Chapter 10- Consumed in darkness

'I just wanted you to change dad...why couldn't you have just change?...what happen to the dad I once knew?...you were always there for me, now look what's happened...you ruined everything dad...things could have gotten better after mom left...things could have been happy again...I hate you dad. I don't know you anymore. You are nothing more than a memory of the past.'

It was early in the morning and the gang had gotten no sleep at all last night, under they're eyes contained huge eye bags and they walked around like zombies. They were all concerned for Hitomi so they ended up staying up all night watching her. However, it seemed like Hitomi had gotten no sleep at all as well, her eyes were opened the entire night not blinking, just staring in front of her at nothing in particular, it was kind of creepy, it's almost as if she was lost in her own mind, in her own little world.

Yami was pacing around in the hallway upstairs where Ryou was located. he had been pacing around in the living room earlier where the others were located, but all that pacing annoyed them so here he is now, walking back and forth elsewhere.

"Hey Yami, stop pacing around will you? What's eating you? You're making me dizzy!" Ryou said exasperated as he came closer to where Yami was.

Yami looked up with his tired violet eyes and stopped where he was. He let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall with his hands stuck deep within his pants pockets.

"I have been sensing this strange negative energy ever since a few days ago...at first I just put that feeling in the back of my mind thinking it was noting and that I was thinking too much, but now I keep sensing it and I can feel it getting stronger...and darker...I don't know about you Ryou, but it's really bugging me!"

"Don't think its not bugging me Yami, I sense it too! And the worst thing is that I sense it whenever Hitomi's around!" Ryou replied sounding as stress as Yami was. "...but that's ridiculous...why would we sense darkness from her?" he continued.

"Don't forget, Hitomi holds the millennium pendant, that crystal of hers can transform a pure heart into a heart consumed with darkness...wait a minute..." Realization dawned on them and their eyes went as wide as saucers.

"It's happening isn't it?!" they both asked at the same time.

None of them waited for an answer as they broke off into a sprint towards the living room.

"Hitomi!" Yami called as he bent down eyelevel to Hitomi who was sitting emotionlessly still on the couch.

No answer.

"Hitomi!" Ryou tried.

No answer.

"We've been trying to get her attention for a while now, but it seems like she can't hear us or something, it's like she's in her own world" Joey supposed as he heaved a sigh.

Yami looked at the crystal around Hitomi's neck. "Oh Ra no...This can't possibly be happening..." he muttered.

"What is it Yami?" Ryou asked from beside him while the others looked on with confusion.

Yami carefully took off the necklace from Hitomi's neck, but Hitomi didn't seem to notice. He showed it to the gang and they all gasped. "Wasn't the crystal a whitish clear color before?" Anzu asked. The crystal in Yami's hand was now a dark grey, and the millennium eye symbol embedded in the centre was now pure black.

"Oh no...This is bad...who knows what the crystal is capable of..." Ryou muttered to himself.

"What's going on? What's going to happen to her?" Anzu asked anxious as she stared wide eyed at the millennium pendant.

"Nothing good that's for sure...we must find a way to stop this before it's too late..." Yami said

"What's going to happen to her?" Joey asked with worry.

"She's going to turn evil isn't she?" Kaiba spoke for the first time since last night. "WHAT?!" exclaimed Joey. Anzu stood up and walked over to Kaiba. "How can that be? Hitomi, evil? That is biologically impossible!" she said trying to reassure herself. "YEAH!" Joey exclaimed agreeing with Anzu.

"Don't be a fool! Isn't it obvious? Look at her crystal, if she's not turning evil, why else would it be darkening?" Kaiba said irritably.

"That's enough! Right now we have to get Hitomi to snap out of it first! If it wasn't for her father, this wouldn't be happening right now!" Yami said with clenched teeth and tightened fists.

Yami turned around to face Hitomi again. He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed it. "Hitomi" he called. But she was still lost in her own mind. Her eyes were hollow, just staring off into space. "Hitomi!" he said a little bit louder. But still nothing. Yami was getting impatient; however he was determined to wake her up from whatever is going through her mind. "Hitomi!!" he yelled as he shook her violently. Finally a movement from her. Hitomi averted her eyes from the wall in front of her to look at Yami's purple ones, and then confusion etched her features.

"Yami?" she asked

"Hitomi!" they yelled in relief.

"Are you okay? You spaced out for a while...a long while..." yami said with worry.

Before she could answer, Kaiba's cell phone rang. Everyone stared at him as he talked. "Mokuba wants me home, kid said he got scared when he didn't see me this morning" Kaiba answered their silent questions. "Well you better get going than Kaiba" Anzu said. He nodded and headed for the door. "Don't do anything stupid again Hitomi, I don't want to have to send a guard watching you 24/7, and you guys, call me if anything happens" he said with seriousness as he left the game shop.

Hitomi looked down at her hands feeling ashamed and began scratching at her scars out of habit. Yami seeing this grabbed her hands and gave her a stern look. "Don't you dare" he said sternly. And Hitomi complied. "Are you ready to talk?" Hitomi sadly nodded.

"What you tried to do yesterday was stupid" Ryou stated. Hitomi looked down once again to hide her face. "I know..." she whispered.

"We're only looking out for you Hitomi, we want to help you through this" Joey said kindly.

"I know...I know..." she whispered.

Yami lifted up her chin with his fingers and made her stare him in the eye. "Look at me Hitomi." Crimson met Violet. "Promise me you will never do something so absurd ever again." Hitomi slowly nodded. "This includes cutting yourself as well" Hitomi grimaced as she remembered what she uses to do every night. "I promise" she said quietly. That earned a smile from everyone, knowing that she would never try to kill herself again was a great relief.

"You better keep your promise Hitomi" Ryou stated.

Suddenly, without warning, Anzu ran over and took Hitomi into a giant hug with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I can't stand the fact of losing a close friend Hitomi, I won't know how to cope, please never do it again, you have to be strong Hitomi, and I know it's hard, but you have to fight it!" Anzu sobbed out as she cried on her shoulder.

Hitomi was touched, and pained at the same time. "It's okay Anzu...I'm sorry..." she said as she padded her on the back, trying to sooth her.

"Just don't turn evil..." Anzu muttered out.

Hitomi snapped her head up and gently pushed Anzu's shoulders to get her to look at her. "Evil? Why would I turn evil?" Hitomi asked with deep confusion.

"That's another point we have to discuss Hitomi" Yami said sadly. "Take a look at this" he opened his hand in front of her, revealing her millennium pendant.

"My crystal!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"Take a closer look at it" Yami instructed.

Hitomi gasped and went wide eyed just like how the others were before. "How...why is it...dark?" Hitomi was panicking now "I'm not turning..."

"Evil?" Joey finished for her.

"Am I?" she asked hesitantly.

"We're not sure Hitomi...it doesn't seem like your turning evil...darker...but not evil...you may not have noticed, but Ryou and I have sensed it."

"What happens if the stone go completely dark?" Joey questioned.

"I don't even want to think of what would happen" Yami replied. 'I just hope we won't lose Hitomi to the darkness...' he thought.

Hitomi was really perplexed now. 'Why is everything happening to me?' she thought depressingly.

"What if I just don't wear this crystal" she asked.

"That won't do anything, once the crystal claims its keeper, it's with you forever...if you haven't noticed, it latches onto you every time you are not wearing it, like that time when you fainted." Ryou explained.

sigh..."don't worry guys...like I would ever turn evil...ha-ha..." Hitomi faked a laugh to reassure them. But she herself didn't wasn't even sure.

'I hope your right Hitomi...you've been through so much...there's no telling what can happen...' Yami thought mentally.

Hitomi seemed to have lightened up a little. She was no longer staring off into space with a lost look. The thoughts of her father were currently put in the back of her head. She was fine just being here with them. Being with her friends is more than she can ask for.

Yami told Hitomi to stay at his place again, since he didn't want her to go home to that abusive father of hers, and since Hitomi had no where else to go since her father kicked her out of the house anyway. The gang stayed as well, hence the fact that they all had school together the next day.

"Thanks Yami...I don't know what I'll do without your hospitality..." Hitomi said quietly.

"It's no problem Hitomi, you can always come to me when you need help, or if you have something in your mind that's bothering you"

Hitomi smiled a small smile and nodded. "Now, I know you have not slept all night of yesterday, so go to sleep NOW! That goes for you people too!" Yami ordered.

"Yes sir!" they replied in unison.

Mr. Kiyoshi was at the bar drinking again. 'I wonder where Hitomi went...doesn't matter anymore, she's not coming back because of me...I'm such a terrible father' he thought as he clutched his stomach. 'Damn...that girl sure packs a hard punch...must have gotten it from me...' he sighed as he continued to hold the spot of his stomach where Hitomi repeatedly punched him the other night. 'I live alone now...I was planning to give the house to Hitomi, but I guess I'll do that IF she ever comes back...'

Suddenly, a group of 5 dangerous looking bunches of hooligans barged into the bar and marched right up to where Mr. Kiyoshi was sitting. The leader of this gang gathered up his collar and pulled him off the chair and threw him onto the floor. Everyone else in the bar was hiding far away to avoid this fight that was happening.

Spike, the leader of the gang bent down and grabbed his hair and forced him to look at him. "Where's the $8, 000 you owe me Kiyoshi?" he hissed.

"Please, give me more time, just two more days please!" Mr. Kiyoshi said shaking.

"I've given you a week now, no more excuses. Don't make me take your daughter." Spike threatened.

"She's gone, you'll never find her" he spat as he pushed Spike off him and ran for the door. However, the other four members of the gang blocked him.

"I'll take your life then" Spike seethed as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.

"No please! NOO--

BANG

The gang has gotten enough sleep to go to school the next day. They woke up quite early and walked to school together.

During class, there was a knock on the door. Ms. Mink, opened the classroom door, and it revealed the principal and two police officers. "May we borrow Hitomi for a moment please?" the principal asked with a grave look. "Umm...okay...Hitomi!" Ms. Mink called with a worried expression.

The class started bursting out with whispers as Hitomi got up from her chair and walked to the door, not before seeing the gang give her a worried look.

The principal closed the door behind her once she was outside of the classroom.

"Are you Hitomi Kiyoshi?" one of the officers asked. Hitomi nodded. "What's wrong?" she asked with a weird feeling growing within her.

"I am sorry to inform you that your father had been found murdered at a local bar yesterday night. He was shot right through the heart, and it probably killed him instantly...I am deeply sorry for your lost Ms. Kiyoshi"

Hitomi was of lost for words, letting his words sink into her. 'Dad...dead?...what...?...wait...dad, he's dead? That can't be! That just can't be it! No...I'm alone now...I have nobody now...how did this happen...I don't hate you dad! I lied! I don't want you to die!...I don't believe this...I can't believe this! It must be a joke!' she thought mentally. As realization dawned on her she finally came to a realistic conclusion. That her father was really dead.

Hitomi's eyes shot wide opened and her face paled visibly. "NO!" she screamed as she covered her ears and slid down the wall behind her. Her scream was so loud; everyone from inside her classroom came out of the room to see what all the commotion was about. Yami, Ryou, Seto, Joey, and Anzu ran to her broken figure. Her scream was so full of raw emotion; it had broken their hearts once they heard it.

"Hitomi?! Hitomi! What's wrong?!" Yami asked as he shook her shoulders. He gasped when she looked up; he saw silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Without warning Hitomi stood up and grabbed the collar of the police officer who told her this absurd information. "You're lying! He's not dead! My father can't be dead!" she screamed. The other students and the teacher looked on with sorrow as they realized what happened.

"Calm down Ms. Kiyoshi!" the officer yelled.

"Calm down!? How can I calm down! Who killed him?! Tell me now!" Hitomi yelled with all her fury.

Suddenly, Hitomi snapped. Dark energy radiated off of her. Her crystal turned pitch black and started to glow with a dark aura; her eyes turned black as well making everyone gasp; what was even more freaky was that her hair started to fade from its natural red color, slowly to black, and her pink lips had turned black as well. Some of the girls were screaming in fright now, watching as the millennium symbol appearing on her forehead shining brightly with its golden color with a tinge of black in it.

Letting out an angry scream, Hitomi released a dark energy blast from the palm of her hand to a nearby window, causing it to shatter. After that she jumped out of the broken window and ran out.

"HITOMI!" Yami yelled! But it was no use; there was no stopping her now...she was out for revenge. She was out for the kill.

A/N- Finally I'm done this chapter! Took me 5 hours sitting here thinking and typing! Well I hope you all enjoy this! Thank you for everyone who reviewed! Tell me how you liked this one please! Review please! laterz!