Hi!

+Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh+

Rose D.: The 4th chapter is up! It's going to get dark from here on out.
--------------------------------------------------------

D. Crisis Chapter 4:

Making Darkness in the Day

Bakura sniffed, and as usual, smelled death in the air. He moved forward, toward the great black skeletal fortress that had been erected from buildings that had once stood where it stood now.

As he came in range of the gate, he heard two sharp hisses and suddenly there in front of him the ground split, and out of the aperture emerged two Shallow Grave creatures.

The DM creatures looked menacingly at the tomb robber, the "fleshless laughter" upon their heads being ghastly pale in the moonlight. Bakura grunted. "When the Nile of Egypt ran red with blood–it wasn't because of me sad to say. No, it was because the Hebrew God had changed all that was liquid into blood. But it seems the rivers of Domino will stop flowing altogether, for as it were, the bodies of all the Tainted humans will fill it and then the water will have no place to go. Is that not correct?"

The Shallow Graves looked at each other — and accepting the password, stepped out of Bakura's way. The tomb robber smiled as he walked past them. "Ponder over the Pharaoh Shishak and his role against the Israelites, while I'm gone." he called back.

Bakura entered the fortress, and was immediately aware that its gaze was now upon him; he grimaced as he knew it was staring. And as he moved along the dark corridors he felt it watching his every move.

Bakura shivered suddenly as he passed through a curtain of cold air, under a low arch, and had then come into the hideous chamber of Vampire Lord. The Duel Monster looked at him.

"Aw," said the Monster, "If it isn't my Tainted spy. How does it feel to be the only human to enter this side of Domino Empire and still remain alive, well, Undead at least."

Bakura wasn't smiling. "I'm ecstatic , I assure you." There wasn't much enthusiasm in his voice.

"Anyway, what news? I assume you have some?"

"You assume right," sighed the tomb robber, "Actually, it's quite interesting. It seems Seto Kaiba has chosen a 2nd."

"That treacherous butch?" queried Vampire Lord, "Wouldn't I love to rip his guts out! He turned on me, what makes him think his own 2nd wouldn't turn on him?"

"Ah, ah!" said Bakura, raising his pointer-finger, "Wait 'til you hear just who it is that Seto's chosen,"

"I'm listening." said the ruling Duel Monster.

"Yamiatemkohenes to be exact, the Ancient Pharaoh."

Vampire Lord frowned in confusion. "Want to run that name by me again? Who are you talking about now? Ancient Pharaoh . . ?"

"Hmm, that's true," simpered Bakura, "Few know him by his full name. Well, let me put it another way . . . You've heard of Yugi Mutoh haven't you?"

The Duel Monster threw his head back, laughing. "Yugi Mutoh? Ha! What Duel Monster hasn't? Of course I've heard of the whelp, what of him?"

"Well, the Spirit that once inhabited his body, is now flesh and blood. And he having been the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Seto considers him a valuable asset in his campaign against you."

"I don't know a Yamitemk–what's-his-name, but I know of the Pharaoh Akhenamukanon, who sealed all the ancient Duel Monsters in tablets so they could no longer roam free."

Bakura grinned wickedly. "You're well versed. Actually, I'm speaking of the son of that notorious Pharaoh, inheritor of the Millennium Item Crisis. I should know, I instigated it. Ha ha ha!"

Vampire Lord raised an eyebrow. "I see, well, dealing with a son's as good as dealing with the father. Keep going!"

"Well, it seems there's a problem with Pharaoh Yami. It seems he is immune to Seto Kaiba's Vampyr venom. The encoding doesn't work, he doesn't change into a Tainted one even after he's been bitten."

The dark Duel Monster considered this. "Oh? Heh, I'm sure I can take care of that problem. I wonder how Seto will feel, when his 2nd is working for me." He laughed for a minute.

Bakura just looked at him. 'So he's not just going to kill Yami then?' thought he, with a little disappointment, "So? What's your plan to take Seto's 2nd?"

Vampire Lord gave a sharp whistle; out of the shadows came a tiny figure. Suddenly the room felt chill to Bakura. The little figure moved up to the big black chair V. Lord was sitting in, shadowy as it was – and cooed.

"There you are Red Moon, I have a job for you."

Red Moon Baby looked up at the ruling Duel Monster, and giggled childishly.

"Yes, you're eager aren't you?" beamed Vampire Lord, "Doubtless you heard the conversation,"

It nodded.

"Good! I want you to summon up your Bane Venom. I know it's hard, but you can do it!"

Red Moon Baby nodded readily.

"Once you're ready, I want you to fly out and find butch-Seto's 2nd. Inject him with your Bane encoding, and then we'll see whether or not he changes into a Tainted one. Nay, more than that, and serving me!"

Bakura watched in bewilderment; things weren't going how he'd wanted them to, but then, maybe this way — it'd be more fun.

Bakura raised one of his eyebrows slightly, deciding there was one more thing he wanted to discuss with V. Lord.

"I've been doing my part," he said darkly, and Vampire Lord looked at him, "Now, how are you coming along with reviving Ryou?"

"Ah, your little look-a-like has a ways to go yet."

The tomb robber frowned. "Is my hearing playing up? Or is there a tone in your voice I don't like? You had better not be using me Vampire Lord, you remember what happened to the Duel Monsters that attacked me and Ryou, don't you?" Bakura pulled back the edges of his jacket, revealing the Millennium Ring beneath.

"Ah yes, the sign of your power. Believe me, I've done –ah– am doing all I can for your brother."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Fine then, but when this whole insurrection's over he'd better be able to talk to me as he used to! Got that?"

The Duel Monster nodded.

The tomb robber turned, leaving; and stopped. "Oh yes, and no more slips of the tongue hmm or I might start to think you're hiding something from me." He walked out of the chamber.

V. Lord looked down at Red Moon who was trying to summon up his Bane venom. 'Little does my spy know,' thought Vampire Lord wryly, 'That his Ryou is already dead . . .'

oooooooooo

Yugi sat up, rubbing his eyes; what time was it? He felt a little groggy, but that would pass. He looked around, hardly being able to see anything as the room was so dark.

He moved the blanket away and slowly he got to his feet; movement helped the stiffness recede from his limbs. He was able to make out the giant, solid black curtains that covered the windows across the way, and went towards them.

As soon as he pulled the edge back, sunlight flooded the area surrounding him; Yugi was almost overwhelmed and he had to look away.

'Morning obviously.' he said in his mind, 'We're in Kaiba's throne room? Oh yes, now I remember . . .'

Yugi glanced over to where he had been sleeping for the lesser part of the night; Yami was still there, covered by the blanket upon a mat situated just a ways from the Big Chair. The Pharaoh was still sound asleep and breathing in just the manner to prove it.

Being the only two humans in the entirety of Kaiba's tower would make anyone feel small, thus, the jagged-haired pair were determined to stay together. Being unable and unwilling to sleep, the two had kept each other company through the night, occupying themselves with playing games on a small travel-board Kaiba had managed to procure for them. Playing that is, until finally they fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Yugi sighed at their circumstances and looked out the window once again. The doors to the chamber opened; Yugi jerked and watched as Kaiba entered.

"Hey!" Kaiba snapped, "Watch that sun light! I can stand it later on in the day, but it's too early right now."

Yugi had been about to return his gaze to the window, when he then saw Kaiba going over to his heart-brother; his eyes widened. "Kaiba?"

Kneeling, the exec. began shaking the Pharaoh. "Yami wake up." he said, "I'm hungry."

Yugi froze; Yami, in his half-sleep and unaware of what was about to happen, sat up rubbing his eyes. "What?" he queried. Kaiba leaned forward.

"Wait a minute Kaiba!" barked Yugi, pointing a rigid finger, "I'm not wearing your KC, so you can't touch Yami until it's around my neck!"

Seto looked up with such a glare, anger festering within him; he'd been out all night without a single bite to eat, and he was ravenous. He noticed the KC lying beside the mat he'd given the pair to sleep on; he snatched it up and lunged at Yugi.

Yugi cried out in fear as Kaiba came flying at him; the exec. threw the cord over Yugi's head, yanking down so hard and so suddenly that Yugi was felled to the floor. The Pharaoh's former vessel landed on his knees, his forehead nearly touching the floor; he was holding the back of his neck for the skin very nearly burned where the cord had dug in.

Yami was awake now, albeit a little dazed about what was going on. He blinked and began sweeping the chamber with his gaze, being all-at-once quite unable to locate Kaiba.

Seto moved through the shadows, and came up behind the Pharaoh from the darkness.

"Behind you!" Yugi shrilled.

"Ahgh!" was all that escaped the Pharaoh's throat. 'Not again!' Yami's reflex sent his balled fists flying into Kaiba's face, but this only made the Vampyr bite into him harder.

Yami gave a choking gasp; the sudden pressure in his neck was nearly too great. He felt the muscles in his throat constricting, cutting off his air — he couldn't breath.

'Don't do this!' Yami screamed to his body. It was then that blackness started seeping into his vision; he couldn't hear anything. The last thing he remembered seeing before all darkness took him, was the faint image of Yugi across the way.

Yami fell limp in his antagonist's clutch, and Vampyr Kaiba continued to drink, pulling the blood from deep within Yami's body.

Yet he continued to do this, almost relentlessly so, and very soon Yami became quite pale. Yugi marched forward, all boldness in his heart. He began shouting: "Kaiba you wretch! That's enough! You're going to kill him! Stop it!"

"Shut up." Seto mumbled with his mouth full.

There came a sound at the chamber doors. "SETO!"

All Vampyr instinct that had thus far been taking over Seto Kaiba's actions, was suddenly thrust back from its control, and the real Kaiba emerged. Yami slid from him and flopped near-lifeless to the floor.

Yugi ignored the person at the doors and bolted to his older half; he grabbed Yami and began dragging his prone form as far from Kaiba as he could.

Kaiba was shaking, but not from any kind of fear; he was trying to hide his mouth, he felt shock, embarrassment, and he felt terrible. He looked up. "Mokuba," he cringed.

Mokuba entered and looked at Kaiba, an expression of disbelief adorning his face; he looked like he was about to cry. "Seto . . ?" he asked shakily.

Kaiba felt ashamed that his brother had seen him acting so; he felt enraged that he had lost the afore fight against the Vampyr-reconditioning, and so making it possible for his brother to see him drinking from Yami.

And unfortunately, as much as Kaiba had always disliked the fact, he knew Yami and his heart-brother were people Mokuba tended to look up to, and this fact only made the present situation worse.

Seto began stuttering. "Mo–Mokuba, I'm sorry! That, that wasn't supposed to happen! Eh, what are you doing back anyway?" he asked, hardly giving himself time to take a breath.

Yugi, however, was blocking everything out; he didn't care what was happening beyond him and Yami, whom he held in his arms. Yugi looked down; his soul-brother was terribly pale, but was breathing at least, shallow though it was.

"This will never happen again," Yugi's voice was an angry whisper, "I don't give a rat's left tail what happens to me, but I'm NOT going to stand by and let you be put in this state again. I promise Yami, we're leaving . . ."

Tears ran from Yugi Mutoh's eyes, dripping down and plashing on Yami's face. "I promise."

Yugi's eyes widened suddenly at Yami's grip on his wrist, and a very weak grip it was too. Yami looked up, a piteous attempt at a smile on his face; he looked so hopeful and trusting – Yugi's heart broke.

Yugi took up Yami and hugged him tight to his chest. "Yami," he said; he was crying, "We're leaving, OK?"

Yami opened his mouth to object — but didn't; he exhaled. "Okay."

There came a loud, resounding boom/ from the chamber doors. Yugi looked up; the room was empty, he and Yami were the only ones within.

Yugi gently released Yami from his embrace. "We'll leave now." he said. A smile, almost glad, was on his face. "Can you sit up?" he asked the enervated Pharaoh.

"I–I, yes," Yami responded, moving himself lethargically into a sitting position; Yugi was aiding him to balance, and didn't remove his helping-hands until he was sure his soul-brother was steady.

Yugi then stood, walked over to where he and Yami had slept, and began rolling up the blanket. Once that was done, he gripped the ebony KC around his neck and took it off; he looked at it briefly.

'You weren't worth it.' he said in his mind, tossing it onto the seat of Kaiba's Big Chair.

Yet, as Yugi turned to Yami with a truly genuine smile on his face, it was then that the huge covered windows behind Yami, were shattered in a hideous cacophonous crash.

The black curtains were speared through by the shards of flying glass and came billowing downward. Yami moved aside as best he could and the curtains landed across his legs.

Yugi immediately took his arms from guarding his face and looked up; there floating in the center of the newly formed entrance . . . was Red Moon Baby. It gleefully clapped its hands and looked at the room's inhabitants — it sniffed.

'Oh no.' Yugi swallowed and felt a terrible chill in the center of his chest. He wanted to go to Yami, but was afraid that would cause the Monster to react, for the worse.

But then, two more Duel Monsters rose up beside Red Moon; they were The Portrait's Secret and Dark King of the Abyss.

'Oh crush it!' thought Yugi, 'It's times like these I wish I still had my Deck of Duel Monsters cards!'

Dark King looked from Yugi, to Yami. "He's the one." he said, pointing his skeletal finger.

Yami went rigid at that. "Yu–Yu," Yami tried.

Yugi darted forward, and the Duel Monsters reacted instantly. Portrait's Secret flew right at Yugi, Dark King went and barricaded the doors to the chamber — and Red Moon went straight for Yami.

The Pharaoh forced his weakened body to move and turned away as Red Moon Baby came at him. Nonetheless, as Yami's muscles were screaming resistance, he was compelled to collapse as Red Moon plopped down on his back, giggling profusely.

Yami tried to roll over but the little Monster pulled itself forward, and sank its teeth into the flesh of his neck. Yami's mouth burst open to protest in any way possible, but not a sound came forth. 'NO!' he screamed from his mind.

Yugi heard him, if only it being a sudden feeling in his heart and a whispering echo of Yami's voice in his head. Even though the Secret was swinging its Portrait back and forth in an attempt to cudgel Yugi, the boy stole his eyes from the Monster and sent their gaze across the room to his older counterpart—

"NO!" burst past Yugi's lips. For Yami was prostrate on the floor, trying, to no avail, to get the little Monster off him. Yet what really hurt Yugi, was the fact that the skin of Yami's neck where Red Moon was latched, was beginning to turn black. 'What's it doing to him!'

There came a sudden pounding at the doors behind Dark King of the Abyss and the Monster instantly began heaving his weight against the double-doors; Kaiba was outside.

Red Moon continued to inject his Bane venom into Yami's jugular vein. It had been told not to take any blood from Kaiba's 2nd, though now that it was here, it found that desire hard to resist; its lip quivered.

Yami wanted nothing more than to punched the beasty in the face, but he was weak, far too weak; and though he understood this, he still upbraided himself for not being able to do anything.

All at once the doors to the chamber ripped open and Dark Lord was shattered, for the force of a White Lighting attack is nothing to trifle with. In came Kaiba, accompanied by one of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

The Portrait's Secret instantly stopped and looked at the Blue-Eyes in fear.

"White Lightning!" ordered Kaiba, and his Dragon slung back its jaws, instantly releasing its blaze of white energy.

Yugi was nearly thrown back as the attack engulfed the Monster before him; he was blinded by its brilliance, to say the least. "Yami! Help Yami!" Yugi was saying, whether Kaiba could hear him or not.

The Leader of the Human Tainted did hear, and turned to face the puny assailant and its victim. Red Moon coward; it separated from the Pharaoh. It stepped back, haunting blue-gray eyes wholly fixed on the White Dragon.

"Goodbye." said Kaiba. And his Blue-Eyes blasted it.

When the light from the attack died down, Yugi bolted forward to Yami, who was moving against the floor. Seto came up, now altogether himself and not under the control of his new instincts, asking what had happened.

Neither Yugi nor Yami answered him, for Yugi's attention was fixed entirely upon Yami who was now on his hands and knees. The Pharaoh began coughing, gagging and spluttering terribly.

"Yami?" asked Yugi, wanting to touch him, yet wary of doing so. Yugi noticed the black beneath Yami's skin had receded quickly, almost incredibly so, and his neck looked as it had before.

With his heightened senses, Kaiba knew exactly what was happening.

Yami sucked in his gut, his lips devoid of all color, and immediately began disgorging upon the floor. Yugi wasn't nearly as repulsed by this as he was worried, for all that Yami was throwing up — was black.

Kaiba smirked. "It didn't work." he said.

Yugi shot a dangerous look back at Kaiba. "What do you mean?"

"I mean they tried to turn him into a Vampire, and it didn't work. His body rejected their encoding-venom. Hmm, and from what I can tell, it's pretty potent stuff."

Yugi turned back to Yami, for it seemed the worse was over. He was only coughing now, terrible though it was to hear; he seemed hardly able to take a breath before it was back out again in another hacking cough.

And then suddenly he stopped coughing, so abruptly in fact that it perked both Kaiba and Yugi to alertness. Yami was slowly raising his head; he was hot, sweating, and sick to his stomach.

Yugi's reflexes instantly snapped into action, catching Yami as he began to collapse forward. Yugi took a firm grip of his heart-brother and brought him to him, away from the black mess. "Yami?" he asked.

The Pharaoh looked rather faint as he moved his eyes to look at his younger half.

"Ah, here," Kaiba said, bending down to pick up the Pharaoh. As the exec. reached out, Yugi felt Yami go rigid in his arms: a reflex. Yugi growled.

"No!" he barked, hugging Yami's nearly limp form close to him, "I'll keep him if you don't mind!" He felt Yami yield at this statement.

Seto backed off. "Hey fine. Whatever."

'Oh yes Yugi!' Yami's heart and mind were calling desperately, 'Keep me! Hold me! Don't let me go! I don't wish to be away from you, not in this horrible place! I'll die! I'll die . . !'

Yugi hugged Yami, for he had a great sense that the other wished him to do so. 'It's okay Yami,' he said in his mind, 'If you get hurt again, it'll be over my dead body.'

Kaiba took out a blank Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. "Return unto me," he said, and the Dragon vanished in a blaze of white light; it was then upon the card again. Pocketing the card, Seto looked down at Yugi, studying him a moment. "I see you're not wearing the KC," he smiled.

Yugi looked up, glowering.

"That's fine." Seto winked, "You two can leave whenever you want. In fact, if you want, you can take a pair of KCs with you, that way your journey'll be safer going this side of the Empire."

Yugi blinked; was this too good to be true? Was there another catch?

Yami however, was barely able to hear at all; he was far too busy slipping into the land of dreaming darkness to notice anything other than the fact that he was still in Yugi's arms.

'Don't let me go . . .'