Chapter 2: Darkness falls



So far it's gone ok... So long as no one kills me for this chapter. I just realised that this could also be written as 'Yami Falls', and could be taken an entirly different way for that... *looks at menacing fangirls* Eeep! I didn't kill him! I swear!



DISCLAIMER: I don't own it. I wish I did, but I don't. Neko-baka-chan-chan... (NBCC) *giggles* ...did give me a Yami no Yuugi, Yuugi and Ryou though, making me a much happier fangirl. Blame her also because I fell into Yami no Malik's head, not once, but _twice_ in this fic! It's kinda scary in there... I threw myself into Yami no Ryou's though!



WARNING: Contains slight... weirdness. Yami no Malik and Yami no Ryou's thoughts. Blood. Thoughts about Death, Darkness.... They get evil...eviler... More Yaoi, maybe kinda limeish?



THANKYOUS:

Neko-baka-chan-chan: *snigger* .....Bwahahahahah!!! *gets whacked repeatedly* ..itai..

Glad you liked the Yami no Malik/Yami no Bakura bits... kinda easy to envisage, and I couldn't resist.

Ok, here's more! *gives her next chapter*



Cettie-girl: You like it? Yay! One of the Hikari's must go, ne? Really? *edges away* ...moaha...



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Bakura smirked at Yami as he walked past him into the room. 'Marik has this planned rather well', he thought, 'The Pharaoh will be too caught up with worry over his omote, and ours, to concentrate as well as he normally does. This Yami no Game will be ours!'

Bakura was right, Yami was concerned about all the omotes. Even if he won, both Ryou and Malik would be lost to the Darkness, in exchange for Yugi to survive. But if he lost, Yugi would be consumed. But he could see no way of saving all the omotes. Even if he refused the game, they would _all_ be devoured. There seemed to be no way out.

He glared at Marik. The Darkness of Malik had indeed planned this perfectly. He had trapped him, the King of Games, in a game he could not win. It reminded Yami of the few times he had done the same to mortals. But, he had always given _them_ a way out. Had Marik done the same?

"Well Pharaoh? The first turn is yours." Marik said softly, his eyes piercing Yami from over his cards. Bakura was also watching him, smirking and all but laughing to himself.

'Two against one. It does not surprise me that these two would not consider fairness in a game such as this.' Yami thought. 'If there was only a way for all players to come to a draw. Then perhaps the omotes would be freed.' Deciding to consider this further, Yami played a defense card face-down, and a magic card.

Marik smiled wider. He could see his enemy trying desperately to think his way out of this problem. The Pharaoh couldn't allow himself to consider losing any of the omotes. It made him weak.

Marik knew he wasn't weak. He was more than prepared to lose his omote to the Darkness. The beautiful Darkness, with it's softsoft cloying embrace, dragging you down into it's silent depths, drowning you in fear and pain.... How he envied his omote now, surrounded by the Darkness, so close to being drawn in and lost forever.

He played a card, and watched the Pharaoh try to guess what it was. Yes, the Pharaoh was weak. Both of them were stronger than him. The Tomb Robber, like himself, was Darkness, disguised in white. Like death. Marik looked at Bakura happily. Death and Darkness. Death who would toss away his omote's life without a thought. Who would be embraced by the Darkness. Who had embraced the Darkness.

Marik reached over to touch Bakura's thigh. He loved Death. Part of him was Death, and part of Death was Darkness. And both of them would destroy this Pharaoh-who-was-not-Dark. The omotes called him 'Yami', named him the Darkness. But he wasn't the Darkness. They would know, would see when the true Darkness consumed the Pharaoh, and he and Death would laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh.

And be together and Darkness and Death would be all. Always.

Marik started to laugh softly.

Soon.

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Yugi groaned and sat up, holding his head. "Ryou? Malik? What happened?"

Someone helped him to his feet, and his eyes finished adjusting to the strange, pulsating darkness around them.

Shadow Realm, Yugi's brain supplied. Ryou was holding him up while he adjusted to whatever had happened. Malik was... over there. He looked pretty annoyed.

"Malik-kun, I think Yugi's going to be ok. What do you think happened to us?" Yugi heard Ryou ask.

Malik turned around and walked back to them. "Isn't it obvious? Someone sent us to the Shadow Realm."

"Who? I mean, which of our Yamis?"

"Yours or mine, most likely. Mine would do it for kicks, yours if he had something in mind."

Yugi regained enough grasp on himself to stand up properly, and look at Malik.

"Do you think..." He started, then stopped, unsure of the likely-hood of what he was going to suggest.

"Well?" Malik said, obviously impatient. He wasn't too comfortable with being in the Shadow Realm, and Yugi was holding them up from trying to find some way out. 'There has to be a way out.' Malik told himself. 'The yamis send people here regularly, and they all come back.'

"Gomen.." Yugi stammered, and Ryou looked surprised at Malik's outburst. "It's just, what if your yamis were... working together?"

Ryou blinked at Malik. "I'm not sure. Bakura hasn't been very open with me. Not ever." He said, with a sad smile.

Malik also looked at a loss. "It's not like they tell us anything. Not like your perfect Yami."

"Demo..." Yugi began.

"Lets just get going. There might be something around here that can help us get out."

Ryou looked doubtful. "You think so?"

"We won't know unless we look, and frankly, the thought of waiting here until whatever nasty surprise created by whoever put us here turns up isn't appealing." Malik said, then turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving Ryou and Yugi to follow after him.

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The game continued.

Bakura had to stop himself several times from laughing aloud. Marik's plan was indeed perfect. Try as he might, the Pharaoh was slowly losing. He could all but taste the fearsweat on the other's skin. The very air seemed to herald the downfall of the false-king, the self proclaimed Yugi-oh. And he was enjoying it immensely. It was so rewarding, watching the Pharaoh struggle in their grasp, toying with his emotions, dangling a strand of hope before his eyes and snatching it away as he reached for it.

He knew how it felt, having all you hopes, all your dreams, your world, ripped from your grasp, broken before your eyes. He wanted to make the much-hated Pharaoh writhe in the pain of it all, the over-whelming loss, the immense feeling of failure. Make him suffer again and again and again.... Make him curse the day Bakura had made him feel this, like he had cursed the day the Pharaoh had taken his world from him. Take him and break that proud bearing, grind the noble face into his sorrow, drag him down to the level Bakura had had to sink to, and leave him there. Listening to his feeble cries for mercy; salvation; anything, leave him to cry and scream and curse and hurt, and all he would hear would be Bakura's laughter.

Bakura took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Patience. If he rushed, things would not go according to Marik's, to _their_, carefully thought out plan. If they followed this plan, then everything would be fine. The Pharaoh had no chance. He _would_ lose.

More relaxed now, Bakura bared his fangs at Yami, and turned his attentions partially to Marik. It was interesting to keep their little 'game' running. A touch here, a slight caress, a hiss of pleasure... But don't be distracted. Always watch the Pharaoh. Yami was slipping, little by little, distracting himself with his endless ploys, being distracted by the other's 'play', partially consumed with worry. Bakura could almost see his mind racing around in never ending circles, trying to find a way out of the game. A way to save the omotes.

It was pathetic. Searching for hope, when there was none. Trying to find a way out of a trap that had long since closed. How the mighty did fall.

'Don't worry Pharaoh, you will be free soon enough.'

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Malik blinked and stopped. He strained his eyes, trying to make out the distant shape against the strange, twisting darkness. It was, well, _seemed_ to be, some sort of temple. But why would there be a temple in this place? And who would have built it? Ryou and Yugi drew level with him, trying to see what had him so fascinated.

"What is it?" Ryou eventually asked. Yugi didn't really feel like talking to Malik anymore. The Egyptian boy had become more and more snappish the more time they spent wandering around. Ryou didn't mind being snapped at, so he tried to keep up a facade of friendly conversation and ease the minds of the other two. Even when his own was working frantically.

"I think it's some sort of temple." Malik said. "It's probably the location of one of the field cards."

Ryou nodded, and Yugi just stared mutely.

"Do you think we should have a look? Would there be any monsters there?" Ryou asked.

"How am I supposed to know?! In case you've forgotten, I haven't spent a lot of time in the Shadow Realm!" Malik snapped, and impatiently started off towards the temple.

Ryou sighed and motioned to Yugi. "Well, at least we know we're not walking in circles, Yugi-kun." He said, trying to sound cheerful.

Yugi managed a sort of smile at the other boy, but he was too busy worrying over his Yami. He just knew, deep inside of him, that the other's yamis were doing this to hurt his Yami. But Yami was strong, he would beat them and rescue all of them. Though... Yugi felt that the others would be torn apart if anything happened to their yamis too. He'd just have to hope that Yami understood that, and would do no more harm than necessary.

With a guilty start, Yugi realized that he and Malik had been too caught up in their own problems, they had ignored Ryou, who had put his own difficulties aside to help them. Here he was, Yugi, the one who was always expected to be kind and self-less, ignoring a friend.

"Gomen Ryou." He said.

"Whatever for Yugi?" Ryou asked, puzzled.

"N..nothing."

Ryou blinked, still puzzled, but let it drop as they had caught up with Malik, who was standing before the huge doors of the temple.

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Inside the temple seemed even larger than it did outside. The trio looked around the large room they had entered, which tapered off into a long hallway. The entrance hall was largely empty, with only the odd ornamental vase, and a curious sound filled the area, like many voices speaking, a distance away.

"I don't like this." Ryou said softly. "Maybe we can find someplace else? The yamis might have put something bad here."

Yugi looked around. There was something creepy about the place, and he was all for leaving.

Malik turned, and his eyes widened slightly. "I don't think we _can_ leave." He said.

Yugi and Ryou turned. By the door stood two huge humanoid creatures. They looked vaguely Egyptian, but Yugi recognized them for what they were. Duel Monsters.

"I think they're only trying to stop us leaving." Ryou said eventually. The twin monsters made no moves towards them, and seemed uninterested entirely.

"I guess we have to continue." Malik said. "You two can stay here with them if you want to. But I want some answers." Yugi bit his tongue to stop himself from yelling at the Egyptian boy. It wouldn't make Malik any nicer, and it wouldn't improve their situation.

Even if it would make him feel better.

"All right." He said, following Malik. Ryou hurried after them. He had an overpowering feeling that this place was familiar, he'd been here before, and it would be safer to stay behind. But even as he considered the thought, one of the huge creatures moved ever so slightly, and Ryou raced after Yugi. It looked as if whichever yami had set this thing up wanted them to go all the way. It was not a pleasant thought.

And the place was so familiar...

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Yami froze in the act of placing down a card. Bakura blinked and hissed in irritation. Marik snarled softly.

"Someone is interfering with my Yami no Game." Marik said. "My omote has left my mind."

Bakura growled. "Who would dare? I will make them pay."

Yami noticed his hand was shaking. He stopped it. He had been playing the game with the Yami no Ryou and Yami no Malik for a while now. The strain of it was beginning to show itself physically. Trying to play Duel Monsters against two players, both of whom were focusing on you, while trying to plan how to win this game, was difficult. But the added difficulty was having to support his omote's life-energy while Yugi was in the Shadow Realm made the game extremely taxing.

The other two had it somewhat easier, as they weren't trying to save anyone. Yami was grateful that they at least supported their omotes life-energy, else he might have to try and support them as well.

But now he could no long feel the bond between him and Yugi.

It was gone.

Yugi would be helpless to the burdens of the Shadow Realm.

Yami scowled darkly. Bakura and Marik seemed also... to have acknowledged the disappearance. Though with more irritation then concern for their omotes. The Yami no Game had been interfered with, so it was now void.

'I must go find Yugi.' The Pharaoh thought, and willed himself to the Shadow Realm.

Bakura and Marik scowled at his disappearance.

"Curse whoever did this! We would have won!" Bakura ranted.

"You show little concern for your omote." Marik murmured, trailing delicate fingers along the Tomb Robber's arm, feeling the skin pebble at his touch.

Bakura growled with a flash of white, sharp teeth. "The Pharaoh will try to save them all. But perhaps we could alter our plan." He said, an idea dawning.

"Yes?" Marik hissed by his ears, one arm wending it's way around Bakura's waist, while the other trailed along his neck.

"If the Pharaoh takes the burden of all three omotes, his own energy will be spread thin. Almost too thin. A distraction at the wrong time could break his mind. If we break his mind..."

"We destroy him. After all, Yugi is but the vessel for his mind and soul. Without the Pharaoh's mind to protect him, we can destroy the vessel." Marik whispered against the smooth arc of Bakura's neck. "How I would like to see the Pharaoh's omote _bleed_. Crimson blood against pale skin. Your eyes are crimson. Eyes like blood...." Without warning, Marik bit sharply into Bakura's neck. Vivid crimson welled up from the wound and began to snake it's way down the pale pillar. Bakura moaned in pleasure at the pain, arching into Marik's body.

Marik smiled to himself and nuzzled the bloody wound. Licking greedily at the fluid that it offered to him. Sweet liquid of life, with it's coppery tang and beautiful rich color. He was drinking life itself.

Strange how the one he had named Death was filled to the brim with life. Liquid life. His life. Death's life-blood for Darkness' thirst. Could Darkness drink Death dry? He had no time to find out. He would go with Death, they would visit the Hikari, the light, of the falsely-named Darkness-that-is-not-Dark.

There would be more blood. More life fluid.

They would drink of it, satiate themselves in it. And make the world theirs. The world of Darkness and Death. Marik laughed against Bakura's neck.

Bakura thought of what they were to do, and laughed with him.

Then, they left. Leaving a room as silent as a crypt, and as dark as pitch.

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Notes: The life-energy thing is an interpretation on my part. I had noticed when Yugi dueled Pegasus, he was weakened by being in the Shadow Realm, but Yami was unaffected. I thought this might have been because he was Yugi's darkness, and at home in the Shadow Realm. You also can see that in all the other Yami no Games, how many times do you see the omotes? It's almost always the yamis in control, and they initiate the Yami no Game, so they must be ok with it. I can only think of one episode when Ryou was, for a short time, in the Shadow Realm, but Bakura took over really quickly, so maybe he knew something was up? Just a theory on my part, but it's playing a part in the story. The omotes, being the _lights_, suffer energy drains while in the Shadow Realm, which, over time, can be hazardous, which is why the yamis are supporting their life-energy while they play the game, plus it makes it harder for the yamis, and the game becomes more dangerous.