Love of Angels

Chapter 12

Atemu looks down at me, "Leave me, I'll be fine."

I place a quick peck on his lips before scrambling to get over to my brother. I fall to my knees and place his head in my lap. As Kaji's magic slowly begins to disperse I see that Atemu falls from the wall in time for Yugi and Yami to catch him and shoulder his weight. Seto walks to the doors almost in a trance as Bakura gaze up at me and weakly caresses my cheek.

With a soft almost inaudible sigh he smiles, "I'm sorry Alexia, I really am. I didn't want you to get hurt...more or less die. I love you and I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.

As his hand slips down my cheek and begins to dissipate in a gray mist. Silent tears roll down my face and everything else just doesn't seem important. While I start to calm down, I let my eyes turn to look at Kaji just in time to see him twitch and to know that he isn't dead after all.

With a swift motion he reveals the gun hidden inside his clothing and aims straight at me. "I'm taking you with me you damned angel!"

The bullet rips through the still air and I close my eyes, hoping for the pain to be quick. But nothing comes...maybe my wish was granted.

But when I open my eyes, I realize what had actually happened. Atemu had shoved away from the two lovers and shoved me aside. He crumples to the ground beside me. The blood pours from the wound in his chest as dull, glazed crimson orbs stare up at me while coughs rack his body and blood drips from the corners of his mouth. The metallic smell only worsens as Seto plunges his sword deep into Kaji, leaving a horrific imprint onto the tile and my mind.

Atemu smiles weakly at me as I move back to him, "I'll always love you..."

His smile begins to fade slowly and I have to bite my lip until a metallic taste drips into my own mouth, "Please don't leave me! Atemu, please?"

Seto kneels beside me and pulls me against his chest after checking the pulse. His defeated expression already explains that my first love has died. No matter how much I don't want to believe it. But Seto says nothing and only holds me just as he should.

Yami and Yugi stride over. Yugi helps me move away and holds me in his arms as I look over his shoulder, even though he doesn't know I am. Yami assists Seto in laying Atemu down on the ground next to where Bakura had been.

With a heavy sigh, Yami appears defeated, "She lost her lover and brother all in the same day."

"I should've done something at least made sure he was dead."

"Don't blame yourself we all thought that he was d-"

Yami's words fall off as a pair of vibrant wine and raven color patterened light covers teh room, causing Yami to grin furhter. The high angel known as Shikyo descends with Bakura beside her. Jet-black wings with white inlay sprout from Bakura's back as he walks over to me and kisses the crown of my head. He smiles gently, "This is a gift that I hope proves I'm truly sorry."

I don't have time to question as Shikyo leans down and places a delicate, yet firm, hand over Atemu's wound. A bright pearl-colored light engulfs his body and his eyes flutter open to gaze up at me as the light dims back down.

"A-Alexia?" I grin and go over to help him sit up.

Shikyo turns to Bakura with zero emotion in her face, "Bakura Shadow, I will declare you a fallen angel and permit your stay on earth. The only one that God has seen your heroic deeds and allows this to happen."

"Thank you Shikyo."

"Don't thank me Bakura...I'm not the person that did this."

As she vanishes in a pale light that contradicts the time she arrived, I let my eyes trail over all these people that in such a short time, have become my world, my life, and my family.