Lovers' Collection Chapter 7: Love or Death, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Zypher: And I'm back once again with a new story to tell. This may be depressing but it will all turn out well in the end. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter and here's the next installment of Lovers' Collection for you.

Summary: Thanks to a low-down trick, Anzu is now Yugi's girlfriend and that disappointed both Yami and Aqua. Because of this, they resort to one thing. Will Yugi be able to save them in time before they are gone from this world?

Love or Death

In the darkness of the guest room a form sat upon is bed, curled up in the sheets and sniffling quietly. This quietly sobbing form is none other than Yami. The dark side has sat there many a day crying because of his lost love. He had fallen deep with his charge, his partner, one Motou Yugi. Ever since he and the other dark halves gained a body, his attraction for the young teen grew, but after that fateful day, all chances of telling him disappeared like dust on the wind.

-Flashback-

They were all at the park, just happy to enjoy a day without any otherworldly forces. Yami smiled as he watched the small light play with Ryou, Diamond, Jou and Malik. Aqua sat beside him, thinking quietly to himself before he looked to Yami. "When are you going to tell him? I'm having a dreaded sighed. "I know but I can't. I'm afraid he will reject me." he murmured and Aqua nodded as well. "I know how you feel, Yami." They looked up when they heard Yugi's name being called and none other than Anzu ran into the park. "Oh Yugi, I'm so glad to have found you!" she called, stopping before him. "What do you want, Anzu? You know your presence is never welcomed around us for what you did..." Diamond hissed. "Don't worry, I gave up messing with you guys. I just came here to tell Yugi something."

Diamond narrowed her eyes. "And what pray tell would that be?" she questioned, tail flicking irritably. "Yugi, even with all the taunting and jeering I did to you and your friends, I want to make it up to you. I never realized that I actually love you." she announced, making them gasp but to Yami and Aqua, it felt more like a shot to the heart. "And what brought this up?" Jou demanded. "Well, after I saw how his face looked every time when I hurt his feelings, it felt like a blow to me and I couldn't take it anymore so I threw away all reason why to mess with you guys and wanted to become Yugi's lover." she finished. Diamond snorted and walked over to her. "So, after all this time, you realized you loved Yugi and yet didn't realize it until now? Sounds like a pathetic attempt to mess with his emotions even more. I myself shouldn't even let you be near him but since it isn't my choice," she said, looking to Yugi.

"What's your answer on this?"

"Well…she has been very mean to us, especially me, but I could never break another's heart no matter what happens to my own. If it would make her happy and keep us safe from her teasing, I'll be willing to go out with her." She smiled widely and pushed past Diamond to embrace him. "Thanks, Yugi. For giving me another chance~" Yugi only pat her arm, unaware of the disappointed forms of the two dark sides leaving the park.

-End Flashback-

"Yugi, why did you do it? Why did you decide to go out with her? You said you didn't want to break no one's heart but didn't realize ours broke after that day." Yami heard the door open and Aqua calling his name. "Yami, we need to accept it soon. I'm feeling just as bad as you are but we can't change that…" Aqua murmured, walking over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know but I rather die than to keep living without my love being returned." Yami whispered, looking up to him, his eyes more red than usual. "We wish for so much but even we can't break Yugi's heart. He cares for us. Not in the way we want but at least he cares." Aqua murmured, helping the other solid spirit out of bed and both headed downstairs. When they got down there, Yugi and the others were there, talking animatedly. Anzu's arms were wrapped around Yugi as she talked with the others. Yami sighed, catching their attention and Yugi smiled. "Yami, you finally came down. I was starting to worry about you two when you never came down from your room." Yugi spoke. "It's alright. No need to worry. Do you guys want anything to drink?" Aqua asked and they nodded as he soon left to head into the kitchen. Yami went to sit in a chair, his eyes covered by his bangs. Yugi looked to him curiously and got up to walk over to him. "Yami, is something wrong?"

"No. I'm fine, Yugi. Go ahead and talk with your friends. I'm…going to head back upstairs." he whispered as he stood and left the room. Diamond and the others watched him leave before she stood and went to follow him.

"Yami, wait up." Diamond called and the other stopped, shoulders shaking. "Yami, tell me what's wrong?" A sob came from his lips and turned to her. "I can't take it anymore. I can't bear to sit there and watch Yugi be with Anzu. If only...if only..." He couldn't say no more as he fell to the floor, crying. Diamond walked over and pulled him into a friendly hug, whispering soothing words to the distraught spirit. "It's alright, Yami. It's alright." she whispered, helping him up and taking him back to his room. She let him lay back down and covered him. "I don't know what we can do but I'm sure everything will turn out right. You just rest and relax but don't do anything drastic. Ok?" Yami nodded and she pat his head lightly, smiling softly before leaving to head back downstairs.

Days went by after that day and Yugi started to worry more about Yami. Anzu told him to not worry himself over it but as it was his duty given to him by the puzzle, he knew he had the right to worry about the former spirit. He tried many times to talk with him but he never spoke. That made Yugi worry even more. He tried talking with Aqua but it seemed as if he tried to avoid telling him the truth. He now sat by Anzu, wringing his hands together.

"Anzu, I don't know what to do. I'm worried about them and yet they don't tell me what's wrong." Yugi mumbled, looking up to her. "Don't worry yourself over it Yugi. They'll tell you soon since they never keep secrets from you." she said. Yugi only nodded. She wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close to her and turned his head to face her. "Yugi, don't worry about them, they will be fine." she whispered. Yami, who was in the kitchen to get some water, took that time to walk out of the kitchen and saw them both in a sweet embrace. The glass dropped from his hand as he watched the moment between them before rushing upstairs. Yugi pulled away just in time to see his back. "Yami!" he called but he didn't get a response except for the faint sound of the guest room door slamming.

"That's it. I can't take it anymore. I can't bear to see them together anymore. I don't know how Aqua can handle it but I can't." Yami whispered to himself, taking a piece of paper and a pen. He sat down at the desk and quietly started to write a note. "I'm sorry, Yugi, but without you, my life means nothing." he whispered as he placed the note down and left out the room through the window, the puzzle sitting on the desk beside the note.

Yugi said goodbye to Anzu before running upstairs and into his room, hoping Yami was there but he didn't see him, only a note sitting there.

Yugi,

I tried to get used to the path you chose but I can't pretend any longer. May your life be well without me there beside you.

Aqua

"No, Aqua. Where did you go?" Yugi whispered then ran over to Yami and Aqua's shared room, spotting another right beside the puzzle. "Not you too. Why did you both leave me? Was it because I agreed to be Anzu's lover?" he whispered to himself and knew he couldn't waste any time. Lives were at stake for the born-again spirits.

Aqua sighed as he stood in the park, a spot well out of public eye. In his hand he held a rope with a noose tied at the end. "Such a fitting end for me." he breathed sarcastically. Climbing up a tall tree with the rope in hand, he tied it to a thick branch that was sure to not snap under his weight. Once that was done, he placed the noose around his neck and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this but it may be for the best. I know I wish not to hurt Yugi when he finds out I'm dead but he hasn't realized yet that my heart was broken from the gravity of his choice and my own cowardice." he murmured and was about to jump if he didn't saw the familiar form of Yugi in the distance.

Yugi knew it may be fruitless to find Yami and Aqua since he could guess they both left at different times. Not only that but he knew it may be even more of a waste if he believed that they were planning to commit suicide. But he believed in his heart now and it was telling him to get to the park and fast. And he glad he listened. His eyes widened when he saw Aqua with the noose around his neck. "No! Aqua! Don't do it!" he cried. Aqua closed his eyes, turning his head away from him. "I have to, Yugi. I can't bear to stay in this world when my wish will never come true."

"And what is your wish?! Please, tell me! I have been worried about the both of you ever since you started to distance yourselves away from me and my friends!" Yugi called as he ran over.

"My wish, was to be loved. Not as friends but as something much more. Yugi, you were the one both Yami and I cherished but that day at the park changed our minds and broke our hearts. We tried to endure it and I have for a while but Yami couldn't take the pain. We both couldn't bear to see you with Anzu. Holding hands and sharing love filled embraces. We wanted that but knew we couldn't take you away. That would've been selfish." Yugi had tears gathering in his eyes when he heard this. "Aqua…why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he whispered. "Because, our last dying wish when that time came was to keep you happy." he answered and started to tip over in means to kill himself. Yugi gasped and rushed over to the tree and jumped for the lowest branch, almost cursing himself for his short height when he couldn't grab it. Once he got a hold of it, he quickly climbed up, making it just in time to grab the rope before he could snap his own neck. When he felt the jerk, Aqua turned back to him.

"Yugi, let go!" he snapped.

"NO! I can't let you kill yourself over my decision! My heart was telling me that my love for Anzu was false but I didn't listen. I didn't know what the signs have met until tonight. If you die, I will die as well for I will not let you two be alone! Forget Anzu and her love! I know where my heart truly lies!" Yugi confessed. Aqua turned to him and saw the love and devotion shining in the young hikari's eyes and knew it wasn't a lie. He smiled and gripped the tree trunk with his tail, pulling himself back up and moved to embrace him. Yugi removed the noose from around his head and returned the embrace. "Thank you, Yugi. My love." he purred and Yugi only nodded before lifting his head. "We need to find Yami. Do you have any idea where he could be?" he asked. "Don't know but I know of one place we can try." Aqua mused as Yugi moved to climb onto his back and he flew off, clouds gathering in the distance as lightning crashed.

Yami sat on the pier, a pocketknife gleaming in the lightning strikes above. It had started to rain and he was soaked to the bone in mere seconds. "Yugi, you have been my one and only and I will do anything to make you happy. I couldn't take you away from that conniving wench but you were happy. You may not know of my departure until you read my note and by the time you do, I will be gone." Yami mumbled quietly, slitting his wrists deeply and watched as the blood dripped onto the pier. He stood and without a second glance back to the city that was once his home, he jumped into the freezing depths of the raging ocean.

Aqua landed and Yugi quickly got off his back, running to the end of the pier. "Yami!" Aqua moved over to his side and knelt down to see the blood that was starting to wash away from the rain. "With him bleeding like that, he will attract sharks." Aqua whispered before standing up and diving in. Yugi sat on the pier, worried for their safety.

Aqua swam through the murky water like a serpent, trying to see through the murky darkness. A flash of lightning revealed Yami's rapidly sinking body along with sharks that detected the scent of blood. He growled lightly and quickly made his way towards him, grabbing him and started to swim back up quickly with the sharks right on his tail. Before he could reach the surface, a shark came behind him and took a huge chunk of his tail, mistaking it for another animal. Thus caused him to roar in pain but he was able to jump out of the water and land next to Yugi with Yami's unconscious form in his arms. Yugi breathed a sigh of relief but saw Yami's bleeding wounds and Aqua's missing tail.

"Oh no! We need to get to a hospital and quick. Do you think you can still make it there?" Yugi asked and the other nodded. Yugi climbed onto his back and he flew off, blood dripping onto the pier which washed away with the pounding droplets.

Yugi sat in the waiting room, seconds ticking by slowly and making his nerves frazzled. He was worried about them since they lost so much blood that Aqua nearly faltered in flight. 'It was all my fault. If I only saw their pain then I could've done something. But I didn't and they nearly tried to kill themselves. I was able to stop them from committing suicide but will they survive with all the blood lost?' Soon, his friends arrived with no sign of Anzu, to his relief. "Yugi, what happened? We came as soon as we got the call." Kaiser spoke. "It's terrible. Yami and Aqua tried to commit suicide because I was with Anzu. I was able to save them but now, because of Yami's attempt and Aqua being bitten by a shark to the point he lost some of his tail, they lost a lot of blood. I don't know if they will survive." Yugi explained. They gasped and Diamond snarled. "I knew she was up to no good. And she probably knew they were feeling such and took it too far."

"She could be right. I never knew she would take jealously this much." Jou murmured. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked. "Yugi, she obviously never told you this but when I was in school one day, I came across her talking to herself. Of how jealous she was to see that Yami and Aqua were in love with you. She wanted to do anything to keep you three from getting together and knew because of their devotion to you, breaking their heart will get them to leave. She planned to "love" you until they leave or do something like this. She always believed if she couldn't have them, no one will." Ryou explained. "And I fell right into her trap..." Yugi whispered, lowering his head. They waited for a while before the doctor came out. "Yugi, good news. They are stabilized and their blood restored but they will need rest for a few days." The doctor announced. "Will they be able to come back home tonight?" The boy asked and he nodded. "We'll get 'em and drive 'em back home." Jou claimed and the doctor nodded once more as Yugi signed the release forms for them. Once he was done, Jou and Kaiser went to get them and they all left for home.

Yugi sat at their bedside upon arriving back, rubbing what remained of Aqua's tail. Tears came to his eyes and he lifted his hand and placed it on his lap. "What have I done? I almost caused their death for my ignorance." he whispered and buried his face into his hands, crying softly. Yami opened his eyes slowly and wondered where he was. Seeing the bandages on his arms showed he was saved. 'But by who?' he thought then turned to see Yugi sitting by his bedside and crying.

"Yugi, why are you crying?"

He looked up to him and the sighed. "It was all my fault. I didn't know Anzu suddenly getting together with me was all part of her plans to separate us. If I knew, you two wouldn't be like this." Yugi mumbled. Yami sat up with a light groan and got out of bed, walking over to him. "Yugi, don't blame yourself," he began but Yugi shook his head. "No, it was my fault. She knew that you loved me. I should've known she held feelings for you still. Jealously would've fueled her every thought and move." Yami brought Yugi into his arms and stroked his hair. "Yugi, it wasn't more of your fault than it was ours. If we only thought of something else than to commit suicide, we probably could've dealt with her." Yugi nodded, sniffling lightly before burying his face into Yami's shirt.

"Just...don't leave me again. I promise to not do anything to break your heart anymore." Yugi whispered and he smiled, heading back to his bed and lied down with Yugi curling up at his side. "That's all we could ever wish for, love." Yami whispered, kissing Yugi's cheek lightly then his lips, remember the kiss Anzu gave him once before and wanted to get rid any signs of her presence on Yugi. Once they broke the kiss, they fell asleep, the clouds parting to reveal the full moon outside, shining brightly and beautifully.

The next day, Yugi went to confront Anzu with Yami and Aqua by his side. When she saw them, she feigned surprise. "Oh my, what happened to you two?" she questioned. Yami glared at her. "Thanks to you and your little plot, we almost killed ourselves if Yugi didn't come to help us. And thanks to him, we now have a reason to live once more." Her eyes narrowed, seeing as her plan failed. "Fine then. You can have the little pipsqueak. See if I care. All I know is that you're making a big mistake." she groused, walking off.

Aqua fisted his hands, shadow energy crackling. "No, it was you who made the mistake." he hissed and before she could react, she was sent to the shadow realm. After the deed was done, he collapsed and Yugi was by his side instantly. "Aqua, you shouldn't have done that, you're still weak." Yugi murmured, helping the dragon up. "I know but she needs to be taught a lesson. I'm sure our monsters will give her a lesson she won't forget." Yugi smiled and stood on his toes to kiss his cheek. Glancing down, Yugi sighed as he saw his stump of a tail. "I'm really am sorry for all this." he said, looking to them. "It's alright, Yugi. We're fine now and you came to help us when we believed you wouldn't. That's thanks enough. My tail will heal fine, perhaps even grow back." Aqua assured and he nodded before they continued on their walk through the park, enjoying their day together with Yugi, their aibou and love.

Zypher: And that's the end of the sappy yet happy one shot. Told you it was going to get better. I could never kill off Yami or Aqua. Or I probably can and bring them back at a later time but I never have the heart to make Yugi sadder than he needs to be. Hoped you all enjoyed and will be waiting for the next which, for one reason or another, will be a crossover with Rampage: Total Destruction. Why? I think it will be a funny story with two 50-foot demons going after a really undersized teen. If you are thinking about it and how it will work out in the end, wait for the next chapter which I'll probably have out soon since I'm playing the game now. See you soon.