Forbidden Fruit
by: Wareta Shooki

WARNINGS: Character death, mention of long-term abuse,
and detailed fight and death scenes.
Thanks for all the reviews.
Other notes at bottom.


Forbidden Fruit
Chapter 12
Lascivious Darkness
A black, long-stretch limousine pulled in front of the half-secluded Kaiba Estate. Only few lights shined in the huge, four-story house. But even then all those that stepped from the limo knew that those lights were only on for their benefit. Or so they thought until one by one the lights went out, and one by one, everything seemed grow all the more hopeless and cold.

A pair of icy midnight eyes shined in the darkness of the limousine. Those gathered around him shivered and he felt power ride the air. Power he knew before, power he'd sensed before, and power he never even knew existed. With a sigh, he tapped a small lamp on the table in the middle of the limo's floor. Light flooded the vehicle and Kaiba realized there were two more pairs of eyes in his car than he originally thought there to be.

"Bakura, Ryou. So glad you could make it." His voice made everyone jump and turn to look where he was staring directly across from himself and Jounouchi at the two, white-haired teens. Bakura's ruby-chocolate eyes were gleaming and only Yami knew what that look meant. Whatever happened in that house would be a game to Bakura, and a nightmare for the rest of them. Sometimes it was good to be on the same side as the tomb robber.

"Good evening, Kaiba. I'm glad you invited us. I wouldn't have missed the fun for anything." Those eyes stopped looking out the window at the house and turned to the CEO of KaibaCorp. When icy midnight met ruby-chocolate something in the air spiked and Anzu cried out softly in pain. Ryou's calm chestnut eyes turned to her briefly before they snapped back to the window when he saw movement.

"Kaiba," his voice was thicker than usual, his accent all the more prominent when he was frightened or angry. . .or virtually high on any emotion for that matter. "Do you have any silver crosses on you, any at all?"

Those cold eyes turned to him. "Why?"

Before Ryou could answer, Jounouchi spoke up. "I do."

Yami's voice cut the silence like a knife. "What? I thought you weren't faithful to the God of the Christian faith."

Jounouchi's smile wasn't pleasant. "I'm not. But I am faithful to a God, and that has to be good enough. I always carry at least three high silver-content crosses with me." He sighed and shook his head. "My little brother was taken by vampyres when I was younger. He was born before Shizuka. After the attack, I didn't want to feel helpless. I knew what had mutilated his body, and I knew that if I ever told my mother or father, I'd never have the chance to save another."

Kaiba had gone very, very still, almost seeming to seep back into the shadows that played tricks around the interior of the limousine. His eyes were dark, but in their depths was an angry fire. Jounouchi had had a little brother, just like him. And he'd lost him to the monsters. Yet, Kaiba glanced at the blonde in question who was talking amicably with Draco on the events of the night of his brother's death, he'd kept going, vowing to himself to stay strong for his brother and save another if the occasion ever arose. As it had now.

Before he knew it, the CEO already had a plan.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think I just came up with a plan to get us in there, save those trapped inside, and get out alive." At his words, everyone turned to face him. "Okay, Jounouchi has three crosses on him right now. And as far as I know there are three humans in this car that will need the extra help, along with something more." For a moment he paused. "Masaki," Anzu jumped at being addressed so formally by the brunette, "you will ride with my chauffer to the police and tell them a crime is in progress. If they ask what has happened, tell them anything but that we came here knowing what was going on inside. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand perfectly." She replied, her voice steady, cerulean eyes darker than normal. She was determined not to let any of her friends die. But it seemed pointless to her if they got out of this mess alive only to go to jail for some reason they didn't even understand.

Next, Kaiba turned to Erik, Draco, and Ceilya. "All three of you have enough power to keep anything coming after you at bay unless you're seriously wounded. Draco, go around the back of the mansion, but travel along the gate. At least ten paces from the wall is a chain. Pull it and a trap door will appear. I trust you can work the controls and hack into the mainframe, allowing yourself access to the controls without setting off an alarm?"

"Of course. I'm glad you think so highly of me, Seto Kaiba." Draco replied, pale, hazel-blue eyes sparkling with his near-excitement.

"Erik, you'll go with Ceilya to the second floor balcony. If all goes well, you'll be able to get into my little brother's room. Under the bed is a safe with the combination 13 07 98 17 03. In there are hopefully enough weapons from any era that you'll be able to wield with ease." He turned to Yami and Yuugi. "Yami, since you already have the power of the Sen'nen Puzzle to create light and a barrier around you, Yuugi will be the one to receive the first cross. I'll give you your weapons in a few minutes." The two nodded and Kaiba turned to Bakura and Ryou.

"Bakura you've enough power without the Sen'nen Ring to create light and even then nothing can catch you. Am I correct?" The tomb robber nodded, an odd grin lighting his features. "Then Ryou will receive the second cross. . . ."

And it continued for some time. As Kaiba told everyone what they'd do, he pulled out a blue print of the entire Kaiba Estate from a hidden compartment in the floor of the vehicle. Spreading it across the table, he pointed to various hidden doors that no one but he and Mokuba had known about. He showed them underground tunnels that had been built with the house, rooms that existed behind seemingly solid walls that would 'evaporate' until the person desiring to pass through them was safely on the other side, and much more.

When, finally, everyone knew what to do in case of an emergency bigger than what they were charging into, Kaiba pulled something out from the same hidden compartment as the blue prints. The safe was some four feet long and two feet wide. Quickly putting in the combination, he flipped open the lid and smirked at the weaponry he'd accommodated over the years. Jounouchi let out a low whistle in liking as he picked up twin daggers. The silver blades were wavy; ceremonial daggers used most often in necromancy rituals of calling the dead. The hilts were golden with two figures carved upon them. On the left one the Egyptian Goddess, Isis was carved, on the right the Egyptian God Osiris was carved.

"Can you use them, Katsuya?" The blonde nodded. "Then their yours to keep." Turning to everyone else, he told them to each grab one sword or gun, but make sure they were able to wield the weapon they chose before taking it. Whenever the answer was yes, the weapon became theirs. "Okay, listen up, one last thing before we go in there."

Silence ensued and everyone turned their gaze to the CEO, his icy midnight eyes were over bright and looked as if he were caught in the throws of passionate love-making, but the fire in those icy depths was different somehow. It was angry, but it was calm, and it wanted blood more than anything. Blood of the ones who had dared harm his little brother. Jounouchi touched his hand gently where it rested over the gun at his hip and the sword laid across his lap soon to be strapped to his back.

Kaiba gripped his blonde lover's hand tightly before he spoke, "We're going to go in there and we're going to come out. I will not settle for failure unless every other option is used up before hand. If you cannot save either Ryuuji Otogi, Mai Valentine, or Hiroto Honda, that is not my fault. For the main reason I am running in there is because of Mokuba Akieto Kaiba. He will walk out those front doors one way or another. But he will walk out alive." He paused and sighed. "I've done much worse things in my life than run into a house with monsters pouring from every shadow. But this, by far, is the scariest thing I've ever done, and hope nothing else will best it."

A long silence followed this before Jounouchi's eyes turned amber and wolfish and he smirked, showing one long, deadly looking fang. "Let's do it."

With those words, the light of the lamp was extinguished and in the last few seconds in the dark, lovers and friends shared soft good-byes in case neither saw the other again for a long time. They only hoped it wouldn't really be good-bye.


Yami moved in the front door, watching as Draco's form disappeared around the side of the house. Erik and Ceilya had already reached the second floor balcony and had snuck in through the doors without tripping an alarm. Yuugi gripped his hand tightly as the ancient Pharaoh moved to flick on the lights. The minute he did so, he wished he hadn't when Yuugi screamed in fright in their mind link, sending his vision into stars before it cleared.

And when it did, his heart stopped almost.

The entire downstairs living room which the foyer led into was bathed in blood and gore. What appeared to be a body lay on the couch as if the person was merely sleeping. But upon closer examination, Yami found it was Iwamoto, Kaiba's second head of security. Blood dripped from the high dome ceiling, bones and body parts scattered like a child's playthings. Yuugi had buried his face in his side and Yami shivered slightly. He didn't like the feel of this place. Even he could smell the fear in the air, and it wasn't from Yuugi. The amethyst-eyed teen wasn't afraid of what they were facing. He was sad that they hadn't been able to save Iwamoto.

Something told Yami that Iwamoto wasn't the only one these monsters had gotten to. A shadowy movement to his left made the ancient ruler jump and look swiftly to the movement. Caught in the light made from the lamps and overhead chandelier, was a small boy. Wide eyes stared at him, one bloodied and half closed. Open wounds and blood littered his body. If it hadn't have been for the boy's one good, violet-sapphire eye he would have shot him.

"Mokuba!" He hissed.

The boy's body stiffened before he ran forward. Yami hugged him briefly as Yuugi enveloped the hurt child into his arms, holding his almost dead weight easily. "Did Seto really come for us. . .?" was the soft question in the amethyst-eyed teen's ear. Yuugi nodded, whispering. "Yes. Hold on and we'll get you out of here."

"No, you won't. He's mine and I'm not letting him go so easily." A calm voice whispered.

Cerulean eyes flashed in the shadows of the kitchen entrance that Mokuba had been running across when Yami had caught the movement. Ruby hair as red as the blood that coated the walls, floor, and furniture became visible as the speaker jumped into the light easily, the movement showing it had muscles in places normal humans didn't. Yuugi growled softly, much to Yami's surprise and the ex-ruler watched as the boy's cross blazed half-heartedly. This creature was only half vampyre. Goodie.

"Who are y"

"You already now me, Yami." That calm voice hissed softly.

"No. . ." Crimson eyes widened as Fahren Faolan became fully visible. Other than the extremely short mini-skirt with blue flames and matching top that looked more like a strapless bra than anything else, she was utterly deprived of clothing. Thick, warm power suddenly flooded the room and Yami staggered backwards into Yuugi as the two were knocked to the bloody floor. The amethyst-eyed teen ushered Mokuba to run.

"Go find Kaiba! He's outside waiting for us to " His words were cut short as Yami screamed as Fahren tore his right leg, almost exposing white bone as flesh and muscle parted like paper for her talons to tear into.

Mokuba ran out the still open front door just as a blinding golden light engulfed the entire living room of the Kaiba Estate as a high pitched howl rode the air before silence followed. He kept running, ignoring the pain in his left leg as the broken appendage was forced to move for him. He felt the darkness of a comatose sleep overtaking him and willed it back. If only for a while longer. He'd vowed that he wouldn't die in that house in nothing but fits of fear and regret. He just wouldn't.

He ran into something tall and solid. Falling on his bruised back, he opened his eyes wearily to peer into what he'd hoped would be a pair of icy midnight eyes. But instead these eyes were a cold grey, he whimpered and tried to scramble away. However, a quick hand shot out, grabbing him and pulling him against a fully matured body, but the voice that flowed from it couldn't have been that of a girl much older than him.

"Come, Mokuba, you don't want to miss what's in store for your brother and friends." She licked his ear and he screamed, loud and angry, using what was left of his strength and voice to scream for help. The night only echoed it back to him and he soon gave up.

But before he fell into that comatose sleep, he hissed softly so he knew the vampyress holding him could hear: "I won't die so easily, Nikolaos. . . And neither will my brother."

She only laughed as she held him. "Of course, little one. Of course."


Kaiba and Jounouchi entered from a side door when Yuugi signalled to them it was alright to enter. As he flipped on the lights, he hissed and couldn't find the will power in him to turn them off again when he saw the room. It was his personal office, the only room with a ceiling fan in the entire estate. For some reason, he'd liked the fan, now the effect and likeness was destroyed.

Roland hung from the fan, spinning as the slow moving machine spun around and around. He hung by what could only be a piece of skin wrapped around his neck. Blood dripped slowly to the floor in drops that echoed like thunder in his ears. When Jounouchi tried to step past him, he shielded his eyes and whispered softly, "No. You won't see this, Katsuya."

The other protested but when he sneaked a peek he yelled in surprise and buried himself against Kaiba. The other sighed softly and shivered, holding the other close. When the younger blonde had stopped shivering he stepped back slightly and looked anywhere but at Roland. Those eyes were clouded and wide with fear. A few feet from where the head of security hung from the ceiling fan was a cell phone. Kaiba reluctantly picked it up and searched the last number dialled. It had been (03) 1307 - 2431. His own cell number.

"Shit. He was the one that called you." Jounouchi's voice was soft near his ear. He jumped, feeling paranoid and not liking it.

"Yeah he was." Kaiba murmured and looked back at the dead man. "The only question is. . . what killed him?"

They both moved from the room and into the living room. Pausing when they saw Fahren Faolan standing over a Yuugi, her hands moving down his body, an unconscious Yami laying off to the side in a pool of his own dark blood, the light flooding from the chandelier making it glimmer, the world seemed to fade out and come back in. Jounouchi took one look at the couch were Iwamoto lay dead, eyes closed as if in sleep, on hand hanging lazily off the couch, and let out a sound somewhere between a howl and a yell of unleashed fury. Kaiba watched as the Sen'nen Necklace flared to life, the Sen'nen Puzzle gleaming in response as the blonde rushed Fahren, knocking her off the fearful, quivering form of his best friend.

She shrieked and threw them both into a roll. Kaiba found himself running to Yuugi and Yami as he yelled, "Her stomach, Katsuya! It's her weak-spot!" How he knew this, he wasn't sure, but he did and told his lover as the said blonde kicked Fahren in her stomach making her double over before he landed a swift kick to the side of her face and let out a roar of pure anger and fury, unsheathing the twin daggers at his sides when she got up and charged him again.

Kaiba glanced up in time to see Jounouchi cut Fahren across the waist, spilling her intestines and bodily fluids all over the floor. As she fell, she opened her mouth to curse him in death but he beheaded her. Her body fell to the ground with a soft thump and the CEO shuddered. Yami opened his eyes slowly and groaned. Yuugi crawled over to him, touching his cheek.

"Yami. . . don't leave me." the amethyst eyed boy whispered, voice quivering with sadness and fear the likes of which Kaiba had never seen before. A sound of passing wind echoed around the room and the clash of metal on metal as two beings hissed at each other brought all three of their attentions to the small battle going on a few feet from them.

Jounouchi was battling a tall, paper-white vampyre with long, curly black hair and glowing red eyes. His body was covered in black leather with expert tears in the fabric itself. His long sword was blocking an attack from Jounouchi's right and left daggers as the other vampyre, a female with bright golden hair cropped short enough to spike with wholesome baby blue eyes came at him from behind.

He didn't think as he raised the Browning High-power and shot two Glazier Safety Round bullets into her chest. One struck her in the left shoulder, blowing it to pieces in a shower of blood, bone, and muscle tendons. The second bullet hit her square over the heart, blowing a hole in her chest wide enough to stick a hand through. Her baby blue eyes widened in astonishment as she reached towards Jounouchi, but fell to the ground too far out of reach. The taller, ruby-eyed vampyre hissed in anger as he attacked Jounouchi more fiercely.

Once more, before he even thought about it, Kaiba yelled, "Katsuya get down!" The blonde ducked as one bullet hit the vampyre in the back of the head, showering brains, blood, and thicker fluids over the floor and wall behind the half kneeling blonde as a second one hit him in the chest, taking out his heart like the one that had taken out the female's heart. Kaiba finally regained his right mind, whatever that meant, and took deep, slow breaths. Yami looked at him surprise, his body already having healed itself mostly due to the power of his Sen'nen Item. Yuugi was holding onto his dark with white knuckled hands.

Before any of them could speak a scream rent the air and Jounouchi whispered, still standing amidst the carnage surrounding him, daggers gleaming brightly in the light, the blood twinkling oddly, "Otogi."

With Kaiba and Yuugi's help, Yami rose to his feet, caught his balance, and ran after the blonde as he tore up the stairs to the second floor. He paused, waiting for something. Then a thought occurred to Yuugi. Where was Mokuba? Had he reached Kaiba? Judging by the fierce, determined fire in the brunette's eyes, he still hadn't found the black-haired Kaiba-brother. With a growl so dark and angry that Yami inquired as to its reason through their mind link, Yuugi spoke softly.

"Their Mistress has come out of hiding."

"Yes, indeed she has." Iilya Ah'kentyah said as she sauntered from the shadows, her green eyes glittering brightly. In her arms she held an unconscious Ryuuji Otogi. Behind her stepped a taller woman, cold grey eyes looking like chips of darkened moonlight.

"Welcome, Seto Kaiba and others, to the gathering of the Darké Enyäto." Her voice echoed like ripples in a too still, gloomy lake. Kaiba stared at her and his heart clenched. This was the bitch behind it all? His blood boiled and his vision grew dark as he seemed to see everything through an icy dark blue haze. Taking a slow step forward, he lunged at Iilya, side-stepping Nikolaos as he knocked the female vampyre to the ground, Ryuuji Otogi falling to the floor limply, his body seeming to become only dead weight.

Kaiba let out a scream as Iilya slashed him along the chest, right over the first place Fahren had cut with her dagger some four months before. Shivering with what had to be anger, he couldn't afford to feel fear right then, the brunette raised the Browning High-power and sighted down the barrel at her chest. "You twitch and you're dead. It's just that simple."

Silence reigned before Jounouchi's yell sounded, shrill and fearful. Kaiba turned just in time to see the blonde be overcome as a horde of shadows enclosed over him. Running forward, forgetting about Iilya at his back, he reached out to Jounouchi, grasping his hand tightly, whispering for him not to let go, to never let go, when something hard hit him over the head. The shadows, he realized weren't attacking Jounouchi, they only seemed to be. He was being taken under by Nikolaos's eyes as those cold grey irises stared down at him.

"Come, Seto Kaiba. I have a friend who is dying to meet you." Her voice was still that echo of ripples in a too still, gloomy lake. But somehow, her form changed. She was no older than sixteen, her breasts just barely having stopped growing, almost full and supple. Her skin was a soft creamy-brown, the look to her features vaguely Native American. Somehow she was alive and dead at the same time. His logical mind began to fade as he took her hand, the shadows seeming to swallow him and the vampyres around him.

In the distance, like some fading dream, he heard one voice resonate around him, that voice itself deeper than normal, but he knew it well enough to place a face with it, but not enough just then to register a name.

"SETO! NO! SETOOOO!"

He closed his eyes, welcoming the sweet lascivious darkness of the night. Nikolaos whispered such beautiful, sweet things in his ear as he drifted into an easy sleep. But little did he know that she only whispered half of the night's true secrecy.

For the battle was only just beginning.

Haunted dreamers beware, it's time for the ultimate scare.
Prepare your weapons, prepare your friends.
Because the darkness has come, and its time to make amends.


End Chapter 12 of Forbidden Fruit

:she shivers slightly: Ooh, I'm gonna have nightmares about this chapter and I'm the one that wrote it. Eek. . . my imagination really scares me sometimes. Okay people. . . The next chapter isn't the final one, mind you, but the one after it, Chapter 14 is. Yes, the fanfic is almost over. :cries softly, Jiro rubbing against her leg: Hey there. The cookies are where they always are. :the silver rabbit runs off, looking happy with himself:

At least HE liked the chapter.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who reviewed. And please, please let me know if there is anything I've over looked. Sometimes I'll do that. Type something, mess it up, then do it right later on. I hate that! So, please tell me if that happens. It would help a lot.

Okay, that's it for this chapter. Look for Chapter 13 sometime around Saturday or Sunday. Chapter 14 will follow soon after it. Also, I'm looking to have Pleasures of the Guilty, the sequel to this fanfic, coming up sometime around April the second, maybe earlier. It depends on when my state testing falls. After all, I've got the Algebra 1 test next month. :shudders in fear and hatred: I hate math!

But enough of my babbling! Until next time. . . .

Arigatou, minna-san!
-Wareta Shooki

Last Edited 3 / 17 / 05
(Happy St. Patrick's Day!)