Author Notes: I'm back with the next chapter. I don't really have a good excuse as to why it's late. You know… life and all that. I was a little disappointed with the lack of response to the first chapter, but maybe this one will go over better.
This chapter is dedicated to Tea/Anzufan for being my first reviewer! Thanks for such an awesome review! It really gave me inspiration to continue this story!
Notes: In the Japanese version Yami no Yuugi calls Yuugi aibou or "partner".
Chapter Two: Escape!
There were four of them spying on the darkness, waiting for their prey to make the first move.
"Come on. This way," Mazaki Anzu whispered to Kawai Shizuka, her auburn haired friend. She took her hand and led her through a deserted ally way. They stopped and stood behind a wall, peering out into the street. It was almost too dark to see by, but Anzu could feel the presence of a nearby figure. She put a hand to her chest and felt the rhythm of her heart, racing a mile a minute. She hadn't been this afraid in months.
"Anzu-san, I'm scared," Shizuka murmured at her side.
"Yeah, me too."
"I wish my brother was here."
The brunette froze as a horrible wave of guilt washed over her, and she shook her head to drive it away. Now was not the time for regrets. "So do I, but we have to be strong for him. Now, please be quiet." There's someone coming our way. Her eyes widened fearfully as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. A shadowy form passed over the mouth of the ally and the soft sounds of gravel crunching under shoes stilled. The brunette pulled Shizuka against the wall next to her and edged in as close as she could. She was sure the person could hear her breathing.
She closed her eyes tightly in fear. Please, please, don't let us be found.
The figure stepped closer. Anzu could hear the clunking of metal against brick. He was looking for them, checking all the dark corners. He paused for a moment, hesitating, as if debating what to do next. It seemed to Anzu that he didn't want to come in any further. Make him leave.
It felt like they'd been standing there for hours. Maybe they had.
Shizuka began to tremble, and Anzu put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She's just as scared as me, but I can't allow her to give us away. We have to make it on our own. We can't let ourselves get caught. It's not an option.
"Anzu… Shizuka-chan…" The brunette froze as the figure, a man, spoke. The voice was a hoarse whisper but was instantly recognizable. "Listen, I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me."
"Otogi-san?" Shizuka murmured. She took a step forward, but Anzu tightened the grip on her shoulder, restraining her.
"What do you want?" She whispered warily. She couldn't trust him after what he'd done, not anymore.
As if he'd read her mind, Otogi's voice was pleading when he next spoke. "I'm sorry for all that's happened, but you don't understand what they're like. I have to follow orders. Please…Anzu…"
"You betrayed us, your friends," Anzu hissed. His face was enshrouded in shadow, but she clearly saw him tense. "How does it feel hurting countless people for the sake of him?! How do you live with yourself? How can you and Honda even call yourselves human?!"
Otogi's lips quirked up in the briefest flicker of a smile before he slowly shook his head. "I can't. But somehow…somehow I'll make it up to you, to everyone I've hurt. Here… t-take this." He reached into his pocket and tossed something to her feet. Anzu picked it up and felt a pang in her heart.
"Yuugi…" She murmured hoarsely, voice cracking.
Otogi looked down at his feet and shifted uneasily. "It was always his favorite, wasn't it? It was the card he was known for." Anzu nodded, taking in the details of the Black Magician as tears began to form in her eyes. If it wasn't for Malik, our friends would still be alive. If it wasn't for him…
The sky blackened and a harsh wind whipped around the figures huddled together as they witnessed the fall of their one last hope. Ishtar Malik laughed insanely as the last traces of Yuugi were swallowed up by the darkness. His screams of pain echoed across the tower and lingered even after he'd vanished.
"Yuugi!" Anzu cried, slapping her hands over her mouth in horror. "No! Come back! YUUGI!"
"YUUGI-KUN!!"
"YUUGI!"
"Partner, no. Please…" the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle groaned, weak from his ongoing struggle against the darkness, the one struggle he was destined to lose. "Please, forgive me." He slumped to his knees in hopeless despair and allowed the few cards he had remaining to slip from his fingertips. They fluttered noiselessly to the ground. "I wasn't strong enough. I've… failed you." Then, because he no longer had a host body to reside in, his seemingly solid form began deteriorating, and he closed his eyes tightly, embracing the inevitable. Partner… Everyone… This is my entire fault. The Sennen Puzzle fell with a clunk to the ground along side Yuugi's deck. I'm sorry…
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Anzu's scream echoed across the platform.
Malik roared with laughter as he stared at the spot the other Yuugi once stood. "Don't worry. You'll be joining your little friend soon." He walked arrogantly across the arena floor and picked up the puzzle, placing it around his own neck. Then he bent down and searched through the deck until he found the two remaining cards it had taken him seventeen long years to obtain. He tucked them safely away in his cloak with a barely concealed smirk.
For an instant, time seemed to freeze as everyone realized what was happening. Malik had won and both Yuugi's were gone. Forever. Even Kaiba stood in shock, unable to do anything but stare in horror. Something like this just couldn't happen. Good always conquered evil, never the other way around.
Malik grinned wickedly and jumped down from the platform, approaching the group of teens who simultaneously backed away. "Well, well." He smirked. "The hated Pharaoh's gone, but what to do about his friends?"
"You asshole!" Jounouchi shouted, taking a bold step foreword. "How could you do something like that?!"
"Be quiet, Jounouchi! You don't know what he could do to you!" Honda's hissed warnings were ignored as the stubborn blonde balled his hand into a fist and raised it, glaring defiantly. Otogi shot a nervous glance at him but wisely kept his mouth shut.
"I'll never forgive you! Bring him back now, or I'll…" He was cut off abruptly as Malik shoved the blade end of the rod into his throat.
"Jounouchi!" Anzu cried, "No, stop! Jounouchi!"
Malik ignored her, keeping his violet eyes trained on Jounouchi's fearful brown ones. "Are you volunteering to die first?" The blonde grunted in pain as a stream of blood ran down his neck, soaking his white t- shirt.
"Let him go!" Anzu's head turned at the shout as a boy with shaggy, black hair came charging toward Malik.
"Mokuba, stop!" Kaiba's startled command echoed across the blimp. "Don't go near him. Stay back, Mokuba!" He'd begun to jog after his little brother but was too late as Mokuba was already launching himself at Malik's back. "Mokuba!"
"Stop it!" Anzu screamed, again. In annoyance, Malik had swung around and struck Mokuba with his Sennen Rod, instead, leaving Jounouchi to fall to his knees. The young boy hit the ground with a gasp and struggled to stand as Malik continued to advance on him. Suddenly, Anzu lunged forward, latching her arms around Malik's neck and squeezing hard, effectively cutting off his oxygen supply. He caught her full in the stomach in his struggle to breathe, and she stumbled backwards, reaching out in panic and grabbing onto the Sennen Puzzle. It broke free from its chain and the sudden release caused her to lose her footing. She plunged over the edge of the tower.
"Anzu!" Honda and Otogi shouted together, racing foreword. They were too late.
A scream erupted from her mouth as she fell, hands grasping at nothing. The faces of her friends vanished at an alarming rate and the rush of air in her ears deafened her to their cries. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes, and she briefly wondered what hitting the ground would feel like at this speed. Suddenly, the silhouette of a figure loomed overhead, and without a moment's hesitation, he dove off after her. Anzu's eyes widened in recognition as Kaiba's body neared hers, blue eyes focused and wild with intensity. Her last conscious awareness was of arms being wrapped securely around her before everything went black.
Something hard… Can't move… Pain… Can't breathe… Head hurts… Darkness… Where am I? The first thing Anzu felt when her eye lids fluttered open was an intense pain shooting throughout her entire body. She tried to sit up, but her back and ribs protested, demanding she cease her movements. She immediately lay back, allowing her entire body to relax. Am I dead? She scratched out that option almost as soon as it flitted through her head. Dead people didn't feel excruciating pain.
For a moment, Anzu's head spun as she tried to remember what had happened, and then everything came rushing back with a vengeance. She remembered the fall from the tower, the terrifying feeling of her life flashing before her eyes, and…Kaiba. Everything after that was just a haze. Confused and disoriented, she blinked a few times to clear her vision and finally took a look around at her surroundings. It was dark, that much she could make out, at least. The duel tower looming above her was beginning to blur, and she shook her head to clear her vision. But… as she took a closer look something didn't seem right. She squinted and cocked her head for a different perspective; then her eyes widened in shock.
In her disoriented state, she'd failed to realize that a large section of the dueling tower had been blown apart, leaving a gaping hole where the arena had once been. Pieces of cement and rubble lay scattered around the base of the tower, the dust still settling where it'd been stirred up. Anzu could only sit in shock as she stared at the destruction around her, wondering what had happened and preying that the others had gotten out alive.
"…Anzu?"
"What?" Anzu snapped out of her revere and blinked into the darkness, waiting for Otogi to continue.
He glanced over his shoulder, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter than before. She had to strain to hear him. "You have to get out of here," he murmured. "Malik's determined to find you, and he's beginning to resort to desperate measures. All his Ghouls are out looking for you."
"Why?" Anzu moaned quietly. "He's won. What does he still want from us?"
Otogi glanced around again as if to make sure no one was listening. "I don't know but I'll… I'll do what I can to help you escape. I owe you…"
"Otogi-san." Shizuka tried moving forward again, but Anzu stopped her.
"Why should we trust you?" she asked darkly.
He winced at her angry tone and murmured, "You don't have a much of a choice." Then he turned and began walking back toward the light of the street.
"What are you going to do?" Anzu demanded.
"Don't worry about me," he replied, not bothering to turn back, "just get out of here. I'll find some way to cause a diversion." Then he paused in his stride. "Shizuka-chan." She looked up tearfully. "I'm sorry it couldn't have been different between us. Take care of yourself."
"Wait, Otogi-san…" she pleaded, but he was already walking away from the ally.
The two girls watched silently as he turned a corner, disappearing from view. Anzu could hear the soft droning of several voices. However, as the murmurs progressively increased in volume she could sense a certain tension hidden in the undercurrents of the conversation. She waited with bated breath, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Otogi knew exactly where they were hidden. If he really wanted to, he could report them to the Ghouls. The voices grew louder and angrier and quick footsteps could be heard making their way toward the oncoming conflict.
"Come on, Shizuka," Anzu said suddenly, pushing the other girl forward. "We've got to get out of here, now!"
"O-ok."
Together they scampered from the ally and into the street, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They didn't get very far, however, before a cold voice stopped them in their tracks. "State your names and business or I'll need to report you to Malik-sama for breaking curfew." The dark cloaked figure walked up menacingly behind them, and Anzu felt her breath hitch in her throat.
"Run, Shizuka!" She yelled, grabbing onto the younger girl's hand and dragging her down the street. The Ghoul started in surprise and pulled a gun from his cloak.
"Stop! Come back here!"
Suddenly, a loud shot rang out, and Anzu felt adrenaline course through her body as she shoved Shizuka behind some dumpsters. But it took them just a few seconds to realize the intended target hadn't been them but their pursuer. He was laying face down on his stomach, sickeningly limp. Time froze for several seconds before all hell broke loose, and many more guns went off. A huge explosion light up the dark sky, blowing several bodies into the street with its waves of heat. Otogi's slim body slumped over, before collapsing to the ground.
Shizuka gasped in horror and threw her hands to her mouth. "Otogi-san!" she shrieked, eyes widening in terror.
Anuz's eyes widened as she watched the smoke billowing into the dark, cloudless sky, the fire licking at its victims. "Oh, God…"
Shizuka crumbled to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No… Why did he… How could it happen this way?!"
Anzu wanted to comfort the other girl, but she knew they didn't have time to spare. "Come on, Shizuka. We have to go."
The auburn girl looked up in protest. "No! We can't leave him!"
"Shizuka-chan," Anzu said, speaking clearly and slowly to the traumatized girl. "We need to leave now while everyone's distracted. We may not get another chance."
"No! We have to help him! What if he's still alive?"
"He's dead, Shizuka," Anzu replied bluntly. "He risked his life so we could escape. We're the only ones left who can get help. Are we just going to throw away the sacrifice he made?" How many lives are going to be lost before this all ends?
Shizuka hung her head in shame, tears running down her face. "I… you're right. I'm sorry," she whimpered.
Anzu wrapped her arms around the other girl's shoulders. "Don't be sorry. We just have to stay strong… for everyone we've lost…" Shizuka nodded hesitantly and followed Anzu out from behind the dumpsters.
The two girls wound through the confusion of running bodies and toward the shadier side of the city. They snuck through isolated side streets, pass run-down buildings, and into more dark allies while suspicious faces peeked out at them from their windows. Anzu saw the shadow of a figure out of the corner of her eye and urged Shizuka to pick up speed. It felt like no matter how far they went they couldn't get away from them. There was always one of them standing at the street corner or huddled in groups around the entrance of an abandoned building.
Together, Anzu and Shizuka ventured to the outskirts of town and finally into the cover of the forest. They crashed blindly through the foliage and stumbled down the forest paths. Branches lashed out at their faces, but they ignored the pain and continued forward. They couldn't see anything. The trail dipped and leveled, and Anzu heard Shizuka cry out in pain, but she knew they couldn't stop. They had to continue on until they left everything behind. They had to stop Malik before he did to others what he'd already done to them. Failing was not an option.
Preview for Next Chapter…
Anzu and Shizuka head North toward Sarahasyiki City where they hope to find help. However, before they can get far they encounter a creature they only thought existed in their nightmares.
Enter Hiei: the human hating fire demon…
Author Notes: Sorry if any of that was confusing, but everything will be cleared up in later chapters.
Now, please review. Even if you didn't like the story, tell me what I need to improve on, so I can make it better! Thanks!