He was still hungry anyway. The woman's blood had not been enough to satisfy him; not with the recent rash of battles and his sudden increase in appetite. No - one human's blood was far from enough. He tilted the boy's fragile chin upwards with his thumb and caressed the human's neck, looking for the right blood vessel hiding under the boy's skin.
"Are you going to kill me?"
He jerked his head upwards, ruby eyes whirling with surprise. The violet eyes staring innocently back at him brought a twinge of guilt into his heart.
"Am I going to die?"
He took a long look at this boy standing in front of him. Somehow, this human could speak even under the influence of his trance. He forced his lips into an unenthusiastic half-smile.
"Perhaps. And perhaps it would be better if you accepted it." His voice was deep and harsh compared to the human's quiet, lilting one.
"Oh. I see." The human-child seemed more disappointed than anything else. He said nothing more.
Slightly baffled at such acquiescence, even more so at his lack of control over his victim, the nighthunter gazed at the boy in half apology before lowering his head.
A glint of gold caught his eye. He was looking downwards at a strange relic the human boy wore at chest-level. It seemed to be constructed of pure gold, a three-dimensional pyramid hanging upside-down. A single eye decorated the center of the relic, the very same Eye that occasionally manifested on his forehead.
"The Millennium Puzzle," he hissed, backing away. The nighthunter continued to distance himself from the human until his heel stumbled on the railing behind him. His cold crimson eyes were wide with disbelief. "Impossible."
The relic dangling from a single cord around the boy's neck stared at the nighthunter tauntingly. The ruby-eyed figure shuddered.
The Millennium Puzzle, one of the fabled seven Millennium Items, whose powers were diametrically opposite to the creatures of the Darkworld. Alone, one item had the power to burn a hundred souls into withering ashes. The power of all could seal the Darkworld into nothingness.
And he was a creature of the Darkworld.
The boy suddenly spoke. "Are you a vampire?"
He blinked, ruby eyes bewildered. Was that what they called him? He had heard the reference a few times, though he thought they were a different mythical species consisting of wrinkled, ashen-faced zombies who crawled around and had no tolerance for garlic and sunlight. Well, it was half-true.
"Maybe."
Perhaps the child-human had not grasped the reality of the situation, for he continued to question the ruby-eyed nighthunter with a hungry curiousity.
"Why are you afraid of my Puzzle?" The human smiled, amethyst eyes glowing with splendour until his face seemed bathed in cherubic innocence. "It's not a relic of God."
He barked out a derisive laugh before he could stop himself. The nighthunter's shoulders shook with cold laughter, face contorted into a sinister, bitter grin. "God? Fear God? Perhaps the name should be replaced with 'hate'." A part of him cautioned that he should not get too close to the human, but he was curious as to how such a boy could have obtained one of the fabled Millennium Items. A pity that the nighthunter himself could not take it. Well, it was better to have an innocent possess an Item than someone with more destructive purposes.
The human-child looked sad. "Why do you hate God? It was He who created this world."
"For you humans, perhaps." His ruby eyes grew cold and distant. "But for us, we have no mercy from your God. It was under the will of God that we were sought out and destroyed."
"I don't get it." The human looked genuinely broken. "You're so... beautiful. It wouldn't make sense for God to hate you just like that." There was a flicker of motion as the boy dropped his hand which had been reaching out towards the other's cold pale cheek.
He sighed. "The history of our enmity is longer and darker than you could ever comprehend. In some ways you are right: I am a vampire of the legends. In others, you are wrong. I - we are not descended from Satan. There is a species that is said to be his spawn, but we... vampires serve no one."
The boy frowned. "You don't even have a leader within your own society?"
"Perhaps he will come one day," the nighthunter- or perhaps vampire- gave a wry smile. "But till then, he flees and hides. Soon he will run out of hiding places."
"Would he like to hide in my house? It's quite safe where I live."
He jerked his head up in surprise. The naivete of this human-child was astounding. This human, taken into the wrong hands, could be easily manipulated. He feared those consequences.
"Perhaps he would." The nighthunter concluded that he would have to watch over the Puzzle. There would be no other way to protect, or at least hinder it.
"Then I would like to know his name so I could recognize him."
The ruby-eyed vampire thought deeply. He had had many names throughout his lifespan until names meant nothing to him. But he would make one up for this child, this strange look-alike human's satisfaction.
"Yami. You may call him Yami."
Silence ensued as both stared at each other with a tinge of fear and excitement. Their meeting was an absolute paradox; a vampire forced to accept the darkness and a human reared to hate it.
The nighthunter brought a trembling hand to brush away the boy's bangs and stroke his cheek. The human did not flinch, though his eyes were large and full of awe.
He suddenly retracted his hand, ruby eyes narrowing. Someone was coming; the vampire could sense the presence. He quickly motioned for the human to hide, closing the window as silently as possible before moving towards the edge of the railing. The rain dripped freely over his already-soaked clothes, moonlight reflecting off his cape in a crystalline sheen.
The nighthunter leaned against the railing and scanned the thick darkness and rain for motion. He growled slightly in impatience. "Come out, whoever you are!" The third-eye insignia on his forehead flared slightly, amplifying his voice so that it resonated in the murky shadows.
"Of course Pharaoh. I would do no less." From the folds of the darkness emerged a solitary figure. He mock-bowed to the nighthunter. In the glimmer of moonlight, the stranger appeared handsome. His long silver hair hung down to his shoulders, some veiling one of his eyes. He could have easily been mistaken for a human were if not for the fact that he was floating in the air. Rainwater bounced off an invisible barrier around the figure.
"Sorcerer!" The ruby-eyed vampire clenched his hands angrily. "The affairs of nighthunters should be kept within their own kindred. Why are you messing with our problems?"
The sorcerer shrugged. "If it benefits me, then I have a great reason to 'mess around'." Still suspended in mid-air, he began to walk, an eerie sight as he advanced with no surface to tread on. "So we meet Pharaoh. They say you are the last of the original Heirs, the ones born with royal blood. Surely you will not back away from a challenge by a lowly sorcerer like me."
The nighthunter knew there was something wrong. And yet, there was no way out of it. "Then come fight me, sorcerer. Destroy me, if you can." He bared his fangs and heightened his senses, bracing his muscles in preparation.
Electricity arched over the sky directly above the sorcerer's head. It suddenly changed directions, twisting sideways to shoot blindingly fast towards the vampire.
The nighthunter moved, leaping into the air. The bolt of jagged blue lightning hit the metal stairway and burst into a shower of sparks, breaking the emergency exit into two smouldering pieces. Ignoring the sight, the nighthunter landed softly on the building rooftop. He scanned his surroundings before jumping off the edge, shoving his feet against the nearby wall to propel himself at full momentum towards his opponent.
The sorcerer waited for his opponent to near him. Just moments before impact, the sorcerer grabbed the nighthunter's charging figure by the cloak and pulled the ruby-eyed vampire towards him until they were face to face. The nighthunter raised his upper lip in indignation, a low growl escaping his throat as he struggled to move away.
"I don't think so, Pharaoh." The sorcerer yanked the cloak, stopping the vampire's struggles. The silver-haired man extended his free hand to release tendrils of white mist. They snaked up the nighthunter's body before crystallizing. "A pity this has to end so soon. I was enjoying it."
The vampire's scarlet eyes narrowed as he realized that he had no other choice. His third eye flared with crimson-gold power. An aura of intangible darkness surrounded the vampire.
Small perforations began to plague the crystallized shell that trapped the nighthunter, fracturing into a network of cracks. At last, no longer able to hold the pressure, the cast quivered and burst in a shower of glass rain as a pair of ebony wings burst from the nighthunter's back. They slowed his descent until he was suspended in midair by hovering leathery wingtips.
Forehead still emblazoned with the third eye, the vampire traced his freed arms into an arc-like pattern, a trail of scarlet light following his motion. The ruby light hardened to form a wicked scythe.
"Come and get me sorcerer." Gripping his weapon with both hands, the nighthunter ascended until he was again standing on the rooftop. His wings faded into dark mist and disappeared the moment his feet touched the asphalt surface. The burning-red insignia brandished on his forehead softened in intensity.
The sorcerer laughed. "So, you _do_ have that power. I thought that your Magick was just a legend." Almost without effort, he drifted upwards within his invisible shield to land on the rooftop. The silver-haired man extended his arms mockingly. "Come, Pharaoh. Attack me. I am weaponless."
Clenching the handle of his scythe until his knuckles were white, the nighthunter hesitated between instinct and caution. "You're just bluffing."
"Why don't you find out?" The silver-haired man shrugged almost indifferently.
Shrugging logic aside, the nighthunter leapt into the air in a blur of motion and swung the curved blade of his weapon down at his opponent. It sliced the sorcerer through his chest. There was no blood. With a final mocking laugh, the silver-haired man collapsed into ashes.
The nighthunter was still holding his scythe in his attack position. His arms trembled slightly before the scythe hit the cement ground with a loud clatter and disappeared with a burst of crimson light. Kneeling down on the wet platform, the ruby-eyed vampire grabbed a handful of the ashes and experimentally smelled them. He then rolled the remains between his index finger and thumb and watched it stick to his skin in grey blotches.
"Mud." The nighthunter gave a disdainful sneer. "I was fighting with a decoy." Then the truth hit him. If this was just a copy of the actual opponent, then he was in grave danger. Strong sorcerers, though mortal like humans, could almost attain immortality with their power.
The ruby-eyed vampire stood motionless. From the rooftops surrounding him appeared several shadowy figures, hovering menacingly under the moonlight, faces veiled. They began to accumulate until he was outnumbered by almost a hundredfold. Not only did they surround the nighthunter on all sides but also below him, crowding the alley or hovering precariously on railings.
The moonlight illuminated only his figure. The nighthunter looked around in dismay, refusing to back towards the sheer numbers. He collected the last of his energy and let the Magick burn freely through his veins as the third eye glowed.
"Did the sorcerer send you?" His challenge was blunt and informal. He was not afraid to die, as long as he took down several in the process.
A sudden chorus of awed whispers broke through the dark multitudes. Their excitement intensified, the murmurs converging into the soft call of a single word. The chanting grew louder and louder. It was a symphony of unified cries.
He blinked. The word sounded from all directions until he could no longer deny what they shouted. The ruby-eyed vampire assumed a different air. He stood up, tall, regal and proud once more, facing the sea of shadows around him.
They were acknowledging him. They had found their long-lost Heir.
"Pharoah!"
Ceremony complete, the final word echoed in the air above the silence, still ringing with a thousand voices. Now a sea of expectant faces stared back. They were no longer veiled but familiar, the faces of comrades and allies occasionally decorating the massive throng.
His throat constricted with raw emotion. The ruby-eyed nighthunter looked around as if to confirm that it wasn't an illusion. The figures surrounding him stared back, quiet and eager.
"So the time has come." He almost started at his own voice that poured from him to fill the excited silence. He continued. "Five-thousand years ago, my father died and I was forced from the throne into exile by the humans. He was the first nighthunter, but I took the blame for his actions. I have lived in exile ever since, running from those who feared and despised me. In those five-thousand years, I have made many enemies. They still hunt me now, and if you call me your leader and ask me to take the throne once again, then you too will become their enemies." The ruby-eyed vampire paused. "Are you still willing to follow me?"
There was no hesitation in the roar of enthusiastic voices.
He waited for the sound to die down. A part of him expected them to leave, but none did. They remembered the legacy of his father and the incredible power of the Heirs, the original vampires of pure blood. They recalled the Legend of rebirth, of the new Heir reclaiming the throne and leading the nighthunters to unity and a reign without chaos or bitter rivalry among each other.
There were still those among his species who hated and feared him. They preferred individuality and isolation. But the majority of them had overcome their hesitation for a chance to change their status. They wanted to be known and feared once again in the Darkworld.
He knew of this and of the heavy burden it placed on his shoulders. And yet, he could not refuse. Those who bore the ruby-coloured third eye on their foreheads, the mark of the Heirs, had long passed away or been killed. He was the last Heir.
He was their Pharaoh again, come at last again to a long-empty throne.
At last he nodded. "Then I accept. As Pharaoh, as the new Heir, I ask only for your loyalty. Those who betray me will be punished heavily."
There was a small ruckus that suddenly disturbed the formality of the situation. The several vampires involved were vainly trying to cover the noise and disturbance.
The ruby-eyed vampire shifted his gaze towards the sound. "What is it?"
The handful of nighthunters turned around with shamed, guilty faces. One of them had someone wrapped between his arms, silencing it with one hand.
It then occurred to the Heir exactly _where_ those nighthunters were. Some of them were still balanced on the broken emergency exit.
Heart pounding, the ruby-eyed vampire leapt downwards until he landed on the railing and stood in front of the nighthunter holding the figure captive.
"Pharaoh." The other nighthunter bowed his head, avoiding the Heir's cold, crimson eyes. "I found this human watching our ceremony. I am sorry that I did not dispose of him earlier."
The human held under the other nighthunter's grip extended a trembling hand towards the Heir. Large amethyst eyes wide and pleading, he uttered a single word.
"Yami."
The Millennium Puzzle dangled from the boy's chest, but no one else seemed to notice it. All they saw was a lowly human that needed to be punished.
Perhaps now was the time to test their loyalty. The Pharaoh of the nighthunters motioned for the human to be set free and took the boy between his own cold arms. A twinge of protectiveness stabbed at his heart, but he convinced himself that he only needed the boy for the Puzzle.
The ruby-eyed vampire held the boy for all the vampires to see. "From now on, this human is under my protection. No nighthunter shall harm him and those who do will be sentenced to immediate death."
He listened to his own words fade away. There was silence where a protest had been expected.
The other nighthunter, the one who had addressed the Pharaoh, broke the silence with his strong alto. "You heard the Pharaoh! The boy shall not be harmed!" He looked around at his fellow comrades, waiting for their reply.
The following response was instantaneous. Every nighthunter roared in agreement and chanted out the Pharaoh's decree.
"The human shall not be harmed!"
From the darkness hiding behind a far away corner lurked a single figure. His silvery hair flashed in the moonlight before he disappeared.
****************************************************
End notes:
Well, hoped you enjoyed it~
Eevee muse: How could they? You just borrowed all those stereotypical plots from those other vampire fics.
Zoo: -_-;;; Have some faith in me. I have plot twists ready. *pauses*. Well, now I do ^_^
Eevee muse: *facefaults*
Prelude to the next chapter:
(3 weeks after Yuugi first met Yami)
There was a faint tap on his windowsill. Slowly Yuugi crawled out of his bed, rubbing his eyes blearily as we walked across the room. Without a second moment's thought, he unlatched the window lock and opened the shutters wide open. The teen gave a small yawn as a dark-clad figure outside the window slid in.
"Hi Yami."
The nighthunter nodded. "Sorry I couldn't come earlier. I had some... business to take care of."
"It's okay." Yuugi smiled. "You're the Pharaoh. You must have a lot of things to do."
A small sigh escaped the other's lips. The ruby-eyed vampire absently closed the window shutters and faced the night sky outside. "It's not just us nighthunters, Yuugi. There are others, many different types that call the Darkworld their home. They too can only come out at night time."
"Really?" The small boy looked more surprised than anything else. He leaned eagerly towards the taller figure. "Could you explain?" Upon seeing the other's reluctance, Yuugi opened his large violet eyes as wide as possible and Yami gave his best bambi-eyed expression.
The nighthunter found himself unable to resist such cuteness. "All right, all right." He scowled. "I'll tell you a story then."
His deep ruby eyes clouded over in reminiscence. "Let me explain the Dreamwolves first. They are like ghostly wolves, with pure white-fur highly valued among us nighthunters for its cloaking ability. Dreamwolves too have a special power. They can move through dreams, and see every human's wandering mind. Yet, like all creatures of the Darkworld, they are not allowed to interfere or reveal themselves to the humans..."
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. Greater powers than I deserve to own it, but they own naught either.
Warnings: Mild violence and shounen-ai, swearing. I have fixed the formatting now ^^;;;
This fic was both inspired by both His Lordship Chaos's fic "Tales of the Dreamworld" and LJ Smith's "Nightworld" novel series. A big thanks to Petite-Hikari-san for spending the time and effort beta-ing this :)
But enough about that. Sit back, relax, and let the chill night air sweep over your senses and dull your reality. Come and let me take you to the Darkworld.
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There is a separate world that lies like a shadow inside our own. Those that are a part of it come out only at night-time. They dominate, betray, attack, and love within their self-maintained society.
The only restriction is that their world cannot be discovered by humans
because the humans would do anything to destroy them
for they are against the will
of God
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Darkworld
Chapter 1 - The Nighthunter and the Child
His foot splashed noisily in a puddle.
The figure swore as he heard the chorus of excited shouts nearby. He clutched his wounded right arm; some of the blood dripped thickly onto the wet pavement.
He heard footsteps nearing him and his eyes narrowed as he slunk closer to the wall and held his breath. A pair of haughty laughing voices pierced the tension.
"He's somewhere around here."
"Huh. We'll get that bastard. He can't run far - not with a cut like that."
Melting within the shadows, he watched the two disappear before daring to relax. Even under the veil of midnight darkness, he was not safe. The figure tensed his leg muscles and leapt into the air, soaring to an incredible height. Above the alley corridors, the figure was easily exposed by the moonlight, revealing a beautiful youth bearing a crown of scarlet, gold and ebony-black hair.
He grunted as he landed on the rooftop, swaying precariously as blood continued to dribble from his cut. The youth's ruby eyes were unfocused in pain. Yet he refused to give up, gathering the remaining dregs of his energy to leap across several rooftops. His cape fluttered like a regal pair of wings behind him, half-covering his pale skin.
Something moved close to him. He had no time to react before a horrendously distorted creature slammed into him in mid-leap. Its pair of iron-cold hands grappled at his neck.
Hair and clothing fluttering madly against the wind of the impact, the youth snarled and twisted as he tried to shove the creature off. They remained suspended in mid-air for a moment, locked in an aerial embrace before falling rapidly, the attacking creature still latched onto the spiky-haired youth.
The youth's scarlet eyes narrowed in warning. With a cry of absolute rage, he bared his teeth, showing for the first time a pair of ivory incisors below his upper lip. A glowing insignia flared to life on his forehead like a third eye.
Everything within a ten-meter radius suddenly burst into a brilliance of ruby-red light. There was not enough time for the attacking creature to scream before it disintegrated into nothingness.
The youth swung his body sideways in mid-fall and grabbed a nearby railing with his injured arm. He winced as the pain dug into him. Swearing and sweating profusely, he grabbed the railing with his other hand and pulled himself upwards, landing gracelessly on what appeared to be the stairs of an emergency exit. The worn and rusted metal bit at his skin, but he ignored the discomfort and collapsed in exhaustion.
At that moment, the sky chose to rain.
The youth blinked owlishly as he felt the wet substance glance off his skin and then pummel him until he was numb with cold. His hair, now damp, sagged lifelessly on either side of his face; his clothes a ragged, dirty mess. Slight tendrils of mist escaped through his lips between each heavy breath.
The youth - not a youth but a nighthunter - forced his body upright and leaned towards the railing. Rain poured from the skies to hit the pavement in thick, satisfied smacks. A flash of lightning arced snake-like against the murky night sky.
Battered and exhausted, he threw his back his head and laughed. The roar of the rain and thundering clouds drowned out the mad roar of his laughter.
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Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the end credits roll. After what seemed like hours of fear and terror, he was finally free from the captivating screen of death.
In other words, it was Friday night, and Yuugi, along with the rest of his friends, were up late watching TV. This time, it was at Jounochi's house and the blonde had decided to rent a classic horror movie.
'Which he did to purposely spite me,' Yuugi thought to himself. The small boy looked at his friends, and hid a smug smile as he realized that he wasn't the only one relieved.
Jounochi turned off the TV with a flick of the remote control. The blonde groaned as he realized that the VCR was still playing and reluctantly shuffled towards the humming machine to fumble with the "Stop" button. Two other people were still glued to the couch; the first frozen in fear, the latter frozen in sheer disbelief at the bad special effects.
"I am _never_ watching that again." The white-haired teen on the couch shuddered and drew his knees closer towards his chest. He closed his eyes, mind still reeling. "Why do they have to make horror movies so bloody?"
The other, a platinum-blonde youth, grinned wickedly. "Why, Ryou, the better to scare you with." He gave a small frown. "Unfortunately, the effects were a bit too cheesy, if you ask me."
"I was scared too," Yuugi confessed. He gave a nervous laugh. "I don't mind some things, like vampires, because most of the time they look like people. I just don't like things that twist and become grossly mutated."
"It's also bad when horror movies enhance the gross and disturbing parts of what could be normal things," Ryou added in, sensing the shift in topic. "I mean, I like werewolves and all, but do they _have_ to claw at their faces and rip off their skin to transform?"
The platinum-blonde, Malik, gave a wry smile. "Or even better, if they use possessions. Where the attacker looks completely human and innocent, and then butchers the victims into bloody pieces."
"Hate to interrupt this," Jounochi suddenly yawned, "but it's probably really late right now. You guys should be getting home."
"Well, I refuse to go home in _that_." Malik jerked his thumb towards the window, where heavy accents of rain trickled down the glass in rivulets.
Jounochi simply shrugged. "Your call. I'm going to go to my room to crash. You guys can decide who gets what room." And with that, he meandered to the washroom and slammed the door.
Malik, Ryou, and Yuugi stared at each other, dumbfounded. Realization then hit their heads at the same time.
There were only two other rooms available.
"I get a room!" they all shouted simultaneously.
The rest was pandemonium.
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How long he stayed in the rain he could not remember. When one had lived for as long as he had, the nuances of time no longer bothered him.
The ruby-eyed nighthunter glanced at his still bleeding forearm. He squinted, lifting his arm closer for detailed inspection. Something was preventing his wound from healing.
He had no other choice. The nighthunter took his other unwounded hand and dug his fingers deep into his cut, moving them to feel around. He almost collapsed from the incredible pain but his fingers continued to dig and search. At last, he was rewarded when he pulled out something between his forefinger and thumb.
It was as thin as a needle, covered in blood. The nighthunter placed the object in his open palm and let the rainwater wash away the blood. Even though it could barely be seen, it glistened a malevolent green, almost glowing on its own.
He hissed. "Snakewood." The single word shot venomously from his lips, rich and cold. He let the offending object fall downwards onto the pavement.
The pain was dying down now. The otherworldly - for he could not be of this world - youth leaned backwards with a soft sigh. He tilted his head upwards to let some of the sweet rainwater dribble into his mouth. Several times he swallowed, licking his lips slowly as if suffering from great thirst.
A great bang suddenly jerked the nighthunter back into awareness. Eyes narrowed, he tensed his muscles and snarled, trying to make his form appear as menacing as possible to any potential attackers.
He found himself staring at a human. She stood within her bedroom, head and rotund chest sticking out to hold the window shutters open. It was only moments before she noticed him standing in the rain.
"What are you doing here?" the irate woman snapped, plump figure jostling in annoyance. "You better leave or I'll report you to the police."
The nighthunter looked at her in an almost bemused manner. "I don't think you should tell me what to do." His voice sounded slightly hoarse, but still as powerful and resonant as before.
"Excuse me young man," the woman huffed, "but you are in _no_ state to argue with me." Her beady eyes gazed suspiciously at him. "Why are you out at a time like this anyway?"
He felt himself reacting before he could stop it. She was only a couple meters away; easily covered by the span of a few steps. His feet took one trembling step after another, bridging the gap between the two until he was face to face with her. He gazed at her with insatiable eyes and raised his upper lip to expose his fangs.
Suddenly he stopped, his trance broken. He stared almost guiltily at the woman, hesitating.
The woman did not hesitate. She screamed, shrill voice piercing the rain and echoing in the murky darkness.
His eyes shot wide open. At this rate, the woman's screaming would awaken the entire neighbourhood, attracting those who sought to kill him. He forced himself to gaze right into the human's eyes. Her screaming immediately strangled to a half-gargle; the type a prey makes before it accepts its death.
Eyes glowing an intense crimson-red, he did not release her until he once again extended his fangs and snaked his head underneath the woman's frozen, pudgier chin.
Eye contact broken, the woman once again had control of her body.
It was too late.
She could only stare in surprise and terror as he sunk his fangs deep into her vulnerable throat. Fresh crimson blood dribbled from the corners of his lips down his chin. They made no stain as they fell in droplets onto his pure-black clothing.
Half-sheltered by the alcove of the window, he drank, paying no heed to anything else around him. All that mattered was the vital liquid burning his mouth with flames of pleasure. He closed his eyes. His pale cheeks flushed as he pressed his lips firmer onto the woman's neck to drain the last of the warm, crimson liquid.
After an eternity of heartbeats fading to silence, he reluctantly pulled away, pushing his latest victim backwards into the room. Her body fell with a soft thud on the carpeted ground, glassy eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.
He slid through the window after her and kneed by her prone body. He gently pressed his fingers against her neck, covering up the two identical holes on her pale skin. The third-eye insignia once again flared to life on his forehead before vanishing completely. There was no sign of the puncture-wounds as if they had never been.
Feeling smug and sated, the nighthunter stood up and stretched his cramped muscles. His wet clothes dripped water onto the thick carpet as he walked towards the window and climbed out.
He closed the wooden shutters and stretched, arching his back and showing off his canines in a wide yawn. The nighthunter froze in mid-stretch, sensing someone else watching him. Slowly he turned his cold ruby eyes around...
... and came face to face with a pair of violet ones.
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Yuugi hated being short. At school, it meant not being able to make the basketball team, having instead to satisfy himself watching his friends score points and congratulate each other. Out of school, it meant being the brunt of all jokes, thus diminishing a large part of his long-suffering ego.
'And now,' the short, violet-eyed teen thought to himself, absently brushing a jagged golden bang back into his crown of scarlet and black hair, 'it meant _not_ getting a bedroom.'
Yuugi sighed uncomfortably as he turned and twisted yet again. The scratchy couch fabric bit at his exposed skin, rewarding each of his movements with an insatiable itch. At this rate, he doubted if he would even get comfortable, lest fall asleep.
He threw the covers over his head, but succeeded only in getting himself extremely hot. Thoroughly fed up with the couch, Yuugi stood up and walked across the vacant living room towards the window. Glistening trails of silver and white laced down the thick glass panels, accompanied by the dull patter of raindrops. Ghostly white squares imprinted themselves shadow-like on the living room carpet.
The small teen fiddled with the window lock before sliding the glass panel wide open. He was immediately greeted by a blast of rain and chill air. Yuugi blinked in surprise before wiping dry his face with his shirtsleeve.
The moon was especially large tonight, peeking out strategically from an opening between the thick rain clouds. The combination made an eerie and supernatural sight; like the glowing face of a goddess shedding icy-cold tears.
Curious and awed by the sight, Yuugi ignored the rainwater blatantly pummelling his face and stuck his head out the window to get a better look. A muffled sound of wood slamming against wood caught his attention.
His eyes widened. Outside the window standing on the emergency exit railing was a person who looked like the mirror image of himself. Upon closer inspection, Yuugi realized that there were some considerable differences.
The other held a tall and regal air, face confident and unnaturally beautiful. His clothes were drenched so that they clung to his skin, flaunting his sinuous muscles and lean figure. The figure chose at that moment to crane his neck and yawn, full ruby lips suddenly parting to reveal a set of unnaturally long canines.
Yuugi's heart began to pound uncontrollably. Fangs. The strange look-alike of him had fangs.
The other suddenly whipped around, as if sensing Yuugi's presence, and Yuugi found himself gazing into a pair of menacing ruby eyes.
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Never before had the nighthunter seen a _human_ that resembled him so closely. He glared at the human accusingly, maintaining eye contact to stop any potential screaming.
Damn this human. Now he had to kill this boy too. A pity the boy looked so much like him but the rules of his world had to be followed at all costs. No human was allowed to see him and live to tell the tale.
The ruby-eyed nighthunter suppressed any compassion and forced his eyes to harden. He gave a coy smile as he ambled over towards the human-boy and cupped his icy-cold hand on the boy's cheek. It was flushed and warm to the touch.
He was still hungry anyway. The woman's blood had not been enough to satisfy him; not with the recent rash of battles and his sudden increase in appetite. No - one human's blood was far from enough. He tilted the boy's fragile chin upwards with his thumb and caressed the human's neck, looking for the right blood vessel hiding under the boy's skin.
"Are you going to kill me?"
He jerked his head upwards, ruby eyes whirling with surprise. The violet eyes staring innocently back at him brought a twinge of guilt into his heart.
"Am I going to die?"
He took a long look at this boy standing in front of him. Somehow, this human could speak even under the influence of his trance. He forced his lips into an unenthusiastic half-smile.
"Perhaps. And perhaps it would be better if you accepted it." His voice was deep and harsh compared to the human's quiet, lilting one.
"Oh. I see." The human-child seemed more disappointed than anything else. He said nothing more.
Slightly baffled at such acquiescence, even more so at his lack of control over his victim, the nighthunter gazed at the boy in half apology before lowering his head.
A glint of gold caught his eye. He was looking downwards at a strange relic the human boy wore at chest-level. It seemed to be constructed of pure gold, a three-dimensional pyramid hanging upside-down. A single eye decorated the center of the relic, the very same Eye that occasionally manifested on his forehead.
"The Millennium Puzzle," he hissed, backing away. The nighthunter continued to distance himself from the human until his heel stumbled on the railing behind him. His cold crimson eyes were wide with disbelief. "Impossible."
The relic dangling from a single cord around the boy's neck stared at the nighthunter tauntingly. The ruby-eyed figure shuddered.
The Millennium Puzzle, one of the fabled seven Millennium Items, whose powers were diametrically opposite to the creatures of the Darkworld. Alone, one item had the power to burn a hundred souls into withering ashes. The power of all could seal the Darkworld into nothingness.
And he was a creature of the Darkworld.
The boy suddenly spoke. "Are you a vampire?"
He blinked, ruby eyes bewildered. Was that what they called him? He had heard the reference a few times, though he thought they were a different mythical species consisting of wrinkled, ashen-faced zombies who crawled around and had no tolerance for garlic and sunlight. Well, it was half-true.
"Maybe."
Perhaps the child-human had not grasped the reality of the situation, for he continued to question the ruby-eyed nighthunter with a hungry curiousity.
"Why are you afraid of my Puzzle?" The human smiled, amethyst eyes glowing with splendour until his face seemed bathed in cherubic innocence. "It's not a relic of God."
He barked out a derisive laugh before he could stop himself. The nighthunter's shoulders shook with cold laughter, face contorted into a sinister, bitter grin. "God? Fear God? Perhaps the name should be replaced with 'hate'." A part of him cautioned that he should not get too close to the human, but he was curious as to how such a boy could have obtained one of the fabled Millennium Items. A pity that the nighthunter himself could not take it. Well, it was better to have an innocent possess an Item than someone with more destructive purposes.
The human-child looked sad. "Why do you hate God? It was He who created this world."
"For you humans, perhaps." His ruby eyes grew cold and distant. "But for us, we have no mercy from your God. It was under the will of God that we were sought out and destroyed."
"I don't get it." The human looked genuinely broken. "You're so... beautiful. It wouldn't make sense for God to hate you just like that." There was a flicker of motion as the boy dropped his hand which had been reaching out towards the other's cold pale cheek.
He sighed. "The history of our enmity is longer and darker than you could ever comprehend. In some ways you are right: I am a vampire of the legends. In others, you are wrong. I - we are not descended from Satan. There is a species that is said to be his spawn, but we... vampires serve no one."
The boy frowned. "You don't even have a leader within your own society?"
"Perhaps he will come one day," the nighthunter- or perhaps vampire- gave a wry smile. "But till then, he flees and hides. Soon he will run out of hiding places."
"Would he like to hide in my house? It's quite safe where I live."
He jerked his head up in surprise. The naivete of this human-child was astounding. This human, taken into the wrong hands, could be easily manipulated. He feared those consequences.
"Perhaps he would." The nighthunter concluded that he would have to watch over the Puzzle. There would be no other way to protect, or at least hinder it.
"Then I would like to know his name so I could recognize him."
The ruby-eyed vampire thought deeply. He had had many names throughout his lifespan until names meant nothing to him. But he would make one up for this child, this strange look-alike human's satisfaction.
"Yami. You may call him Yami."
Silence ensued as both stared at each other with a tinge of fear and excitement. Their meeting was an absolute paradox; a vampire forced to accept the darkness and a human reared to hate it.
The nighthunter brought a trembling hand to brush away the boy's bangs and stroke his cheek. The human did not flinch, though his eyes were large and full of awe.
He suddenly retracted his hand, ruby eyes narrowing. Someone was coming; the vampire could sense the presence. He quickly motioned for the human to hide, closing the window as silently as possible before moving towards the edge of the railing. The rain dripped freely over his already-soaked clothes, moonlight reflecting off his cape in a crystalline sheen.
The nighthunter leaned against the railing and scanned the thick darkness and rain for motion. He growled slightly in impatience. "Come out, whoever you are!" The third-eye insignia on his forehead flared slightly, amplifying his voice so that it resonated in the murky shadows.
"Of course Pharaoh. I would do no less." From the folds of the darkness emerged a solitary figure. He mock-bowed to the nighthunter. In the glimmer of moonlight, the stranger appeared handsome. His long silver hair hung down to his shoulders, some veiling one of his eyes. He could have easily been mistaken for a human were if not for the fact that he was floating in the air. Rainwater bounced off an invisible barrier around the figure.
"Sorcerer!" The ruby-eyed vampire clenched his hands angrily. "The affairs of nighthunters should be kept within their own kindred. Why are you messing with our problems?"
The sorcerer shrugged. "If it benefits me, then I have a great reason to 'mess around'." Still suspended in mid-air, he began to walk, an eerie sight as he advanced with no surface to tread on. "So we meet Pharaoh. They say you are the last of the original Heirs, the ones born with royal blood. Surely you will not back away from a challenge by a lowly sorcerer like me."
The nighthunter knew there was something wrong. And yet, there was no way out of it. "Then come fight me, sorcerer. Destroy me, if you can." He bared his fangs and heightened his senses, bracing his muscles in preparation.
Electricity arched over the sky directly above the sorcerer's head. It suddenly changed directions, twisting sideways to shoot blindingly fast towards the vampire.
The nighthunter moved, leaping into the air. The bolt of jagged blue lightning hit the metal stairway and burst into a shower of sparks, breaking the emergency exit into two smouldering pieces. Ignoring the sight, the nighthunter landed softly on the building rooftop. He scanned his surroundings before jumping off the edge, shoving his feet against the nearby wall to propel himself at full momentum towards his opponent.
The sorcerer waited for his opponent to near him. Just moments before impact, the sorcerer grabbed the nighthunter's charging figure by the cloak and pulled the ruby-eyed vampire towards him until they were face to face. The nighthunter raised his upper lip in indignation, a low growl escaping his throat as he struggled to move away.
"I don't think so, Pharaoh." The sorcerer yanked the cloak, stopping the vampire's struggles. The silver-haired man extended his free hand to release tendrils of white mist. They snaked up the nighthunter's body before crystallizing. "A pity this has to end so soon. I was enjoying it."
The vampire's scarlet eyes narrowed as he realized that he had no other choice. His third eye flared with crimson-gold power. An aura of intangible darkness surrounded the vampire.
Small perforations began to plague the crystallized shell that trapped the nighthunter, fracturing into a network of cracks. At last, no longer able to hold the pressure, the cast quivered and burst in a shower of glass rain as a pair of ebony wings burst from the nighthunter's back. They slowed his descent until he was suspended in midair by hovering leathery wingtips.
Forehead still emblazoned with the third eye, the vampire traced his freed arms into an arc-like pattern, a trail of scarlet light following his motion. The ruby light hardened to form a wicked scythe.
"Come and get me sorcerer." Gripping his weapon with both hands, the nighthunter ascended until he was again standing on the rooftop. His wings faded into dark mist and disappeared the moment his feet touched the asphalt surface. The burning-red insignia brandished on his forehead softened in intensity.
The sorcerer laughed. "So, you _do_ have that power. I thought that your Magick was just a legend." Almost without effort, he drifted upwards within his invisible shield to land on the rooftop. The silver-haired man extended his arms mockingly. "Come, Pharaoh. Attack me. I am weaponless."
Clenching the handle of his scythe until his knuckles were white, the nighthunter hesitated between instinct and caution. "You're just bluffing."
"Why don't you find out?" The silver-haired man shrugged almost indifferently.
Shrugging logic aside, the nighthunter leapt into the air in a blur of motion and swung the curved blade of his weapon down at his opponent. It sliced the sorcerer through his chest. There was no blood. With a final mocking laugh, the silver-haired man collapsed into ashes.
The nighthunter was still holding his scythe in his attack position. His arms trembled slightly before the scythe hit the cement ground with a loud clatter and disappeared with a burst of crimson light. Kneeling down on the wet platform, the ruby-eyed vampire grabbed a handful of the ashes and experimentally smelled them. He then rolled the remains between his index finger and thumb and watched it stick to his skin in grey blotches.
"Mud." The nighthunter gave a disdainful sneer. "I was fighting with a decoy." Then the truth hit him. If this was just a copy of the actual opponent, then he was in grave danger. Strong sorcerers, though mortal like humans, could almost attain immortality with their power.
The ruby-eyed vampire stood motionless. From the rooftops surrounding him appeared several shadowy figures, hovering menacingly under the moonlight, faces veiled. They began to accumulate until he was outnumbered by almost a hundredfold. Not only did they surround the nighthunter on all sides but also below him, crowding the alley or hovering precariously on railings.
The moonlight illuminated only his figure. The nighthunter looked around in dismay, refusing to back towards the sheer numbers. He collected the last of his energy and let the Magick burn freely through his veins as the third eye glowed.
"Did the sorcerer send you?" His challenge was blunt and informal. He was not afraid to die, as long as he took down several in the process.
A sudden chorus of awed whispers broke through the dark multitudes. Their excitement intensified, the murmurs converging into the soft call of a single word. The chanting grew louder and louder. It was a symphony of unified cries.
He blinked. The word sounded from all directions until he could no longer deny what they shouted. The ruby-eyed vampire assumed a different air. He stood up, tall, regal and proud once more, facing the sea of shadows around him.
They were acknowledging him. They had found their long-lost Heir.
"Pharoah!"
Ceremony complete, the final word echoed in the air above the silence, still ringing with a thousand voices. Now a sea of expectant faces stared back. They were no longer veiled but familiar, the faces of comrades and allies occasionally decorating the massive throng.
His throat constricted with raw emotion. The ruby-eyed nighthunter looked around as if to confirm that it wasn't an illusion. The figures surrounding him stared back, quiet and eager.
"So the time has come." He almost started at his own voice that poured from him to fill the excited silence. He continued. "Five-thousand years ago, my father died and I was forced from the throne into exile by the humans. He was the first nighthunter, but I took the blame for his actions. I have lived in exile ever since, running from those who feared and despised me. In those five-thousand years, I have made many enemies. They still hunt me now, and if you call me your leader and ask me to take the throne once again, then you too will become their enemies." The ruby-eyed vampire paused. "Are you still willing to follow me?"
There was no hesitation in the roar of enthusiastic voices.
He waited for the sound to die down. A part of him expected them to leave, but none did. They remembered the legacy of his father and the incredible power of the Heirs, the original vampires of pure blood. They recalled the Legend of rebirth, of the new Heir reclaiming the throne and leading the nighthunters to unity and a reign without chaos or bitter rivalry among each other.
There were still those among his species who hated and feared him. They preferred individuality and isolation. But the majority of them had overcome their hesitation for a chance to change their status. They wanted to be known and feared once again in the Darkworld.
He knew of this and of the heavy burden it placed on his shoulders. And yet, he could not refuse. Those who bore the ruby-coloured third eye on their foreheads, the mark of the Heirs, had long passed away or been killed. He was the last Heir.
He was their Pharaoh again, come at last again to a long-empty throne.
At last he nodded. "Then I accept. As Pharaoh, as the new Heir, I ask only for your loyalty. Those who betray me will be punished heavily."
There was a small ruckus that suddenly disturbed the formality of the situation. The several vampires involved were vainly trying to cover the noise and disturbance.
The ruby-eyed vampire shifted his gaze towards the sound. "What is it?"
The handful of nighthunters turned around with shamed, guilty faces. One of them had someone wrapped between his arms, silencing it with one hand.
It then occurred to the Heir exactly _where_ those nighthunters were. Some of them were still balanced on the broken emergency exit.
Heart pounding, the ruby-eyed vampire leapt downwards until he landed on the railing and stood in front of the nighthunter holding the figure captive.
"Pharaoh." The other nighthunter bowed his head, avoiding the Heir's cold, crimson eyes. "I found this human watching our ceremony. I am sorry that I did not dispose of him earlier."
The human held under the other nighthunter's grip extended a trembling hand towards the Heir. Large amethyst eyes wide and pleading, he uttered a single word.
"Yami."
The Millennium Puzzle dangled from the boy's chest, but no one else seemed to notice it. All they saw was a lowly human that needed to be punished.
Perhaps now was the time to test their loyalty. The Pharaoh of the nighthunters motioned for the human to be set free and took the boy between his own cold arms. A twinge of protectiveness stabbed at his heart, but he convinced himself that he only needed the boy for the Puzzle.
The ruby-eyed vampire held the boy for all the vampires to see. "From now on, this human is under my protection. No nighthunter shall harm him and those who do will be sentenced to immediate death."
He listened to his own words fade away. There was silence where a protest had been expected.
The other nighthunter, the one who had addressed the Pharaoh, broke the silence with his strong alto. "You heard the Pharaoh! The boy shall not be harmed!" He looked around at his fellow comrades, waiting for their reply.
The following response was instantaneous. Every nighthunter roared in agreement and chanted out the Pharaoh's decree.
"The human shall not be harmed!"
From the darkness hiding behind a far away corner lurked a single figure. His silvery hair flashed in the moonlight before he disappeared.
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End notes:
Well, hoped you enjoyed it~
Eevee muse: How could they? You just borrowed all those stereotypical plots from those other vampire fics.
Zoo: -_-;;; Have some faith in me. I have plot twists ready. *pauses*. Well, now I do ^_^
Eevee muse: *facefaults*
Prelude to the next chapter:
(3 weeks after Yuugi first met Yami)
There was a faint tap on his windowsill. Slowly Yuugi crawled out of his bed, rubbing his eyes blearily as we walked across the room. Without a second moment's thought, he unlatched the window lock and opened the shutters wide open. The teen gave a small yawn as a dark-clad figure outside the window slid in.
"Hi Yami."
The nighthunter nodded. "Sorry I couldn't come earlier. I had some... business to take care of."
"It's okay." Yuugi smiled. "You're the Pharaoh. You must have a lot of things to do."
A small sigh escaped the other's lips. The ruby-eyed vampire absently closed the window shutters and faced the night sky outside. "It's not just us nighthunters, Yuugi. There are others, many different types that call the Darkworld their home. They too can only come out at night time."
"Really?" The small boy looked more surprised than anything else. He leaned eagerly towards the taller figure. "Could you explain?" Upon seeing the other's reluctance, Yuugi opened his large violet eyes as wide as possible and Yami gave his best bambi-eyed expression.
The nighthunter found himself unable to resist such cuteness. "All right, all right." He scowled. "I'll tell you a story then."
His deep ruby eyes clouded over in reminiscence. "Let me explain the Dreamwolves first. They are like ghostly wolves, with pure white-fur highly valued among us nighthunters for its cloaking ability. Dreamwolves too have a special power. They can move through dreams, and see every human's wandering mind. Yet, like all creatures of the Darkworld, they are not allowed to interfere or reveal themselves to the humans..."