Disclaimer: FC denies any claim that says she owns Yu-Gi-Oh!
FC: ok so back we come to the Vamps ^^ I have to say I feel sorry for Bakura though
Zoo: you do? I thought you didn't like him
FC: I still feel for the guy, he's been through loads and he's only been in 2 chapters! I mean, his lover
got killed, he's been exiled, his Darkwolf-ness has been taken and he gets raped!
Zoo and Muses: o.O;;; you carry on feeling for him then….
FC: ^^ anyways warnings are violence and some cursing.
Enjoy peeps ^_~
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Last time with Yami and Yuugi:
Yami whirled aggressively, crimson eyes blazing like red fire. "I have to maintain
myself just like everything else! Like the books I read said: I'm a brutal and
vicious killer. Something I can't change right now! Life's war and every war has it's
casualties!"
Tears welled in Yuugi's fearful violet eyes, causing part of the vampire's heart to melt
at the sight. "But why seven? Why could you kill them and not me?"
Yami sighed, turning away. "I don't know, I just…couldn't. The only way to save the
people in this world _from_ me is for me…and you to go back to my world."
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"If your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be bright all over, as when a
lamp shines on you with its brightness"
- Luke Chapter 11 verse 36
***********************************************************************************
Chapter 5- Vampire High
"I-I can't" Yuugi stepped back, away from the Vampire, violet eyes wide. Yami's dark crimson orbs
glared down at him, shadowed face partially lit by the sun's dying rays flooding in through the kitchen
window. Perfect canines glinted from under smooth lips.
"What do you mean you can't? How the hell do you think I feel staying in a world like this?!" Yami
shouted back, teeth clenched together, his jaw muscles tight.
Yuugi didn't understand why he had argued the point- what was could be so different about the
Shadow world? A strong feeling of dread, of unrestrained fear overtook his mind, almost blinding him
with hidden panic. There was something _evil_ about the other world besides what lived there. Yuugi
swallowed the feeling, letting it dwell in the pit of his stomach. "I-I don't know how it feels for you to
be here, but I can't go to your world. What would happen if I just disappeared from this world? Could I
even come back?"
"I doubt it, but then, I have no idea. Believe what you will about my world but we will go back there"
Yami growled, bloody eyes catching shards of light. He folded sinewy arms across a broad chest,
keeping his temper under control. Did this inferior human think he could stop a vampire? Bah. It had
never been heard of, not in any tale, myth or legend. Yami wasn't one to let it start.
"I understand you want to go home, but this is _my_ home. If I have to go back with you, can't you
wait just a few days? It's not likely that anything is going to happen back there over a few days" the
child reasoned, amethyst eyes pleading with silent hope. Could vampires be completely cold? Or…was
there some light in them, a faint flicker small enough to be snuffed out at a moment's notice?
Something _did_ flicker in the vampire's eyes. It swept through them as a sudden rush pulled at a spot
in his chest. Yami blinked, hoping nothing was seen. There was just _something_ about that face. It hid
an innocence the vampire could never grasp, something that should be treasured, kept away from those
who would seek to destroy it. Something about the look told him to give in, to let the human have his
few days. But, what if something _did_ happen back in the Shadow world? If the vampires thought he
had abandoned his role as their leader, not only would he lose his power through unfairness but he
would be exiled; as to make sure he could never take the position again.
Yami found himself divided. Half of him urged him to return now, to defend his position as King of
Vampires, to keep his loyalty to that role. The other begged him to grant Yuugi's wish, to let him stay
in his home world. But which was more important? His authority or his loyalty to his supposed Hikari,
whom he had only met just a day before hand.
Yami snapped from his thoughts to find himself in Yuugi's room, having unconsciously followed the
youth there. He leaned against the bare wall behind him, Yuugi sitting at his desk, having left the
vampire to decide on his proposal while he busied himself with his homework. Though it proved
difficult.
Yami wasn't the only one to feel divided.
Yuugi found himself lost, unable to concentrate on the paper in front of him. He glanced over at the
calm figure of Yami, one leg relaxed and bent at the knee, the other out straight pressing him against
the wall. His arms remained crossed, as though defensive; blocking anything and everything. Crimson
eyes were glazed over in thought until he blinked, letting them become clear. He raised them to Yuugi
who turned away quickly from the stare.
Half of Yuugi told him there was nothing to worry about, that he should trust the vampire. But how
could he? He was a _vampire_ a child of the dark- not to be trusted by humans, but feared by them.
Yet, amidst this cloak of reputed fear a glimmer of faith shone, like a tiny star hidden in the dark night
sky. Could there be hope?
The other half of the boy told him to keep his distance, to stay away from Yami, to fear and hate him,
not to trust him. But what is life without trust? Why should someone not be treated the same as anyone
else _just_ because they're different? The world was full of prejudice and discrimination, why add
more? There wasn't any point.
"We will stay here for three more days. Once they are over you must swear on your soul to come back
with me."
Yuugi looked up sharply at the vampire bewildered. He had agreed to stay for the few days? Vampires
couldn't be completely cold hearted, not this one anyway and he was presumed to be the cruellest of
the race. Only the cruellest could rule.
By why must he swear upon his Soul? Wasn't that the essence of him, the life that gave him a will, a
personality, a sense of decency? If he swore by that would it change him?
The questions poured through Yuugi's mind until he blocked them, halting their insane rampage. "I
swear on my soul I'll go back with you in three days" he whispered, mouth dry.
And that was it. He had signed away his fate.
Yami resumed the cold front he kept so well, the sheet of ice shielding any emotion he might have
shown.
But what was emotion?
Among the vampire clans any emotions other than hate and rage were seen as weakness, a sign that the
one harbouring them was insubstantial, an outcast haunted by feelings. Love most of all was seen as a
great weakness, as was pity and mercy upon others. They were brutal and violent killers, mercy
bestowed by them was almost a crime.
Yet, were they really a weakness?
Yami knew he could have gone back that very minute, making the short boy before him go through
force. But something made him stop. He couldn't find the _heart_ to make him go. Was the King
softening? Would he lose his reputation as a hardened killer by giving the innocent one what he
wanted?
Yami slapped himself mentally. Of course he wouldn't lose he reputation- none of the other vampires
knew. They would never need to know. He just had to make sure that none of the newly found
_weakness_ made it's way out to the bare exterior of the vampire.
Yuugi threw his pencil down on his paper in frustration. No matter how hard he tried couldn't
concentrate on the work set, his mind continued to linger back to the Shadow world.
Finally he stood, coming to the conclusion that nothing he did would help him work. He looked at
Yami, hesitant before he spoke. "I guess if you're staying here for a few days you can't really stay here
while I'm in school" he muttered, violet eyes drawing up to meet dark crimson ones.
"So what exactly do you expect me to do? Go there with you?" Yami growled darkly, his question only
meant to be rhetorical.
"Well…yeah. I could sign you in as a visiting student for a while. Then you wouldn't have to wait
around for me to get back" Yuugi swallowed, seeing the disgusted look on Yami's face.
This human expected him to go to a place crawling with meals on legs? Yami knew he couldn't hang
about Yuugi's home, but going to a place where what he ate was wandering around tempting the
vampire? He'd already showed lenience towards the child- this was pushing his boundaries to the limit
of tolerance.
Yami clenched his fists into balls, spiked wrists bands catching the electric light. "Fine, I agree to
going with you but DON'T think I'm going to take part in any of it. And don't blame me if some of the
inauspicious students…disappear" Yami muttered, teeth clenched tighter than his fists.
Yuugi gave him an alarmed look, before shaking it away. "You can't hurt anyone while we're there!
It'll be suspicious enough that you look like me let alone students start…dying…when you turn up!"
"Bloody hell!" Yami swore viciously. "Is there anything else you don't want me to do dammit? Like
breathe?!"
Yuugi saw the vampire's temper flaring dangerously high. He was treading on sensitive ground and the
sensitivity of it just got a whole lot sharper. If he had been standing, Yuugi would've stepped back, but
since he was sitting he didn't have to.
"P-please," he stuttered uncontrollably, "if it's the only thing you ever did for me then l-let it be this."
Yami sighed and walked towards the Hikari. Yuugi cringed noticeably under his stern gaze, until he
realised the vampire was only grabbing his jacket, which was resting on the desktop near his work.
With saying another word to Yuugi, Yami left the room, slipping his brawny arms through the sleeves
of his jacket.
Yuugi stared after the vampire, his gut telling him what didn't need to be told. He shook out the feeling
and returned to his homework, knowing Yami needed to cool down more than anything else. The sheer
thought of what he did revolted Yuugi.
For you see, Yami was hungry.
***********************************************************************************
Yami swore under his breath, foot connecting with a solitary rock, black boot kicking it aside
aimlessly. Hands deep in his pockets he wasn't going anywhere in particular. He didn't know the area
so he aimed to stay within a few blocks of the Games Shop- even vampires got lost in strange worlds.
His thoughts roamed throughout the day's events. There was only one problem. He knew how to get
back and he had the will and need to go back.
Yuugi didn't.
But was it really a problem? He had sworn on his very soul, his essence of life, to go back with the
vampire. He had no choice, unless his promise was made invalid by the one who had asked him to
swear to it. In other words Yami.
And Yami wasn't going to extinguish that promise, he needed the innocent child to get back to his own
world. The vampire didn't like the thought of staying in this _light_ world for 3 more days but he had
no choice in the matter. He'd shown leniency and he couldn't go back on his word.
Argh! All these thoughts were driving Yami insane. He needed to hunt, to feel the thrill of the chase, to
see the uncontrollable fear written over his prey's face. He _needed_ to install the terror, to watch the
victim flee from him, prolonging their inevitable death. Spotting a nearby alley he headed towards it, a
fire escape ladder climbing up the side of the building, it's metal framework crawling up the bricks like
black ivy.
Making his way swiftly up the rusting stairway, he emerged at the top to find he was still below the
actual rooftop. Yami smirked judiciously- there were many advantages to being a child of the dark. He
leapt up at the roof, his unnatural strength and agility letting him land perfectly on the flat surface. He
straightened up and walked calmly to the edge. Bloody eyes scanned the surrounding area, a glint of
light entering them when he saw a woodland not far from where he was.
That would be his playground.
Yami picked out a route across the rooftops, choosing a fairly direct path. He leapt clean across the
surfaces, mentally laughing at the weak humans. They could never do this, their inferior bodies did not
allow them such freedom. Vampires once human? Bah. Vampires may once have been human but they
long since developed into far better creatures, cancelling out any thought that humans ruled anything.
The worlds were the vampire's playgrounds, offering them an everlasting supply of terrified humans on
the menu.
Yami stepped into the dark forest, breathing in the relaxing scent of pine needles. His mind's previous
thoughts seeped out of his head, his main focus turning on finding and catching his victim. Vampires
had instincts much like that of wild animals- seek and destroy. Once they began a hunt it wasn't over
until the prey was caught. And Yami was a skilled hunter, experienced in inflicting pain and
encouraging cruelty. He set off through the jagged trees, shadows dancing across a malicious smirk.
***********************************************************************************
They walked slowly, hands clasping each other's gently. His deep voice rang out through whispering
trees, her laughter softer than chiming bells. This was what they loved doing- to walk freely within the
shades of the woodland, undisturbed by others who would seek to destroy the peace.
Something snapped.
Blond hair flew around her neck as she twisted her head quickly, grey eyes turning green as the
sunlight caught them; her form stopping to look back. He lowered his head, looking back in the same
direction.
"Something's there" her voice was quiet, grey-green eyes wide and searching. His arm rubbed her
shoulder, her wide eyes relaxing.
"It was probably a squirrel. Nothing's there" he answered before leading her on again, the noise
partially forgotten.
***********************************************************************************
Yami grinned, his crimson eyes burning with glee as he stalked the pair. If he did make a sound it was
on purpose- he wasn't amateur enough to make unwanted noises. But which would he deal with first?
The vampire wanted to separate them, to make them panic. Once apart they'd be much easier prey to
handle. Better take out the bigger threat first- the boy. It wasn't that he was a threat, the Vampire King
needed him first to create more apprehension on the girl's part. Yami took off at a run, boots soundless
against the dry forest floor.
***********************************************************************************
She was even more unsettled than she had been before. Various noises had erupted from around them,
sometimes loud and sharp, sometimes quiet and soft. They hadn't stopped in the past half an hour and
she didn't like it.
He was as uneasy as she was. The sounds worried him. Nothing else had been heard for a while- birds
had quietened and sank low in their nests, afraid of something. He stopped as another noise cracked in
front of them. She squeezed his hand half-heartedly, feeling him do the same.
He turned, leading her back the way they had come. Their footsteps became loud and rushed as their
pace quickened. They walked past a gnarled tree, it's ancient limbs drooping with years of strain. Old
greying bark covered it's dead hide, peeling off in small sections.
She gave a startled shriek as his hand left hers. When she looked he wasn't anywhere around her. She
called his name, telling him not to play games with her. But her cries fell on deaf ears.
***********************************************************************************
Yami drove his twin teeth into the youth's tanned neck, some of his blood dripping down over the once
unmarked skin. The rest flowed straight down Yami's waiting throat, warming it with it's hot vitality.
Tense muscles fell limb as his lifeless body gave up the struggle. Once zealous brown eyes glazed over,
forever left in their given look of shock.
Yami removed his canines, brushing a small trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth with
his hand. He picked up the lifeless form fully, jogging off ahead of the remaining girl.
***********************************************************************************
She looked around wildly, trying to find her lost lover. Her voice hoarse from shouting, it wasn't long
before she was running on back towards civilisation. She choked back a cry as the noises started up
again behind her, though the beating of her heart soon blocked them out.
Almost blinded by tears of consternation, she gave a startled yelp as she saw the figure of someone
leaning against a tree. She slowed her pace, unsure of whether she should venture forward or avoid the
lone figure. She called out the boy's name, edging forward even though she received no answer. She
circled round, catching a glimpse at the face of the figure, half covered in dark shadow. She gave a cry
of relief, running towards the boy. She stopped short when his face came into full view. Her scream
pierced through the woodlands, causing birds to take wing in fear and other animals to run.
There, was the form of her lover, held up against the tree by the spiked branch that ran through his
neck. The rest of his body was horrifically mutilated, worse than just the neck alone.
Hot tears fell in rivers down her face, her fingers reaching out to the boy though she couldn't bring
herself to touch him; broken sobs racking her body. A cold shiver ran through her body, snapping her
from her shocked state. She backed away from the carcass, turning and running towards the city;
blinded by the tears that flowed from her seemingly melting eyes.
She gave another short yelp as she ran straight into something. She snapped her head up, looking into
the face of the man she'd run into. Lightning bangs lined his ivory face, a spiked crown of crimson and
black shot from behind the jagged bangs.
"Please! Help me. I-it's my…." she couldn't finished her sentenced but sank into the stranger's strong
arms. He cuddled her, piercing crimson eyes looking down at her with a sadistic gaiety that she
couldn't see as she sobbed into his leather shirt.
"Shush, it's alright. Tell me what happened."
She looked up into the ostensibly angelic face, opening her mouth to answer, closely it when something
caught her eye. Beneath those perfect lips, were two abnormally long canines their tips poking out ever
so slightly.
The angelic face turned demonic.
Yami smiled at her, showing the full extent of the slightly tinted canines, still bloodied from their last
kill. The smiled vanished as his steel grip held her to him while the teeth entered her contracting artery.
She was dead before she could say a thing.
***********************************************************************************
The next day proved more eventful for both Yuugi and the vampire.
Yami had returned the previous night, not a whisper of what he had done escaping his mouth. Yuugi
didn't need to know.
Or was it he didn't _want_ Yuugi to know?
Could it be that Yami was ashamed? That he was something Yuugi normally only saw in his
nightmares, not something he should be living with. Was he ashamed of what he did, of the brutal
practices he carried out to maintain himself?
Yami passed off the thoughts as he woke the next morning unusually stiff, his back joints clicking as he
stretched. It wasn't a good idea to sleep in a chair as the vampire learned from that experience. He
blinked, clearing his lethargic eyes; before looking around Yuugi's empty bedroom. The child had
gone. Yami frowned, looking at the scruffy bed, telltale signs that the boy hadn't long been up and
about. Upon coming to the conclusion the youth wasn't in the hallway, Yami tried his mental link with
him.
//Yuugi?//
***********************************************************************************
//Yuugi?//
Yuugi jumped at the sudden call the filtered into his mind. He wasn't used to the unusual sensation,
having only had it for two days. Staying into the mirror in front of him he saw the colour return to his
cheeks as he recovered from the unexpected startle. He concentrated his thoughts into how he assumed
he sent a message back.
/Yes?/
***********************************************************************************
Yami frowned as he felt a strange feeling enter his mind, the frown leaving his brow when he realised
what he had felt was relief. He was relieved to know the child was still there?
//Where are you?//
/In the bathroom, I'll be out in a minute/
What the hell was he thinking?! Here he was stuck in a world he never knew actually existed, staying
with someone he hardly knew who could pass for his almost identical twin and he was relieved just to
hear them answer?!
Anger and a large feeling of self-loathing filled the vampire, making his blood almost boil. He grabbed
the nearest thing to him- a small glass paperweight, a golden eye in its centre. He threw it forcefully
away from him, just as Yuugi stepped in.
The teen gave a startled look, violet eyes slightly wide as he dodged the flying object, watching it
smash into small fragments of chunky glass as it hit the wall next to the door.
"Was it something I said?" Yuugi asked, light humour clear in his voice.
Yami lowered his eyes to the shattered glass, as Yuugi bent down as picked up the freed golden eye.
"Gomen, I just-"
"Don't worry bout it, we all get angry sometimes" Yuugi cut him off before he could finish, "it's a
good thing I've got an identical paperweight to this one."
Yami walked over to him as he studied the smooth eye in his hand. It's gold surface was level and
unmarked, a circle held within two curved lines which joined at either side, a small dent-like hole based
in the circle's centre.
"What is it?" Yami's question was directed at Yuugi's puzzled eyes rather than what the eye was.
Yuugi frowned at it before glancing up at the vampire. "I don't know. I've seen this somewhere, but
where…"
The youth's fingers fondled the strange Puzzle that still hung against his chest, Yuugi feeling safer with
it on for some reason or other.
Yami reached out a hand and turned his Puzzle's front up so he could see its face. Yuugi held the loose
eye next to the one on the Puzzle.
Both eyes matched.
"It's the Sennen Eye. I've seen it before both in my world and in the books here. I don't know what it
means in your world but in mine it is very powerful- only the Vampire Sages and Darkwolf Seers use
it." Yami let his Puzzle hang back against his chest.
"Darkwolves?"
"The other beings that inhabit the Shadowed world. I suppose they're what you call werewolves, being
able to change forms from wolf to human. They live in their own territory, most that stray onto
Vampire land die as a warning to others of their kind to stay away. We hate them and they hate us."
Yuugi nodded in understanding, putting the Sennen Eye on his desk before pulling his school jacket off
his desk chair. Slipping his arms in he eyed Yami up quickly. "You're gonna have to change."
Yami snapped his head up, looking Yuugi directly in his innocent eyes. "What do you mean I have to
change?!"
"You can't go to school dressed like that- rules don't allow it" Yuugi stated, his tone matter-of-factly.
Yami frowned at the comment- he didn't go by rules set by beings lower than himself let alone
humans! The mere thought of it was outrageous to the Vampire King.
"So what do you suggest I take off then?" he inquired, crossing his slender arms moodily as he kept his
higher than a growl.
Yuugi looked him over, eyeing what he was wearing. "Well you can keep you basic clothes on, but the
spikes and chains have to go."
Yami controlled the indignant growl that rose in his throat as he removed the spiked bracelets he wore
around his wrists along with the numerous silver chains that was attached to his jacket and top.
Yuugi opened his mouth to say another thing but Yami shook his head. "I'm not losing the buckles."
Yuugi shrugged. "And the rest of the spikes, meaning your neck belt."
Again the vampire shook his head. "I am not going around with a bare neck."
Yuugi felt a small pang of annoyance, before solving the problem. Going over to a drawer, he searched
through its contents until he found the item he wanted. He handed it to Yami, who inspected the
smooth black leather and silver buckle of the neck belt.
"Wear that if it means you'll take your one off."
"Fine" Yami conceded, fingers fumbling with the buckle on his spiked belt. He slid it off from around
his neck, the ivory skin below shown to the teen for the first time.
What Yuugi saw caused him to stare uncontrollably.
Cleverly concealed beneath the neck belts Yami wore, his pale skin was smooth and unmarked except
for one area. Based a few inches away from the centre of Yami's neck sat a strange mark, much like
that of the Sennen Eye, carved into his skin. The basic shape was that of the Sennen Eye but inside a
curved symbol filled the centre, it's appearance much like that of an '8' with a diagonal line through it.
Yami felt the presence of eyes, knowing that Yuugi had caught a glimpse of the mark. He slipped the
belt around the back of his neck covering the mark with the cold leather.
"How did-?" Yuugi swallowed, turning violet eyes up to meet softened crimson ones.
Yami sighed. "I wish I could forget that day…"
***Flashback***********************************************************************
~Shadow World- Reign of Bison 1500 AD.~
He wiped the warm crimson from his mouth, staring down at the carcass of the Darkwolf lying before
him. It's matted white fur stained deep scarlet, the snarling jaw had relaxed, glossy teeth hidden
beneath a reddened muzzle.
Why had he come here?
Yami backed away from the fallen Darkwolf, crimson eyes stilling staring down at it. He couldn't feel the
slashes and bites that gorged his frame, his only thoughts falling back to the other.
But it wasn't his fault.
That Darkwolf knew to stay in his own territory, not enter the vampires. Why had he done it? It wasn't
_why_ that caused Yami's confusion it was _who_. Who was the Darkwolf? If that was one thing
Yami did know, only the strongest Darkwolves dared to enter vampire terrain. Either that or those who
didn't know the dangers. And this Darkwolf wasn't particularly strong or old.
Yami had killed a Darkwolf pup.
And if this pup had wandered out of his own territory then others of its Pack would be sure to follow.
"What's that?!"
Yami's headed snapped up as he saw shapes moving on the hill above him. The dark forms moved
down the hillside, anguished growls sounding from angry throats. Coats of various colours, black,
white, mottled grey and blond stepped into the light as a group of around ten fully grown Darkwolves
halted. One moved forward to the dead pup, greying muzzle nudging its limb body.
Yami may only have been considered a young vampire by his kind, but he was no recreant. He wasn't
stupid either. He knew danger when it was in front of him.
And what stood before him couldn't get much more dangerous.
Yami did the only thing he could in this situation- run. But they knew what he had done and no amount
of running could take him away from ten angry grown Darkwolves. All he felt were the savage blows
dealt to his head before he passed into darkness.
***********************************************************************************
"He must pay for what he has done!"
"He killed our kin we have a right to take our vengeance!"
Far away voices screamed at Yami as he wavered between darkness and consciousness. He didn't want
to leave the safety of the dark, he could hide there, unaware of others around him.
But the darkness didn't want him.
Slowly feeling came back to the vampire's limbs, slashes and grazes burning like wild fire. They stung
but they weren't the worst. That was still to come.
Crimson eyes blinked slowly as they opened to the rest of the world, pupils contracting from the harsh
light that entered them. As Yami's eyes adjusted to his surroundings he found himself without a clue as
to where he was. All he could see around him were forms of what appeared to be humans and wolves,
their angry shouts ringing out through the hall; lit by burning torches of golden flames.
"He's a vampire, he has no rights here!"
Then the realisation of what was happening struck Yami, bubbling panic welling in his mind and he
wasn't one to get scared easily.
He was in the Darkwolf court of the High Council.
Lifting his head, the vampire found himself staring up at the Elders of the Darkwolves. They stood on a
platform above the rest, staying in their wolf forms as they looked down on the angry crowd
surrounding their captive.
Yami moved his arm only to find it wouldn't obey him. Puzzled by this, Yami tugged harder, only to
feel thick cords bite into his wrists. His ankles were in a similar state. He glanced at two guards
standing nearby in their human forms, more keeping the crowd away from the vampire.
Only a muffled cry escaped his throat as he attempted to speak, only then realising the layer of fabric
that covered his mouth gagging any protest he could make. It was then that Yami could comprehend how
helpless he was. A killer surrounded by the victim's kinsmen.
"Enough!"
The roaring crowd's jumbled voices died down as one of the Elders stepped forward, his blond fur
catching the light from the torches on the walls. Yami felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck as
the Darkwolf stared down at his bound form.
"Though this vampire must be punished we cannot kill him" the Elder spoke out, voice raised so all
could hear. Cries of disapproval rang out again, triggering a chain of enraged reactions.
"They murdered one of ours!"
"Why can't we kill one of them?!"
The Darkwolf sent out a loud short bark, attracting the crowd's attention again. "We cannot kill him
without a risk of starting a war between us and the Vampire Clans! More would die just by making a
mistake like that! I said even though we will not kill him he must still be punished for what he has
done."
Though slightly relieved by hearing they weren't going to kill him, Yami felt a tremor of fear run
through his frame.
"Then what do you plan to do then?"
The Elder turned his head towards the area where the voice had spoken from, though he wasn't
bothered about who said it.
"He will be given a punishment that he will never forget- one that will stay with him for the rest of his
life! As an Elder of this council I say he has is given a marking to show his crime- one that our race
will always recognise and hate! One that other races will also recognise as a symbol of his evil and our
mercy!"
His voice came out cold and clear sending up shouts of approval from every Darkwolf in the hall.
Another Elder, covered in sooty black fur, nodded to the two guards near the vampire. They moved
forwards and grabbed Yami, one on either side as they carried him struggling over to a table.
Even with his restraints, Yami still fought back against his captors as far as the cords would allow. He
kicked savagely at the Darkwolves as they held him on the wooden table, catching a few of them in
their stomachs. Several more came over to hold him, grabbing his flailing legs, strong hands keeping
them still. Others held his upper body as two grabbed the sides of his head, twisting it sideways
roughly, exposing the smooth ivory skin of his neck.
Yami turned his eyes in an attempt to see what they were doing. A Darkwolf came over in his human
form, a knife grasped in his hand. The vampire's eyes widened as the brown haired 'human' brought
the gleaming knife down to his neck.
As the sharp edge bit into his sensitive skin, Yami surged, his entire form fighting against the
restraining arms and cords that held him, protests and shouts of pain leaving his mouth as quiet
whimpers from behind the dirty layer of fabric that served as a gag.
Now he felt more acrid cords wrapping themselves over his legs and stomach, binding his buckling
frame to the table. He tried twisting his head back, taking away the expose section of his neck, but the
hands held firm.
And then the knife began its winding course over the supple skin of his neck. Blood ran out thick and
fast from the cuts, as Yami's struggling became weaker; his muscles exhausted. There was no point in
fighting.
It didn't matter.
***End Flashback********************************************************************
Yami's eyes fell to the ground ashamed as he walked alongside Yuugi, his pace deliberately slower for
the teen.
"I've worn that mark covered for as long as I can remember. It's 500 years and Darkwolves still
recognise it, as do other clans. Vampires aren't bothered by it, but if they knew I carried it I would be
considered weak for being so careless. Only a few know about it and they swore themselves to
secrecy."
Yuugi gnawed his lip as they walked towards Domino High, his mind registering the story Yami had
told. The vampire trusted him enough to tell him something so personal? Something he kept from most,
he had told freely to the youth with seemingly no hesitation.
"But why did they care so much? I can see why they'd be upset about it being a younger one but there
must have been another reason" he inquired, sneakers scuffing the pavement as he stepped out.
"I didn't know it when I had killed him but he was one of the Pack leaders kin, a Darkwolf called
Vega. The one I killed was his son presumably the one destined to rule the Pack if no one opposed him.
So it made him more important to them."
Yuugi nodded in understanding.
"You think I'm a monster."
Yuugi snapped his head up, looking into a face so full of guilt and a longing to be understood that he
felt a wave of sympathy wash through his heart.
"No I think you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You do what you need to survive, even
if you use weird methods you're still just trying to live like everything else. That doesn't make you a
monster" Yuugi's answer shocked Yami more than he expected. He had come to think that the human
was appalled with what he did, that he was a monster, a nightmare to others. But here the youth had
proved him wrong.
He'd shown the vampire compassion.
He hadn't judged, he'd listened to Yami and seemed to understand him. Was there nothing bad about
this child?
"Thank-you."
Those two simple words, so full of gratitude were something Yami hadn't used since…before he could
remember.
Yuugi gave him a wide smile. "No problem. Just one thing."
"What?"
"Can you make your teeth kinda, well, shorter?" Yuugi felt partially awkward asking this, but they had
to be hidden.
Yami chuckled, a glimmer of a smile appearing on his stern mouth, giving him a strange look. "Ok."
Yami felt the twin canines sink up into his gum as he shortened them to a reasonable size, still longer
than an average humans but shorter than before.
"You should do that more often."
Yami glanced down at Yuugi, puzzled by his comment. "Do what more often?"
"Smile. You'll feel better than always going round with a face on you like a wet weekend" Yuugi
giggled, receiving a mock scowl from the vampire. "Hey there's Jou!"
Yami watched as Yuugi ran forward, heading towards a group of three, two guys, one blond the other
brunette, the third a girl with short brown hair. He carried on walking at his chosen speed, coming up
behind Yuugi moments later.
"Guys this is Yami. He's gonna be in school with me for a few days" he introduced the Game King,
smiling broadly at his friends.
The blond stepped forward, holding his hand out to Yami. "Name's Katsuya Jounochi but you can call
me Jou."
Yami shook his hand, nodding in return. The brunette came up next, Honda, his lanky former well
above Yami's head. Finally the girl came over, smiling cerulean eyes gazing warmly at the vampire.
Anzu.
"You look a lot like Yuug' Yami. You two related?" Jou asked, his chocolate eyes roaming from Yuugi
to Yami and back again.
"He's my, err…cousin! Yeah, down visiting for a while aren't you Yami?" Yuugi answered quickly,
elbowing Yami in the stomach.
"What? Oh, yeah. Down for a few days" Yami blurted out, giving Yuugi a glare when the three weren't
looking, crimson eyes watching hungrily as students walked past him; tempting him though he had to
keep his instincts under control.
"We'll meet up with you guys at registration ok? I gotta go get Yami signed in" the teen explained,
grabbing Yami by the wrist, dragging him off towards the school office, causing his wondering gaze to
come out of it's dazed state.
"Later Yuug'!" Jou shouted after them, lanky frame turning back to Honda.
***********************************************************************************
"Burn me with hot pokers, stick needles in my eyes, anything but don't make me sit through that-that
torture again!"
Yuugi giggled at Yami's exaggerated response to their previous lesson. "It was only Maths!"
Yami raised a perfect eyebrow, staring down at the youth. "Believe me, if that was a punishment back
in my world, rules would never be broken again. How do you sit through that everyday?"
"You get used to it" came Yuugi's systematic reply as he pushed open the cafeteria door, letting the
river of voices flood out, their shrieks high pitched mingled with a few deeper ones which evened out
the overall tone.
Yami stepped in as Yuugi held the door for him, the Game King spying Jou's blond hair above the sea
of darker colours; indicating where he was. He followed Yuugi over, sitting down next to the short
youth.
The vampire had managed to retain his hunger though
"Hey guys" the greeting was said in unison, all the group saying it at once, with the exception of Yami.
Jou bit hungrily into his burger, mayonnaise dripping out the back onto his tray. Without caring that his
mouth was full of food, the blond addressed the vampire. "So Yami, what you think of Maths?"
Before Yami could answer with a crude remark about it being complete 'torture', Yuugi spoke for him.
"He doesn't like it."
Honda snorted. "Who does? Should be banned if y'ask me."
Yuugi shrugged, before biting into his sandwich, offering the other half to Yami. "You can eat it right?
I mean, it doesn't do anything to you does it?"
"No, I can eat other things they just don't _do_ anything for me" Yami explained, eyeing the sandwich
warily.
"It's only chicken salad" Yuugi saw Yami giving the offending sandwich a small glare. After looking
at Yuugi, the vampire decided the sandwich would _not_ kill him he took a doubtful bite. Chewing
slowly he swallowed it and his eyes brightened up slightly before returning to their normal dark
glimmer.
"Oh great. Here comes trouble" Anzu muttered, turning her eyes down to the relatively clean table.
Jou, Honda and Yuugi all quietened, their faces sullen. Yami looked around puzzled as to what was
bothering the group.
Crimson eyes fell on three boys heading over to the table, ugly grins plastered on their faces. None of
the three would be considered gentle, their bulky forms showing what they were without anyone
having to give a mild guess.
They walked over, missing Yami altogether heading over to Yuugi instead, standing just behind him
while one sat beside him, the other side to the vampire.
"Hello Yuugi. How much you got today?"
The question was far from pleasant sounding, the boy's tone almost smirking for him. Yuugi kept his
eyes down, fingers fiddling with his drink bottle.
"I don't have any" his voice was barely above a whisper, waiting for the expected reply.
The one sitting next to him gave a lopsided smirk. "That's what you say every time yet you always got
some. So give it up."
Yuugi sighed, lowering his eyes further as he reached reluctantly into his jeans pocket for the money he
had stored there. He stopped when Yami's hand rested on his arm. He looked up at the vampire, seeing
an annoyed frown planted on his face.
"Back off and go" Yami's voice was a low murmur, crimson eyes burning at the main thug. The guy
looked at him, seeming to have noticed Yami for the first time.
"Looks like we got a new guy and he obviously don't know the rules."
"Should stay outta our business if y'ask me" one of the other youths piped up.
Yami turned his gaze to the speaker, steel crimson eyes unnerving him. His voice sounded colder than
ice but smoother than silk. "If it involves Yuugi or his friends then it is my business. As I said, back
off."
The leading youth didn't like where this was going. He wasn't scared of this new guy, but there was
_something_ about him that gave him an almost dangerous air. The teen stood walked over to Yami,
muscular arms folded stubbornly. "And what you gonna do bout it? Hurt me?"
Yami stood, his slender body shorter and far less bulky than the groups. "Oh I'll do more than hurt you,
you'll wish your pathetic life had never started."
He was stung. No one had ever called him pathetic. No one had dared. All around them kids had
stopped eating, conversations hushed as they watched the heat grow between Yami and the bully.
Agitated by Yami's cool confidence, the youth wasn't prepared to let the new guy make a fool out of
him. He did the only thing his slow mind could register for him to do- to try and scare the vampire into
backing down. He grabbed Yami by the shirt, bringing his face close to the Game King's.
"No one calls me pathetic and gets away with it that easily."
Yami averted his eyes and sighed.
The teen gave a triumphant grin, believing he had defeated the vampire.
Wrong.
Before the youth knew what had happened, Yami had grabbed his wrists, yanking them away from his
shirt; reversing the move so that he had the thug by his collar, slamming him forcefully onto the table.
Yami leaned over so his face was directly over the youth's, cold crimson eyes glaring down into wide
green ones.
"Your nothing but pathetic. You think you can scare me into submission? Your nothing but a low piece
of shit scraped off decent people's shoes. Watch who you try to start a fight with, you might get more
than you bargained for. Catch my drift?"
As he said his last sentence, Yami's upper lips curled back slightly, his twin canines extended to their
full length; bared viciously so that only the teen could see them. the youth nodded dumbly, too terrified
to say a word.
"Good. If you EVER come near Yuugi and his friends again then you'll have hell to pay. Now go crawl
back under the rock from which you came!"
Yami let go of the teen watching him scramble upright, trying to regain any dignity he had had before.
He practically ran from the cafeteria, his two friends with him. A loud applause filled the room, all of
it's gratitude and praise aimed at Yami, who sat back down calmly; though a confused look haunted his
unnaturally beautiful face.
"What're they applauding for?"
Yuugi surprised the vampire by hugging him profusely around his middle. "Arigatou Yami."
Yami looked questioningly at Honda and Jou who winked back at him.
"Those three guys have bugged us for months, mostly taking Yuugi's money rather than anyone else's.
No one's ever stood up to them cause we've been to scared. Then you come along and the first day
you're here you do something no one would _dare_ do. S'pose people kinda see you as a hero."
Yami listened to the explanation, but just shrugged, the applauds having finally died done though
anyone he looked at smiled at him. "I can't stand people like that. They think they're tough, installing
fear in the weaker of their society, though when someone stands up to them they crack and show just
how weak they truly are. They're snivelling idiots looking for attention."
Yuugi smiled at him, having let go of his middle. "Well no one's gonna forget about that in a hurry.
Whether you want it or not people are gonna remember that and thank you for it."
Yami nodded, the noise in the cafeteria rising back to its usual level, though this time it was filled with
the same topic.
"Did you see the look on his face when the guy told him to go?"
"That guy's amazing! He doesn't look that strong but I bet he is!"
"Well yeah! He has to be to scare Ken like that!"
Through all this, Yami just returned to his sandwich; blocking out the various comments, keeping his
mind trained on Yuugi.
***********************************************************************************
That night Yami sat in the darkened living room, eyes staring into nothing as his thoughts ran over the
days' events and what was to come.
"Yami? What're you doing down here in the dark? It's 3:30 in the morning."
His head turned as he saw Yuugi's short form in the doorway, silhouetted against the moonlight that
poured in behind him.
His answer was short and to the point. "I couldn't sleep."
Yuugi stifled a yawn and stepped into the living room, bare feet soundless against the carpet. "You
wanna talk bout anything?"
Yami shook his head, knowing that Yuugi couldn't actually see the movement. "No it's alright. You
should go back to bed, I'll be up in a while."
"Ok, just don't stay up all night, you might be a vampire but you guys must need to sleep too" Yuugi
stated sleepily, making his way back up the stairs to his room.
Yami slid down further into the comfy over-stuffed armchair, crimson eyes blinking slightly against
sleep. `Just two days left then I'll be back where I belong.`
The thought was partially comforting to the vampire as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.
***********************************************************************************
Author's notes:
FC: ok so Gomen nasai to both Zoo-chan and all you readers. I didn't mean to take so long in getting
this out but first I had writer's block, then I had to go away….
Flareon Muse: we don't want excuses FC! You're just lazy -.-
FC: well that too…
Zoo: *runs around insanely* Wheeeeee! I'm just glad you got it out ^^
FC: eventually *dances* ^_~
Eevee Muse: will they ever grow up?
Flareon Muse: *whacks FC on the head with a mallet* no probably not
Zoo: ;_; we like how we are! *sniff*
FC: yah! ^^() and some of you might have noticed but some of the names were from Street Fighter 2
and I don't own them either. Anyways….
Zoo: Please review!!!!
FC: ^_~
FC: ok so back we come to the Vamps ^^ I have to say I feel sorry for Bakura though
Zoo: you do? I thought you didn't like him
FC: I still feel for the guy, he's been through loads and he's only been in 2 chapters! I mean, his lover
got killed, he's been exiled, his Darkwolf-ness has been taken and he gets raped!
Zoo and Muses: o.O;;; you carry on feeling for him then….
FC: ^^ anyways warnings are violence and some cursing.
Enjoy peeps ^_~
***********************************************************************************
Last time with Yami and Yuugi:
Yami whirled aggressively, crimson eyes blazing like red fire. "I have to maintain
myself just like everything else! Like the books I read said: I'm a brutal and
vicious killer. Something I can't change right now! Life's war and every war has it's
casualties!"
Tears welled in Yuugi's fearful violet eyes, causing part of the vampire's heart to melt
at the sight. "But why seven? Why could you kill them and not me?"
Yami sighed, turning away. "I don't know, I just…couldn't. The only way to save the
people in this world _from_ me is for me…and you to go back to my world."
***********************************************************************************
"If your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be bright all over, as when a
lamp shines on you with its brightness"
- Luke Chapter 11 verse 36
***********************************************************************************
Chapter 5- Vampire High
"I-I can't" Yuugi stepped back, away from the Vampire, violet eyes wide. Yami's dark crimson orbs
glared down at him, shadowed face partially lit by the sun's dying rays flooding in through the kitchen
window. Perfect canines glinted from under smooth lips.
"What do you mean you can't? How the hell do you think I feel staying in a world like this?!" Yami
shouted back, teeth clenched together, his jaw muscles tight.
Yuugi didn't understand why he had argued the point- what was could be so different about the
Shadow world? A strong feeling of dread, of unrestrained fear overtook his mind, almost blinding him
with hidden panic. There was something _evil_ about the other world besides what lived there. Yuugi
swallowed the feeling, letting it dwell in the pit of his stomach. "I-I don't know how it feels for you to
be here, but I can't go to your world. What would happen if I just disappeared from this world? Could I
even come back?"
"I doubt it, but then, I have no idea. Believe what you will about my world but we will go back there"
Yami growled, bloody eyes catching shards of light. He folded sinewy arms across a broad chest,
keeping his temper under control. Did this inferior human think he could stop a vampire? Bah. It had
never been heard of, not in any tale, myth or legend. Yami wasn't one to let it start.
"I understand you want to go home, but this is _my_ home. If I have to go back with you, can't you
wait just a few days? It's not likely that anything is going to happen back there over a few days" the
child reasoned, amethyst eyes pleading with silent hope. Could vampires be completely cold? Or…was
there some light in them, a faint flicker small enough to be snuffed out at a moment's notice?
Something _did_ flicker in the vampire's eyes. It swept through them as a sudden rush pulled at a spot
in his chest. Yami blinked, hoping nothing was seen. There was just _something_ about that face. It hid
an innocence the vampire could never grasp, something that should be treasured, kept away from those
who would seek to destroy it. Something about the look told him to give in, to let the human have his
few days. But, what if something _did_ happen back in the Shadow world? If the vampires thought he
had abandoned his role as their leader, not only would he lose his power through unfairness but he
would be exiled; as to make sure he could never take the position again.
Yami found himself divided. Half of him urged him to return now, to defend his position as King of
Vampires, to keep his loyalty to that role. The other begged him to grant Yuugi's wish, to let him stay
in his home world. But which was more important? His authority or his loyalty to his supposed Hikari,
whom he had only met just a day before hand.
Yami snapped from his thoughts to find himself in Yuugi's room, having unconsciously followed the
youth there. He leaned against the bare wall behind him, Yuugi sitting at his desk, having left the
vampire to decide on his proposal while he busied himself with his homework. Though it proved
difficult.
Yami wasn't the only one to feel divided.
Yuugi found himself lost, unable to concentrate on the paper in front of him. He glanced over at the
calm figure of Yami, one leg relaxed and bent at the knee, the other out straight pressing him against
the wall. His arms remained crossed, as though defensive; blocking anything and everything. Crimson
eyes were glazed over in thought until he blinked, letting them become clear. He raised them to Yuugi
who turned away quickly from the stare.
Half of Yuugi told him there was nothing to worry about, that he should trust the vampire. But how
could he? He was a _vampire_ a child of the dark- not to be trusted by humans, but feared by them.
Yet, amidst this cloak of reputed fear a glimmer of faith shone, like a tiny star hidden in the dark night
sky. Could there be hope?
The other half of the boy told him to keep his distance, to stay away from Yami, to fear and hate him,
not to trust him. But what is life without trust? Why should someone not be treated the same as anyone
else _just_ because they're different? The world was full of prejudice and discrimination, why add
more? There wasn't any point.
"We will stay here for three more days. Once they are over you must swear on your soul to come back
with me."
Yuugi looked up sharply at the vampire bewildered. He had agreed to stay for the few days? Vampires
couldn't be completely cold hearted, not this one anyway and he was presumed to be the cruellest of
the race. Only the cruellest could rule.
By why must he swear upon his Soul? Wasn't that the essence of him, the life that gave him a will, a
personality, a sense of decency? If he swore by that would it change him?
The questions poured through Yuugi's mind until he blocked them, halting their insane rampage. "I
swear on my soul I'll go back with you in three days" he whispered, mouth dry.
And that was it. He had signed away his fate.
Yami resumed the cold front he kept so well, the sheet of ice shielding any emotion he might have
shown.
But what was emotion?
Among the vampire clans any emotions other than hate and rage were seen as weakness, a sign that the
one harbouring them was insubstantial, an outcast haunted by feelings. Love most of all was seen as a
great weakness, as was pity and mercy upon others. They were brutal and violent killers, mercy
bestowed by them was almost a crime.
Yet, were they really a weakness?
Yami knew he could have gone back that very minute, making the short boy before him go through
force. But something made him stop. He couldn't find the _heart_ to make him go. Was the King
softening? Would he lose his reputation as a hardened killer by giving the innocent one what he
wanted?
Yami slapped himself mentally. Of course he wouldn't lose he reputation- none of the other vampires
knew. They would never need to know. He just had to make sure that none of the newly found
_weakness_ made it's way out to the bare exterior of the vampire.
Yuugi threw his pencil down on his paper in frustration. No matter how hard he tried couldn't
concentrate on the work set, his mind continued to linger back to the Shadow world.
Finally he stood, coming to the conclusion that nothing he did would help him work. He looked at
Yami, hesitant before he spoke. "I guess if you're staying here for a few days you can't really stay here
while I'm in school" he muttered, violet eyes drawing up to meet dark crimson ones.
"So what exactly do you expect me to do? Go there with you?" Yami growled darkly, his question only
meant to be rhetorical.
"Well…yeah. I could sign you in as a visiting student for a while. Then you wouldn't have to wait
around for me to get back" Yuugi swallowed, seeing the disgusted look on Yami's face.
This human expected him to go to a place crawling with meals on legs? Yami knew he couldn't hang
about Yuugi's home, but going to a place where what he ate was wandering around tempting the
vampire? He'd already showed lenience towards the child- this was pushing his boundaries to the limit
of tolerance.
Yami clenched his fists into balls, spiked wrists bands catching the electric light. "Fine, I agree to
going with you but DON'T think I'm going to take part in any of it. And don't blame me if some of the
inauspicious students…disappear" Yami muttered, teeth clenched tighter than his fists.
Yuugi gave him an alarmed look, before shaking it away. "You can't hurt anyone while we're there!
It'll be suspicious enough that you look like me let alone students start…dying…when you turn up!"
"Bloody hell!" Yami swore viciously. "Is there anything else you don't want me to do dammit? Like
breathe?!"
Yuugi saw the vampire's temper flaring dangerously high. He was treading on sensitive ground and the
sensitivity of it just got a whole lot sharper. If he had been standing, Yuugi would've stepped back, but
since he was sitting he didn't have to.
"P-please," he stuttered uncontrollably, "if it's the only thing you ever did for me then l-let it be this."
Yami sighed and walked towards the Hikari. Yuugi cringed noticeably under his stern gaze, until he
realised the vampire was only grabbing his jacket, which was resting on the desktop near his work.
With saying another word to Yuugi, Yami left the room, slipping his brawny arms through the sleeves
of his jacket.
Yuugi stared after the vampire, his gut telling him what didn't need to be told. He shook out the feeling
and returned to his homework, knowing Yami needed to cool down more than anything else. The sheer
thought of what he did revolted Yuugi.
For you see, Yami was hungry.
***********************************************************************************
Yami swore under his breath, foot connecting with a solitary rock, black boot kicking it aside
aimlessly. Hands deep in his pockets he wasn't going anywhere in particular. He didn't know the area
so he aimed to stay within a few blocks of the Games Shop- even vampires got lost in strange worlds.
His thoughts roamed throughout the day's events. There was only one problem. He knew how to get
back and he had the will and need to go back.
Yuugi didn't.
But was it really a problem? He had sworn on his very soul, his essence of life, to go back with the
vampire. He had no choice, unless his promise was made invalid by the one who had asked him to
swear to it. In other words Yami.
And Yami wasn't going to extinguish that promise, he needed the innocent child to get back to his own
world. The vampire didn't like the thought of staying in this _light_ world for 3 more days but he had
no choice in the matter. He'd shown leniency and he couldn't go back on his word.
Argh! All these thoughts were driving Yami insane. He needed to hunt, to feel the thrill of the chase, to
see the uncontrollable fear written over his prey's face. He _needed_ to install the terror, to watch the
victim flee from him, prolonging their inevitable death. Spotting a nearby alley he headed towards it, a
fire escape ladder climbing up the side of the building, it's metal framework crawling up the bricks like
black ivy.
Making his way swiftly up the rusting stairway, he emerged at the top to find he was still below the
actual rooftop. Yami smirked judiciously- there were many advantages to being a child of the dark. He
leapt up at the roof, his unnatural strength and agility letting him land perfectly on the flat surface. He
straightened up and walked calmly to the edge. Bloody eyes scanned the surrounding area, a glint of
light entering them when he saw a woodland not far from where he was.
That would be his playground.
Yami picked out a route across the rooftops, choosing a fairly direct path. He leapt clean across the
surfaces, mentally laughing at the weak humans. They could never do this, their inferior bodies did not
allow them such freedom. Vampires once human? Bah. Vampires may once have been human but they
long since developed into far better creatures, cancelling out any thought that humans ruled anything.
The worlds were the vampire's playgrounds, offering them an everlasting supply of terrified humans on
the menu.
Yami stepped into the dark forest, breathing in the relaxing scent of pine needles. His mind's previous
thoughts seeped out of his head, his main focus turning on finding and catching his victim. Vampires
had instincts much like that of wild animals- seek and destroy. Once they began a hunt it wasn't over
until the prey was caught. And Yami was a skilled hunter, experienced in inflicting pain and
encouraging cruelty. He set off through the jagged trees, shadows dancing across a malicious smirk.
***********************************************************************************
They walked slowly, hands clasping each other's gently. His deep voice rang out through whispering
trees, her laughter softer than chiming bells. This was what they loved doing- to walk freely within the
shades of the woodland, undisturbed by others who would seek to destroy the peace.
Something snapped.
Blond hair flew around her neck as she twisted her head quickly, grey eyes turning green as the
sunlight caught them; her form stopping to look back. He lowered his head, looking back in the same
direction.
"Something's there" her voice was quiet, grey-green eyes wide and searching. His arm rubbed her
shoulder, her wide eyes relaxing.
"It was probably a squirrel. Nothing's there" he answered before leading her on again, the noise
partially forgotten.
***********************************************************************************
Yami grinned, his crimson eyes burning with glee as he stalked the pair. If he did make a sound it was
on purpose- he wasn't amateur enough to make unwanted noises. But which would he deal with first?
The vampire wanted to separate them, to make them panic. Once apart they'd be much easier prey to
handle. Better take out the bigger threat first- the boy. It wasn't that he was a threat, the Vampire King
needed him first to create more apprehension on the girl's part. Yami took off at a run, boots soundless
against the dry forest floor.
***********************************************************************************
She was even more unsettled than she had been before. Various noises had erupted from around them,
sometimes loud and sharp, sometimes quiet and soft. They hadn't stopped in the past half an hour and
she didn't like it.
He was as uneasy as she was. The sounds worried him. Nothing else had been heard for a while- birds
had quietened and sank low in their nests, afraid of something. He stopped as another noise cracked in
front of them. She squeezed his hand half-heartedly, feeling him do the same.
He turned, leading her back the way they had come. Their footsteps became loud and rushed as their
pace quickened. They walked past a gnarled tree, it's ancient limbs drooping with years of strain. Old
greying bark covered it's dead hide, peeling off in small sections.
She gave a startled shriek as his hand left hers. When she looked he wasn't anywhere around her. She
called his name, telling him not to play games with her. But her cries fell on deaf ears.
***********************************************************************************
Yami drove his twin teeth into the youth's tanned neck, some of his blood dripping down over the once
unmarked skin. The rest flowed straight down Yami's waiting throat, warming it with it's hot vitality.
Tense muscles fell limb as his lifeless body gave up the struggle. Once zealous brown eyes glazed over,
forever left in their given look of shock.
Yami removed his canines, brushing a small trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth with
his hand. He picked up the lifeless form fully, jogging off ahead of the remaining girl.
***********************************************************************************
She looked around wildly, trying to find her lost lover. Her voice hoarse from shouting, it wasn't long
before she was running on back towards civilisation. She choked back a cry as the noises started up
again behind her, though the beating of her heart soon blocked them out.
Almost blinded by tears of consternation, she gave a startled yelp as she saw the figure of someone
leaning against a tree. She slowed her pace, unsure of whether she should venture forward or avoid the
lone figure. She called out the boy's name, edging forward even though she received no answer. She
circled round, catching a glimpse at the face of the figure, half covered in dark shadow. She gave a cry
of relief, running towards the boy. She stopped short when his face came into full view. Her scream
pierced through the woodlands, causing birds to take wing in fear and other animals to run.
There, was the form of her lover, held up against the tree by the spiked branch that ran through his
neck. The rest of his body was horrifically mutilated, worse than just the neck alone.
Hot tears fell in rivers down her face, her fingers reaching out to the boy though she couldn't bring
herself to touch him; broken sobs racking her body. A cold shiver ran through her body, snapping her
from her shocked state. She backed away from the carcass, turning and running towards the city;
blinded by the tears that flowed from her seemingly melting eyes.
She gave another short yelp as she ran straight into something. She snapped her head up, looking into
the face of the man she'd run into. Lightning bangs lined his ivory face, a spiked crown of crimson and
black shot from behind the jagged bangs.
"Please! Help me. I-it's my…." she couldn't finished her sentenced but sank into the stranger's strong
arms. He cuddled her, piercing crimson eyes looking down at her with a sadistic gaiety that she
couldn't see as she sobbed into his leather shirt.
"Shush, it's alright. Tell me what happened."
She looked up into the ostensibly angelic face, opening her mouth to answer, closely it when something
caught her eye. Beneath those perfect lips, were two abnormally long canines their tips poking out ever
so slightly.
The angelic face turned demonic.
Yami smiled at her, showing the full extent of the slightly tinted canines, still bloodied from their last
kill. The smiled vanished as his steel grip held her to him while the teeth entered her contracting artery.
She was dead before she could say a thing.
***********************************************************************************
The next day proved more eventful for both Yuugi and the vampire.
Yami had returned the previous night, not a whisper of what he had done escaping his mouth. Yuugi
didn't need to know.
Or was it he didn't _want_ Yuugi to know?
Could it be that Yami was ashamed? That he was something Yuugi normally only saw in his
nightmares, not something he should be living with. Was he ashamed of what he did, of the brutal
practices he carried out to maintain himself?
Yami passed off the thoughts as he woke the next morning unusually stiff, his back joints clicking as he
stretched. It wasn't a good idea to sleep in a chair as the vampire learned from that experience. He
blinked, clearing his lethargic eyes; before looking around Yuugi's empty bedroom. The child had
gone. Yami frowned, looking at the scruffy bed, telltale signs that the boy hadn't long been up and
about. Upon coming to the conclusion the youth wasn't in the hallway, Yami tried his mental link with
him.
//Yuugi?//
***********************************************************************************
//Yuugi?//
Yuugi jumped at the sudden call the filtered into his mind. He wasn't used to the unusual sensation,
having only had it for two days. Staying into the mirror in front of him he saw the colour return to his
cheeks as he recovered from the unexpected startle. He concentrated his thoughts into how he assumed
he sent a message back.
/Yes?/
***********************************************************************************
Yami frowned as he felt a strange feeling enter his mind, the frown leaving his brow when he realised
what he had felt was relief. He was relieved to know the child was still there?
//Where are you?//
/In the bathroom, I'll be out in a minute/
What the hell was he thinking?! Here he was stuck in a world he never knew actually existed, staying
with someone he hardly knew who could pass for his almost identical twin and he was relieved just to
hear them answer?!
Anger and a large feeling of self-loathing filled the vampire, making his blood almost boil. He grabbed
the nearest thing to him- a small glass paperweight, a golden eye in its centre. He threw it forcefully
away from him, just as Yuugi stepped in.
The teen gave a startled look, violet eyes slightly wide as he dodged the flying object, watching it
smash into small fragments of chunky glass as it hit the wall next to the door.
"Was it something I said?" Yuugi asked, light humour clear in his voice.
Yami lowered his eyes to the shattered glass, as Yuugi bent down as picked up the freed golden eye.
"Gomen, I just-"
"Don't worry bout it, we all get angry sometimes" Yuugi cut him off before he could finish, "it's a
good thing I've got an identical paperweight to this one."
Yami walked over to him as he studied the smooth eye in his hand. It's gold surface was level and
unmarked, a circle held within two curved lines which joined at either side, a small dent-like hole based
in the circle's centre.
"What is it?" Yami's question was directed at Yuugi's puzzled eyes rather than what the eye was.
Yuugi frowned at it before glancing up at the vampire. "I don't know. I've seen this somewhere, but
where…"
The youth's fingers fondled the strange Puzzle that still hung against his chest, Yuugi feeling safer with
it on for some reason or other.
Yami reached out a hand and turned his Puzzle's front up so he could see its face. Yuugi held the loose
eye next to the one on the Puzzle.
Both eyes matched.
"It's the Sennen Eye. I've seen it before both in my world and in the books here. I don't know what it
means in your world but in mine it is very powerful- only the Vampire Sages and Darkwolf Seers use
it." Yami let his Puzzle hang back against his chest.
"Darkwolves?"
"The other beings that inhabit the Shadowed world. I suppose they're what you call werewolves, being
able to change forms from wolf to human. They live in their own territory, most that stray onto
Vampire land die as a warning to others of their kind to stay away. We hate them and they hate us."
Yuugi nodded in understanding, putting the Sennen Eye on his desk before pulling his school jacket off
his desk chair. Slipping his arms in he eyed Yami up quickly. "You're gonna have to change."
Yami snapped his head up, looking Yuugi directly in his innocent eyes. "What do you mean I have to
change?!"
"You can't go to school dressed like that- rules don't allow it" Yuugi stated, his tone matter-of-factly.
Yami frowned at the comment- he didn't go by rules set by beings lower than himself let alone
humans! The mere thought of it was outrageous to the Vampire King.
"So what do you suggest I take off then?" he inquired, crossing his slender arms moodily as he kept his
higher than a growl.
Yuugi looked him over, eyeing what he was wearing. "Well you can keep you basic clothes on, but the
spikes and chains have to go."
Yami controlled the indignant growl that rose in his throat as he removed the spiked bracelets he wore
around his wrists along with the numerous silver chains that was attached to his jacket and top.
Yuugi opened his mouth to say another thing but Yami shook his head. "I'm not losing the buckles."
Yuugi shrugged. "And the rest of the spikes, meaning your neck belt."
Again the vampire shook his head. "I am not going around with a bare neck."
Yuugi felt a small pang of annoyance, before solving the problem. Going over to a drawer, he searched
through its contents until he found the item he wanted. He handed it to Yami, who inspected the
smooth black leather and silver buckle of the neck belt.
"Wear that if it means you'll take your one off."
"Fine" Yami conceded, fingers fumbling with the buckle on his spiked belt. He slid it off from around
his neck, the ivory skin below shown to the teen for the first time.
What Yuugi saw caused him to stare uncontrollably.
Cleverly concealed beneath the neck belts Yami wore, his pale skin was smooth and unmarked except
for one area. Based a few inches away from the centre of Yami's neck sat a strange mark, much like
that of the Sennen Eye, carved into his skin. The basic shape was that of the Sennen Eye but inside a
curved symbol filled the centre, it's appearance much like that of an '8' with a diagonal line through it.
Yami felt the presence of eyes, knowing that Yuugi had caught a glimpse of the mark. He slipped the
belt around the back of his neck covering the mark with the cold leather.
"How did-?" Yuugi swallowed, turning violet eyes up to meet softened crimson ones.
Yami sighed. "I wish I could forget that day…"
***Flashback***********************************************************************
~Shadow World- Reign of Bison 1500 AD.~
He wiped the warm crimson from his mouth, staring down at the carcass of the Darkwolf lying before
him. It's matted white fur stained deep scarlet, the snarling jaw had relaxed, glossy teeth hidden
beneath a reddened muzzle.
Why had he come here?
Yami backed away from the fallen Darkwolf, crimson eyes stilling staring down at it. He couldn't feel the
slashes and bites that gorged his frame, his only thoughts falling back to the other.
But it wasn't his fault.
That Darkwolf knew to stay in his own territory, not enter the vampires. Why had he done it? It wasn't
_why_ that caused Yami's confusion it was _who_. Who was the Darkwolf? If that was one thing
Yami did know, only the strongest Darkwolves dared to enter vampire terrain. Either that or those who
didn't know the dangers. And this Darkwolf wasn't particularly strong or old.
Yami had killed a Darkwolf pup.
And if this pup had wandered out of his own territory then others of its Pack would be sure to follow.
"What's that?!"
Yami's headed snapped up as he saw shapes moving on the hill above him. The dark forms moved
down the hillside, anguished growls sounding from angry throats. Coats of various colours, black,
white, mottled grey and blond stepped into the light as a group of around ten fully grown Darkwolves
halted. One moved forward to the dead pup, greying muzzle nudging its limb body.
Yami may only have been considered a young vampire by his kind, but he was no recreant. He wasn't
stupid either. He knew danger when it was in front of him.
And what stood before him couldn't get much more dangerous.
Yami did the only thing he could in this situation- run. But they knew what he had done and no amount
of running could take him away from ten angry grown Darkwolves. All he felt were the savage blows
dealt to his head before he passed into darkness.
***********************************************************************************
"He must pay for what he has done!"
"He killed our kin we have a right to take our vengeance!"
Far away voices screamed at Yami as he wavered between darkness and consciousness. He didn't want
to leave the safety of the dark, he could hide there, unaware of others around him.
But the darkness didn't want him.
Slowly feeling came back to the vampire's limbs, slashes and grazes burning like wild fire. They stung
but they weren't the worst. That was still to come.
Crimson eyes blinked slowly as they opened to the rest of the world, pupils contracting from the harsh
light that entered them. As Yami's eyes adjusted to his surroundings he found himself without a clue as
to where he was. All he could see around him were forms of what appeared to be humans and wolves,
their angry shouts ringing out through the hall; lit by burning torches of golden flames.
"He's a vampire, he has no rights here!"
Then the realisation of what was happening struck Yami, bubbling panic welling in his mind and he
wasn't one to get scared easily.
He was in the Darkwolf court of the High Council.
Lifting his head, the vampire found himself staring up at the Elders of the Darkwolves. They stood on a
platform above the rest, staying in their wolf forms as they looked down on the angry crowd
surrounding their captive.
Yami moved his arm only to find it wouldn't obey him. Puzzled by this, Yami tugged harder, only to
feel thick cords bite into his wrists. His ankles were in a similar state. He glanced at two guards
standing nearby in their human forms, more keeping the crowd away from the vampire.
Only a muffled cry escaped his throat as he attempted to speak, only then realising the layer of fabric
that covered his mouth gagging any protest he could make. It was then that Yami could comprehend how
helpless he was. A killer surrounded by the victim's kinsmen.
"Enough!"
The roaring crowd's jumbled voices died down as one of the Elders stepped forward, his blond fur
catching the light from the torches on the walls. Yami felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck as
the Darkwolf stared down at his bound form.
"Though this vampire must be punished we cannot kill him" the Elder spoke out, voice raised so all
could hear. Cries of disapproval rang out again, triggering a chain of enraged reactions.
"They murdered one of ours!"
"Why can't we kill one of them?!"
The Darkwolf sent out a loud short bark, attracting the crowd's attention again. "We cannot kill him
without a risk of starting a war between us and the Vampire Clans! More would die just by making a
mistake like that! I said even though we will not kill him he must still be punished for what he has
done."
Though slightly relieved by hearing they weren't going to kill him, Yami felt a tremor of fear run
through his frame.
"Then what do you plan to do then?"
The Elder turned his head towards the area where the voice had spoken from, though he wasn't
bothered about who said it.
"He will be given a punishment that he will never forget- one that will stay with him for the rest of his
life! As an Elder of this council I say he has is given a marking to show his crime- one that our race
will always recognise and hate! One that other races will also recognise as a symbol of his evil and our
mercy!"
His voice came out cold and clear sending up shouts of approval from every Darkwolf in the hall.
Another Elder, covered in sooty black fur, nodded to the two guards near the vampire. They moved
forwards and grabbed Yami, one on either side as they carried him struggling over to a table.
Even with his restraints, Yami still fought back against his captors as far as the cords would allow. He
kicked savagely at the Darkwolves as they held him on the wooden table, catching a few of them in
their stomachs. Several more came over to hold him, grabbing his flailing legs, strong hands keeping
them still. Others held his upper body as two grabbed the sides of his head, twisting it sideways
roughly, exposing the smooth ivory skin of his neck.
Yami turned his eyes in an attempt to see what they were doing. A Darkwolf came over in his human
form, a knife grasped in his hand. The vampire's eyes widened as the brown haired 'human' brought
the gleaming knife down to his neck.
As the sharp edge bit into his sensitive skin, Yami surged, his entire form fighting against the
restraining arms and cords that held him, protests and shouts of pain leaving his mouth as quiet
whimpers from behind the dirty layer of fabric that served as a gag.
Now he felt more acrid cords wrapping themselves over his legs and stomach, binding his buckling
frame to the table. He tried twisting his head back, taking away the expose section of his neck, but the
hands held firm.
And then the knife began its winding course over the supple skin of his neck. Blood ran out thick and
fast from the cuts, as Yami's struggling became weaker; his muscles exhausted. There was no point in
fighting.
It didn't matter.
***End Flashback********************************************************************
Yami's eyes fell to the ground ashamed as he walked alongside Yuugi, his pace deliberately slower for
the teen.
"I've worn that mark covered for as long as I can remember. It's 500 years and Darkwolves still
recognise it, as do other clans. Vampires aren't bothered by it, but if they knew I carried it I would be
considered weak for being so careless. Only a few know about it and they swore themselves to
secrecy."
Yuugi gnawed his lip as they walked towards Domino High, his mind registering the story Yami had
told. The vampire trusted him enough to tell him something so personal? Something he kept from most,
he had told freely to the youth with seemingly no hesitation.
"But why did they care so much? I can see why they'd be upset about it being a younger one but there
must have been another reason" he inquired, sneakers scuffing the pavement as he stepped out.
"I didn't know it when I had killed him but he was one of the Pack leaders kin, a Darkwolf called
Vega. The one I killed was his son presumably the one destined to rule the Pack if no one opposed him.
So it made him more important to them."
Yuugi nodded in understanding.
"You think I'm a monster."
Yuugi snapped his head up, looking into a face so full of guilt and a longing to be understood that he
felt a wave of sympathy wash through his heart.
"No I think you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You do what you need to survive, even
if you use weird methods you're still just trying to live like everything else. That doesn't make you a
monster" Yuugi's answer shocked Yami more than he expected. He had come to think that the human
was appalled with what he did, that he was a monster, a nightmare to others. But here the youth had
proved him wrong.
He'd shown the vampire compassion.
He hadn't judged, he'd listened to Yami and seemed to understand him. Was there nothing bad about
this child?
"Thank-you."
Those two simple words, so full of gratitude were something Yami hadn't used since…before he could
remember.
Yuugi gave him a wide smile. "No problem. Just one thing."
"What?"
"Can you make your teeth kinda, well, shorter?" Yuugi felt partially awkward asking this, but they had
to be hidden.
Yami chuckled, a glimmer of a smile appearing on his stern mouth, giving him a strange look. "Ok."
Yami felt the twin canines sink up into his gum as he shortened them to a reasonable size, still longer
than an average humans but shorter than before.
"You should do that more often."
Yami glanced down at Yuugi, puzzled by his comment. "Do what more often?"
"Smile. You'll feel better than always going round with a face on you like a wet weekend" Yuugi
giggled, receiving a mock scowl from the vampire. "Hey there's Jou!"
Yami watched as Yuugi ran forward, heading towards a group of three, two guys, one blond the other
brunette, the third a girl with short brown hair. He carried on walking at his chosen speed, coming up
behind Yuugi moments later.
"Guys this is Yami. He's gonna be in school with me for a few days" he introduced the Game King,
smiling broadly at his friends.
The blond stepped forward, holding his hand out to Yami. "Name's Katsuya Jounochi but you can call
me Jou."
Yami shook his hand, nodding in return. The brunette came up next, Honda, his lanky former well
above Yami's head. Finally the girl came over, smiling cerulean eyes gazing warmly at the vampire.
Anzu.
"You look a lot like Yuug' Yami. You two related?" Jou asked, his chocolate eyes roaming from Yuugi
to Yami and back again.
"He's my, err…cousin! Yeah, down visiting for a while aren't you Yami?" Yuugi answered quickly,
elbowing Yami in the stomach.
"What? Oh, yeah. Down for a few days" Yami blurted out, giving Yuugi a glare when the three weren't
looking, crimson eyes watching hungrily as students walked past him; tempting him though he had to
keep his instincts under control.
"We'll meet up with you guys at registration ok? I gotta go get Yami signed in" the teen explained,
grabbing Yami by the wrist, dragging him off towards the school office, causing his wondering gaze to
come out of it's dazed state.
"Later Yuug'!" Jou shouted after them, lanky frame turning back to Honda.
***********************************************************************************
"Burn me with hot pokers, stick needles in my eyes, anything but don't make me sit through that-that
torture again!"
Yuugi giggled at Yami's exaggerated response to their previous lesson. "It was only Maths!"
Yami raised a perfect eyebrow, staring down at the youth. "Believe me, if that was a punishment back
in my world, rules would never be broken again. How do you sit through that everyday?"
"You get used to it" came Yuugi's systematic reply as he pushed open the cafeteria door, letting the
river of voices flood out, their shrieks high pitched mingled with a few deeper ones which evened out
the overall tone.
Yami stepped in as Yuugi held the door for him, the Game King spying Jou's blond hair above the sea
of darker colours; indicating where he was. He followed Yuugi over, sitting down next to the short
youth.
The vampire had managed to retain his hunger though
"Hey guys" the greeting was said in unison, all the group saying it at once, with the exception of Yami.
Jou bit hungrily into his burger, mayonnaise dripping out the back onto his tray. Without caring that his
mouth was full of food, the blond addressed the vampire. "So Yami, what you think of Maths?"
Before Yami could answer with a crude remark about it being complete 'torture', Yuugi spoke for him.
"He doesn't like it."
Honda snorted. "Who does? Should be banned if y'ask me."
Yuugi shrugged, before biting into his sandwich, offering the other half to Yami. "You can eat it right?
I mean, it doesn't do anything to you does it?"
"No, I can eat other things they just don't _do_ anything for me" Yami explained, eyeing the sandwich
warily.
"It's only chicken salad" Yuugi saw Yami giving the offending sandwich a small glare. After looking
at Yuugi, the vampire decided the sandwich would _not_ kill him he took a doubtful bite. Chewing
slowly he swallowed it and his eyes brightened up slightly before returning to their normal dark
glimmer.
"Oh great. Here comes trouble" Anzu muttered, turning her eyes down to the relatively clean table.
Jou, Honda and Yuugi all quietened, their faces sullen. Yami looked around puzzled as to what was
bothering the group.
Crimson eyes fell on three boys heading over to the table, ugly grins plastered on their faces. None of
the three would be considered gentle, their bulky forms showing what they were without anyone
having to give a mild guess.
They walked over, missing Yami altogether heading over to Yuugi instead, standing just behind him
while one sat beside him, the other side to the vampire.
"Hello Yuugi. How much you got today?"
The question was far from pleasant sounding, the boy's tone almost smirking for him. Yuugi kept his
eyes down, fingers fiddling with his drink bottle.
"I don't have any" his voice was barely above a whisper, waiting for the expected reply.
The one sitting next to him gave a lopsided smirk. "That's what you say every time yet you always got
some. So give it up."
Yuugi sighed, lowering his eyes further as he reached reluctantly into his jeans pocket for the money he
had stored there. He stopped when Yami's hand rested on his arm. He looked up at the vampire, seeing
an annoyed frown planted on his face.
"Back off and go" Yami's voice was a low murmur, crimson eyes burning at the main thug. The guy
looked at him, seeming to have noticed Yami for the first time.
"Looks like we got a new guy and he obviously don't know the rules."
"Should stay outta our business if y'ask me" one of the other youths piped up.
Yami turned his gaze to the speaker, steel crimson eyes unnerving him. His voice sounded colder than
ice but smoother than silk. "If it involves Yuugi or his friends then it is my business. As I said, back
off."
The leading youth didn't like where this was going. He wasn't scared of this new guy, but there was
_something_ about him that gave him an almost dangerous air. The teen stood walked over to Yami,
muscular arms folded stubbornly. "And what you gonna do bout it? Hurt me?"
Yami stood, his slender body shorter and far less bulky than the groups. "Oh I'll do more than hurt you,
you'll wish your pathetic life had never started."
He was stung. No one had ever called him pathetic. No one had dared. All around them kids had
stopped eating, conversations hushed as they watched the heat grow between Yami and the bully.
Agitated by Yami's cool confidence, the youth wasn't prepared to let the new guy make a fool out of
him. He did the only thing his slow mind could register for him to do- to try and scare the vampire into
backing down. He grabbed Yami by the shirt, bringing his face close to the Game King's.
"No one calls me pathetic and gets away with it that easily."
Yami averted his eyes and sighed.
The teen gave a triumphant grin, believing he had defeated the vampire.
Wrong.
Before the youth knew what had happened, Yami had grabbed his wrists, yanking them away from his
shirt; reversing the move so that he had the thug by his collar, slamming him forcefully onto the table.
Yami leaned over so his face was directly over the youth's, cold crimson eyes glaring down into wide
green ones.
"Your nothing but pathetic. You think you can scare me into submission? Your nothing but a low piece
of shit scraped off decent people's shoes. Watch who you try to start a fight with, you might get more
than you bargained for. Catch my drift?"
As he said his last sentence, Yami's upper lips curled back slightly, his twin canines extended to their
full length; bared viciously so that only the teen could see them. the youth nodded dumbly, too terrified
to say a word.
"Good. If you EVER come near Yuugi and his friends again then you'll have hell to pay. Now go crawl
back under the rock from which you came!"
Yami let go of the teen watching him scramble upright, trying to regain any dignity he had had before.
He practically ran from the cafeteria, his two friends with him. A loud applause filled the room, all of
it's gratitude and praise aimed at Yami, who sat back down calmly; though a confused look haunted his
unnaturally beautiful face.
"What're they applauding for?"
Yuugi surprised the vampire by hugging him profusely around his middle. "Arigatou Yami."
Yami looked questioningly at Honda and Jou who winked back at him.
"Those three guys have bugged us for months, mostly taking Yuugi's money rather than anyone else's.
No one's ever stood up to them cause we've been to scared. Then you come along and the first day
you're here you do something no one would _dare_ do. S'pose people kinda see you as a hero."
Yami listened to the explanation, but just shrugged, the applauds having finally died done though
anyone he looked at smiled at him. "I can't stand people like that. They think they're tough, installing
fear in the weaker of their society, though when someone stands up to them they crack and show just
how weak they truly are. They're snivelling idiots looking for attention."
Yuugi smiled at him, having let go of his middle. "Well no one's gonna forget about that in a hurry.
Whether you want it or not people are gonna remember that and thank you for it."
Yami nodded, the noise in the cafeteria rising back to its usual level, though this time it was filled with
the same topic.
"Did you see the look on his face when the guy told him to go?"
"That guy's amazing! He doesn't look that strong but I bet he is!"
"Well yeah! He has to be to scare Ken like that!"
Through all this, Yami just returned to his sandwich; blocking out the various comments, keeping his
mind trained on Yuugi.
***********************************************************************************
That night Yami sat in the darkened living room, eyes staring into nothing as his thoughts ran over the
days' events and what was to come.
"Yami? What're you doing down here in the dark? It's 3:30 in the morning."
His head turned as he saw Yuugi's short form in the doorway, silhouetted against the moonlight that
poured in behind him.
His answer was short and to the point. "I couldn't sleep."
Yuugi stifled a yawn and stepped into the living room, bare feet soundless against the carpet. "You
wanna talk bout anything?"
Yami shook his head, knowing that Yuugi couldn't actually see the movement. "No it's alright. You
should go back to bed, I'll be up in a while."
"Ok, just don't stay up all night, you might be a vampire but you guys must need to sleep too" Yuugi
stated sleepily, making his way back up the stairs to his room.
Yami slid down further into the comfy over-stuffed armchair, crimson eyes blinking slightly against
sleep. `Just two days left then I'll be back where I belong.`
The thought was partially comforting to the vampire as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.
***********************************************************************************
Author's notes:
FC: ok so Gomen nasai to both Zoo-chan and all you readers. I didn't mean to take so long in getting
this out but first I had writer's block, then I had to go away….
Flareon Muse: we don't want excuses FC! You're just lazy -.-
FC: well that too…
Zoo: *runs around insanely* Wheeeeee! I'm just glad you got it out ^^
FC: eventually *dances* ^_~
Eevee Muse: will they ever grow up?
Flareon Muse: *whacks FC on the head with a mallet* no probably not
Zoo: ;_; we like how we are! *sniff*
FC: yah! ^^() and some of you might have noticed but some of the names were from Street Fighter 2
and I don't own them either. Anyways….
Zoo: Please review!!!!
FC: ^_~