Glass Tears of the Chosen
Disclaimer: *raises a brow* this is the third chapter already folks, if you dun know this stupid thing by now, then go back to the FIRST CHAPTER!!!!! Thank ya.
A/N: I know a bunch of people probably wanna kill me right now...but lemme explain first so I don't get pummeled by rotten fruit or dangerous, pointy objects. I lost my internet connection at home and am now forced to use the computers at my school library. I only have access to them in the mornings (after keyboarding class) and after school (if I don't have any D.I. meetings). I have just realized that I could transfer my story to a floppy and update at school now, so I really do apologize for the long wait. Now, I put a lot of thought into this chapter (since I've had so DAMN long to work on it) and I hope you people enjoy. Thank you to my readers though for reviewing and sticking with me. I appreciate it greatly.
Silver Mist4: *giggles* you'll find out in this chapter!!!!
Red Knight3: lol, thanks, I'll try hard to keep you impressed!!
Elf of Insanity: You'll found out the "twist", I guess if you could call it that, in this chapter!!!! Please review afterwards and tell me how ya liked it!!!
Mystical Miyuki: Nope, 'tis a Yuugi/Téa/Yami pairing all the way, Ryou's her best friend, remember? Review and tell me how ya liked it!!!
C.M. Dracoon: I'm sorry about the long wait!!! I hope this chapter will make up for it, tell me how you liked it!!
Sailor Tiamat: I'm glad I got you hooked, hopefully this chapter will hold your interests and more!!!
Lynnie6: Wow!!! You added me to your favorites list.gosh I feel so loved!! Thank you soooo much, you are now like my favorite reader, thank you so much!!!
Sailorsun195: Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long! Enjoy!
LadySilverDragon2: Hope the wait wasn't too long, and review after ya read the chapter and tell me how ya liked it!!
Yami Ennovy: Wow!!! *tears up and starts crying* thank you so much!!! You make me feel so loved!!!!!
Krazgurl: thank you!!! That's right, this is a Yuugi/Téa/Yami story all the way!!! Ryou's just her best friend.teehee.
I was so impressed when I realized I had from four reviewers in my first two chapters, to SIXTEEN NOW. I cried like a baby for hours, seriously. Thank you so much to all my reviewers, and I hope this chapter will be satisfying enough, and I hope I didn't leave anybody out. I really did work hard on it. Read and enjoy AND PWEASE REVIEW!!!!!!! NEED REVIEWS TO CONTINUE LIFE-CYCLE...OR I SHALL FALL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH...teehee!
~Lillia ^_~
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The burning liquid slid down Lisa's throat as she sighed and set the glass back on the counter. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and growled quietly, eyes lowered to the unoffending bottle of vodka sitting on the counter top. She poured herself another glass and leaned heavily against the counter, downing it. He had gone already...her phantom lover that never failed to return to her every night. She would continue to welcome him into her arms until the darkness in her heart was dead.
Téa...what was she going to do about that girl? Lisa held the glass of vodka tightly in her hands, blood-shot eyes fixed on a picture of her daughter at two years of age sitting in her father's lap. Tearing her eyes away from the picture, she vaguely heard the glass in her hands shatter from the pressure she had applied to it. Her husband...just thinking about him still brought deep pains to her heart and a void in her soul.
With her hand bleeding from shards of glass embedded into the soft flesh of her palm, and the precious liquid she drank every night coating the counter, she retrieved another glass and poured herself another drink. Pain didn't bother her anymore...physical pain was such a small thing compared to all the emotional pain she had been hoarding since her husband's death. Her thoughts then turned back to her daughter. Her beautiful daughter...Lisa snorted.
Of course Téa was beautiful...she had her smoldering eyes, but her father's lovely auburn hair and cute looks. It was painful sometimes to see her daughter...to watch her. She knew of the pain she caused her child, remembered every scream Téa had ever uttered at her hands, every cry and whimper and tear she had wrought upon her child's life. It always seemed to make her do it more, the fear, the tears...seemed to make her want to hurt the thirteen-year-old more. Lisa liked the fear she held over her daughter...loved it even.
Passing a hand over her eyes, Lisa wondered when she had become such a monster. Drinking her fifth glass that night, she hiccupped and moved to grasp the vodka bottle, her movements sluggish and slow. Hunched over the bottle, she moved into the living room and collapsed on the couch, humming very quietly to herself. Her thoughts took a new angle...she didn't need the dead memory of her husband anymore. A twisted smile curved her lips.
She had HIM now...and that was all she needed. When Téa returned home she would pay the consequences for leaving...she would pay dearly for running. That's what HE would want...and she obeyed him now.
He was the carrier of her soul. Nothing could take him away...nothing.
~*~
Rain sloshed against Téa as she stood at the edge of the steps leading under the small porch of Ryou's home. She stood transfixed to the figure standing in the doorway, the scream she had released leaving her throat raw and useless. Fear beat around her heart like an iron fist as panic roared in her ears. She was soaked completely, her clothes plastered to her flesh and a subtle shiver began to overtake her body.
He looked like Ryou...and that scared her dearly. This figure in the doorway LOOKED like her best friend. His hair was a silvery-white, sharply pointed in places, and tumbled around his shoulders. Body and facial features were more defined...more mature. He looked so much like Ryou...that if it wasn't for his narrowed crimson gaze, she would have mistaken him for her best friend.
Yet, this person was not Ryou...and the crimson gaze burned through her, so much like the gaze of the man her mother had been standing in front of. Her waist-length auburn hair was plastered to her face and arms, providing little comfort in the freezing rain. She would have run, if her legs would have moved, and had she not heard the quiet British accent she knew so well.
"Bakura...who's at the door?"
That snapped her from her state of fear and panic. The older teen in front of her glanced back over his shoulder, seeing someone she couldn't. Her hands wrapped around her trembling shoulders as the icy rain stung her carpet burns and the cold made her fresh and old bruises ache.
-Just what's going on here...?- she thought through the haze of her mind.
The teen's voice in front of her was low, a growl, and slightly rough. "I don't know, but her scream could have awakened the dead."
She blinked at this, before bowing her head in embarrassment, cheeks burning a soft pink. Another figure came to the door when she raised her head again, this figure the one she was so familiar with, the one that had sheltered her during her times of need. She stumbled up the steps and flung herself into his arms, sobbing into his shirt. Ryou blinked down at her, wearing a white apron from where he had been cooking dinner.
"Oh...Téa, what are you doing here, are you all right?!" he asked, gently clutching her shoulders.
She winced, whimpering quietly at the pain his simple touch ignited through her bruised shoulders. Ryou blinked again, before noticing her state and quickly ushered her inside, telling Bakura to get her school bag. Bakura complied without a word, shutting the door quietly behind him. Téa stood in the living room, hugging herself tightly and shivering while Ryou went off to get her a towel and a change of clothes.
He shooed her into the downstairs bathroom, before sighing and running a hand through his milky white looks. Warm brown eyes glanced at crimson as Ryou smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry Bakura..." he murmured.
Bakura snorted and shrugged, walking past him. "She's your friend boy."
Ryou sighed and watched the spirit walk down the hall to their bedroom. Bakura closed the door silently behind him and laid down on the bed, hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. A ceiling glowing with green stars and small planets tucked all across the room, matching the theme of star wall paper plastered to the walls. It wasn't the sudden appearance of this girl that had begun to bother him.
It was the darkness that surrounded her. It clung to her like a disgusting second skin, making his own skin want to crawl off his body and go hide. He knew that power...the feel of that awesome darkness that bespoke of shadows and evil. A startled gasp left his lips as he sat up quickly, hand pressed to the Millennium Ring, the hunk of metal that was usually cool to the touch, which was settled against his chest. It was warm.
-Oh no...- His thoughts were reeling as two words came up for an explanation of the retched power that surrounded Téa's beaten form.
-Shadow Realm!-
~*~
Yuugi smiled, laying his Dark Magician down on the table. Joey blinked at it, before groaning and throwing down his cards. They scattered across the table, polished surfaces gleaming in the light of the living room. The TV was on in the background, showing a duel between four people, which Tristen was watching quite closely.
"Ya beat me again Yuug...I dun get how ya do it!" Joey exclaimed, waving his hands around for emphasis.
Yuugi chuckled, gathering his cards back up and shuffling them. The stack came back to rest on the Dark Magician. "Well Joey...," he smiled impishly and showed Joey the Dark Magician card once again, "a magician NEVER reveals his secrets."
Joey snorted as Tristen's laughter echoed around the room. The blonde thirteen-year-old waved his hand at the statement. "Very funny Yuug..."
The tri-colored haired boy slid from his seat and slipped his deck into his pocket. "I'll get us some drinks, all right?"
Joey and Tristen nodded as the beaten blonde lugged himself over to the couch and sat heavily onto the plush cushions, settling back into a heap of pillows. Yuugi moved into the kitchen and retrieved three glasses and a pitcher of his grandpa's famous tropical punch. He felt a touch on his shoulder and blinked, turning to look up at the sudden appearance of his Spirit that lived inside his Millennium Puzzle.
"Hello Yami, something wrong?" Yuugi asked quietly.
Yami's crimson purple gaze looked away from the younger innocent gaze. "I believe your new friend, the female one, something has happened to her..."
Yuugi nearly dropped the pitcher of punch and looked quickly back at Yami. "W-what?! H-how do you know?!"
The spirit slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. "That rose you gave her, I put some of my power into it, only to protect her. If my suspicions had been true of what surrounds her, then I wanted to see what would happen. The rose has been destroyed; I felt it and became worried when I no longer sensed her energy."
Yuugi's hands began to tremble as he stared down at the floor. "Your s- suspicions?"
"She has a dark aura around her Yuugi, something full of darkness and shadow. Only one place has that feel to it, and that is the Shadow Realm. No doubt Ryou's Millennium Spirit has now felt it as well, if she is with him."
"Why haven't you told me this before, Téa could be really hurt!!" Yuugi said frantically.
Joey called from the living room, "Hey Yuug, does it really take dat long ta pour drinks?"
"I'll be there in a minute Joey!" Yuugi turned back to look up at the spirit, "Yami, you're positive you felt this...this aura around her?"
Yami nodded. "Yes, I will swear it. It swarms over her and blocks out all of her hope and happiness."
Yuugi bit his lip. "What are we going to do?"
Yami raised a brow. "Why do you suddenly care for this girl Yuugi? You've never paid so much attention to her before now..."
"No you're wrong Yami..." Yuugi smiled softly, but he was looking at the ground, a look in his eyes as if he were remembering something, "I've always noticed Téa, especially when she began to come to school with so much sadness in her eyes and walking as if she carried a heavy heart."
Yami listened quietly as Yuugi continued. "She seemed so lonely, and would only allow Ryou near her...though I don't know why to this day. She doesn't trust many people...and I want her to trust me Yami. I want to be her friend; I want to care for her as Ryou cares for her. I want to see Téa smile again."
Yami sighed softly. "This may take more than will be required of you Yuugi...for I fear what keeps Téa in such a dark state will come after her friends as well."
"I don't care Yami! She is hurting, you've said so yourself. What ever binds her to her torment, I want to take it away!"
Joey suddenly appeared in the doorway and Yami disappeared in a blink of an eye. "Yuug, honestly, we're dyin' out here."
Yuugi blushed faintly and finished pouring the drinks, handing Joey one and carrying Tristen's and his own back into the living room. "Sorry Tristen, Joey, I was thinking about something."
Tristen smirked and took his glass, sipping it. "Sounded like you were talking to yourself..."
Yuugi's blush deepened. "I was thinking aloud."
Joey snickered. "Sure, dat's what they all say."
Yuugi didn't reply and pretended he was intensely interested of the duel on the screen while his thoughts remained on the new information Yami had told him. He bowed his head a little, clutching his Millennium Puzzle.
-...Téa...-
~*~
Bakura glanced towards the doorway moments before a timid knocking sounded upon the door. He growled quietly and slid off the bed, opening it. Téa stood there dressed in a pair of Ryou's gray sweats and a soft blue shirt. Her long hair was tied back in a quick braid and she played with the ends of it as if she were nervous. The dark aura that had surrounded her was fainter now, barely there, but he noted another aura was intermixing with is now, an aura of silver and light.
He shook his head and glared at her. "What do you want?"
She lowered her gaze quickly and her shoulders drooped. "R-Ryou said...that dinner was ready and asked that you come eat...please?"
He raised a brow at her small voice and then brushed past her without a glance, hearing her soft footsteps fall behind him. Ryou was still in the kitchen, retrieving three bowls and spoons, but the apron was missing. A large pot remained on the stove where a rich clam chowder was brewing and the smell dominated the entire house. Fresh bread rolls were already in a basket and set out on the small table in front of the kitchen.
Téa poured the chowder into the bowls, helping Ryou carry it out to the table where Bakura was already seated, deep in thought. Ryou watched him carefully as he placed a bowl in front of his Millennium Spirit and slowly seated himself to the right of Bakura. Téa remained on Bakura's left, though she trembled slightly and her eyes remained downcast.
They ate in silence, which burned through the room and the only sound was the pounding of rain from outside and an occasional flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder. Téa flinched every time the thunder sounded abruptly, until she remained hunched in upon herself and her appetite had left her. Ryou put his spoon down and looked at her.
"Téa you must eat..." he reminded her softly.
She didn't reply or make any indication that she had heard him. Her eyes were darkened with a far away memory of blood-red eyes and her mother's gaze, filled with so much hate as she pushed her down the stairs and laughed cruelly afterwards. Ryou sighed softly and touched her hand, in which he got a curious reaction from her. She jerked back from him as if he had burned her and her eyes were wide in her pale face.
"Why don't you get some rest," he said, now noticing the blind panic in her gaze.
Téa blinked, then nodded and pushed away from the table, disappearing down the hall. Bakura glanced at Ryou, his eyes dark as he finished his dinner, having ignored the interruption for the time being.
"She is not sleeping with us," he ordered icily.
Ryou nodded. "I know that Bakura. There's a spare bedroom she usually takes when she stays over here."
"Good," he grunted, getting up and leaving as well.
Ryou gathered up the dishes quietly, saving Téa's barely eaten dinner for later, and rinsed them out before also making his way to his room. Bakura was already in there, lying on his back staring up at the ceiling.
"Why do you hate her so much?" Ryou asked.
Bakura glanced at him. "I don't hate her boy, I hate what surrounds her."
"Surrounds her..."
"Don't you feel it? Darkness, such a disgusting darkness as well and however she retrieved it I don't want to know. I don't want her near me anymore."
Ryou shook his head. "I've sheltered Téa since we were eight Bakura, I'm not turning my back on her now..."
"You've been keeping things from me then abiou." Bakura's gaze turned back to the ceiling.
Ryou looked down at the ground, before remaining silent and dressing in his night clothes. "Some things...are just too horrible to mention..."
Bakura made a small noise and Ryou crawled into bed beside him, snuggling under the covers and falling into a dreamless sleep. Bakura remained awake, listening to the soft breathing of the carrier of his Millennium Ring, and thinking darkly about the young girl in the room two doors away from Ryou's. He blanched as he was reminded of the darkness that consumed her form and he suddenly felt dirty and worn.
"She comes no where near me," he whispered harshly.
The Shadows in the room laughed and were finally laid to rest.
~*~
Téa was curled up on the guest bed, knees tucked under her chin and her eyes closed in a nightmarish sleep. The dark shadows of her room became alive and moved around, hissing and laughing and with in their dark depths formed the Master of Shadows, his blood-red gaze settled upon Téa's form and his smile revealing his pointed canines. The shadows parted and allowed him closer to the girl's form, all the while bowing as he passed them.
Dark energy oozed about the room, centering on Téa, surrounding her form like a thick cocoon of evil. She whimpered in her sleep and curled tighter around her knees as he approached and slowly caressed the energy hovering around her form. Smirking, his soft laughter filled the room.
"How it has happened escapes me, but this is a most fortunate advantage..." he whispered to the sifting Shadows behind him, "she bears my powers, darkness and shadow protect her..."
The Shadows paused in confusion, but the Master of Shadows continued to caress the dark power around Téa. "Perhaps having your mother bear me a child will be useless...when you carry my power within you. How fortunate indeed, this has taken me by surprise."
Téa's eyes slowly opened and rose to the pale man that stood above her. She gasped and sat up quickly, fear clutching her heart as acid burned at the back of her throat. He watched her silently with his blood-red gaze, his sadistic smile still playing upon his lips as he slowly reached out and curled a lock of Téa's long hair around his fingers.
"Beauty you possess as well as my power...I name you my successor, the heir to the Shadows," he said softly to her, and bent towards her.
Téa felt shivers work down her spine as she gazed up at him in fear and slight wonder. His ice cold lips touched her forehead, and when he pulled away a deep purple symbol flared upon her brow for just a moment, before it flickered and died away. He laughed darkly, the sound hideous and hurtful to her ears as he disappeared and the Shadows melted away.
The door burst open and Bakura stood there, outlined by a radiating glow from the Millennium Ring hanging around his neck. He straightened and glanced about the room, before coming to Téa's bedside and grasping her shoulders. A hiss left his lips as he jerked away, looking down at his pale hands. Red marks were scorched into his palms and his crimson gaze suddenly bore into her frightened cerulean blue eyes.
"What have you done," he snarled.
She shook her head quickly, tears brimming her eyes. "I-I don't know..."
"You have burned me, a Spirit of the Millennium Items!! No power is able to do that unless it comes from the Shadows themselves you stupid girl!" Bakura growled menacingly, "Have you bargained with the Master of Shadows then, have you sold your soul to him, or have you given him something else in return for your new powers?!"
The tears swimming in her eyes suddenly fell down her cheeks and she sobbed softly, hiding her head in her hands. "I don't know! I...I don't know who he is..."
"What are you babbling about?"
"T-the man who came...he was in my room..." she paused as her shoulders began to tremble, "the shadows w-were alive...I don't know!!"
Bakura paced in front of her like a caged animal. "You honestly don't know what is surrounding you, what you've been playing at?"
Téa shook her head meekly, looking at him now with reddened eyes. He raked a hand through his hair, stopping in front of her to glare at her. The Millennium Ring's glow faded to a dim light, yet it still silhouetted his angry frown and burning gaze. Shadows still slinked around the room, but they faded in the soft glow of the ring's power. Bakura had felt the awesome might of the Master of Shadows, but his thoughts reeled to think that he now walked among others in a human form.
This girl, he finally concluded, was the key to the Master of Shadows new interest in the human world. Something burned deep inside of her, something familiar yet strangely vague in its own way. Through countless beatings and never-ending pain, this girl had developed a dark spot in the deepest recesses of her heart. And now the Master of Shadows has sensed it and would use it to his whims. Bakura sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair as he glanced over his shoulder to see Ryou standing there in the doorway with saddened eyes.
"She's no longer safe anywhere Ryou. The Master of Shadows will have every one of his pawns looking for her...including, if I remember correctly whom she runs away from, her mother. Her mother is now counted as a pawn and will be after Téa as well," Bakura muttered.
Ryou bit his lip and looked at the trembling form of his best friend. "What can we do then Bakura?"
"We wait and see...he will not come back until the seeds of darkness he planted within her have grown to his liking."
"Until then what can we do?"
"She will have to go on as if nothing has happened. Take her back to her home, I will guarantee you her mother will not be there."
Ryou nodded and looked at Téa. "I promised to protect her Bakura."
"And so have your friend and the Pharaoh. We all have, but the Master of Shadows is powerful and he has an eye upon Téa. It may not be enough," the Spirit glanced back to Téa, "We have to wait."
"Will you be fine until morning Téa?" Ryou asked softly.
Téa nodded slowly and looked up at them. "I...I think so..."
Bakura walked past Ryou. "Come on then."
Ryou followed silently, closing the door behind them. Téa crawled off the bed and opened the door, going into the bathroom across the hall. Turning on the light, she rummaged through the drawers until she found a pair of silver scissors. She fingered her long hair, rubbing strands between her fingers, and shivered, remembering the way he touched her hair and curled it around his own spidery fingers. She grabbed a handful and the sound of a sharp snip filled her ears.
Locks of auburn hair fell to the ground and when she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung at uneven angles just below her cheeks, framing her blue eyes. She noticed they were a startling darker color than usual, a deeper blue, like black had been mixed into their depths. Téa timidly touched the uneven strands, biting her lip and bowing her head.
Ryou and Bakura were going to be surprised in the morning.
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TBC....and I would like to thank all my patient readers once more for waiting for this chapter, since stupid me; it has taken so long to get it out. I promise the next chapter will not have such an extended period of time. Thank you!!!!!! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!! TEEHEE!!!! ~_~
Disclaimer: *raises a brow* this is the third chapter already folks, if you dun know this stupid thing by now, then go back to the FIRST CHAPTER!!!!! Thank ya.
A/N: I know a bunch of people probably wanna kill me right now...but lemme explain first so I don't get pummeled by rotten fruit or dangerous, pointy objects. I lost my internet connection at home and am now forced to use the computers at my school library. I only have access to them in the mornings (after keyboarding class) and after school (if I don't have any D.I. meetings). I have just realized that I could transfer my story to a floppy and update at school now, so I really do apologize for the long wait. Now, I put a lot of thought into this chapter (since I've had so DAMN long to work on it) and I hope you people enjoy. Thank you to my readers though for reviewing and sticking with me. I appreciate it greatly.
Silver Mist4: *giggles* you'll find out in this chapter!!!!
Red Knight3: lol, thanks, I'll try hard to keep you impressed!!
Elf of Insanity: You'll found out the "twist", I guess if you could call it that, in this chapter!!!! Please review afterwards and tell me how ya liked it!!!
Mystical Miyuki: Nope, 'tis a Yuugi/Téa/Yami pairing all the way, Ryou's her best friend, remember? Review and tell me how ya liked it!!!
C.M. Dracoon: I'm sorry about the long wait!!! I hope this chapter will make up for it, tell me how you liked it!!
Sailor Tiamat: I'm glad I got you hooked, hopefully this chapter will hold your interests and more!!!
Lynnie6: Wow!!! You added me to your favorites list.gosh I feel so loved!! Thank you soooo much, you are now like my favorite reader, thank you so much!!!
Sailorsun195: Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long! Enjoy!
LadySilverDragon2: Hope the wait wasn't too long, and review after ya read the chapter and tell me how ya liked it!!
Yami Ennovy: Wow!!! *tears up and starts crying* thank you so much!!! You make me feel so loved!!!!!
Krazgurl: thank you!!! That's right, this is a Yuugi/Téa/Yami story all the way!!! Ryou's just her best friend.teehee.
I was so impressed when I realized I had from four reviewers in my first two chapters, to SIXTEEN NOW. I cried like a baby for hours, seriously. Thank you so much to all my reviewers, and I hope this chapter will be satisfying enough, and I hope I didn't leave anybody out. I really did work hard on it. Read and enjoy AND PWEASE REVIEW!!!!!!! NEED REVIEWS TO CONTINUE LIFE-CYCLE...OR I SHALL FALL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH...teehee!
~Lillia ^_~
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The burning liquid slid down Lisa's throat as she sighed and set the glass back on the counter. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and growled quietly, eyes lowered to the unoffending bottle of vodka sitting on the counter top. She poured herself another glass and leaned heavily against the counter, downing it. He had gone already...her phantom lover that never failed to return to her every night. She would continue to welcome him into her arms until the darkness in her heart was dead.
Téa...what was she going to do about that girl? Lisa held the glass of vodka tightly in her hands, blood-shot eyes fixed on a picture of her daughter at two years of age sitting in her father's lap. Tearing her eyes away from the picture, she vaguely heard the glass in her hands shatter from the pressure she had applied to it. Her husband...just thinking about him still brought deep pains to her heart and a void in her soul.
With her hand bleeding from shards of glass embedded into the soft flesh of her palm, and the precious liquid she drank every night coating the counter, she retrieved another glass and poured herself another drink. Pain didn't bother her anymore...physical pain was such a small thing compared to all the emotional pain she had been hoarding since her husband's death. Her thoughts then turned back to her daughter. Her beautiful daughter...Lisa snorted.
Of course Téa was beautiful...she had her smoldering eyes, but her father's lovely auburn hair and cute looks. It was painful sometimes to see her daughter...to watch her. She knew of the pain she caused her child, remembered every scream Téa had ever uttered at her hands, every cry and whimper and tear she had wrought upon her child's life. It always seemed to make her do it more, the fear, the tears...seemed to make her want to hurt the thirteen-year-old more. Lisa liked the fear she held over her daughter...loved it even.
Passing a hand over her eyes, Lisa wondered when she had become such a monster. Drinking her fifth glass that night, she hiccupped and moved to grasp the vodka bottle, her movements sluggish and slow. Hunched over the bottle, she moved into the living room and collapsed on the couch, humming very quietly to herself. Her thoughts took a new angle...she didn't need the dead memory of her husband anymore. A twisted smile curved her lips.
She had HIM now...and that was all she needed. When Téa returned home she would pay the consequences for leaving...she would pay dearly for running. That's what HE would want...and she obeyed him now.
He was the carrier of her soul. Nothing could take him away...nothing.
~*~
Rain sloshed against Téa as she stood at the edge of the steps leading under the small porch of Ryou's home. She stood transfixed to the figure standing in the doorway, the scream she had released leaving her throat raw and useless. Fear beat around her heart like an iron fist as panic roared in her ears. She was soaked completely, her clothes plastered to her flesh and a subtle shiver began to overtake her body.
He looked like Ryou...and that scared her dearly. This figure in the doorway LOOKED like her best friend. His hair was a silvery-white, sharply pointed in places, and tumbled around his shoulders. Body and facial features were more defined...more mature. He looked so much like Ryou...that if it wasn't for his narrowed crimson gaze, she would have mistaken him for her best friend.
Yet, this person was not Ryou...and the crimson gaze burned through her, so much like the gaze of the man her mother had been standing in front of. Her waist-length auburn hair was plastered to her face and arms, providing little comfort in the freezing rain. She would have run, if her legs would have moved, and had she not heard the quiet British accent she knew so well.
"Bakura...who's at the door?"
That snapped her from her state of fear and panic. The older teen in front of her glanced back over his shoulder, seeing someone she couldn't. Her hands wrapped around her trembling shoulders as the icy rain stung her carpet burns and the cold made her fresh and old bruises ache.
-Just what's going on here...?- she thought through the haze of her mind.
The teen's voice in front of her was low, a growl, and slightly rough. "I don't know, but her scream could have awakened the dead."
She blinked at this, before bowing her head in embarrassment, cheeks burning a soft pink. Another figure came to the door when she raised her head again, this figure the one she was so familiar with, the one that had sheltered her during her times of need. She stumbled up the steps and flung herself into his arms, sobbing into his shirt. Ryou blinked down at her, wearing a white apron from where he had been cooking dinner.
"Oh...Téa, what are you doing here, are you all right?!" he asked, gently clutching her shoulders.
She winced, whimpering quietly at the pain his simple touch ignited through her bruised shoulders. Ryou blinked again, before noticing her state and quickly ushered her inside, telling Bakura to get her school bag. Bakura complied without a word, shutting the door quietly behind him. Téa stood in the living room, hugging herself tightly and shivering while Ryou went off to get her a towel and a change of clothes.
He shooed her into the downstairs bathroom, before sighing and running a hand through his milky white looks. Warm brown eyes glanced at crimson as Ryou smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry Bakura..." he murmured.
Bakura snorted and shrugged, walking past him. "She's your friend boy."
Ryou sighed and watched the spirit walk down the hall to their bedroom. Bakura closed the door silently behind him and laid down on the bed, hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. A ceiling glowing with green stars and small planets tucked all across the room, matching the theme of star wall paper plastered to the walls. It wasn't the sudden appearance of this girl that had begun to bother him.
It was the darkness that surrounded her. It clung to her like a disgusting second skin, making his own skin want to crawl off his body and go hide. He knew that power...the feel of that awesome darkness that bespoke of shadows and evil. A startled gasp left his lips as he sat up quickly, hand pressed to the Millennium Ring, the hunk of metal that was usually cool to the touch, which was settled against his chest. It was warm.
-Oh no...- His thoughts were reeling as two words came up for an explanation of the retched power that surrounded Téa's beaten form.
-Shadow Realm!-
~*~
Yuugi smiled, laying his Dark Magician down on the table. Joey blinked at it, before groaning and throwing down his cards. They scattered across the table, polished surfaces gleaming in the light of the living room. The TV was on in the background, showing a duel between four people, which Tristen was watching quite closely.
"Ya beat me again Yuug...I dun get how ya do it!" Joey exclaimed, waving his hands around for emphasis.
Yuugi chuckled, gathering his cards back up and shuffling them. The stack came back to rest on the Dark Magician. "Well Joey...," he smiled impishly and showed Joey the Dark Magician card once again, "a magician NEVER reveals his secrets."
Joey snorted as Tristen's laughter echoed around the room. The blonde thirteen-year-old waved his hand at the statement. "Very funny Yuug..."
The tri-colored haired boy slid from his seat and slipped his deck into his pocket. "I'll get us some drinks, all right?"
Joey and Tristen nodded as the beaten blonde lugged himself over to the couch and sat heavily onto the plush cushions, settling back into a heap of pillows. Yuugi moved into the kitchen and retrieved three glasses and a pitcher of his grandpa's famous tropical punch. He felt a touch on his shoulder and blinked, turning to look up at the sudden appearance of his Spirit that lived inside his Millennium Puzzle.
"Hello Yami, something wrong?" Yuugi asked quietly.
Yami's crimson purple gaze looked away from the younger innocent gaze. "I believe your new friend, the female one, something has happened to her..."
Yuugi nearly dropped the pitcher of punch and looked quickly back at Yami. "W-what?! H-how do you know?!"
The spirit slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. "That rose you gave her, I put some of my power into it, only to protect her. If my suspicions had been true of what surrounds her, then I wanted to see what would happen. The rose has been destroyed; I felt it and became worried when I no longer sensed her energy."
Yuugi's hands began to tremble as he stared down at the floor. "Your s- suspicions?"
"She has a dark aura around her Yuugi, something full of darkness and shadow. Only one place has that feel to it, and that is the Shadow Realm. No doubt Ryou's Millennium Spirit has now felt it as well, if she is with him."
"Why haven't you told me this before, Téa could be really hurt!!" Yuugi said frantically.
Joey called from the living room, "Hey Yuug, does it really take dat long ta pour drinks?"
"I'll be there in a minute Joey!" Yuugi turned back to look up at the spirit, "Yami, you're positive you felt this...this aura around her?"
Yami nodded. "Yes, I will swear it. It swarms over her and blocks out all of her hope and happiness."
Yuugi bit his lip. "What are we going to do?"
Yami raised a brow. "Why do you suddenly care for this girl Yuugi? You've never paid so much attention to her before now..."
"No you're wrong Yami..." Yuugi smiled softly, but he was looking at the ground, a look in his eyes as if he were remembering something, "I've always noticed Téa, especially when she began to come to school with so much sadness in her eyes and walking as if she carried a heavy heart."
Yami listened quietly as Yuugi continued. "She seemed so lonely, and would only allow Ryou near her...though I don't know why to this day. She doesn't trust many people...and I want her to trust me Yami. I want to be her friend; I want to care for her as Ryou cares for her. I want to see Téa smile again."
Yami sighed softly. "This may take more than will be required of you Yuugi...for I fear what keeps Téa in such a dark state will come after her friends as well."
"I don't care Yami! She is hurting, you've said so yourself. What ever binds her to her torment, I want to take it away!"
Joey suddenly appeared in the doorway and Yami disappeared in a blink of an eye. "Yuug, honestly, we're dyin' out here."
Yuugi blushed faintly and finished pouring the drinks, handing Joey one and carrying Tristen's and his own back into the living room. "Sorry Tristen, Joey, I was thinking about something."
Tristen smirked and took his glass, sipping it. "Sounded like you were talking to yourself..."
Yuugi's blush deepened. "I was thinking aloud."
Joey snickered. "Sure, dat's what they all say."
Yuugi didn't reply and pretended he was intensely interested of the duel on the screen while his thoughts remained on the new information Yami had told him. He bowed his head a little, clutching his Millennium Puzzle.
-...Téa...-
~*~
Bakura glanced towards the doorway moments before a timid knocking sounded upon the door. He growled quietly and slid off the bed, opening it. Téa stood there dressed in a pair of Ryou's gray sweats and a soft blue shirt. Her long hair was tied back in a quick braid and she played with the ends of it as if she were nervous. The dark aura that had surrounded her was fainter now, barely there, but he noted another aura was intermixing with is now, an aura of silver and light.
He shook his head and glared at her. "What do you want?"
She lowered her gaze quickly and her shoulders drooped. "R-Ryou said...that dinner was ready and asked that you come eat...please?"
He raised a brow at her small voice and then brushed past her without a glance, hearing her soft footsteps fall behind him. Ryou was still in the kitchen, retrieving three bowls and spoons, but the apron was missing. A large pot remained on the stove where a rich clam chowder was brewing and the smell dominated the entire house. Fresh bread rolls were already in a basket and set out on the small table in front of the kitchen.
Téa poured the chowder into the bowls, helping Ryou carry it out to the table where Bakura was already seated, deep in thought. Ryou watched him carefully as he placed a bowl in front of his Millennium Spirit and slowly seated himself to the right of Bakura. Téa remained on Bakura's left, though she trembled slightly and her eyes remained downcast.
They ate in silence, which burned through the room and the only sound was the pounding of rain from outside and an occasional flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder. Téa flinched every time the thunder sounded abruptly, until she remained hunched in upon herself and her appetite had left her. Ryou put his spoon down and looked at her.
"Téa you must eat..." he reminded her softly.
She didn't reply or make any indication that she had heard him. Her eyes were darkened with a far away memory of blood-red eyes and her mother's gaze, filled with so much hate as she pushed her down the stairs and laughed cruelly afterwards. Ryou sighed softly and touched her hand, in which he got a curious reaction from her. She jerked back from him as if he had burned her and her eyes were wide in her pale face.
"Why don't you get some rest," he said, now noticing the blind panic in her gaze.
Téa blinked, then nodded and pushed away from the table, disappearing down the hall. Bakura glanced at Ryou, his eyes dark as he finished his dinner, having ignored the interruption for the time being.
"She is not sleeping with us," he ordered icily.
Ryou nodded. "I know that Bakura. There's a spare bedroom she usually takes when she stays over here."
"Good," he grunted, getting up and leaving as well.
Ryou gathered up the dishes quietly, saving Téa's barely eaten dinner for later, and rinsed them out before also making his way to his room. Bakura was already in there, lying on his back staring up at the ceiling.
"Why do you hate her so much?" Ryou asked.
Bakura glanced at him. "I don't hate her boy, I hate what surrounds her."
"Surrounds her..."
"Don't you feel it? Darkness, such a disgusting darkness as well and however she retrieved it I don't want to know. I don't want her near me anymore."
Ryou shook his head. "I've sheltered Téa since we were eight Bakura, I'm not turning my back on her now..."
"You've been keeping things from me then abiou." Bakura's gaze turned back to the ceiling.
Ryou looked down at the ground, before remaining silent and dressing in his night clothes. "Some things...are just too horrible to mention..."
Bakura made a small noise and Ryou crawled into bed beside him, snuggling under the covers and falling into a dreamless sleep. Bakura remained awake, listening to the soft breathing of the carrier of his Millennium Ring, and thinking darkly about the young girl in the room two doors away from Ryou's. He blanched as he was reminded of the darkness that consumed her form and he suddenly felt dirty and worn.
"She comes no where near me," he whispered harshly.
The Shadows in the room laughed and were finally laid to rest.
~*~
Téa was curled up on the guest bed, knees tucked under her chin and her eyes closed in a nightmarish sleep. The dark shadows of her room became alive and moved around, hissing and laughing and with in their dark depths formed the Master of Shadows, his blood-red gaze settled upon Téa's form and his smile revealing his pointed canines. The shadows parted and allowed him closer to the girl's form, all the while bowing as he passed them.
Dark energy oozed about the room, centering on Téa, surrounding her form like a thick cocoon of evil. She whimpered in her sleep and curled tighter around her knees as he approached and slowly caressed the energy hovering around her form. Smirking, his soft laughter filled the room.
"How it has happened escapes me, but this is a most fortunate advantage..." he whispered to the sifting Shadows behind him, "she bears my powers, darkness and shadow protect her..."
The Shadows paused in confusion, but the Master of Shadows continued to caress the dark power around Téa. "Perhaps having your mother bear me a child will be useless...when you carry my power within you. How fortunate indeed, this has taken me by surprise."
Téa's eyes slowly opened and rose to the pale man that stood above her. She gasped and sat up quickly, fear clutching her heart as acid burned at the back of her throat. He watched her silently with his blood-red gaze, his sadistic smile still playing upon his lips as he slowly reached out and curled a lock of Téa's long hair around his fingers.
"Beauty you possess as well as my power...I name you my successor, the heir to the Shadows," he said softly to her, and bent towards her.
Téa felt shivers work down her spine as she gazed up at him in fear and slight wonder. His ice cold lips touched her forehead, and when he pulled away a deep purple symbol flared upon her brow for just a moment, before it flickered and died away. He laughed darkly, the sound hideous and hurtful to her ears as he disappeared and the Shadows melted away.
The door burst open and Bakura stood there, outlined by a radiating glow from the Millennium Ring hanging around his neck. He straightened and glanced about the room, before coming to Téa's bedside and grasping her shoulders. A hiss left his lips as he jerked away, looking down at his pale hands. Red marks were scorched into his palms and his crimson gaze suddenly bore into her frightened cerulean blue eyes.
"What have you done," he snarled.
She shook her head quickly, tears brimming her eyes. "I-I don't know..."
"You have burned me, a Spirit of the Millennium Items!! No power is able to do that unless it comes from the Shadows themselves you stupid girl!" Bakura growled menacingly, "Have you bargained with the Master of Shadows then, have you sold your soul to him, or have you given him something else in return for your new powers?!"
The tears swimming in her eyes suddenly fell down her cheeks and she sobbed softly, hiding her head in her hands. "I don't know! I...I don't know who he is..."
"What are you babbling about?"
"T-the man who came...he was in my room..." she paused as her shoulders began to tremble, "the shadows w-were alive...I don't know!!"
Bakura paced in front of her like a caged animal. "You honestly don't know what is surrounding you, what you've been playing at?"
Téa shook her head meekly, looking at him now with reddened eyes. He raked a hand through his hair, stopping in front of her to glare at her. The Millennium Ring's glow faded to a dim light, yet it still silhouetted his angry frown and burning gaze. Shadows still slinked around the room, but they faded in the soft glow of the ring's power. Bakura had felt the awesome might of the Master of Shadows, but his thoughts reeled to think that he now walked among others in a human form.
This girl, he finally concluded, was the key to the Master of Shadows new interest in the human world. Something burned deep inside of her, something familiar yet strangely vague in its own way. Through countless beatings and never-ending pain, this girl had developed a dark spot in the deepest recesses of her heart. And now the Master of Shadows has sensed it and would use it to his whims. Bakura sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair as he glanced over his shoulder to see Ryou standing there in the doorway with saddened eyes.
"She's no longer safe anywhere Ryou. The Master of Shadows will have every one of his pawns looking for her...including, if I remember correctly whom she runs away from, her mother. Her mother is now counted as a pawn and will be after Téa as well," Bakura muttered.
Ryou bit his lip and looked at the trembling form of his best friend. "What can we do then Bakura?"
"We wait and see...he will not come back until the seeds of darkness he planted within her have grown to his liking."
"Until then what can we do?"
"She will have to go on as if nothing has happened. Take her back to her home, I will guarantee you her mother will not be there."
Ryou nodded and looked at Téa. "I promised to protect her Bakura."
"And so have your friend and the Pharaoh. We all have, but the Master of Shadows is powerful and he has an eye upon Téa. It may not be enough," the Spirit glanced back to Téa, "We have to wait."
"Will you be fine until morning Téa?" Ryou asked softly.
Téa nodded slowly and looked up at them. "I...I think so..."
Bakura walked past Ryou. "Come on then."
Ryou followed silently, closing the door behind them. Téa crawled off the bed and opened the door, going into the bathroom across the hall. Turning on the light, she rummaged through the drawers until she found a pair of silver scissors. She fingered her long hair, rubbing strands between her fingers, and shivered, remembering the way he touched her hair and curled it around his own spidery fingers. She grabbed a handful and the sound of a sharp snip filled her ears.
Locks of auburn hair fell to the ground and when she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung at uneven angles just below her cheeks, framing her blue eyes. She noticed they were a startling darker color than usual, a deeper blue, like black had been mixed into their depths. Téa timidly touched the uneven strands, biting her lip and bowing her head.
Ryou and Bakura were going to be surprised in the morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC....and I would like to thank all my patient readers once more for waiting for this chapter, since stupid me; it has taken so long to get it out. I promise the next chapter will not have such an extended period of time. Thank you!!!!!! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!! TEEHEE!!!! ~_~