Me: This chapter is so sad. I hated writing this chapter. I really didn't want this to happen, but it had to happen for my story. *sobbing*
Yami Malik: What's wrong SweetCandie?
Me: This is the really sad chapter I was telling you guys about.
Yami: No not this chapter. *burst into tears*
Yami Bakura: Not the chapter when…
Me: Yes, that chapter. *Yami Bakura starts to cry as well*
Yami Malik: Noooo! *sobbing*
Me: Don't talk about it anymore. Let me just start the chapter, so I can get it over with. Here's chapter twelve. *sniffling*
/…/ Yami to hikari thoughts and vice versa
It was eight o'clock in the morning and everyone in the Pegasus mansion was asleep. That is until Mokuba Kaiba woke up. He climbed over the entanglement of bodies and sat on Max's. Poking him gently and whispering in his ear, Mokuba tried to wake Max up.
"Max I'm hungry."
"Go to the kit…" Max said, falling back asleep mid sentence.
"Wake up, I can't cook like the big people."
"Ask Annabelle." Max said and rolled over. His arm ended up being thrown over Deston's shoulder and his hand on Yami Malik's chest. Mokuba took Max's advice and jumped off the bed to head to the kitchen. Before he left the room though, he put on Max's bedroom slippers and robe and ran downstairs to the kitchen. He reached the kitchen and saw Annabelle pulling cooking utensils out of a drawer.
"Annabelle I'm hungry."
"Well I'm about to start cooking. Do you want to help?"
"Yeah." Mokuba pulled one of the kitchen chairs to the counter and stood in it.
"Mokuba, why don't you remove Young Pegasus' slippers and robe. They are both too large for you for you." Mokuba jumped out of the chair and took the articles of clothing off, tossing the robe over the back of another kitchen chair and putting the slippers underneath.
"Okay I'm ready now."
"Alright Mokuba, I need twenty-four eggs."
"How many dozen is that. I only know the dozen stuff."
"Oh, that's two dozen." Mokuba jumped out of the chair and ran to the refrigerator, pulling out two cartons of eggs. Mokuba took the eggs and ran back to the counter with them.
"Okay good. Now I need one full package of the sliced cheese, the bowl of small, cubed ham and two packages of waffles from the freezer." Mokuba jumped from the chair again, gathering all the ingredients and rushing them back to the counter, while Annabelle chopped peppers and onions for the omelets.
"Annabelle what are we eating?"
"Omelets, waffles, and a passion fruit and papaya breakfast juice."
"I've never drunk poppya or passion fruit juice."
"Papaya Mokuba, and it's good for you." They continued cooking until they heard thundering coming from the stair area.
"Here come the rest of the children." Into the kitchen ran Seto, Yugi, Malik, and Ryou. Deston walked in a few seconds later and Max followed.
"Good morning all of you."
"Morning." Annabelle smiled at Yugi, Malik, and Ryou or who she thought were Yugi, Malik, and Ryou. Little did she know that no hikaris stood there at all, only yamis. They all took their hikaris' bodies and locked them in their soul rooms. The yamis and everyone else sat at the table waiting for the food to finish. Half an hour later, Annabelle put plates in front of everyone. The yamis made a mad dash for the syrup and butter. When they finished, they attacked the juice and ate.
"Hey, this papaya juice is mixed with something. Good though."
"Passion fruit Yugi." Annabelle responded.
"Oh because I remember that when I lived in Egypt, I drank it all the time."
"I didn't know that you were from Egypt Yugi. Maximillion told me that you were born he in Japan." Yami choked on his juice and smiled.
"Oh, I meant to say, like when I visited Egypt awhile back. Visit, travel, lived, their all the same to me."
/Boy good cover up. Yami you are so retarded. See if I was in my own body, I would not have said something so stupid./
/Keep talking you little Keebler Elf./
/Why do people keep making fun of my height?/
/Because it's funny/
/Go ahead and say something else smart about my height and I'll tell everybody about your incident with the push and pull doors and the vacuum cleaner./
/Shut up./
/Mmm hmm./
/Midget./
/What?/
/Nothing./
/That's what I thought you said./ Yami continued to eat in silence in both his mind and outside of it. While Yami and Yugi were arguing, so was another hikari and yami couple.
/I swear Yami Bakura when I get out of here…/
/I'm trying to eat Ryou./
/Stop eating all that food, you're going to make me fat./
/Good you need some meat on your body. More to grab onto when we have our little fun./
/You are never getting any./
/When I finally let you out you will be begging for it./
/I hope it falls off./
/Don't say such things, you know you like it./
/Fine, I hope it shrinks. Actually I don't want it to shrink. I'll get back to you, when I think of something to say to you./
/Bye aibou./
/Shut up./ Yami Malik on the other hand was getting along just fine with his aibou,
/Yami Malik, drink some more juice and eat the omelet./ Yami Malik followed his hikari orders eating and drinking what he was told.
/That was a good breakfast./
/Can I eat some more./
/Sure Yami, you haven't been on a sugar rush since we got here./
/Sugar rush. Ooh, yeah./ Yami Malik grabbed another waffle and poured an excessive amount of syrup on it. Yami Malik looked around and saw everyone looking at him.
"I really like syrup." He said before woofing down the waffle. Annabelle waited for everyone to finish then did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
"Young Pegasus, I'll be back around four o'clock to start dinner."
"Okay Annabelle." Annabelle left and Max walked up to his room, only to see that Deston and Seto were already in it. Max looked in on them through the crack in the door. Deston hugged Seto and he hugged her back. When they had finished Max walked into the room and Seto left. Max looked at Deston questioningly.
"Deston could I talk to you for a minute."
"Sure, what is it?"
"I just wanted to know if there is something between you and Seto. I know he said something about liking Joey, but I see you two together all the time."
"You just saw us through the door?" Max nodded and Deston smiled.
"Seto and I are really close friends. He was upset, so I comforted him."
"Oh, so what about that time when I saw you two kissing before we went to bed the night you all came?"
"Seto told me that he would ask Joey out. I knew that he liked him all along, but he was just too afraid to ask him on a date. So when Seto told me that he would ask him when school started I kissed him because I was so happy."
"That clears up a lot of questions. Sorry about doubting you."
"No harm. How could you have known?"
"I could have asked like I just did."
"Well now you know." Deston smiled and kissed Max innocently on the lips.
"You know I don't think that anything could spoil this perfect day."
"Hopefully nothing will Max." Deston said, grabbing Max's hand and leading him out of the room.
Michael and Vanessa had left their suite early Monday morning to catch a plane that would have them home as early as possible. Vanessa was all happy and giddy about returning home and her husband laughed at her condition.
"Michael I can't wait to get home and see Max. I miss him so much."
"You have only been gone one full day Vanessa."
"So, but I miss my son. We are about thirty minutes away from the airport and then I'll be on that plane going back home. I mean I liked the suite and everything, but we can do that stuff at home. We might disturb Max, but he's used to it by now."
"Yes dear." Vanessa and Michael talked until Croquet turned a corner that led into an almost deserted part of town. There were deserted buildings and warehouses.
"This looks really drab Croquet." Vanessa said from the back seat. "Any thing could happen in this place." They stopped at a stoplight and waited for it to turn green. Vanessa absently started to play with her hair, tugging on the curls that were forming in it. When Vanessa finally realized that her hair was becoming even more frizzy and full of crinkles, she looked behind the limousine just in time to see a black car pull up behind their limousine. Vanessa turned around, thinking nothing of it until she heard car doors slam and footfalls coming closer to their car.
"Michael, something's wrong."
"What."
"I said…" Before Vanessa could finish her sentence, she heard the driver's side window of the limousine being broken. Vanessa saw Croquet pull his gun from his holster, shoot a man in the chest and scramble to the passenger's side of the car.
"Get out of the car now." Croquet yelled as the passenger side window was broken and a large, brute man hit Croquet and knocked him out. Another man then pushed Croquet's feet over and took the driver's seat. Before the car started to move, Michael opened the door for he and Vanessa to get out. When he opened the door, he met another man who poured something on a white towel and tried to put it over his face. Vanessa screamed and someone opened her side of the car. While Michael kicked his attacker, some one was shoving Vanessa further into the car. Michael, having fought off his attacker, tried to move to help his wife, but another man, pouring the same liquid as before on a towel, placed the towel over Michael face and he slowly stopped fighting. Vanessa was still scratching and clawing at the hand that was grabbing at her. The hand finally stopped and the top part of the body it belonged to could be seen. Vanessa gasped and moved away.
"Hello Vanessa. I told you that you would be getting back in touch with me soon." Vanessa lashed out at her ex, but he dodged, putting a towel over her face as well, knocking her out.
Max was in the studio again adding the final touches of Deston's outline. He put in all the small details like dividing her fingers and accenting the jewelry she wore. He filled in the small beauty marks on her skin and her full lips. He then went to his art closet and pulled out all of his earthen colors. Putting them beside his easel, he picked up his palate and opened the different jars. He put dark, luscious, browns, and dark mahogany for other details. He added to his palate gold and black. The black for Deston's long hair and the gold for small details like her jewelry. The gold and black would also be used for the hieroglyphics that Deston would write when he finished. He stated to paint the large, body portrait of Deston. He mixed different colors to attain the proper colors, wanting to do his best to make this portrait one of his finest. He started first with a light gloss of light brown to make the canvas appear to be papyrus that was dried in the sun. At the edges of the canvas, Max darkened the brown to paint small cracks that highlighted the papyrus feel and added to the tone of the piece. Max sat there for hours painting and shadowing for the perfect effect that he was sure would please the person it was for.
Vanessa opened her eyes, but her vision was blurry. She tried to feel around her surroundings, but found that her arms and legs were tied to something.
"Michael." Vanessa said hoarsely. No answer. "Michael." She called again. This time she heard a grunt and shifting on whatever they were laying on.
"Vanessa, are you alright." Michael said softly.
"Michael I can't move. My legs and arms are tied up." Vanessa was becoming panic-stricken as she talked to her husband.
"Relax love."
"I can't."
"Think of Max." Michael felt the surface he was lying on become still and knew his wife had relaxed as much as she was going to.
"Michael can you see?"
"Vision's blurry. What about you?"
"I can see."
"Where are we?"
I don't know, but we are lying on a big bed." Vanessa looked up and down to she what was holding her wrists and ankles hostage. She saw that some nylons had been used to restrain her. She looked over at Michael and saw him being held to the bed by some kind of thin rope. Vanessa looked at the room and its dark blue walls. The room was scarcely furnished, with only the bed they lay on and two chairs. The lights were sort of dim and the room had no windows. Vanessa pulled at the restraints, but stopped when she heard footsteps and the voice of her ex.
"Are they awake yet?"
"Yes sir."
"Don't do anything to the woman until I say so, but her husband you may kill when he signs the company over to me. If the woman doesn't cooperate I'll take the joy of killing her myself."
"Yes sir." Vanessa and Michael, who had gained his sight in the last couple of minutes, saw Malakye walk into the room. His men stood behind him holding guns just in case anything should happen.
"Hello Mr. Pegasus and my lady." Michael frowned and began to curse at Malakye. Malakye walked to the side of the bed that Michael was on and punched him in the stomach.
"Quiet." Michael stopped and gasped for breath. Malakye then walked over to Vanessa's side.
"How are you Princess?" Vanessa spat in his face and turned away. He took a handkerchief and wiped where the spit had landed.
"You are lucky that you are useful or you would have died for that. Untie them both and bring her to the east room and take him to the west one." The men untied the husband and wife, taking them to the said rooms. When the bodyguards dumped them and locked the doors they both yelled to be let out. After awhile the yelling seemed useless and they sat on the beds in their rooms. Michael was the first to be visited. Malakye opened the door and walked over to him.
"How are you today Mr. Pegasus."
"Why don't you stop the pleasantries and tell me what you want."
"Fine, I want your company."
"Over my dead body."
"That could be arranged, but then you won't be able to sign the papers for me."
"Why don't you go ahead and kill me. I know that you will anyway."
"Mr. Pegasus I would let you go if you would just sign the papers releasing your company to me."
"Never."
"You make this so difficult. Don't you want your life more than this company?"
"Yes, but I know that you will kill me if I sign those papers. You forget Mr. Taganoshi that I am a business man and I have dealt with crooked business partners before."
"I promise you your life if you sign the papers."
"I said that I don't trust crooks."
"You stubborn son of a bitch. Just sign the papers."
"Where are my wife and my driver?"
"Your driver was found and taken to a hospital, after my men beat him up a little and your wife will be fine if you sign on the little dotted lines."
"As I said I will never sign those papers giving Pegasus Creations to a bastard like you." Malakye took the butt of his gun and hit Michael across the face with it. Michael wiped the blood from his lip and glared at the man.
"I will be back and I expect for your answer to have been changed." Malakye knocked on the door and one of his guards opened it. Malakye walked out and the door shut behind him and locked.
Max looked at his finished work. It had taken him a long time, but he had finally finished. Everything was perfect. All he needed now was for Deston to see it and put the hieroglyphics on it. Max stood up and admired his work from afar. He smiled, noticing that he had picked up everything about his subject, from her glass like eyes to the small birthmark on her arm. Max heard Annabelle call everyone for dinner. He looked at the clock and it read five-fifteen. Max pulled himself away from his work and went down to the dining room to join the rest of his guests.
Vanessa paced her room back and forth, as she waited for something to happen. She turned to the door when she heard it open and in stepped Malakye. She ran toward him trying to scratch him any way she could. Malakye grabbed her arms and she pulled away trying to struggle away from him. She pulled her arms free and moved away from him.
"You know Vanessa your husband is not being very cooperative with me. Maybe you could help him understand."
"He will not sign those papers."
"Vanessa you know that I would hate to bring your son into this, but you have left me no choice."
"You leave my son alone. Don't you touch him." Vanessa screamed. She started crying and sat on the bed.
"Oh don't cry Vanessa."
"Don't touch him." Vanessa said again and looked at her ex.
"He seems to be the only one that will sign the papers for me."
"You are a monster. He does not have anything to do with this."
"Sure he does he is a Pegasus you know."
"Leave him alone."
"Will you get your husband to sign the papers?"
"Yes, if you leave my son alone."
"Deal. I won't touch him, since the company will be all mine and none of his." Malakye pulled Vanessa up by the arm and wiped her face with his handkerchief. He then pulled her out the door and to her husband. When they entered Michael's room Vanessa immediately ran to her husband.
"What have you done to my wife?"
"Nothing, but she does want to talk to you." Vanessa looked at her husband and said,
"Sign the papers."
"What! Vanessa no."
"Michael he said that he would hurt Max if you didn't." Michael looked at Malakye and said,
"You won't hurt my boy?"
"No. Once I have control of the company I will have no reason to worry about him." Michael sighed and Malakye gave him a pen. Michael signed the papers and Vanessa signed after him. When she had finished, she gave the papers to Malakye and he smiled.
"Now for the celebration of taking another large step in fortune." Malakye grabbed Vanessa's arm and pulled her to him and two bodyguards grabbed Michael.
"Let me go. You have what you want. Why don't you kill us and get it over with. As long as you don't hurt my son I don't care if you kill me or not."
"Well I like to celebrate with a woman in my bed at night." Michael growled at Malakye, trying to pull away from the bodyguards, but they held him there.
"I will never cheat on my husband and especially not with you."
"Sure you will. And I have invited your husband to watch."
"Why can't you just kill us and let us be."
"Before you die I want your life to be full torture and full of pain. So much pain that your spirits will never rest. I'll hurt you more if I stain you first and in turn that will stain him. Raping you is the perfect way to get you both. I will crash your high morals and his heart at the same time."
"You are a devil."
"Why thank you for the compliment." Malakye pulled Vanessa's arm and she followed slowly. She turned around looking at Michael whose eyes were down cast.
"I love you too much to ever cheat on you Michael. I love you. I'm sorry." Before anyone could react, Vanessa pulled the gun that was in Malakye's waistband out and shot her husband in the chest twice. She fired two other rounds and took out the two bodyguards. Before she could take the gun and turn it on herself, Malakye took it and pushed her to the floor. He radioed two more bodyguards and looked at her.
"No matter I will still have you." When the bodyguards arrived and lifted the two dead men up one grabbed Vanessa. "Leave her. Her husband is still alive, but he will die soon let her stay with him knowing that she killed him. Give her about five minutes and return. When he is dead, take him to the room we put them in earlier. Make her take a shower so that I may enjoy her tonight." Malakye and the guards walked away leaving Vanessa with her husband. Vanessa grabbed her husband's face and her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry." Vanessa repeated.
"It's okay Vanessa. Go ahead. Only wives that don't love their husbands don't cry when they die." Vanessa let the unshed tears fall and they landed on her husband's cheek.
"Michael, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see that. See I figured that if you were dead then you wouldn't be my husband while you were dead and I was alive, so I wouldn't be cheating."
"You have such odd ways of thinking love. And this time I actually understand it."
"He will take my body, but he will never have my soul because I already gave it to you."
"I know." Michael said stroking her hair.
"Are you hurting?"
"Nope you shot me good."
"I wanted to kill you instantly, but now I'm happy that I didn't."
"Don't worry Vanessa he will get what is coming to him. They always do. So whatever happens remember that I will always love you. Now if you don't mind I feel sleepy. I should get some rest, running a company can really take it out of you."
"Speaking of company, Michael I left Malakye a little surprise."
"Yeah. Will I like it?"
"You will love it. You should sleep now."
"Good idea." Michael closed his eyes and stopped breathing moments after. Vanessa stood and smiled to herself as the guards came and picked Michael up a minute later.
"Malakye you have a large surprise in store for you when you try to get the company." Vanessa smiled as she walked down the hall to the bathroom and took a shower. When she finished the guards led her to a room where she saw Malakye under the covers of a huge canopy bed. He got up from the bed, taking her towel off and admiring her body.
"You are mine tonight."
"Yes I am, but you only have my body. My husband holds my spirit and my heart, precious objects that you never had."
"It doesn't matter you are mine tonight." Malakye said emphasizing the word 'tonight'. Vanessa walked by him and lay on the bed. Malakye not caring about what Vanessa said joined her in the bed and took what he wanted.
Max watched as Deston and the rest of the group looked at the portrait with great admiration. Deston hugged Max's neck and kissed him on the cheek.
"It's beautiful. I love it." Deston said in awe. Even Annabelle was there looking at the portrait.
"Young Pegasus this is a truly beautiful piece of work."
"It looks just like D." Yugi said looking at the face up close.
"He even caught the glittering of her jewelry and that birthmark on her arm." Malik said pointing it out to Seto. Malik was careful not to touch it because Max told him that the paint was still wet. Max picked up a small brush with black paint on it and told Deston to write the hieroglyphics, while he accented them with the gold paint. Deston began writing and Max followed behind her putting touches of gold on the hieroglyphics. When they had finished he asked her to read what she had written.
"This portrait was painted by one that is special, and forever the subject in this portrait will be special to that one."
"That's so sweet. I'm going to cry."
/Don't you dare cry Ryou. I hate it when you cry, you're so girly sometimes./
/Which is the reason that you are with me. I never complain about being on the bottom./
/Can you prove that to me later?/
/You're not getting any./
/You're a little bitch sometimes./
/I don't think that anything is wrong with that./
/Smart ass./
/I know./ Ryou closed the link to Yami and smiled at Deston and Max. "You two are so cute together."
"Young Pegasus, you never told me that you were seeing Deston."
"Uh, we're kind of just talking."
"Hey I bet someday they'll get married and have a lot of kids."
"As I said Yugi, we are just talking."
"Sorry about that."
"Well Young Pegasus, I am going to clean the kitchen and I will be on my way for the night. Do you need anything before I leave?"
"No thank you." Annabelle walked back downstairs to the kitchen and Max could hear her cleaning it.
"Okay everybody let's go so this can dry." They all paraded out of the room and closed the door leaving the painting in the dark.
Vanessa woke up and saw Malakye lying next to her. She leaned on his chest and saw the gun on the nightstand. If she remembered correctly, Malakye was a hard sleeper. Vanessa got out of the bed and walked to the nightstand picking up the gun. She checked the bullets and placed the gun back on the table. She didn't want to kill him yet, she felt that the little surprise she left in her will would do that for her. Vanessa knew that he would kill her later, but she preferred now. She walked out of the door and down the hall to the room she and her husband had been in earlier. No guards were there and Vanessa opened the door. When she entered, she found her husband's body and lay beside it. Vanessa didn't notice that Malakye had awoken or maybe she didn't care. He followed her down to the room her husband was in and looked in. Vanessa lay by her husband, the same way she laid by him when they went to sleep each night, her head and palm on his chest.
"You still care for him. Even in death." Malakye said angrily, seeing that he had not stained her as much as he thought that he would. Vanessa ignored him and remained in her position.
"Fine then you shall join him."
"Gladly." Those were the last words Vanessa said before Malakye pulled the trigger and shot Vanessa in the back. He turned and gave orders to his men,
"Put them back into the car and go somewhere to burn it. I have what I want."
The men placed Vanessa's body and Michael's body in the car. They drove normally as to not draw any attention, but they soon saw cop cars following them. They sped up and tried to out run the cops. The car suddenly stopped and the cops pulled up behind the limousine. The men stepped out and started to shoot at the officers. The officers retaliated with gunshots of their own killing both men. The officer went up to the car and looked inside.
"Oh my God. Somebody get Homicide down here!"
At home, Max was running around the house chasing a sugar rushed Yami Malik. Annabelle had already left. Yami Malik ran out of the kitchen door screaming and chanting some kind of Egyptian saying. He held his Millennium Rod, with the blade exposed, above his head and threw it at the wall. It landed like a dart into the wall. He started chanting again and Max asked Yami, who was out of breath, what Yami Malik was saying.
"He is saying I love waffles, I love sugar, I will rule Candyland, and my hair is made of gold fire." Max just sighed and resumed the chase. Seto was trying to trip Yami Malik, but instead tripped Malik, who was close to capturing the crazed spirit. Malik stood from the floor and tackled Seto. Deston seeing the two ran over to them to pull them apart. Successfully pulling the two apart Deston watched as Yugi walked into the room carrying a skillet.
"This ought to do it."
"Yugi what you trying to do kill my yami."
"He's already dead."
"Oh, right. Be my guest then." Yugi tried to swing the skillet at Yami Malik, but instead lost his grip and the skillet slammed into a wall, making a big hole.
"Sorry Max. I'll fix that as soon as we get Yami Malik." Yami Malik completely ignoring everyone, ran to Ryou and started to play with his hair.
"Pigtails, pigtails, pigtails." Yami Malik started to bounce up and yank on Ryou's hair.
"Ow, Yami Malik that hurts."
"Sorry little baby. Want a popsicle? They're good." Yami Malik handed Ryou a popsicle stick and ran to Yami Bakura.
"I love you, you love me, were a happy fami…"
"Get the hell away from me Yami Malik with that damn curse of a song."
"Barney's cool. You don't talk about Barney like that." Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and just stared at Yami Malik like he had grown antlers. Yami Malik now sat on the floor pouting and looking at Yami Bakura.
"You're mean. Barney is the best."
"You have truly lost it Yami."
"Ooh look at the mirror." Yami Malik stood up and walked to his hikari, touching his face.
"Three D mirror." Yami Malik started to do different poses and faces at his aibou. "What's wrong with the mirror." Yami Malik said pushing his hikari when he noticed that that Malik didn't do what he was doing. From the living room everyone could here Mokuba yell at the television screen.
"Stupid news people always interrupt the cartoons. Stupid people."
"Don't worry about him. He hates when the news interrupts his cartoons." Seto said. Everyone in the dining room continued to try and calm Yami Malik down when Mokuba walked into the room wide eyed. Everyone stopped everything and looked at him, even Yami Malik calmed down for a short period of time. Mokuba stood there until Seto asked him what he wanted.
"I just want to ask Max a question."
"Go ahead, Mokuba. Ask away."
"What were your parents firsts names?"
"Michael and Vanessa, why do you ask?" Mokuba didn't answer he just started to cry. "Mokuba why are you crying they're names aren't that bad are they." Max got on both knees and pulled the little tyke to him. Mokuba put his arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Big brother always told me that hugs make people feel better." Mokuba said, still crying.
"But I'm fine Mokuba." Mokuba grabbed his hand and pulled him to the living room. He watched the television with Max standing beside him. The news alert was on describing two bodies, but Max wasn't paying attention, instead he was trying to comfort Mokuba.
"Bad stuff happens on the news all the time Mokuba."
"I know Max, but look." Max looked at the screen listening to the newscaster talk.
"Two bodies were found in the back of a black Mercedes limousine. Both were shot, the male in the chest, twice, and the female once in the back. This couple was known for their great contributions to charities and their company Pegasus Creations." Max let go of Mokuba's hand and went to stand directly in front of the television.
"Please don't do this." Max whispered to the screen. Max tuned back in to the newscaster.
"Vanessa and Michael Pegasus were killed earlier today. Forensic scientists say that their bodies were placed back into their vehicle after they were killed. They say that Vanessa Pegasus was raped and then murdered. No evidence has been found to show whom the rapist was. Michael Pegasus was shot in the chest twice and found along side his wife when police officers pulled over a license plate number that the limo driver had given. The driver and his accomplice were shot when they started to fire on the Kyoto Police Department. The limo driver, James Croquet, was hospitalized when some people found him in an alley almost dead. He is in critical condition at this time. The Pegasus' will be missed for all their charity work and contributions to their community. They have a seventeen-year-old son, Maximillion Pegasus, who will inherit the family company, all of the financial assets, and anything else owned by the family. We send our condolences to the young man and any close friends of the Pegasus family. Thank you. We will return with more information when it is released and this is it for Channel Nine News. Good night." Max walked up to the television screen putting his hands on the glass. He absently rubbed the glass then collapsed to the floor in an Indian sitting style.
"Mother." Max whispered softly. "My Father is dead. My mother is…" Deston walked over to Max and encircled her arms around him crying.
"I'm sorry, Max." Max was still in shock and only laid his head on her shoulder. Ryou started crying and Yami Bakura pulled his hikari close to him.
"It's okay aibou." Yami Bakura said quietly, trying his best to control his unshed tears, but failing. Ryou grabbed his yami even tighter, burying his face in his chest. Mokuba and Seto walked over to Max, Seto put his arms around Max and Deston and Mokuba squeezed in between the two. The three beside Max could hear him mumbling something and concentrated to understand his speech.
"They are coming home. They're not dead. They're just going to be late. They are always late." Yugi, who had moved to the group shook Max's shoulders and said through tears,
"They aren't coming back. They are not coming back Max. They will forever be late because they will never arrive." Deston and Seto looked at Yugi sadly and shook their heads. Yugi looked at Max then at his yami. Max continued to ignore him, continuing his mantra. Yami sat beside Yugi on the side of Max.
"He's in shock and denial. He doesn't hear any of us. No matter how loud you yell or how hard you try to convince him." Yugi leaned back in his yami's arms wiping tears from his eyes.
"Yami try to tell him."
"I can't, he will realize his parents' death when he is ready. All we can do is comfort him." Yami and Yugi went to the group and sat beside them. Yami suddenly grabbed Max's shoulders and pulled him close to him, kissing his forehead, letting his tears drip into Max's hair. Everyone had been so busy comforting Max that they forgot about Yami Malik and Malik. Malik and his yami walked over to Yami Bakura and his hikari.
"Don't tell anybody that I cried." Malik said as he pulled Ryou from Yami Bakura and hugged him tightly, crying in his hair.
"I won't." Yami Bakura said softly, brushing Malik's hair from around his face. Yami Bakura looked at Yami Malik, who stared the floor.
"Yami Malik…" Yami Bakura started, but before he could finish, Yami Malik disappeared into his soul room. Yami Bakura followed entering Malik's mind and finding Yami Malik's soul room. Usually lush fabrics and hieroglyphics lined the walls, but now the only color Yami Bakura saw was black. Everything was black, the walls, the bed, even the carpet. Yami Malik sat on the bed with his Millennium Rod in his hands.
"Why did you leave?"
"Crying is showing weakness."
"Aren't you sad."
"Yes."
"Then cry."
"Then I would be weak."
"I am crying and I don't feel weak at all." Yami Bakura said sitting beside the blond spirit.
"You have let Ryou soften you."
"Quite the contrary, he has strengthened me."
"I don't want to cry." Yami Malik said and looked away.
"Fine, but if you want too, I am right here." Yami Bakura said gently. He sat on the bed for a few minutes and Yami Malik moved closer to him.
"I still don't want to cry, but I think that it will help you if I did." Yami Bakura kissed his fellow yami and pulled him into an embrace.
"You and your pride."
"Shut up. You always get your way." Yami Bakura did not say anything else; he only heard the sounds of Yami Malik weeping.
Outside of the soul room and in the living room, the phone rang. No one moved for a few seconds and then Deston rose to answer it.
"Hello."
"Deston, how is Max doing?" Deston recognized her mother's sorrow filled voice. She heard her mother sniff and her father trying to comfort her mother.
"He doesn't believe it. He continues to talk about them being late." Deston said crying again.
"We are on our way to the house."
"Mom, how are you taking it?"
"Horribly."
"So are we. It was a complete surprise. When we heard the news we just…" Deston trailed off. Deston could hear the phone switch hands and her father get on.
"We are almost there. Keep an eye on Max."
"Yes Sir."
"See you in a few minutes." Deston hung up the phone and went back to the group that was huddling Max. A few minutes later, after many calls from the staff, and Deston telling them to remain home, and news information, the doorbell rang and Seto answered the door. Joseph and Tatanya walked into the room grabbing all the children and hugging them. Yami Malik and Yami Bakura had even come from Yami Malik's soul room to get a hug. Everyone moved out of the way when Tatanya went to Max.
"Max." Tatanya said. Max lifted his head and looked at her, immediately going to her.
"Tatanya?" Tatanya, astonished, pulled away from Max.
"Yes honey." She said hugging him tightly.
"I had a dream that my parents died, I spoke to my mother after the dream and she and Father were fine. But they are coming home tonight right? " Max began to cry, the answer already clicking in his head. "I don't want them to be dead. They weren't supposed to die. Why were they taken away from me?"
"I don't know honey."
"But I didn't do anything wrong." Max said between sobs. Tatanya started crying and said,
"Sometimes you don't have too." Joseph looking around at the other children and yamis. He quietly chanted an Egyptian spell and everyone fell asleep except for Max, whose eyes were blocked by Tatanya's red hair. Joseph forced the sleeping yamis into their soul rooms and gathered the sleeping hikaris in his arm to put them to bed. He picked up Mokuba and placed him in an empty room, then returned for Seto, placing him beside his brother. Deston, he took last to her room and covered her up. He returned to his wife and sat on the sofa, Tatanya tried to join her husband, but Max wouldn't let her go.
"Max let's sit on the sofa." Max let Tatanya get up, but followed her closely. Tatanya made room for Max to sit down, but instead of sitting in the space provided, Max lay across the entire sofa. His head was in Tatanya's lap and his feet rested next to Joseph's leg. Max turned his head facing Tatanya's stomach and closed his eyes. Tatanya absently ran her fingers through Max's hair and Max shifted, turning on his side.
"Stop Mother, that tickles." Max said sleepily, settling on Tatanya's leg. Tatanya realizing her mistake, stopped instantly. She looked at her husband and he shook his head.
"Don't make him depend on you Tatanya."
"But he needs…"
"He needs to cope with what has happened to him, not find replacements to make him feel better."
"Joseph can't we bring his parents back with the items?"
"Tatanya you complained to me about making chocolates appear, now you want to change such a drastic event."
"But he is unhappy."
"And so are other people in the world. You will let him cope with his parents' death. You will not fill in for Vanessa."
"I am not filling in for her."
"You already treat him like your son. Let him be."
"You are so emotionless."
"You have to be when you guard the items. You should know this already. When you guard the items, you must show as little emotion as possible. Some events take place for a reason, but if you always make them better the reason why they happened will never be discovered. I let you slide when we covered for Seto when he was young. He should have gotten in trouble for his stepfather's murder, but you convinced me to use magic to protect him. I have given that one favor. I will not give another that large."
"I protect the items too. You act as if I am incompetent." Tatanya said, her voice cracking. Joseph kissed his wife and put his hands around her shoulders drawing her to him,
"I did not mean to sound so harsh. But I want to you to do me a favor." Tatanya looked at her husband and nodded. "Don't interfere with Max's life. If he somehow attaches himself to you without your interference then that will be fine with me, but I don't want you to interfere." Tatanya nodded using her magic to send relaxing energy over Max's body.
"Tatanya."
"Sorry." Joseph smiled and said,
"You are hopeless." Tatanya smiled, bending down and kissing Max's head.
Me: The chapter is over and I feel a little better because of the end. But some weird questions have been raised. Like questions about Deston's parents' magic, what surprise is in Vanessa's will and how Max will cope. You will find the answers to some of the questions in the next chapter that will be the Aftermath for Part one of my story. Chapter 14 will officially start Part two of my story and my muses will change from the yamis to Seto and the hikaris. At the start of chapter 14 I will explain the new setting, but for now please read and review I really would like for you to respond for this chapter, if you didn't do it to any others. If you don't mind I would liked to be critiqued if you don't mind. It is very important. Thanks.
READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!