Chapter Nine:

The Final Threshold

Yugi felt himself being pulled down a staircase and into an elevator that brought him straight down to the main hall in the Phantom's dominion.

The Phantom turned to glare at him as he let go of his wrist.

"Why, you ask was I bound and chained down to cold and tactless lies?
Not for any mortal sin but the wicked sight of my red eyes!"

The Phantom walked up to the platform where his organ sat, his blood-red eyes not leaving Yugi's terrified face.

"Hounded down by everyone! Met with hatred everywhere!
No kind words from anyone! No compassion anywhere!

Yugi…"

The Phantom's eyes looked as if they were filled with fire.

"Why?" he spat, "Why?"

Yugi was quiet for a moment. The real reason he had pulled off the Phantom's mask was to try and see if what the Phantom was saying was the truth…he didn't trust him…and now Yugi felt awful that he had ever doubted the Phantom's feelings. But his anger at him was not gone.

"Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?" he whispered,
"Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?"

The Phantom stared at him for a moment, before moving closer,

"These eyes which condemn me to wallow in blood
Have also denied me the joys of the flesh…"

The Phantom tried to touch Yugi's face, but Yugi moved away from his hand and turned his back.

"These eyes, the infection which poisons our love…"

Yugi turned to stare; the Phantom was now looking in one of the long mirrors broodingly at his red eyes, whispering to himself.

"These eyes which earned a mother's fear and loathing…
A mask; my first unfeeling scrap of clothing…"

Yugi turned away again to look at the floor. "I was right…he does think of himself as a monster…"

"Pity comes too late!" the Phantom's voice became cold and sharp as he forced Yugi to turn around,
"Turn around, and face your fate!
An eternity of these,"
he pointed at his eyes in contempt,
"For you to see…"

Yugi was quiet for a moment, looking into the Phantom's furious eyes.

"Your blood-red eyes do not scare me in the least," he sang quietly,
"Your heartless, cold fury is what frightens me…"

The Phantom seemed a little surprised, but his surprise quickly faded as he smirked at something behind Yugi.

"Wait!"he smirked, "I think, Aibou, we have a guest!"

Yugi whirled around. "Joey!"

Indeed, there he was, in the entrance of the cave, behind the drawbridge.

"This is indeed an unparalleled delight!" the Phantom laughed,
"I had rather hoped that you would come,
And now…my wish comes true!
You have truly made my night!"

"Free him!" Joey demanded, his eyes narrowed,
"Do what you like, only free him!
Have you no pity?"

"Your lover makes a passionate plea," the Phantom sneered.

"He's not my lover-" Yugi started.

"I love him!" Joey sang, causing the Phantom to smirk in a kind of grim triumph at Yugi,
"Does that mean nothing? I love him!
Show some compassion!"

"The world showed no compassion to me!" snapped the Phantom.

"Yugi…" Joey whispered, "Yugi…let me see him!"

"Be my guest," the Phantom said coolly, and to both Yugi's and Joey's surprise, he lifted the drawbridge.

Joey cautiously stepped in, and the Phantom stepped over to him.

"Monsieur, I bid you welcome," he greeted, looking rather pleasant,
"Did you think that I would harm him?
Why would I make him pay for the sins which are yours?"

The Phantom raised his palm, and Joey slammed into the drawbridge. Ropes appeared around him, and the Phantom tied him down, with one additional rope serving as a noose.

"JOEY!" Yugi screamed.

"Want to dance? It's just for fun!
Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!" the Phantom roared with insane laughter,
"Nothing can save you now,
Except perhaps…Yugi."

The Phantom smirked up at the motionless Yugi.

"Start a new life with me!
Buy his freedom with your love!
Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!
This is the choice…
This is the point of no return!"

Yugi at first didn't speak; the Phantom jerked at the rope around Joey's neck sharply, and the boy trembled.

Then, ignoring his fear completely, Yugi began to sing.

"Tenshi, are you really so blind?
I have loved you all along…"

The Phantom froze, his eyes wide, as his student came over to him.

"Now watch me as I show the world," Yugi sang,
"That we do belong!"

And with everything in his heart and soul, Yugi kissed the Phantom full on the lips.

Although Joey loved Yugi and he would've done anything to be the one Yugi was kissing so passionately, he did not feel remorse in his heart.

"Ishizu was right," he thought to himself, "It was confused love…"

Yugi finally pulled away after what seemed like an eternity. The Phantom's eyes bore into his, as if trying to ask if what he was thinking Yugi felt for him was true. Then, to Yugi's surprise, the Phantom began to cry.

"Tenshi?" Yugi whispered, putting his arms around him, "Tenshi, are you alright? Tenshi?"

The Phantom at last wiped the tears off on his sleeve when a chorus of voices echoed a couple floors above.

"Track down this murderer, he must be found!
Track down this murderer, he must be found!"

"Take him!" the Phantom pulled out of Yugi's arms and went around him toward where the organ was,
"Forget me! Forget all of this!"

"What…?" Yugi whispered.

"Leave me alone!" the Phantom muttered,
"Forget all you've seen!
Go now, don't let them find you!"

Yugi untied Joey from the gate, and his friend gave him a hug of relief.

"Go now!" the Phantom sang, his voice more urgent,
"Go now and leave me!"

Yugi turned around, trying in vain to find his sensei.

"Yugi, we've got to get out of here!" Joey told him when Yugi ran up to where the Phantom disappeared.

"I'm not leaving him here!" Yugi yelled, before going deeper into an inner, darker cave behind the organ.

It was dark, but he could hear a soft voice in the corner.

"Think of me…
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye…
Remember me…
Once in a while, please promise me you'll try…"

In the corner, Yugi saw a candle lit, and there in the corner with his back turned to him, was the Phantom in his black cloak. He seemed to be holding a single Duel Monsters card to his chest.

Yugi approached him, and the Phantom turned sharply just as he was sitting down about three inches from him.

"You must go!" the Phantom said worriedly,
"They must not find you here!"

Yugi took the Phantom's hand and shook his head. "Tenshi, I love you…"

The Phantom touched his cheek. "And I you, young one…"

He sighed. "But it is too dangerous for you to stay."

"Then come with us!" Yugi pleaded, "I'm not going to leave you here!"

"You must," the Phantom whispered gently but firmly, "I have to lead those fools off my scent…please Yugi, just go."

Yugi tried not to cry. "No…"

The Phantom kissed the younger boy's forehead, "Yugi, I will find you again someday…I promise. But for now, you and Wheeler must go. Take the boat, and don't say a word of this tale…the secrets you know of the Tenshi in hell."

Yugi was silent. Then he nodded faintly. The Phantom took his hand and helped him stand up.

"All this…" Yugi said with a slight smile, "And I don't even know your name."

"I'm called many things," the Phantom replied, "L'enfant du Satan…Opera Ghost…but my christened name was Yami."

"Yami," Yugi repeated, as if to sample it, "It suits you."

Yami smiled. "As I very well know…and now, go. Wheeler's waiting for you."

Yugi, pain in his heart and tears in his eyes, ran out of the Phantom's room, and got into the boat with Joey.

And as Joey rowed the boat through the long tunnel, Yugi could hear a soft voice echoing through the tunnel to him.

"You alone can make my song take flight…
Do not forget the Music of the Night!"