Dim by Light, Bright by Dark

Chapter 6: Betrayed Thrice at a Price

At first, Ishizu the seer wavered like an apparition as she took slow steps toward the pharaoh who was still kneeling by the dead body of young Razu. Her eyes glowed with melancholy as her gaze fell upon the dead bodies.

Quietly her voice cracked as she spoke, "I'm sorry, my pharaoh. I wanted to tell you, but."

Yami stared up at her, anger penetrating his eyes. "I told you to tell me everything that is going on. Where have you been?"

Ishizu bowed her head in shame, "I'm sorry, I was with my brother."

"What does Marik have anything to do with this? Tell me!"

Ishizu flinched, dropping to her knees suddenly. "He's taken the Gods. He will summon them. I tried to stop him, but I failed."

"This was his intent all along, wasn't it?" Yami rose to his feet nimbly. "How long have you known?"

"For a long time now."

"Then, when did you plan on telling me?!"

            Ishizu shook violently as her spine twitched in fear, for she had never seen Yami so angry before. When Yami was angry he shouted constantly. But she has never seen him so angry that his voice would sound chilling and dark. She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, "I was hoping to save him, but I was wrong. Please forgive me."

"My men are dead and half of the country is burning, and you ask me to forgive you?" Yami questioned darkly, his eerie voice shaking the souls of everyone in the chamber.

"It is a lot to ask for, but."

"I trusted you, Ishizu, but you lied to me. You have ruined my faith in you, making you no better than Marik."

"Please forgive me." Ishizu's hair covered her face as she bowed her head lower.

"How dare you ask for forgiveness?" Yami brushed passed her, his head looking up towards the ceiling. In a more quiet tone he added, "I will give my soul before I trusted you with forgiveness, Seer." His leave, felt like a cold breeze slapping her hard across the face.

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Yami strode out of the fortitude of his home, prepared to kill any evil sorcerer who dared touch any of his people. Reika followed close behind, panting, "Pharaoh where are you going? Let me come with you."

"No! Go back. Protect my home! I command you!"

Reika stopped following and turned around hesitantly. She knew that Yami was too reckless, which made himself a threat to his own life. She would have to follow him without him knowing.

Yami marched back to the place where Boro and half of his followers disappeared with Bakura. Unexpectedly, he caught Boro and the others standing on a hill, their shadows looming over the burning houses. "Boro!" Yami shouted gaily as he ran up towards them in relief. "I thought you had all failed, but you're alive! I'm so glad." As Yami reached the group he noticed something was missing. Something was out of place and he felt the cold touch of death stroke his shoulder. Something was not right. He walked closer up to Boro and touched the bigger man's shoulder briefly. "Boro," Yami breathed. Just as his fingers made soft contact with the body, it crumbled like decaying stone. To his horror, Yami watched as the rest of them crumbled, too. "No, no, no, no," he kept whispering to himself, "this cannot be happening."

"You're right, it cannot be happening because it has already happened," said a familiar voice. Yami turned around cautiously, his eyes falling on Marik.

"Seriously, did you think those guys could beat me?" Asked a newer voice. Yami's eyes twitched and saw Bakura sitting leisurely on a boulder.

Marik glanced at his partner as he continued to speak, "As we speak, the gods are on the other side of the kingdom, doing the dirty work. We evil sorcerers will start all over, and new pharaohs shall reign."

Bakura nodded. "It won't be long."

Yami with tears streaming down his face shouted, "I will duel the both of you right now!"

"No!!!!!" A female voice echoed.

"Reika?"

"Young Pharaoh, let me take on Marik. You get the other who killed our friends."

"Friends?" Marik raised an eyebrow at his former colleague. Then turning towards Yami he laughed, "Is it true? Now, the sorcerers that stand beside the pharaoh, are his friends?"

Yami pointed a trembling finger at him, "Traitor, you shall pay!"

"Then it is agreed, Pharaoh," Marik smiled.

Before Yami could say anything more, a dark energy surrounded him and he fell forever into darkness. Along the way he felt death, hunger, rage, screams, and terror; all scrambled cryptograms of the Shadow Realm.

It's a snowy December, and here I am writing such a dark tale. Oh well… It's better than being out there again…

Please, review.

-MistyWing