A/N - yaminakathy, Maruken, lucidscreamer, cwthewolf - thank you all for reviewing. I get really nervous when I always first put up a new story because I'm so worried how people will like it. So thank you.
lucidscreamer - I actually spelled it 'alright' on purpose because it was being used in dialogue and when said in informal speech the two words usually get shoved together to sound like one word, which is what I wanted in most cases but looking back at the chapter I realized that there were cases where 'all right' should have been used instead of 'alright'. But because you mentioned it I decided to change it in other chapters to 'all right' since I want you to enjoy the story and not be bothered by spelling errors even if they are on purpose.
"Good morning!" Anzu cheerfully said to Yami as soon as he emerged from Jou's room. If possible Yami looked even more tired in the bright sunlight then he did last night. "Did you sleep all right?"
"Yes," Yami politely replied. "Although I am still tired."
"Go back to bed then," Honda suggested as he joined them in the kitchen. "Anzu has to get to work and I have to run to the store but you might as well stay here and sleep."
"Are you sure?" Yami asked. "You barely know me yet you're letting me stay here?"
"Sure, humans have to stick together you know with all those vampires running around," Anzu replied while shrugging her shoulders.
"Thank you," Yami said before disappearing back into the bedroom he was using.
"Well I'm off!" Anzu said to Honda before disappearing out the door to head off to her job at a clothing store downtown Domino.
Malik Ishtar slipped off his sunglasses as he strolled into the clothing store where he worked. Malik of course did not have to work since he had an unlimited amount of money supply. But he liked the employees discount he got from working there and he found it extremely amusing to listen to his co-workers horrific vampire stories. He imagined that they would all die from shock if they found out that he was vampire.
"Hello everybody!" Malik cheerfully called to the other employees as he walked into the store.
"Bite me Malik," a woman with long blonde hair replied. She was Mai, the owner of the store.
"Any time," Malik said with a toothy grin. His fangs were retracted so he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them.
"Freak," Mai muttered before turning away to arrange some clothing. A few minutes later the last employee entered.
"Sorry I'm late," Anzu panted. "But you wouldn't believe what happened to me last night!"
"You had Night Passes?!" Mai asked, giving up what she was doing and walking over to the shorter girl.
"Yeah, I got them from my roommate Honda. Remember him?" Anzu said and Mai quickly nodded her head. "Well we were walking along the pier when we saw something in the water. We pulled it out and it was this guy!" This suddenly sparked Malik's interest in Anzu's story. "Poor thing was practically dead and he can't remember a thing. He's at home right now resting and I may bring him by tomorrow to get some clothes."
"Fine, just remember that this is a business and I don't do charity cases," Mai reminded Anzu before returning to her work.
"What a bitch," Anzu muttered under her breath to Malik. "Yami could really use some help right now."
"Aww . . . come on Anzu! You and her would look cute together!" Malik cheerfully replied.
"I don't think so. Why don't you go out with her?" Anzu snapped back.
"I'm married!" Malik reminded her causing Anzu to break out into a large smile.
"Ahh, yes! The mysterious Marik," she said. "You need to bring him by some time so you can introduce him to us."
"Maybe," Malik quietly replied before wandering away. Marik had a lust for blood and couldn't always be trusted around humans especially ones he did not know. And since Marik was a personal friend of Atemu, Marik could always get around all the laws about not killing humans.
Jou slipped his key into the lock on his apartment door and quickly walked inside as soon as the door was unlocked. "I'm home!" he playfully called wondering if Honda was there or not. For the past few days Jou had been in a nearby city visiting his sister after waiting almost a year to be granted a Traveling Pass. Traveling Passes worked the same as Night Passes except you needed one to leave the city just in case you planned to now come back. The vampires could afford to lose their human supply so they used the passes to regulate who was allowed to leave and who was not. Traveling Passes were much harder to come by then Night Passes and chances were if you did not return from your planned trip a vampire would be sent out to kill you.
Jou tossed his jacket onto a nearby chair before continuing his way to his room so he could unpack his suitcase. Upon pushing open the door however he got a surprise of a lifetime when he found a stranger in his bed.
"Hey, who are you?!" Jou yelled waking the stranger up, who quickly sat up. To Jou's surprise, the stranger looked almost like his deceased best friend Yugi.
"I'm sorry," Yami quickly replied as he blinked and rubbed his eyes. "You must be Jou. Honda and Anzu said you wouldn't mind that I stayed here last night."
"I guess it's okay," Jou grumbled. "Who are you anyway?"
"I don't remember," Yami sadly replied. "But your friends have been calling me Yami."
"So you remember, like, nothing?" Jou asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Yami shook his head before turning away embarrassed. Suddenly Honda's voice called out throughout the apartment.
"Jou? Where are you?" I know you're back!"
"In here talking to Yami!" Jou called back and a moment later Honda appeared in the doorway.
"Good, you met," he quickly said. "I think I'll go unpack the groceries. Feel like eating yet?" he asked Yami who shook his head.
"Honda, we need to talk," Jou said before standing up and dragging Honda out of his room until they were far enough away in the kitchen to talk without being overheard. "What the hell are you doing?! Bringing a complete stranger and here and letting him stay in my room?! He could be a criminal or something!"
"Relax!" Honda calmly replied. "We couldn't just leave him on the beach at night with all kinds of vampires running around. Besides he doesn't remember a thing!"
"So he says!"
"Maybe he's related to Yugi," Honda said trying to get his friend to reason with Yami's situation. "How would Yugi like it if we refused to help a relative of his? You know Yugi was all about friendship and helping others. Come to think of it, you used to be the same way."
"I've changed!"
"And not for the better!"
"Fine, he can stay a few days but I want my room back!" Jou snapped before walking over to where he had left his coat and picked it back up. "I'm going to visit Mokie for a while. That kid spends far too much time alone."
"See you later," Honda replied and Jou walked out the front door just as Yami walked out of Jou's bedroom.
"Maybe I should go," Yami quietly said. "You said those vampires only come out at night right? I could find a hotel or something."
"And how would you pay for it with no money?" Honda asked in amusement. "Don't worry about Jou, he's been really tense since Yugi died. And I don't think it helps that you look just like Yug. He'll come around though."
Once again Yami could swear that the name Yugi sounded familiar to him but he didn't know where to place it. That night however Yami had a dream of someone who looked like him except he was shorter and had round purple eyes. Yami wondered if that could be Yugi but he decided to keep the information to himself for the time being.
"Want something to eat?" Honda asked as he continued to talk while Yami had been lost in his thoughts. "We have plenty of food around here or I could order something."
"Something raw would be nice," Yami admitted.
"No problem," Honda replied as he set about getting Yami something to eat.
The white haired vampire walked towards the stone tablet that encased the presence of Zork, the evilest vampire that ever lived. The only one with the power to defeat him was his creator, the Pharaoh Atemu.
"Soon my lord," the vampire whispered as he reached out with a keen hand and stroked the tablet. "With Atemu dead, you will rise again as soon as the three sacrifices are made."
With that, the vampire turned and walked away so he could prepare for the first of the three sacrifices. "Tonight the three sacrifices will be make and Zork will rise again," he stated to no one as he walked through the dark corridors back to the vampire palace.
"How is he?" a young white-haired vampire named Ryou whispered to Mana as he peaked into the room where Yugi was still fast asleep. Ryou had actually been looking for his lover, Bakura, when he decided to check in on Yugi.
"Not very good," Mana admitted. "I worry about his health. Ouji needs to be found soon."
"I know," Ryou replied with a sigh. "Hey have you seen Bakura?"
"He looked in on Yugi about an hour ago before going off somewhere with Marik," Mana informed the young vampire. Compared to the other vampires at the palace, Ryou was extremely young, only about three years old. Hours after he had been turned, he had shown up at the palace, lost, confused and completely unaware what was happening to him. Atemu had taken pity on him and gave him a place to stay as well as teach him about his new vampirism life, a job that should have been done by the person who turned Ryou, but according to Ryou, another vampire had killed him moments later.
"Thanks," Ryou said giving her a small smile before wandering away to once again seek his lover. He found him a few minutes later in the kitchen area biting into a raw steak and ripping a large chunk off it.
"That's disgusting!" Ryou cried walking over to his lover.
"No different then biting into a human," Bakura replied with a shrug and a smile before ripping off another chunk.
"It's called table manners," Ryou dryly replied. "We vampires do have them."
"Fine," Bakura said as he put down his steak. "I'd much rather drink the blood of a human anyway."
"Not for another eight hours," Ryou informed him. "You know the rules."
"Stupid rules," Bakura grumbled and Ryou walked over and hugged him.
"We can go hunting together tonight," he suggested as he rubbed his stomach. "I need a fresh feeding soon. I'm not getting enough minerals from the frozen stuff."
"Perfect," Bakura purred before getting a thoughtful look on his face, which was scary for him. "You don't hunt enough. We need human blood to survive, which is why the laws are in effect."
"It's still so hard," Ryou quietly admitted. "Those people, they could be my friends."
"Some friend," Bakura scoffed. "You were bullied ever since you moved to Domino and the night you were turned they beat you to a bloody pulp. You could have died if you hadn't been turned when you did!"
"I know, I know," Ryou replied with a sigh. "Can we please change the subject?" he pleaded giving Bakura puppy eyes. Bakura was always a sucker for the puppy eyes.
"Yeah, lets go try to find the idiot pharaoh," Bakura sighed. "I'm beginning to think we'll never find him."
"Don't talk that way," Ryou begged and Bakura hugged him.
"Don't worry, nothing can kill that idiot," Bakura replied reassuringly as he continued to hug his love. "Now lets join the search party for a few hours before coming back here for a nap until nightfall. Then we'll go back out to look again and to hunt."
"Okay," Ryou sniffed and the two vampires began walking through the palace to the nearest exit.
"What a boring day," Malik grumbled as he rested his elbows on the register counter. They had only had a couple of customers so far that day and the last one had been a half hour ago.
"Get back to work!" Mai snapped as she walked by with a pile of clothes in her arms and Malik stuck out his tongue at her retreating back.
"How many more hours?" Anzu moaned as she walked over to Malik so they could chat.
"Too many," Malik replied with a sigh as the door opened and a young woman with pale skin and long blue hair entered the shop. Malik narrowed his eyes when he saw her. "What are you doing here?" he harshly asked her. Never before had another vampire entered the place where he worked.
"Seto-sama sent me to find you," the women replied. She was Kisara, a loyal servant of Seto's who had been with him since almost the beginning. She had been the first person that Seto turned. "He wants to know-"
"I have to work," Malik quickly replied, interrupting the girl, as he knew what Seto wanted. "Seto knows this."
"Yes, but with what's happened-"
"I will see Seto as soon as I finish work," Malik said, interrupting her again. With a slight bow, Kisara turned and left the shop.
"What was that all about?" Anzu asked.
"I friend died last night," Malik smoothly lied. "Vampire got him."
"That's horrible!"
"That's life," Malik replied with a shrug just as Mai walked by again.
"Look you two, in case you've forgotten this business is my sole financial means," she told them with an annoyed voice. "I pay both of you to work and make me more money. But you don't make me money by standing there talking!"
"We're really sorry Mai," Anzu replied. "But it's not our fault that no one is in the store."
"Just be glad I put up with you two's attitude because a lot of employers wouldn't," Mai muttered before wandering away once again.
"Still think we would be good together?" Anzu asked Malik who started to laugh.
"You bet!"
Seto sighed in frustration as Kisara reported back to him about Malik. He needed ever vampire possible out looking right now since they still had no clue where Atemu had gone and he was beginning to fear the worst. He couldn't blame Malik though in trying to continue on with his normal life though as he too was once again watching Mokuba as the young Kaiba brother strolled through an empty park.
"Hello Mokuba," a voice suddenly said and Seto growled and bared his teeth. Looking around it didn't take Seto long to notice Siegfried, a German businessman with a company similar to Kaiba Corporation. Siegfried also happened to be a vampire.
"Hello," Mokuba nervously replied. "What are you doing in Domino Siegfried? This isn't a very safe City you know."
"I'll take my chances," Siegfried said with a smirk and he opened his mouth to allow his fangs to grow. He then began to advance upon Mokuba.
Mokuba began to slowly back away in fear as the long pink haired vampire approached him. He couldn't believe it. Siegfried was a vampire and he was out in daylight. Everything that Mokuba had heard about vampires said they couldn't survive in the sun.
As Siegfried closer reached him, Mokuba saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and suddenly Siegfried was pulled away from him and tosses on the ground. Towering about the vampire a person dressed all in black except for a white sleeveless trench coat.
"You know he is off limits," the newcomer spat and Mokuba couldn't believe his ears. It was Seto.
"You're supposed to be off looking for the Pharaoh!" Siegfried hissed.
"I am," Seto growled as he bent down, grabbed the front of Siegfried's business jacket and lifted him up so that his feet were an inch off the ground. "And now you have ten seconds to get out of here because I want to avoid killing you in front of my brother. But if you choose not to get out of here, I'll kill you anyway." With that Seto threw Siegfried back to the ground who quickly scurried off.
"Seto?" Mokuba timidly asked taking a step closer to his brother. "Is it really you?"
"It is," Seto admitted turning around so he could face Mokuba.
"Ni-sama!" Mokuba cried running forward and Seto kneed down so they could hug. "But you're supposed to be dead!"
"It takes a lot to kill me," Seto whispered as he hugged his brother tightly. "I didn't want to leave but I had too."
"Why?" Mokuba asked as tears started falling from his eyes. "Why did you leave me?!"
"Because I'm a vampire," Seto admitted looking away. "And two years ago there was a war going on between vampires. I was threatened into returning. They would have taken you if I had not returned to my own kind."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Mokuba sniffed.
"Because I knew how much you hated and feared vampires," Seto explained. "Many times I wanted to take you back to the palace and raise you there but I knew you'd be scared."
"Are you even my brother?"
"By birth, no," Seto sadly replied. "I met your mother right after you were born and she made me promise that I would take care and protect you. I used my powers to turn into the boy you knew so I would be able to fulfill my duties. I badly wanted to live a normal life until the war happened but the war was 3000 years in the making so they badly needed my help."
"Seto, don't leave again," Mokuba begged as he tightly clutched his older brother.
"I have to."
"No!" Mokuba protested. "You said before you were going to take me with you. Do it now!"
Seto thought it over. Mokuba could easily run Kaiba Corp from the palace and he would be able to keep him safe from the other vampires that lived there. "Alright," he agreed with a nod of his head and he stood up. "We should go there now though since most who live there will be either sleeping or out so it'll be a good time to get you settled in."
"Thank you!" Mokuba cried as he ran off after his brother. It didn't take long for the pair to reach the vampire palace where Seto lived and Mokuba was amazed at the place. "Whoa, I didn't realize you lived here! Isn't this supposed to be where the leader of the vampire lives?"
"Atemu," Seto replied as he led Mokuba inside. "He allows his friends to stay here. We are like an extended family."
"Hurry up Marik!" a woman's angry voice yelled out startling Mokuba. A few moments later a female and male vampire walked into his view and he quickly hid behind Seto.
"You finally came back," the women said.
"Yes," Seto replied. "Even I need some sleep every so often."
"And he brought someone with him," the one who Mokuba assumed was Marik said with a lick of his lips as he leaned down to get a good look at the raven haired lad. "A snack for later?"
"That is my brother!" Seto snapped. "He is not for eating or for turning! He will however be staying with us from now on so if you or anyone else has a problem with it they can report to me!"
"Fine, fine," Marik replied backing away to stand by the women once again. "I'll find someone else to snack on while Isis and I are out looking for Atemu."
"It's hard to believe you were human once," the women muttered and Marik threw her a grin.
"Remind me to treat your brother extra special tonight," he said as the pair walked off.
"That was Isis and Marik," Seto explained to Mokuba. "They're in-laws. Marik is married to her brother Malik, who also turned Marik in what I think was the only accidental turning in our history."
"How can you turn someone accidental?" Mokuba asked.
"When Malik was ten he decided to run away from home when his father wouldn't allow him to go on a hunt. After a few hours he ran into Marik. Malik tried attacking him but Marik fought back. In the end both of their blood was spilled so they called a truce. Marik then started licking at what he thought was a wound on his arm but it turned out to be Malik's blood. It was just enough to turn Marik. After that Malik returned home with Marik in tow. His father was outrage and threw them both out. Fortunately Malik's older sister Isis had already been working for Atemu so he took the two of them in."
"And what about you?" Mokuba asked. "How were you turned?"
"I wasn't. I was born a vampire," Seto explained. "My father served the former pharaoh, Atemu's father. He died when I was only a few years old so I never knew him. Most of us who live here originally came from Egypt where we lived for thousand of years but were forced to abandoned because of Zork. The exceptions are Ryou and Yugi. Both were only turned recently. Yugi was only turned three months ago."
"Yugi?" Mokuba asked. "That name sounds familiar."
"He was friends with Jounouchi," Seto replied. "We met him a couple of times when Jou and I were dating."
"Right," Mokuba replied with a nod. "I thought he died."
"He almost did. Would have died if Atemu hadn't found him."
"Small world," Mokuba thoughtfully mused.
"Yeah considering Ryou and Yugi were classmates," Seto replied when Kisara suddenly entered the room. "Mokuba this is Kisara, Kisara, my brother Mokuba. He'll be living with us from now on."
"It's a pleasure," Kisara said to the younger Kaiba brother before turning her attention to Seto. "There is still no fuller information."
"What's going on?" Mokuba asked as Seto sighed.
"The Pharaoh, Atemu, went missing last night," Seto explained. "If word got out there will be chaos. Vampires from all over will be after his power. That is why it's so important we find him."
"What if he's dead?" Mokuba asked.
"Then Seto-sama will have to take over as Pharaoh," Kisara replied. "He is the only person with the power and respect to be Pharaoh."
"You know full well that Akunadin can be Pharaoh," Seto scoffed. "Besides, Atemu is alive!"
"Of course," Kisara gently replied before giving her master a slight bow and exiting the room.
"Seto, are you sure it's okay that I stay here?" Mokuba asked. "No one is going to kill me in my sleep are they?"
"They wouldn't dare," Seto replied with a small smile. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Yugi and Mana." Seto led Mokuba down a series of corridors until they reached Yami's room. With a rapid knock to the door, Seto pushed open the door to find Yugi once again awake and clutching to Mana on the bed.
"Have you found him yet?" Yugi asked Seto with tears in his eyes. "Not yet. I just came by to introduce Mokuba. He was attacked this afternoon by a vampire and I want him close by from now on."
"Hello," Mana said to him before turning his attention to Seto. "Why would a vampire break the rules though? We've been so careful about the information regarding Ouji-sama. No one should know that he is missing yet."
"You're right," Seto said thinking back to his conversation with Siegfried. He hadn't realized it then but Siegfried should not have known that Atemu was missing. "Mana, take care of Mokuba. I have work to do," Seto quickly ordered before storming out of the room.
"What was that all about?" Mokuba asked and Mana shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't worry about Seto," Mana told him. "He knows how to take care of himself."