Pre: *Bows low repeatedly* I'm so very, very sorry about how long this chapter has taken me to up date, chicceras! Please forgive me!
M: *Growls* They'd better.
Pre: *Grins sheepishly* Errr o…k…
M: For authors notes etc please see the end of the chappy and you all should know by now that Pre does not own Yu-gi-oh, Evanescence or any other copyrighted material used in this fic…
***************
The steady beeping of the heart monitor seemed too loud as it filled the room but the small boy lying upon the bed did not stir. Slowly the door to the room creaked open and someone slid in shutting the door quietly behind them so as not to disturb the still, unmoving, figure in the bed before they moved silently over to the open window. Moonlight streamed through the small crack in the darkened sky seeming to highlight the figure as they reached out to shut the window.
Sighing Yami turned his face upwards towards the moon letting his thoughts drift to the small boy that lay so weak and still in the bed behind him.
'Oh Kami-sama what have I done? What have we done?'
"Yami?" The door to the hospital room slowly opened and a familiar blond head popped into view searching the room briefly before coming to rest on the window.
"Hai he's here." Jou murmured turning back to face someone behind him.
Yami gripped the puzzle hard in his hands letting its pointed edge dig into his skin as he stared out into the night sky his eyes seeming to glow a fiery red he ignored the whispered voices behind him as a hushed conversation ensured.
'Oh Aibou can you ever forgive me for my blindness?' He thought despairingly as he heard the door gently shut and quiet footsteps begin to approach him.
"Yami." A hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder as though in reassurance as the footsteps came to a stop beside him.
Yami tore his gaze away from the moon to rest on the comforting figure beside him. "Where's Marik?" He asked stupidly.
Bakura sighed heavily. "He's with Malik and Ryou at a motel not far from here. We finally convinced them to leave this godforsaken place long enough to at least shower and sleep. Hopefully he'll get them to eat too while he's at it."
"Oh." Yami nodded dumbly, turning back to stare out of the window.
"Yami please, you should go too, you haven't left his side since we arrived."
Yami shook his head stubbornly. "No." He whispered. "I have to stay. I have to be here when he wakes up. I have to do that at least"
"Yami." Bakura looked worriedly over at his friend. "Why are you beating yourself up like this? None of us knew what he was going through and even if we had there was nothing you could have done, nothing any of us could have done."
"Wasn't there?" Yami glanced over to Bakura smiling sadly. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yami - "
"No." Yami held his hand up releasing the puzzle as he did so. "There was something we could have done. Something we should have done a long, long time ago."
"Yami - "
"We should have remembered Bakura, we should have remembered, but we couldn't even do that could we?"
"Yami…"
***************
"You hold the answers deep within
your own mind.
Consciously, you've forgotten it.
That's the way the human mind works.
Whenever something is too unpleasant, to shameful for us
to entertain, we reject it.
We erase it from our memories.
But the answer is always there."
***************
Ryou turned the shower on full blast before sliding down to the cold tile floor letting the calming water wash over him.
His eyes roamed the room till they came to rest on his clothes that were piled neatly into a corner of the room and the ring that rested atop of them.
"Kura…"
Ryou curled up tighter bringing his knees up to his chest and his head down to rest on them as he stared at the ring that glistened with condensation as the steam from the shower spread over it.
'Sometimes I wish I had never met you, that none of us had ever met our 'other-selves'. Then Yugi wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed right now fighting for his life.'
A knock on the bathroom door caught Ryou's attention and he snapped his eyes to it.
"Ry?" Malik's voice called out softly. "Iky's made us some dinner. It's just tomato soup anything else and he'd burn it - "
"I heard that!" Marik's voice cut through and Ryou smiled wryly to himself as Malik's teasing laughter reached him.
"I'll leave it on the stove for you ok? You can just eat it when you feel like eating then."
"Arigatou Malik." Ryou whispered as his friend's footsteps padded away.
Ryou sighed, closing his eyes, as he let his head fall back against the wall behind him re-picking up his train of thought almost instantly.
'Then again his Yami is Yugi's life just as Malik's and mine are ours. I couldn't imagine a life without them. In fact this whole life up till now has been taken up trying to find them again. That's all we've ever wanted - to be one with them. To laugh or to cry, to be happy or sad just to be with them to hold them in our arms, was that really too much to ask?'
Ryou winced as it finally registered that the water pouring over him had now turned cold and stood quickly reaching to switch off the shower with one hand and grabbing a towel with the other.
'I wonder if 'Kura got through to Yami? If he's anything like he used to be he'll be blaming himself for this.'
He pushed the ring to the side reaching for his clothes with a suddenly shaking hand as a tandem of a thought popped into his head. 'Who's sin was this one? Was it Jou's…for his father's beatings? Or could it have been Malik's or Marik's? Or even 'Kura and Seto's? What about Yami…even the great pharaoh must have had some sins? Then again maybe it was Yugi's own? I know he was bullied a lot before but didn't the goddess say that Horus had taken away all his sins? But what if - What if this was mine? The bullying I received and failed to fight back against? I would never be able to forgive myself if it was…'
"When your blood mixes with that of the puzzle-bearer your sins will be transferred to him but as he is to be sacrificed nothing will come of it…"
'You were so brave back then weren't you Yug'? You knew what was going to happen and yet you didn't shy away from it. You were willing to sacrifice your life for theirs, for ours, for everyone's. I don't think I could have done it. I really don't think I could've done anything.'
"If it takes my life to save Yami's and everyone else's then I am willing to give that up."
'Oh Kami-sama I hope, no, I pray that you were wrong, that you don't have to die. Not like this…not like this…'
Ryou reached for his ring and clutched it to him. 'Please let Yami have remembered in time, please…'
"Yugi…" The name left Ryou's lips in a whisper shortly followed by a soft hiccuping sob.
The sliding bathroom door slid open. "Ry?"
Ryou looked up tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he tried his best to fight them back only to find himself enclosed in a loose hug as two pairs of arms wrapped themselves around him.
"Yugi…" Ryou managed to chock out and the arms tightened their hold on him in response. "Yugi…"
***************
(Can't wash it all away)
(Can't wish it all away)
(Can't hope it all away)
(Can't cry it all away)
***************
"Guy's?" Jou frowned slightly as he opened the door and silent darkness greeted him the smell of burned soup floating towards him.
"What's wrong mutt?" Seto grunted as he stepped up behind him leaving Bakura to drag Yami along by himself.
"It looks like there's no one here." Jou muttered starring hard ahead as though he thought he would be able to will them to be there if only he looked close enough.
"What?" Seto asked confusion lacing through his voice as he pushed Jou out of the way.
"Watch it, will ya!" Jou snapped as he stumbled backwards unable to regain his balance and taking Yami down with him.
Bakura's smiled wryly at Jou's characteristic foolish display before walking up to stand beside Seto. His smile was replaced by a frown as he realised that Jou was right it did indeed look as though no one was there the room before them seemed empty devoid of any human presence.
"Ry?" Bakura called stepping forward into the dark.
"Don't." The whispered plea caught Seto off guard and his hand stopped inches from where it had been hovering over the light switch.
Jou and Yami, having helped each other up off the floor, joined Seto and Bakura at the door as a figure heaved himself up off of the couch where it'd been sitting and turned towards them wincing slightly as his face came into the faint moonlight.
"Marik?" Bakura asked hurrying forward.
Marik nodded running a hand through his unusually messy hair.
"Where's Ryou?" Bakura demanded his hand reaching out to take Marik's shoulder in a tight grip.
Marik jerked his head behind him in response and Bakura stared at him for a moment before pushing by him.
"Ry?" Bakura called softly as he knelt down besides the two figures huddled in front of the couch.
"Kura?" Ryou lifted one tear stained face to stare at his other half.
"Oh Ryou." Bakura whispered pulling his other to him. "Oh Ryou."
Malik turned his head away from the two of them a hiccuping sob escaping his own mouth.
"Macky?" Marik asked spinning around instantly upon hearing the small sob to face his own partner who smiled softly from beneath his tears.
"I'm ok."
Jou sniffed reaching out to lay a hand on the silent former pharaohs' arm in a thinly veiled display of comfort.
"Stop this." Seto demanded his voice sounding all too harsh as he blinked back his own tears. "What would Yugi say if he could see you all now?"
He glanced round stopping to glare at Yami as he opened his mouth to speak. "Yugi's strong he will get through this."
"But Set - "
"No buts Jou. Do you really think so little of your 'best friend'?"
"What?" Jou glared at his former lover. "I love Yug, you of all people should know that!"
"Yes! And you of all people should realise that after everything he's gone through, after everything he's had to put up with for us do you really, honestly think he'd be willing to give all that up now? Do you truly believe that he's gonna give up the fight just like that? Do you?"
"You bastard." Yami whispered brokenly. "Who in Ra's name do you think you are?"
"Yami stop!" Jou rasped as the enraged yami jerked free from his arm and rushed at Seto pushing him out of the still open door and into the street where the sky had just opened up heavy rain hitting them as they hit each other.
***************
The pain that grips you
The fear that binds you
Releases life in me
In our mutual
Shame we idolize
To blind them from the truth
That finds a way from who we are
Please don't be afraid
When the darkness fades away
The dawn will break the silence
Screaming in our hearts
My love for you still grows
This I do for you
Before I try to fight the truth my final time
***************
The woman in the golden room shifted slightly as she stared down at the crystal ball before her. The ball glimmered, the mist that filled it clearing away, as a picture began to materialise. It was darkness, pitch black darkness, that seemed to fill the crystal completely with its nothingness.
"Hmm." The woman frowned staring intently at the ball as a shape began to take place within that darkness. At first the shape was undistinguishable but as its form became clearer the woman realised it was a young boy curled tightly into himself.
As she watched the boys' arms tightened around his knees as though trying to pull them into him as if he wished to disappear, to vanish inside himself.
She frowned, concentrating hard. After a second or two a pale translucent light seemed to spread out from her body and envelope the crystal and in so doing the boy within.
"No." She whispered a look of mortification spreading across her face. "It can't be."
The woman jerked back from the ball instantly breaking the connection as she stared at the now normal crystal once more before reaching out one thin bony hand to touch its cool surface.
"This is wrong. This is not how things should be." The woman glanced at the harp that had lain forgotten at her feet. "You are not alone. The purest of the pure is never alone have you not realised that by now? I am always here…they are always here…"
Reaching for the harp in desperation she once more began to play. '…And so is he…'
"You're a hero aren't you? A fighter? So fight…wake up and live…please…just please…wake up."
***************
"We're supposed to try and be real.
And I feel alone, and we're not together. And that is real."
***************
"How can you say that?" Yami asked grabbing hold of Seto's coat and jerking him up.
Seto's face remained in its usual cool emotionless mask seemingly unfazed by the cold rainwater that was now pouring over him, soaking him. "I can say it only because I don't. I believe in him, just like he believed in us. He continued to believe even when it seemed that there was nothing left for him to believe in. He never gave up hope that we would return when we fell to the darkness, remember? He's saved us all so many, many times in so many different ways and now it's our turn. Our turn to wait and pray and to never, ever give up hope that he will wake up. Right now it's our turn to be strong for him."
Seto's face crumpled as Yami let go of him a single tear leaking from beneath his lashes as his knees gave way and he dropped to the wet pavement. "Can't you see? He will be ok. He has to be…"
Yami took a step back horror filling his face as he stared down at his friend.
Seto's hands curled into fists and he smacked the ground, hard, blood beginning to form around his clenched fists.
"…For the hero is never supposed to die…never…"
Seto's whispered words caught and echoed around Yami's mind as he turned tail and ran as though his life depended on it, back towards the hospital, and in a way it did.
***************
Can't wash it all away
Can't wish it all away
Can't cry it all away
Can't scratch it all away
***************
'Aibou.' Yami whispered silently as he curled up beside Yugi on the hospital bed letting the sounds of the respirator wash over him as though proof that his other was still there.
"I don't want to be alone." Yami's voice cracked as he reached up to gently stroke a piece of hair away from the smaller one's face.
"I've always felt as though a part of me was missing. It was you, Aibou. Ra, I've missed you so much without ever even realising it." Yami choked back a sob. "I missed your laughter…"
"Yami, look!" The shorter of the two spun away from his companion his arms outstretched as he laughed the sound tinkering through the ancient spirit with him.
"What is it, Aibou?" Yami asked his brow crinkling in puzzlement as what looked like little white balls began to fall softly around them.
"It's snow, Yami!" His other laughed again stretching his hand out to catch some of the fluffy stuff as it fell.
"Snow?" The yami questioned. "What is snow?"
"Snow is fun!" The other grinned, grabbing hold of his hand. "Come on, Yami, lets have a snowball fight!"
"I missed your tears…"
"…and then he said I was too short." Yugi sniffed as he wrapped his arms tighter around his yami.
"Shh." Yami whispered reaching one long finger to tilt the smaller ones' head up.
"Yami wha-?" Yugi began, his voice catching slightly as his yami bent his head down towards his own.
"You're so beautiful." Yami whispered as he licked the tears away.
"I missed the way you let me protect you when you where hurting…"
"Release my Hikari now mortal." Yami hissed his eyes narrowing to slits at the scene in front of him.
"Oh?" The boy who had Yugi pinned up against the wall grinned at his friends as he turned to look towards the source of the voice interrupting their fun. "And what are you going to do about it?"
Yami smirked, his eyes a thin slice of glowing red as he stepped closer drawing himself up to his full height as he did so.
The boy holding Yugi gulped and let his victim fall to the ground as he stepped back. "Huh he's not worth it anyway."
The boy took one last look over his shoulder as he scrambled away only to see his victim smile gently at his look-a-like a hand reaching up to caress his cheek as the other boy picked him up in his arms and disappeared with him into the shadows.
"I missed you so much…"
Yami smiled down at the sleeping boy beside him as he reached out a hand to trace his features running his fingers through his others hair before leaning down and burying his face into its spiky depths careful not to wake the smaller boy as he did so.
"Hmmm…smells like jasmine…"
Yami raised his head from Yugi's hair as the smaller boy moaned quietly in his sleep, a small smile tracing it's way across his features as a breathless name escaped his others lips. "Yami…"
Yami smirked. "…Sounds like love."
Leaning closer Yami let his eyes fall close his tongue snaking out from between his lips. "Tastes like…"
Yugi moaned his eyes fluttering open as the barest of kisses brushed across his lips. "Yami…?"
Yami smiled brushing his hand down his Hikari's face. "Tastes like…mine…Biaw…"
"Yours…" Yugi whispered a smile gracing his lips as Yami lent down to taste him again. "Always…yours…"
"Please don't leave me alone again, Aibou, please." Yami whispered his hold tightening around his other. "Please…"
***************
Lying beside you
Listening to you breathe
The life that flows inside of you
Burns inside of me
Hold and speak to me
Of love without a sound
Tell me you will live through this
And I will die for you
Cast me not away
Say you'll be with me
For I know I cannot
Bear it all alone***************
"Pure one please, listen to me, open your heart and listen." The woman let her fingers dance over the harp as she watched the scenes unfolding far beneath her.
Goodnight, sleep tight
No more tears
Goodnight morning, I'll be here
And when we say goodnight,
Dry your eyes
Because we said goodnight,
And now goodbye
We said goodnight
And now goodbye
"Pure one please, open your heart, you're not alone can't you hear it? Feel it? Please…listen."
***************
"You're not alone, are you?"
"Never... Never."
***************
"…You're not alone can't you hear it? Feel it? Please…listen."
Yugi's body screamed in silent protest as his head jerked up. "Ma'at?" He whispered sudden hope filling his eyes as he blinked against the darkness.
Thousands of tiny glowing eyes blinked back at him and he shrank back in fear as their hushed, broken voices reached his ears.
"Hungry."
"Food."
"Light."
"No." Yugi whimpered his hand coming to rest upon his chest the place where once upon a time the puzzle had lain. "No!"
Yugi's scream of pain, of anger, of denial was lost in chaos as the shadows surged forward.
***************
Can't fight it all away
Can't hope it all away
Can't scream it all away
It just won't fade away, No***************
"There has to be something we haven't thought of." Jou muttered as he paced back and forth outside the motel room not even flinching as the rainwater began to fall harder upon him. "There has to be - "
"Jou, come inside will you?"
Jou turned at the pleading voice behind him and blinked in incomprehension at the figure in the doorway.
"You'll catch a cold - "
Jou let out a short sharp bark of laughter and the figure winced. "I'll catch a cold? Yug's laying in that hospital fighting for his life and…and you're worried I'll catch a Ra-damned cold?!"
"I…I didn't mean it like that and you know it!" Ryou stepped forward angrily.
"Jou? Ry? What in Kami's name are you two shouting at?"
The two friends spun around guiltily as Malik stepped outside to join them rubbing his red rimmed eyes sleepily.
Jou sighed running a hand through his honey-blonde hair as his shoulders sagged dejectedly. "Nothing. I…I'm sorry Ry."
Ryou smiled softly. "It's ok. I guess I didn't word it very well ne?
Jou smiled wryly. "I still shouldn't have snapped at you though sorry."
"Maybe there is something…" The two turned to stare at Malik who was looking down at the palm of his right hand dazedly.
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked.
Malik blinked at him before holding out his hand palm upright. "Look…remember…"
Ryou blinked looking down at his own hand the jagged scar that ran from one side of his palm to the other stared right back at him.
"Of course." Jou whispered holding his own hand up to the moonlight.
"We were joined." Malik whispered. "Our blood mixed with his."
"And we vowed." Ryou whispered. "To protect."
"We'll always be by your side Yug, even if you can't see us we'll still be there." Jou whispered.
The three friends nodded at each other - they knew what they had to do.
***************
Can't wash it all away
Can't wish it all away
Can't cry it all away
Can't scratch it all away
***************
The shadows hissed angrily as a bright almost blinding light suddenly spread out around their prey and stepped back invisible hands coming up to cover their eyes.
"Light."
The shadows hissed in pain as the light hit them pushing them back into the darkness with its blinding brilliance.
"Hurts."
The shadows gasped as the light faded to reveal several figures surrounding their prey protectively.
"Retreat." The Dark Magician calmly commanded his staff held out threateningly in front of him.
The shadows hissed in annoyance.
"Leave now or pay the price for your impertinence." The Change of Heart said glaring as she too stepped forward.
"How?"
"Go!" The word was nothing more than a command and the shadows froze in fear.
"Leave the child be."
"Why?"
"Leave or perish!"
"No!"
The shadows hissed angrily amongst themselves at that last command before surging forward.
"We'll always be by your side Yug, even if you can't see us we'll still be there."
"Jou?" Yugi cried hoarsely as his friends' words from only a few days ago filtered through the darkness towards him as though Jou himself was right there with him and Yugi stirred from where he lay unaware of the battle raging around him.
Yugi smiled a hand reaching up to cover his heart. "I know…" He whispered as the glowing outline of the puzzle began to appear around his neck. "I know."
***************
(Can't fight it all away)
(Can't hope it all away)
Can't scream it all away
Ooh, it all away
Ooh, it all away
***************
Blood dripped down from the three clasped hands and onto the cards spread out below them.
"Seem familiar?" Jou said wryly.
Malik nodded weakly a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"To protect." Ryou whispered.
"To help."
"To do what we once could not."
"What the hell do you think you three are doing?" The door to the hospital room flew open but it was too late as three of the cards began to shine in answer to their masters' commands.
A warmth spread through the three friends as they smiled weakly at each other feeling their cards power surge through them and into the prone figure in the hospital bed beneath them.
Bakura cursed in Egyptian as he hurried to his Hikari side stumbling slightly as the full force of the magic hit him.
"Makky!" Marik exclaimed hurrying towards his other. "Oh Ra what have you done?!"
"We took a vow…" Jou mumbled.
"We swore…" Malik added.
"…To protect…" Ryou whispered his eyes sliding shut.
"Those no way in the seven hells I'm gonna let you do this alone Hikari!"
"What?" All eyes flew to Bakura but he just smirked reaching for the discarded knife. "You've got my card with you too haven't you Ry?"
Ryou nodded his eyes widening as Bakura reached for his discarded pack. "Tenshi - ?"
"Ah hell." Marik shrugged reaching for his own Hikari's deck.
Seto and Yami glanced at each other wide-eyed for a second, Yami the first to break eye contact as he reached for the crumbled card on his Hikari's bedside table.
Seto stood there dumbly.
"Well blue-eyes?" Jou mumbled dragging open heavy eyes to stare at his former lover.
Seto smirked reaching for his cards as he too stepped up beside his other half.
Seto let out a hiss through clenched teeth as at last the knife was passed to him. Drawing it steadily across the palm of his hand he looked at the other three whom nodded.
"Well this is it." Marik murmured letting his blood mix with that of the other three.
"No turning back now." Seto agreed.
Bakura grunted glancing over at Yami who took a deep calming breath trying to steady his suddenly tingling nerves and the shaking that was overcoming his body.
'There is never enough time in this world to say our last words, is there Pharaoh? Be they that of love or remorse.'
As he watched the deep red drip down his forearm and onto the cards scattered below them one thought entered the once-Pharaoh's head
'I guess we are who we are even if we sometimes forget…'
The room filled with a bright bluish tinged light the hospital lights flickering before going out completely. Silence descended upon the room as the power surged through them once more before a blanket of darkness settled completely over the room and inhabitants.
***************
"But the answer is always there. Nothing is ever really forgotten."
"Because I'm tired of it too."
"Because I'm tired of it too."
"Because I'm tired of it too."
"Because I'm tired of it too."
"Because I'm tired of it too."
***************
Pre: Hey ya chicceras! *Smiles innocently and holds out her hands and shows off the white rabbit cradled there* This is Momiji.
Momiji: Hello
Pre: He's from Fruits BasketÔ ain't he just so kawaii?
Yami: Yeah, yeah can't we just go now?
Pre: Bleh I just wanted to introduce him
Yugi: I like him
M: That's because he's about the same age and height as you in normal form
Yami: Hey - leave my Aibou alone!
M: Why should I?
*Pretenna starts to hum the wedding march tune*
M: *Glares at Pre but takes a step back* Ok, ok, I'll leave him be
Yami: *Open mouthed* Wha-
M: *Dragging Pre away* We'll hopefully see you all next time but right now Pre and I need to have a little talk.
Yugi: *Staring at door in shock* What just happened?
Momiji: *Walks back in adjusting his hat* I know!
Yugi: You do?
Momiji: A-huh come here and I'll tell ya
Yugi: *Being dragged out of the room* Bye-bye!
Yami: *Closes his mouth with a snap* I - uh - … *Shakes head to clear it* Now what in Ra's name is going on round here?!?
Yugi: *Shouts from somewhere in the distance* Oh and Yami don't forget to ask them to drop a review 'kay?
Yami: *Stares at the door for a second before shooting the readers his scary 'I am Pharaoh and you must obey me' look* Reviews are very much wel- mmfph!
M: *Cackles insanely as she drags away the extremely agitated, gagged and blindfolded former Pharaoh of Egypt* Two can play at this game Pretenna, oh yes they certainly can!
Pre: *Looks around the room and scratches her head as she realises that it is empty* Errr…please review *Waves and vanishes in a puff of sparkly purple smoke*
Translations: Japanese to EnglishKami-sama … God (formal)
Hai … Yes
Aibou … Partner
Arigatou … Thank you
Hikari … Light
Tenshi … Angel
Translations: Egyptian to EnglishBiaw … Mine