Story Title: Here in the Shadows
Chapter Title: Blood of Return
Chapter Number: One
Rated: R
Summary: Blood dripping and churning, flesh crumbling and screaming. . .Yami no Malik wants revenge, in the form of a young teen dancer. But soon his game of seduction will become more than just a game, and Yami will learn there are things worse than death.
*~*Prologue*~*
From an aerial view, Santorini looked like the head of a crocodile, jaw open wide in hopes of baiting in prey. On the island however, the scenery was anything but primal. Santorini, Greece overlooked the Mediterranean Sea, the sunlight streaking beneath the surface of the water, transforming the liquid into a translucent shade of bright blue. The sea air wafted through the island, so crisp and fresh that passers-by took in deep breaths as they went about their day. A vicious storm had recently lapsed, the sun peeking weakly and lime yellow above the light gray clouds.
Homes stood tall and strong, built diagonally across the face of a huge hill. Little children played on patios, laughing and waving as youths walked sulkily on the cobbled streets heading for school, joining the throng of workers.
Near the beach, three friends ran and scuffed up sand, catching up to another classmate. "Pou blepe eiseis peripatos, ilithios?" They taunted, circling him.
The black-haired boy stopped, olive eyes stinging with tears as he held his books closer to his chest. "Adeia ego o idios monos." Leave me alone.
"Why should we?" they continued taunting, one pushing the boy in the sand, his books scattering across the ground. "What will you give us?"
The young boy stood up, readjusting his glasses as he stared up at the three bullies. "I have some chrimata. Some . . . Some money." He fumbled in his small pockets, grasped his coins, and pulled up his hand, the material of his jeans scraping his knuckles light red. "Edo." He threw them at the feet of the hooligans, as though paying his tribute to an altar.
The boys laughed and picked up the coins. "Thanks blackas," one said as he pocketed the money. "But that is less than you payed us last time, Aeneas. We want more."
Aeneas' eye twitched as he shuddered slightly. "I don't have any more."
"That's too bad," another said as he hit his hand with a fist. "We'll just have to teach you a lesson."
Aeneas took deep breaths, remembering what his father had said only yesterday. "You can't let them beat you up. For Zeus's sake, be a man. An andras."
His father was right. "N-no you won't. I-I will f-fight you." He said shakily and clenched his fists.
The bullies laughed. "Looks like the deilos is getting some balls."
Aeneas closed his eyes as he saw them pull back their fists, ready for the blows to come. They never did.
"Trecho! Teras o Fonias!" He heard them yell. Opening his olive eyes, he watched with amazement as they ran away at top speed. Aeneas barely had time to contemplate this as a sound from behind startled him. He turned around quickly, backing up a few steps.
Nothing was there. Only the sandy beach framed by a pale blue sky and sea filled his vision, overflowing with beauty like a fountain of water.
Aeneas gasped. Suddenly, a small, bright, slanted light cut through the air before him. It was as though his world was nothing but a painting as the line grew, shining so brilliantly that he had to hold up a forearm to cover his face. It moaned and hummed and beckoned, drawing Aeneas closer to the enigma. Then, a black line slew through the white bar as it peeled back, allowing the black wrinkle to enlarge.
"Cool," he whispered as a tanned hand came from within the black line, followed by an arm, head, torso, and legs. As the figure fell to the ground, the line appeared to collapse on itself and close.
No doubt thinking this newly arrived being was his guardian angel, Aeneas walked forward. "Hello."
The man appeared to have not noticed the boy as he flexed his arms, gazing at them in rapt wonder. His platinum blonde hair stood up in spikes, clashing with his piercing lavender eyes. His body, devoid of clothing, stood lean and muscular in the sun, his tanned skin immediately overcome with bumps as a chilling sea breeze screamed across the island.
"I'm back," he whispered in Egyptian, stretching out his hand. "They were fools to think they could stop me."
Aeneas raised an eyebrow at this. The man spoke a language he hadn't heard before. An angelic language, perhaps? No matter. He'd find a way to communicate with him. "I. Am. Aeneas. What. Is. Your. Name?" he said very slowly, pointing at himself.
The man looked at him, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Nem hir wikna safa?"
The boy's eyes brightened. "Is that your name? Nemhir Wikna Safa?" Without waiting for confirmation, Aeneas continued with his speech. "Welcome to the Santorini Coast Nemhir. How did you get here?"
The man smiled, his tongue licking his lips. "Idiot child," he mocked in Egyptian. The blonde headed stranger looked around the beach, an evil grin spreading across his face as he spotted a jagged rock. "You will be the first to die."
"What are you doing?" Aeneas asked as his Guardian Angel picked up a large stone. "Did one of the gods send you here?"
He choked on his words as the rock hit him in the head, his teeth coming loose and tearing his tongue. The boy dropped heavily on the ground, glasses askew and disbelief beginning to shine in his eyes. A shadow fell across him as Yami no Malik raised the heavy stone high overhead. "Everyone shall suffer and feel my wrath."
The rock came crashing down as a girl screamed hundreds of miles away.
*~*Chapter One*~*
Téa panted furiously. Her head ached violently, and the brightness that flooded the room added to the pain. Closing her eyes, Téa tried to recall the dream, but it was already fading away like light during sunset. It didn't matter anyway. It was only a nightmare, except for the fact it seemed so real.
Her alarm clock on the bedside table glared with the red numbers of 2:27 p.m. School had ended early for the day—12 o'clock to be precise—and Téa had succumbed to sleep the second she had come home. It was the fault of the stupid test she had that day. Téa had stayed up almost all night cramming for it, which contributed to her zombie like appearance earlier in school.
Téa sighed.
The walls of her bedroom were painted icy pink, matching the color of her ruffled curtains. Strewn across the bed, stuffed animals of all sizes and shapes made their appearance, mouths frozen in open smiles. Heat swelled and rumbled like a heavy blanket around Téa, the fan overhead circulating the warmth until it was almost unbearable.
She got out of bed, lazily wiping wet bangs from her face. Instead of feeling rested and refreshed, Téa felt weary and frustrated. The few hours of sleep didn't help at all, and the heat was killing her.
Just then the phone rang. "Comin' comin'," yawned Téa widely, lazily ambling downstairs. She walked into the kitchen.
"Hello?" she asked as she picked up the cordless phone.
"Hey Téa!" Yugi's voice greeted her. "What's up? You sound kinda tired."
She smiled despite herself. "I am."
It was slightly cooler downstairs, thanks to the open windows. A breeze poured in, ruffling the curtains and bringing with the sultry scents of the ocean. Unwashed dishes littered the sink, mayonnaise and mustard scattered across the counter top. Téa smiled in relief as she opened the refrigerator and let the cold air wash over her. "Why didya call?"
"Didn't you see the news?" Yugi breathed at once, excitement filtering through the phone. "A Duel Monsters tournament is being held in Egypt. In Egypt! And I'm invited. In fact we all are. You, Joey, Tristan, Ryou, and I think maybe Serenity is coming too."
"Wha—wow! You mean as guests right?"
"Of course."
"Wow . . . Just jeez! It's exciting. When do we leave?"
There was silence, then, "tomorrow."
"What?! Yugi! Tomorrow?"
"I know I know. Short notice," he consoled her. "I only got my invitation today. It was late in coming. But please Téa. I'm sure you can come. All the expenses are already paid for. Please."
Téa bit her lip. "I want to come. But my parents . . . and my dancing lessons."
"C'mon Téa! It's not for that long. Dancing can wait. Besides, you don't need lessons. You're excellent!"
She smiled. "But there's still my parents to consider."
"Of course they'll say yes. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"Maybe . . . If I clean the house and make dinner for them when they come home . . . They can't refuse then."
"That's great! Me and the guys can help."
In the background, Téa heard Joey's muffled voice say, "Help? What do you mean by 'help'?"
"Hold on," Yugi's voice said.
Téa waited patiently as whining and pleading filtered through the phone, then thumps and scuffles.
"We'll be there soon," came Yugi's voice five minutes later, breathing heavily.
"'Kay. See you then."
Dial tone. She hung up.
Téa walked into the livingroom, where CD's and TV Dinners littered the table. Almost hidden behind a fake potted plant, and elegant mirror hung on the white wall. Pink bordered the mirror in an elegant style, drawn in unknown shapes of enigmas. A blue-eyed girl stared back at Téa, face pale and strained. Chestnut hair fell in bunches around her ears, tickling her neck. She still wore some of her school clothes: a rose-colored skirt and white shirt. Her tie and jacket had been removed well before the school day was over. It was too darn hot! Of course, it was sure to be hotter in Egypt.
The doorbell rang.
"Coming!" she yelled. Téa ran to the door, stretching to loosen tense nerves. She opened the door just as her Pomeranian bounded between her legs, barking hysterically. "No Pookie! Bad girl. Stop!" Téa grabbed the dog's collar, just before tripping over the edge of the door. Landing on her knees, she looked up, expecting to see Joey laughing at her. Unfortunately, it wasn't. "Hiya . . . there."
A startled looking postal worker stared back at her. "For you miss," he said hoarsely, holding a package in front of him as though to ward Pookie off in case she attacked, who was still barking furiously.
"Um . . . Thanks." She took the package and stood up, her face burning while Pookie wiggled underneath her arm.
"Sign here." He held out a clipboard, giving her a pin and pointed to a name slot that was quickly occupied with Téa's signature. "Have a good day," he said and turned around to leave. Quickly.
"Pookie! Bad girl!" Téa reprimanded at the quivering ball of fur. The Pomeranian's hair was baby soft and fawn-colored, making her appear like a miniature lion as her fur puffed around her neck.
She rolled her eyes at the dog's energy as Pookie cavorted across the livingroom, barking wildly.
"Let's see what we have here," Téa muttered to herself, examining the package for a return address and name. There wasn't any. Unwrapping the packet rather quickly, she came face to face with a large white box. She opened it, which revealed a smaller pink box. This happened four times until only a small ruby red parcel was left.
"Weird," mumbled the dancer, opening the box slightly just as the doorbell rang. The sound acted like an electrical bolt as Pookie hurtled in the air and ran barking toward the noise. Putting the covered package down, Téa trotted to the door. Glancing through the peep hole, she smiled as Joey's forehead came into view, magnified to twice its original size.
"Welcome welcome to my gracious home." She bowed her head as she opened the door. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"I think Téa's on something," Joey said loudly to Tristan, earning a slap to the arm from the aforementioned.
Joey's blonde hair was unkept as usual, waving this way and that. Brown eyes shone from his face, a hint of sly and determined mischief twinkling in them. Covering his body, a loose green shirt rustled lightly in the breeze, baggy blue pants accompanying them.
Tristan on the other hand, kept his brown hair stiff as a needle—in the shape of one as well—that complimented and brought out his eyes. His beige trench coat swirled like a cape around him, almost hiding his black pants and shirt.
"Don't joke about stuff like that," Ryou said sternly. He then smiled at Téa, his teeth as white as his long layered hair. His olive complexion magnified his dark chocolate eyes, dimples forming in each cheek. Ryou looked very fitting in his blue shirt, the threads forming little chain links across the cuffs, reminding Téa of a renaissance knight. His Millennium Ring finished the look, the gold gleaming in the light.
And then there was Yugi, the last and certainly the least (in height) of the gang. As though attempting to make himself taller, he grew his tri-colored hair in pointy spikes: red, blonde, and black. His large lavender eyes shone with innocence, his smile gregarious and childlike. His usual blue jacket was replaced with a loose black shirt, his pants tight and stylishly buckled. Like Ryou, his Millennium Puzzle hung around his neck, held by a metal chain.
"Whatever Joey," she replied, opening the door wide for them. As usual, Pookie barked like crazy, running between their feet.
"Shuddap Poopie!" Joey shouted.
"It's Pookie!" corrected Téa, cerulean eyes narrowing.
Ryou knelt and scratched the excited Pomeranian behind the ears. "Shh, calm down." The dog's tongue lolled from the side of her mouth as she began to twitch her leg rapidly.
"Heh. Dogs are idiots," Joey said, stepping past them and into the livingroom.
"Considering Kaiba keeps calling you that . . . " Tristan followed his friend.
Joey whirled around. "And what's dat s'posed to mean?"
"Now guys," stated Yugi warily. "Let's not start fighting."
Like two toddlers they pouted. "He started it!" Joey pointed out, his New York accent heavy.
Sighing, Téa stared at the sky. The landscape was beautiful, with the sun shining brilliantly down on perfect manicured lawns, the scent of freshly cut grass renting the air while a breeze twirled around flowers, causing them to dance to the rhythm of nature. Of course, the sun's rays couldn't hide every shadow, and they swarmed under trees and cars, seemingly to grow of their own accord until in Téa's mind they dominated her view, as though a turned knob tinting the brightness out of the world.
She closed the door quickly. "Okay boys, time to get to work."
"Téa . . . it looks clean to me." Joey surveyed the livingroom.
"It might be clean by your standards Joey, but it's not . . . I mean," Ryou looked quickly at Téa.
"It's okay Ryou. It's not clean at all," she finished for him.
Tristan shrugged off his overcoat. "Don't you people have air-conditioning? It's like one hundred degrees outside."
Hanging his trench coat in the closet, Téa turned on him. "For your information it's broken. And why in the world did you wear a trench coat when it's one hundred degrees outside?!"
Tristan smiled sheepishly, carefully smoothing back his hair. "A person has to be in style, especially to impress the lovely Serenity that's coming today."
"That must be why his usual stench is gone," Joey whispered to Ryou, who giggled slightly.
At the end of Battle City, Joey had relented his brotherly hold and allowed Tristan to pursue his relationship with Serenity. As Joey said from time to time, Serenity was growing up into a beautiful lady, and he'd rather have a trusted friend dating her than someone else—someone like Duke Devlin.
"Where do you want us to start?" asked Yugi.
"Just start wherever you want." And with that, Téa dived into the mess, her friends soon joining as they started on one of their most boring get-togethers.
"What's this Téa?" Joey up until this point had wandered amongst his friends, pointing out what needed to be done, much to their chagrin. Now, he held the small crimson box to his ear, shaking it slightly.
"Gimme that!" She marched over to him and quickly snatched the parcel out of his hand.
Tristan sidled toward them. "Aww . . . Looks like Téa has a secret admirer."
She was now pink around the ears. "I do not! It just came in the mail!"
"Who's it from Téa?" Yugi had now joined them.
"Yes, that's what I would like to know." There was a dark glint in Ryou's eyes, and his voice hid a barely audible growl.
"I don't know. I haven't even opened it yet." A glint of curiosity shone in Téa's eyes at Ryou's sudden change. She looked warily at him, but he just smiled.
"I think it's jewelry," continued Joey, hand scratching his hair as he thought.
"Probably Duel Monsters cards."
"Why would anyone wanna send Téa Duel Monsters cards?"
"How should I know?!"
"Because you just suggested it!"
"Both of you shut-up!" Téa clenched her fists and glared at them.
Joey and Tristan immediately fell quiet.
"Now, you guys wanted to help me, so please finish cleaning while I put this away." She quickly hurried upstairs, blocking out their protests ("Yugi made me come!").
The heat seemed to simmer like water left on the stove, so that it suffocated Téa like a cloth covering her lungs. She gagged. She couldn't wait until the Sears repair technicians came and restored the air conditioning.
Opening the ruby box, Téa almost dropped the package. Inside was a necklace. But not like any necklace she had seen before. The band was thick and made of gold, elegant designs sprawled in silver wove across it. The stone, however, was what caught Téa's eyes. Huge and heavy, it gleamed with an unknown light. It appeared to be so black it was blue, until one looked closer and a whole world of colors opened up, filled with red, lavender, orange, and pink, mixing and churning and rumbling like a swarm of wasps until a new color appeared. It was breathtaking . . . and must have been expensive.
"Who would send me this?" Téa wondered out loud, barely breathing. Placing the necklace gently on her bed, she looked within the parcel to see if it came with a letter. Surely there must be. And she was right. Unfolding the letter rather quickly, she blanched at the two sentences scrawled hastily in black ink.
Keep it secret. Keep it safe.
Was this some kind of joke?! Téa bit her lip as she looked at the necklace. She hardly ever kept secrets from her friends, and perhaps they could help solve the mystery of who sent it. Someone with a lot of money obviously . . .
She gasped.
Kaiba?! No no. . . . it couldn't be. Could it? If it was Kaiba, he would want to keep it secret. Hounded by reporters constantly, they would make mincemeat of this story. Plus, Joey would never let him live it down. And if he did send it, naturally it would be expensive, and therefore she must keep it safe. But why did he send it? It couldn't be because of affection. Why in the world would someone like Kaiba care for a girl like her? There must be some other reason . . . but in the meantime she would keep it secret from her friends. Kaiba was bound to be at the tournament. She would ask him there.
Placing the necklace in a drawer, Téa piled clothes on it. It would be safe as well as kept secret there. No one came in her room save for her.
At a quarter past three the gang sat around the living room, slumped on the couches. "I don't understand why you wanna clean somethin' when yer jus' gonna dirty it up 'gain," Joey muttered.
"The point, Joey, is that . . . Oh, why bother?" Ryou threw his hands up in the air.
Tristan leaned over and caught Joey's neck in the crook of his arm, effectively capturing him while the pointy haired teen gave his friend a noogie. "Nothing can get through this hard head of his."
"Watch it Tristan!" growled Joey, struggling to break free.
Yugi caught Téa's eye and they both shared a quiet chuckled. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Ya know, since we're done and everything, why don't we hang out somewhere? The mall maybe."
Joey and Tristan both ceased their banter as they looked at their tiny friend. "The mall?!"
Téa's eyes glazed over. "The mall!" she said with much more enthusiasm than her friends. "We could listen to music, and walk around, and dance, and . . . "
"Now you've done it, Yuge," muttered Joey. "Now Téa won't shut-up."
"Look on the bright side. You can have a bloomin' good time there. Didn't you want to try out that new ice cream store?" Ryou piped up with a smile.
She could almost see hearts take place of their eyes. "I heard the double decker chocolate with strawberry swirls was good."
"With cheesecake filling . . . "
"Mm-mmm."
The Domino Mall glittered with arrays of lights, the cold metal of the escalator reflecting the sparkles. Banners hung from the ceiling and outside stores, large neon letters promising savings. Trampling on the pale white floor, all sizes and color of humanity swelled and bustled, snatches of conversations fluttering in the air. The smell of hamburgers and ketchup wafted enticingly, mixing with the lemony cleaner the janitors used for the floor, which now was filled with black scuff marks.
"Where's the food court again?" Tristan looked around.
"Forget about the food court," dismissed Téa with a wave of her hand. "Dancing works up an appetite. Let's go there after—"
"Whoa whoa whoa Téa. We're not gonna go dancing." Joey's face was set, stubbornness creasing his brown eyes.
She sighed, raking a hand through her short chestnut hair. "Fine. I'll dance . . . alone. Perhaps Johnny Steps is there. I'd love to whoop his sorry butt again."
"We'll come watch," Yugi beamed.
Tristan and Joey both sighed. "There's that 'we' again."
Before Yugi had time to reply, Joey suddenly muttered, "There goes that girl again."
"What girl?"
Tristan widened his eyes as though it should be obvious. "The girl that looks like Téa. The one we mention all the time. See." He pointed over to Radio Shack, where a girl with shoulder length brown hair and cerulean eyes made her appearance. Focusing her attention on the restroom, the girl ambled past them without a second glance, appearing remarkably like Téa.
As they talked about the girl, Téa noticed that Ryou looked at her from the corner of his eyes, which narrowed until they almost looked like slits. There was something wrong with him.
"Guys, I'll meet you soon. The food court is down by Wal-Greens, which is . . . Oh, just go look at that map over there." A chart was set in the middle of the floor, the You Are Here sign in big bold red letters.
As the boys dispersed like rain on a hot summer's day, Téa pulled Ryou aside. "I need to talk to you."
He smiled charmingly. "About what Téa?"
She hesitated. "Well . . . I . . . Is anything wrong? You seem . . . different today." Ryou blinked his huge chocolate eyes, brimming with innocence. "How so?"
"Well . . . I . . . Never mind." She shook her head and smiled. "I must have been imagining it. Anyway, I'm gonna go dancing. I'll see you later." As Téa turned away, a hand firmly gripped her arm.
"Now that we're here," Ryou began politely, "we can at least stay and talk."
She looked at his hand, then up to his smiling face. "About what?"
"About that package you received today. Who sent it, and more importantly, what was in it." His voice grew harsher with every word spoken. He dipped his head forward, his bangs covering his yes.
"I don't . . . think that's really any of your business Ryou."
His grip tightened. "I believe it is."
Téa pulled her arm back a bit, only to have his fingers dig viciously into her pale skin. "You're not Ryou, are you?"
The man in front of her chuckled, his milky white hair beginning to raise up slightly. He lifted his head, his eyes suddenly appearing darker and harsher. "Hardly," he sneered. "The day I become soft and pleasant will be a sad day indeed."
It will be a happy day for me, Téa wanted to say, but held her tongue. "What do you want?" She hadn't seen him since Battle City, and hadn't expected to since Yami reported he had been defeated by Yami no Malik and banished to the Shadow Realm.
"I already told you, you twit." His eyes bore into hers so that Téa felt as though she were burning. "And don't scream," he continued, "Or I'll send you to the Shadow Realm before you can blink. We might go there anyway," he leered. "So now—"
A bloodcurdling screech suddenly pierced the jovial atmosphere of the mall, but it wasn't Téa's. From the bathroom, a figure stumbled with bloody brown shoulder length hair and sapphire eyes. A shriek began to form in Téa's throat, and even Bakura growled.
The huge mall, lit by a dozen brilliant light fixtures, was half-full with teens clad in flares and formally dressed adults, every single one of them staring with a look of utmost horror at the woman's restroom, some mouths open in silent screams.
The girl was covered so entirely with blood that not a single detail of apparel or anatomy could be distinguished behind that ghastly shimmering surface of crimson. An oily sweet stench of iron drifted around Téa, causing her to gag. The scarlet figure stumbled forward blindly, blood leaking and dripping onto the white floor.
The movement of the ensanguined girl suddenly cavorted the onlookers into action, their shock broken like a thin piece of string pulled too tight, and they yelled and ran, pushing others in front of them as they rushed to the exits.
The red surface of the poor girl's face opened to reveal a black hole from which an anguished animal howl burst out, ending in a dreadful gurgle as if she were drowning in her own life blood. Then slowly she keeled over, and rolling down the few steps leading to the restroom, came to a stop by Téa's feet, splattering her pristine outfit with blood.
That was when Téa screamed.
Adelianna: I've already started on chapter 2. If I get enough reviews, I'll post another chapter. So, review! ^_~