A/N First off I want to apologize. My disk that contains this fic…kinda got a virus or something because all the things typed on it mysteriously got deleted. Anyway then I had to find and type on a new disk…which I later lost at the library. Well I'm gonna keep this note short. I have noticed and have gotten a few comments about how long my Author Notes are and I'm afraid I have to admit that I do talk too much and that's what keeps the chapters from being so long. However, I will keep having A/N's because the jokes are priceless!
Now when it comes to the Angel of Death card…it's made up. There is no such card, and it can beat the Blue Eyes White Dragon but it is not stronger, because it IS a ritual card. I didn't include that part for two reasons. 1) When Crystalia used it, she used the card itself…minus the ritual, because it would have been a confusing scene otherwise. 2) You will NEVER see the Angel of Death in any duels in this fic until the very end. So it isn't the ultimate card and you won't be seeing it again for a long, long, LONG time. Next thing is that, YES Seto, Malik, Shadi, and Isis will appear in this fic. I DON'T KNOW WHEN! I promise that they will. Finally I need more people for this trip. If I don't get ten more people by the time the next chapter is posted, then only the people who signed up will be able to go. I'm sorry but the bus isn't going to wait forever…and I need a vacation…
Finally, I would like to dedicate this chapter to one of my good friends, Stacy who lost someone very close to her. I understand that it hurts, but cherish the memories now and cry later when you think you might be forgetting all the good time you had…now on to the fic…Malik do the disclaimer.
Malik: Crystalia doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh but is accepting offers from anyone willing to sell it…even Pegasus…damn…that's desperate…
Chapter 9
Nightmares and Illusions
"What's the matter with you boy?" Takachi asked, taking a step forward. "Don't you want to give your father a hug?"
"H-how?" Yugi muttered, taking a step back.
"What? You mean how did I end up here? Simple, that bitch Sakuya banished me to this forsaken place as punishment for not getting the Puzzle from you…" Takachi said, anger clear in his voice. "But you know that in the end it was all your fault…"
Yugi looked in horror as his father slowly lifted up his short revealing a massive gash across his stomach. The skin in the area also seemed to be severely burned. Anzu also gasped in both disgust and terror.
"What don't you remember what you did to me? How you attacked your own father?" Takachi said, enjoying the look of fear on his son's face. "Sure Sakuya took my soul, but you stole my life!"
"N-no…that's not true…" Yugi whispered. He didn't remember ever attacking his father, but something told him the man wasn't lying. Why couldn't he remember what had happened that night. Everything seemed so blurry and confusing.
"How could you son?" Takachi whispered, breaking into Yugi's thoughts." Haven't I always kept food on the table…cloths on your back? You know you killed me, just like you killed your mother!"
Even though Yugi knew that what his father was saying was a lie, those last words struck a fear deep in his very soul, which he tried not to dwell on. A fear that it was all somehow his fault. Yugi's legs gave out and he fell to his knees, crying.
"That's right son…know that your killed your family." Takachi whispered, his eyes glowing slightly. "Know that there is only one way to amend your mistakes."
Yugi's eyes glazed over and he stopped crying. Anzu knelt and shook her friend, but he didn't respond.
"What did you do to him?" Anzu yelled, glaring at the man.
"I only showed him that there is only one way for him to pay for killing his family" Takachi said.
"You lair! Yugi never killed anyone. I know for a fact that Yugi's mom died for a virus or something and that his grandfather died in a plane crash. So you' re a lair!" Anzu yelled, holding Yugi in an embrace. "Yugi's the most gentle, kind person I know…he's almost like an angel…and if. And I strongly emphasize the IF…if he did attack you, I'm sure it was because you're such a cold, hearted teme!"
Takachi's eyes flashed with anger, but he gave a quick chuckle. "You little bitch…" Suddenly several dark claws came out of the maze wall and grabbed Anzu. They pulled her back and pinned her tightly to the wall causing her to cry out in pain.
"Someone should have taught you to stay out of other's family affairs." Takachi spat, turning back to Yugi, who was still kneeling on the floor, gazing blankly at nothing. He raised his arm and smiled darkly. (Picture like when someone is throwing a baseball…get it?)
"This is for taking Asitire away from me!" he yelled before releasing an icy gust of wind upon Yugi's small form. Anzu watched in horror as her friend was thrown back, causing small cuts and bruises to appear on his arms. Through the gale Yugi didn't flinch or cry out, not even when he hit the ground.
"Stop it!" Anzu yelled, fighting against her restraints. "You're hurting him! Yugi!"
Both father and son paid the girl's cries no attention. Again Takachi prepared to attack his unarmed son.
"This is for taking away the thing I loved most!" he screamed. Again Yugi was bombarded with the deadly wind and again he was thrown back. Yugi made no sounds, so there was no way to know if he was feeling the blows or not. His silence seemed to enrage Takachi even more.
"I can still feel that you don't hate me! Why don't you hate me? Don't you see how much pain I caused you? Why don't you hate me?" Takachi asked, more to himself then anyone else. "You should hate me…just like you mother did! If she didn't hate me then why did she leave me here alone? Why?"
In a fit of rage Takachi unleashed a tornado on poor Yugi. The small boy was slammed into the wall of the maze and Anzu flinched at the sight of the impact of his head on the dark marble. A thin trickle of blood fell from Yugi's hairline, like a tear…a tear of blood. Takachi stopped his attack, breathing hard, which caused Yugi to fall several feet to the stone floor.
Anzu watched as a sword appeared in Takachi's hand. She also noticed that his eyes seemed to have lost their hard edge and didn't seem so full of anger and rage as before. With a haunted face Takachi raised the sword over his son's chest. All malice seemed to be drained out of him.
"Oh no! Yugi get up, onegai! No Stop! STOP!" Anzu screamed, but it was to no avail.
"I should have died with you Asitire…we should have been together forever…" Takachi whispered, closing his eyes.
Anzu screamed as the blade began it's decent towards Yugi's heart. Time seemed to slow and everything went deathly quiet. Suddenly the Millenium Puzzle exploded with light, causing Takachi to stop and stumble backwards. After a moment the claws that held Anzu disappeared, which sent her weakly to her knees. As the light receded Anzu was able to make out a remarkable scene. Someone was holding Yugi. It was a woman with golden bangs and long black hair, which had red tips. She also had gentle violet eyes and her skin seemed to glow faintly. She also had massive white, feathered wings, which flexed protectively over both herself and Yugi. She looked like an angel.
"No…it can't be…" Takachi muttered, backing up some more as the woman fixed him with a saddened gaze.
In her arms Yugi stirred and slowly opened his eyes. Violet met violet, pain met pain, and sorrow met sorrow. All the pain in his body was forgotten as Yugi looked into those familiar and missed pools of amethyst.
"Mother…" he whispered, tears in his eyes.
"Yes darling…I know you hurt…but our time to speak is not now…so sleep." Asitire said, gently but firmly.
Almost at once Yugi's eyes closed and he fell into a peaceful sleep. Asitire looked at him with a pained expression before turning to Takachi.
"Asitire? How?" he asked, his voice unnaturally gentle.
"Oh my darling…why do you hate me so much?" she asked.
Takachi stepped back as if physically slapped. "No…I never hated you…I love you now with all my heart…but it wasn't enough…you left me anyway…"
"Takachi…you stopped loving me the moment you began to blame Yugi for my death. You abused him and put a fear in his heart that no child should ever have…you blamed him, even though you knew that my death was no one's fault but my own…"
Takachi looked as if he was going to say something, but Asitire raised her hand, silencing him. "It's true…but that still doesn't excuse the way you treated our son…and the way you let Anastu consume your soul and feed you lies."
"I understand now that what I did was wrong…but you don't understand how much it hurt…" Takachi said.
"I do…more so then even you. I understand because each day I had to watch as my family…two of the people I love most…spiraled down a dark path." Asitire's eyes sparkled with tears. "Our son has a hard task set before him, predestined and unavoidable."
"I know…"
"Then you should also know that he needs our help and protection. He needs his parents and now we can't be there for him in the way that we should…"
"Why are you here Asitire? To tell me things I already know?"
"No…my mission was to cleanse your heart, stop you from totally losing your soul to the Shadow Realm and bring you home…"
Takachi looked to the floor, before looking up surprised. "Home?" he repeated, confused. "Surely you don't mean heaven. No. This is where I belong…in the Shadow Realm…"
"No!" Asitire said so firmly that Takachi flinched slightly. "No soul, no matter how much pain it has cause or evil it has done should ever come here. This place is full of a timeless evil that none should stay in for too long."
When Asitire said that last part she gave Anzu a quick look. "My Father has a place for you…so long as you are truly sorry and also promise to help us in the future…" she said softly.
Takachi raised an eyebrow. "You need my help?"
"Your son needs your help…"
"I am willing to help…but I still don't think I deserve such a glorious afterlife…after all that I have done…"
"You don't…but once you enter my Father's Gates…then you shall be reborn."
Asitire gently kissed Yugi before setting him gently on the floor. Then she turned to Anzu. "Watch over him please…keep him out of too much trouble." She said. Anzu could only nod as the angel turned and took Takachi's hand.
With a small smile Asitire took Takachi's hand. "Don't be afraid my love…" she said gently. "I'm here…we're together again…" After that the pair vanished leaving Anzu and Yugi in the Shadow Realm, though it didn't seem as dark as it use to.
(A/N I know some of you are mad that Takachi wasn't punished in the internal flames of hell for all eternity for hurting Yugi the way he did…but I wanted to make him a good guy, because I'll need him to be later on…plus you know what they say. When a bad guy turns good…it only means that there's a worse bad guy waiting to make his debut.)
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Ryou slowly opened his eyes. Someone was screaming and in pain. Though his vision and mind was somewhat clouded, Ryou could tell who it was. His yami, Bakura. Slowly Ryou lifted himself off the floor, his eyes wide with horror at the scene before him. A short distance away Bakura seemed to be tied to a post of some kind. A girl with long, dark purple hair stood before him, smiling mischievously. In her hand was a small dagger, which had a silver hilt and was covered in his yami's blood.
"What's wrong Bakura-chan?" the girl asked playfully. "Does it hurt? Too bad…I'm having way too much fun to stop."
"Stop fucking around Isia…just get this over with!" Bakura spat, blood dripping down his face.
Isia took a step back. "Such language Bakura-chan!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"And rude too!" Isia's eyes seemed to glow. "We'll just have to teach you some manners…"
Bakura clenched his teeth as the dagger made contact with his shoulder. The cut wasn't deep but Isia wasn't finished yet. Smiling she gripped the dagger tighter and a bit of electrical sparks flew before she sent an entire volt through the weapon, into Bakura's body. Again screams of pain reached Ryou's ears. Though his heart told him to go help his yami, his mind told him otherwise.
'What if I go help him and he takes over again? He could hurt someone…he could hurt me again.' He reasoned to himself. Another volt and another scream of pain. 'I have to help him. He's my other half…he's a person, isn't he? I have to help him…don't I?'
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Yugi's eyes shot open and he looked around him fearfully. The first thing he noticed was that his father was gone and so was the angel that was his mother. The second thing he noticed was that Anzu was kneeling over him, concern etched on her face.
"What happened?" he asked, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"About half an hour." Anzu said, smiling slightly.
"It felt like half a month…" He commented, before standing up. "I guess we should keep going, right?"
Anzu smiled. She had been worried that Yugi would be to depressed to continue, but she should have known that her friend would be all right.
"Yeah…" she said softly.
Yugi nodded before pointing to a tunnel off to the left. "It's that way to Ryou…at least that's what the Puzzle is pointing at…"
"Then that's the way we'll go."
They had barely gone three steps before the Puzzle's glow intensified and Yugi stopped, fear in his eyes. Anzu looked around, worried that something new had decided to attack or worse Takachi had somehow changed and was back. It was soon apparent though that they were not the one's in danger.
"Yugi?" she asked, unsure.
"It's…it's Ryou…something's wrong." He whispered, before running ahead. "We have to hurry!"
Anzu didn't ask, she only hurried to catch up with Yugi. Inwardly she wondered what could have happened, but after a moment a terrifying scream reached her ears, causing them both to stop. It sounded like the scream of someone just before they die. Painfully.
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A/N Well I could end it here…
Bakura: You won't if you want to live to see a new day!
Crystalia: Is that a threat?
Bakura: No! It's a promise!!!
Crystalia: u_u such anger…
Bakura: Who died? Just tell me?
Ryou: Was it me? I know it was me…and I just got here…
Crystalia: Who said anyone died?
Ryou: So we're all right?
Crystalia: Well… . umm….
Sakuya: Maybe you both died!
Yami: Hmm…
Ryou & Bakura: NO!!!!!!!
Crystalia: Oh well…we will see who died next chapter…
Bakura: NO! *pulls out massive candy bar* You will finish now or else the candy gets it!!
Crystalia: 0.0 I will finish now!!! Give me candy!!
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Bakura closed his eyes and coughed up some blood. He was aware his hikari was awake but he didn't expect the boy to do anything. His light was weak…too weak.
"You know Bakura-chan," Isia said, bringing him back to reality. "My lord never said both of you needed to be alive…all we really need is the Ring and the boy as bait."
She began to play with the dagger, pressing it into his skin but not drawing blood. "One shock to the heart and this could all be over you know…that or you could join us and serve the Shadow Realm."
"And have to work with your twisted ass, hell no!" Bakura spat. "Not for all the tombs in Egypt!"
Isia stepped back, her face full of anger. "Fine then! Die! See if I care!"
With that she plunged the dagger into Bakura's chest. He screamed out as the blade dug into his chest. Isia stepped back and her body began to glow and give off sparks. Bakura closed his eyes, knowing that this attack would be the end of him. He heard the crackling of electricity and knew that this was it, but what he heard next caused his eyes to fly open with shock and fear. He heard a scream and saw the same one he had said was too weak to be of any use. Bakura saw Ryou standing between him and Isia, taking the deadly attack.
Suddenly the Ring around both Ryou's and Bakura's necks began to glow and a white beam shot at Isia, who seem surprised, but she vanished before it could hit her. As the electricity began to die down, Bakura somehow managed to free himself from the post and he caught his hikari before he hit the floor. The younger boy was deathly pale and still. Ignoring his own pain Bakura felt Ryou's chest and let out a scream of pure anguish, which traveled throughout the Shadow Realm, when he realized that the boy's heart wasn't beating.
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Bakura: that's worse then before!
Ryou: I knew she was gonna kill me off. U_U everyone always kills me off.
Bakura: Finish it!
Crystalia: =^.^=
Bakura: ~.~
Sakuya: You Fool! You should have given her the candy after…now she's too hyper to write anymore!
Bakura: NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Yami: . I'd laugh…but I don't even find this funny…
Yugi: *crying uncontrollably* POOR Ryou!!!!!!!!!
Crystalia: =^_^=
Bakura: …oh well…she'd better hurry with the next part or else I'll…
Sakuya: or else you'll WHAT?
Bakura: sit over here quietly…
Crystalia: ^.^ I'll update soon…promise JA until next time!!!