Haunted
CHAPTER ONE
The night wasn't unlike any other. Stars hung low, and the full moon watched late night people like an eerie pale face. But even one shadow managed to hide from the moon's watchful eye. It darted from alleyway to alleyway, never once spending enough time in the moon light to allow anyone to see its face. If anyone had seen any distinguishable features then it would have to take time to dispose of them, and that was always too messy. It was about to dart into another alleyway when a quaint building caught it's sight.
The shadow turned towards the building and read the sign that was posted out front. The Kame Game Shop. That was something it would have to remember. It loved playing games so who would be more fun to play a game with then someone who sold games?
Peering at a light on an upstairs window, the shadow laughed. Tomorrow it would start the game. Tomorrow the fun would begin.
Tomorrow someone's end would begin.
The room was quiet. In the bed lay a tall, built figure. His tri-color spiky hair poked out underneath the top of the blankets. A light snoring sound drifted from some where underneath the covers. So it was no surprise when the sleeping form didn't hear the door creak open. A small boy with the same wild hair and large violet eyes crept up to the edge of the bed. When he saw the sleeping boy, a smile graced his. The small boy took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"YAMI! WAKE UP!!"
The sleeping boys' eyes snapped open and a shocked scream poured from his mouth. He jumped up, the blankets falling back off his body. His crimson eyes were opened wide and looked around the room as though something was on fire. Finally his eyes rested on the young boy who was now doubled over in laughter.
"Yugi," He growled warningly. "Were you trying to wake me up or kill me?"
Yugi peered up at his friend Yami and shrugged. Yami was more then a friend to him, he was a counter-part, a soul mate, and the best friend he could ask for. Over the years since their first meeting Yami had helped Yugi, given him courage to face things on his own. Just looking at him made him smile.
But their relationship wasn't like any thing ever heard of before. Yami wasn't a long lost friend or a really trustworthy relative. He was the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh that had resided in a puzzle that Yugi had put together. When he slipped that last piece and completed the beautiful golden puzzle there had been a flash and Yami had been there in all his glory. And things in his life hadn't been the same since. But Yugi was glad for the shake up.
"I decided that was the easiest way to get you on your feet." Yugi chuckled. "Beside, Grandpa just finished cooking breakfast and if you didn't get up then you wouldn't get any!"
Yami grumbled and stumbled out of his bed. All he was wearing was a pair of loose cotton pajama pants. His fierce crimson eyes were narrowed in anger as he searched for a shirt to throw on before going down to eat. Glancing over his shoulder at his hikari Yugi, he had to smile. He loved him like a little brother and he knew that he would give his very own life to save Yugi's. There was no question about that.
Tossing a shirt on to cover his bare chest Yami turned and waved Yugi over. Yugi ran over to him and smiled up at him.
"Let's go runt." He joked. "Time to eat."
Yugi ducked away from him and pouted. He set an angry glare on his dark counter-part.
"I'm not a runt!" He argued. "And when's the last time you looked in a mirror? You aren't going to be winning any contests in height any time soon!"
Yami threw his head back and laughed. He knew that he wasn't a giant but he had a good six inches on Yugi. And height always seemed to be the source of their insults. But it was all in good fun. Neither him nor Yugi ever took it to heart.
Yugi ran from the room stopping only to stick his tongue out at Yami and cross his eyes before turning and thundering down the stairs. Yami rolled his eyes and followed Yugi's path down the stairs, but at a more controlled pace. When he reached the kitchen he expected to see and smell breakfast. Instead Yugi was standing there with a large cardboard box in his hands. Yami raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side.
"Don't tell me breakfast is in there." Yami waved a finger at the box. "Because if it is, I'd rather take my chances at making something myself."
Yugi grinned and placed the box on the floor. This gave Yami a chance to see what was inside the box. It was full of unopened packs of Duel Monster cards. Suddenly it struck Yami and he began shaking his head.
"No." He demanded. "No. No way Yugi. You remember what happened last time I tried that, don't you? I was cleaning my own mess up for weeks!"
"Oh come on!" Yugi crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Grandpa's at a meeting which means he has to be out of town for a few days. So he needs us to help him run the store for that time. And I'll be here with this time so we don't have another register mishap."
This time it was Yami who pouted. He turned his chin up and away from Yugi. The one thing that Yami hated most was digs at his pride. When he was Pharaoh he had been taught that there was nothing more important then being strong and have a pride just as, if not, stronger. And when someone or something took a stab at that, anger was the only emotion that he knew to feel.
"Why can't you do it?" He asked. "That way we won't have those mistakes."
"Because," Yugi waved a hand at the box. "I have to work in the back sorting out the new shipment. Besides, it's a Sunday, the store won't be busy today at all."
Yami sighed and threw his hands up in the air. He turned and began stalking towards the stairs. Yugi gasped and took a quick step after him.
"Yami!" He called. "Where are you going?"
"To change!" Yami shouted back over his shoulder. "I'm not greeting customers in my pajamas!"
Yugi laughed and turned back to the box he had set on the floor. Picking it up, he headed to the back room of the shop. Yami hated working in the shop. Yugi didn't know why but it was always something they fought over. Yugi always had to trick Yami into even sitting in the game shop. But it always worked. And it had again. Smiling broadly, Yugi set about to work. He didn't get Yami's utter hatred towards work.
After all, what could go wrong working in a game shop?
~*~
Yami sighed as he pulled the key from the tiny lock on the drawer of the register. One day down out of three, and no mistakes. No digs on his pride. Yugi was still in the back sorting through the new shipment. It had been a huge one. Yami scoffed. Grandpa had probably checked out so that he didn't have to deal with it. His smaller counter-part had only come up into the front a few times to make sure that Yami was fine and to check a few prices. Other then that it had been a pretty dull day.
A few random packs of cards had been left on the counter by a young duelist who realized that he only had enough money for one of the four packs that he had grabbed off the shelf. Yami grumbled as he grabbed them and headed towards some of the shelves to put them back. He could lock the door in a couple minutes. It was very unlikely that some straggling duelist would bust through the doors now and demand a pack of cards. Besides, if that did happen, Yami had the means to deal with him.
He searched out the place where the cards belonged and placed them back in their rightful place. Just as he was about to turn back to grab the keys for the front door from behind the counter, the bell on the front door jingled. Yami groaned. Figured he couldn't go one day without something happening. He turned to tell the visitor they where closed but stopped short when he saw that there was no one there.
"Tell them we're closed!"
Yami came a foot off the ground and uttered a cry when he heard Yugi's voice from the other room. Gripping his chest to calm his rapid heart, Yami cursed himself for his jumpiness. He was just waiting for something to wrong. And with that attitude it would.
"No one's here." Yami called back to Yugi. "Someone must have opened the door and heard you so they left."
"Oh, good!" Yugi called back. "After you lock the door, why don't you go order pizza. I'm going to back here for a while, and doubt that you want to try and cook yourself."
Yami scoffed and grabbed the keys. Yugi was right, he defiantly didn't want to attempt to beat the stove. Last time he did that he wound up burning (or melting, he wasn't sure which) a nice leather shirt. Glancing down at his attire now, he figured the cotton shirt was probably bad and good in the kitchen.
The key clicked as it locked the front door. He sighed and leaned against the door. Day one was done, now all he had to do was work on the next two days and he'd be good to go. Dropping the keys back on the hook behind the counter, he made his way back into the kitchen. Call for pizza? No problem, if he could find a number to call. He looked at the phone and noticed some little white buttons that weren't marked with a number. Instead there were words next to them. And one of them said pizza. Yami smiled. Perfect! He pushed the button, and waited until someone picked up on the other end.
"Hello, Hometown Pizza, can I help you?" A disgruntled voice answered.
"Uh yeah." Yami could almost picture the guy on the other end and it brought a smile to his face. "I want a medium pizza for devilary."
The pizza boy sighed. "What would you like on it sir?"
Yami paused. You could get stuff on your pizza? Like what? Gummi bears? Yami flinched. No, that would be disusting. Suddenly he remembered something that Yugi always got on his pizza. They were these little spicy disks. What did he call them? Roni, no, that wasn't it. Oh! Pepperoni!
"Pepperoni." He told the disgruntled teen. "I'd like pepperoni on it."
"Fine sir." The teen, sighed heavily as if Yami were burdening him by making him do his job. "Where can it be delivered?"
"The Kame Game Shop." Yami was now getting angered by this man. "Go around to the side door because the main shop is closed now."
"All right." Another disgruntled sigh. "It'll be there in forty-five minutes and will cost $11.18."
Yami grunted and hung up. Stupid punk. It wasn't his fault that the kid was stuck in a dead beat job. But at least the kid was making money for it. Yami never got paid when he got stuck working the store. The nerve of some people to be upset that they have to work!
Now angered, Yami stalked over to fridge and ripped it open. He pulled a soda off the second self. It opened with a hiss, and Yami didn't wait for it fizz down. He took a quick chug and walked into the living room. Some good old fashion TV should help his mood. He was about to plop down on the couch when he noticed something.
A long black leather jacket was draped over one arm of the couch. Yami raised an eyebrow as he glanced at it. Had Yugi gotten a new coat and tell him about it? Picking it up, Yami realized that wasn't the case. The coat was a woman's cut. Yami's eyes widened. Had Yugi gotten a new girlfriend and not told him about it? Yami gasped and dropped the jacket. Yugi was sneakier then Yami had ever given him credit for.
"Don't worry, no secrets are being withheld from you."
For the second time that night Yami jumped a foot off the ground with a frightened gasp. But this time it wasn't Yugi's voice that he heard. It was a woman. He whirled around to face the lady that was speaking to him.
She stood on the far side of the room, just at the bottom of the stairs. She had jet black that fell perfectly straight to her shoulders. Her bright emerald eyes had an evil slant to them. Yami took a step back, not sure whether to be frightened or amazed by this beautiful creature in front of him.
"Who are you?" He demanded. "And how did you get in here?"
The woman laughed and took a step closer to Yami. He tensed as she circled him, running a hand down his arm.
"Oh Yami." She chuckled. "Such pointless questions. Shouldn't you be asking questions like, what are you going to do to me? That would make this so much more fun for me."
Yami scowled and took a step away from her. She looked at him with mock hurt.
"How do you know my name?" Yami asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "And what's yours?"
"Raven." She answered, sticking out a hand to shake. "And how I came about your name will soon be answered."
Yami reached out with tentative hand and grasped Raven. As soon as he did a blot ran through causing his body to jerk in an almost comical manner. He let out a tiny squeak as the blackness of his mind over whelmed him and drew him into a world of dark. Rising off his shaky knees, Yami glanced around him. The walls that surrounded him were a purple black that shifted and pulsated as though alive. Yami instantly thought he had fallen into the shadow realm, but he didn't feel the dark energy that normally surged through him when he entered that place. This was somewhere completely different.
Out of the pulsating walls appeared the figure of Raven. Her pale skin seemed only brighter in the darkness of this area. She smiled at him and sat on what appeared to be nothing but air.
"Have a seat Yami." She told him, waving a hand at nothing. "Trust in the darkness and it will embrace you."
Yami watched her as he slowly lowered as though to sit down. Surprisingly the air formed a pocket that he was able to slide into like a chair. He shot Raven an amazed look, but she only laughed in response.
"You know, for bearing a name that means darkness, you know little about it." She taunted him.
"I only bear a name that means it." Yami growled. "I am not forged of the darkness."
"Oh really?" Raven chuckled. She waved a hand out around them. "Then you haven't realized where you are yet have you?"
Yami glanced around him, taking in the surroundings that felt so familiar yet were so estranged. Should he know where they were? Maybe it was a part of the Shadow Realm, a part he had never ventured to before. But why didn't it feel like it? The only explanation could be that it wasn't it.
"I'll take that as a no." Raven sighed, much like the pizza boy that he had talked to earlier. "Yami, we are in the true essence of your soul. You are born of a darkness of which I've never seen the likes of before. You hide it, because as dark as you are, there's a light side to you as well. Something that keeps you in control of the urges that the dark can bring. The very impulses that I just give into."
Yami stared into the darkness around him. Raven was right. He was born of the dark. He had spent thousands of years in the dark before he had been brought back into the light, and at first he hadn't been able to control the urges that she talked about. Many a man had had his soul sent to the shadow realm in his uncontrollable pride and getting back at those who made dents in it.
But the light that had saved him was Yugi. When he had finally met his counter-part and realized the light part to his soul, Yami had been able to cap the dark urges. Since then he had only sent the worst peoples' souls to the shadow realm. Those had physically tried to harm him. But the countless souls before that? Yami shuddered. Some things were better off forgotten.
"Yami I'm here to help you." Raven leaned foreword, coming close to his face. "I can help you be the dark that you have always been inside. All you have to do is allow me to help you be free again!"
Yami jumped up from his air pocket of a chair. Be dark again? It was something he had never considered. But there had to be a catch to what Raven was offering. A glitch in her plan.
"And how are you supposed to do that?" He asked her in a low voice. "I won't allow you to destroy the light that I cling to."
Raven laughed and slowly rose from her seat. She flicked a strand of her black hair over her shoulder and grinned. That's when Yami noticed the sharp canine's that protruded from her gums.
"I don't have to touch your light." She whispered. "You see, I was created by the darkness too, and therefore I can bring you back to it. I'm a vampire Yami. An ancient being known for its love of the night." She grinned. "And blood of course."
Yami took a step back. So she meant by sucking his blood and turning him into one of her kind, she could bring him back into the darkness. And that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He couldn't embrace the darkness that he had fought so hard to shed. He wasn't like that anymore.
"No!" He gasped out. "I'm not like that anymore! This whole dark place is forgotten to me. I'm never going back!"
Raven scowled at him and placed her hand on her hips. She raised an eyebrow to glare at him skeptically.
"You can never shed your true past." She closed the space between her and Yami quickly. "Once dark always dark. Just ask your past victims."
Before Yami could question that comment, Raven waved a hand him. From the back of his mind, Yami started to hear the buzz of what appeared to be faint voices. They steadily grew louder until Yami could make them out as screams. Second by second they grew louder until they overcame his mind, blocking out all other thoughts. He dropped to one knee and let out scream. The voices had to stop, had to. Because he couldn't take it for much longer.
"You're my prey now Yami." Somehow Raven's voice reached him through the deafening screams. "I won't give up till I have you. And I always get my wish. Just wait Yami, you will be dark again."
That was all Yami could take. With an agonized scream he pitched foreword into the welcoming dark. The room closed in, the pulsating black and purple walls surrounding his body. Raven grinned. Maybe this wouldn't take as long as she thought. She took a step forward, fully intent on relieving him of his pain if he agreed. But as she went to kneel beside him a