YD: In case you haven't noticed yet, I've deleted Songfic Collection. Unfortunately, Fanfiction no longer allows it. I want to keep my account so I had to delete it.
HS: It had 30 reviews and ten chapters… I wish I didn't have to delete it but… ya know. I couldn't keep it. Someone was bound to report me and I'd be kicked off.
YD: Well, enough of my ranting. I'm sure you're all very anxious to know what happened to Yuugi.
Chapter seven, Hurt
"My name is Yokoshima." Yokoshima clapped her hands and another light shined on another person. A person drenched in his own blood and was bound against the Tablet of the Pharaoh.
"Oh Ra…" Yami murmured, voice cracking.
That one person who was so brutally tortured, the person who Yami wished could hold in his arms again, was… Yuugi.
Yami leaned heavily on Jounouchi, holding back tears. He stared at the unconscious form of his hikari sadly. Gold chains were around his wrists, ankles, his neck, and his waist. Those six chains were the only thing holding him up.
"You came for what, Pharaoh? Did you come for your hikari or to kill the kidnapper or to help your friend?" Yami looked up.
"I came to save Yuugi." Although a little unbalanced, Yami stood up. Even though he looked confidant, his eyes showed the truth. He was scared, scared for his friends and his koishii.
"You fool, here's your friend." Yokoshima laughed and Dark Magic sparkled. Someone was thrown toward them. Instinctively, Jounouchi and Yami caught them.
"Isis!" Malik reached forward and took her from their grasp. He looked toward Yokoshima with rage written all over his features. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Is that so? Well, if you do any harm to me, your little hikari gets it!" Yami looked at Malik, silently relaying a pleading and desperate message through his eyes. Malik hissed but didn't do anything.
"Thank you, Malik." Yami whispered. Yokoshima laughed loudly and cruelly.
"I knew you'd see it my way! Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. She is my host." Yami scowled. If you had a host, you're a Slave to the Shadows.
"Hello, my old friends. Do you remember me?" An oddly familiar girl stepped into the light where Yokoshima stood. The girl had iced blue eyes flecked with crimson. Those eyes could freeze you just by looking at you. She wore black leather that clung to her curvy figure. It seemed like she was going to go clubbing or something. Her hair was black as well, pure black.
"She is the person I met in the Shadow Realm. We both sought revenge on you, Pharaoh, so we teamed up and planned our revenge. The perfect way was to go through your hikari. We just needed a way to lure you to your doom." Yami swore he felt his blood freeze. Bakura actually swore out loud.
"This is all your fault, Pharaoh!" Yami flinched. "If it weren't for you, out hikaris would have never been put in danger!"
"I know." His gaze turned icy. "Don't you think I know this is all because of me? Do you think I have ever thought about how I betrayed Yuugi! Do you? I do know, alright? I think about it every minute, every second that Yuugi is apart from me! I damn well know that I'm to blame for all this!" Bakura stared at him.
"Bakura…" Ryou scolded. Yami fell to his knees.
"I know… I just want Yuugi back in my arms…" he sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Yuugi. I failed you. I don't deserve to be your yami. I don't deserve to live. Just kill me now…" If either Yokoshima or her host had a heart, it would have broke for the depressed yami. Unfortunately, they didn't.
"Look how far the mighty pharaoh has fallen." Yokoshima's host taunted. "Your brat deserves to die, just like you do."
"Take that back." The tears falling from his eyes had stopped, replaced with guilt and determination. "Yuugi doesn't deserve what you've done to him. Take that back right now." He stood up.
"You want Yuugi back?" Yokoshima asked.
"Yes." Yami snarled.
"Tell you what, Yami, since I'm feeling good today, I'll give you a chance. Let's play a game." Yami winced; he'd heard that so many times from Yuugi. "You see those gold chains? Well, we'll both ask three questions. Answer them correctly and a chain will disappear. You choose which one goes. Answer it wrong… well, you'll know."
"If you pass the game then two souls will be sent to the Shadows. One person volunteers while the other is chosen by the volunteer. Both go the Shadows together. If you lose the game, Yami Atemu, you forfeit yours and your hikari's life. Deal?"
"I accept." Yami replied without hesitating. The risks were high but taking risks were a normal thing in Yami's life.
"Excellent." Cold blue-red eyes glinted insanely. Purple and black flames spread from the two, enclosing themselves and Yami in a dome. No one could get in and no one could get out.
"I'll save you, Yuugi. Hang on a little longer." Yami whispered. Yuugi was still unconscious and blissfully oblivious to what was going on. Yokoshima and her host grinned insanely.
"You've fallen for our trap, Pharaoh. Let the game begin."
"I'll ask the first question. Pharaoh, why do I want revenge on you?" Yokoshima asked.
"…When I was pharaoh, I dueled countless people for my life and the lives of my people. You were the Sorceress of Chaos and wanted to rule in my stead. I dueled you and won, thus sending your mind, body, and soul to the Shadow Realm."
"Correct," Yokoshima grudgingly replied. "Choose a chain to disappear."
"I choose the chain around his neck." Instantly, the golden chain binding his neck disappeared, letting more oxygen through his lungs. Yuugi leant forward a bit, still unconscious.
"It's my turn now. Guess what my name is."
"Mazaki Anzu, the bitch who almost killed Yuugi." Yami viciously wrenched her name through his throat. Anzu's eyes immediately narrowed.
"You better be careful what you say about me, Yami-Chan. Yuugi's life is once again in my hands. Now, choose a chain."
"I choose the one around his waist." It vanished quickly. Anzu and Yami glared at each other with as much hatred they could muster. If looks could kill, they'd both be dead a million times over. Along with glaring at Anzu, Yami was also listening for Yuugi's breathing. It was slow and ragged but at least he was breathing.
"The questions have been easy for now; just wait till they hit sore spots." Bakura whispered quietly. This was a dirty trick, he knew.
"Do you think Yami will win?" Jounouchi asked Seto. The CEO shook his head.
"I honestly don't know. It's all up to the Pharaoh. He'd better not slip up." Jounouchi nodded sadly and looked at his small buddy, bound against the tablet.
"He never deserved that." Ryou remarked softly. "Poor Yami, what he's going through is horrible." Bakura hugged his hikari tightly. If anyone took Ryou away from him they'd die slowly and painfully.
"He'll make it. That baka pharaoh never loses." Despite his confident tone, his eyes showed different emotions. He didn't want to care but the problem was, he did care, he cared too much.
"Do you think he'll win, Marik?" Isis was laid on the floor with Marik and Malik standing near her protectively.
"I don't know, koibito." Marik smoothed out Malik's hair. "It's all up to the Pharaoh. He'd better win or else he is killed… or worse."
"What could be worse than death?" Seto asked. "Nothing is worse than death." Marik and Bakura glanced at him.
"You've obviously never been to the Shadow Realm before. There, you're reduced to the mentality of a toddler… if you're lucky." Seto blanched.
"…That's charming." He muttered.
Inside the dome, Yokoshima and Anzu were furious. They were sure their first two questions would be answered wrong. But then again, they could now move on to Plan B. Yokoshima smirked. It was now her turn to ask a question.
"Time to move on to more personal things. Third question, Pharaoh: Have you had any inappropriate dreams about your innocent hikari?"
"I… I…" Yami could not answer, but he had to. For the sake of his hikari, he had to answer the Ra-damned question. Then why couldn't he just say YES! His stupid pride wouldn't let him, not while his rivals stood outside a dome which they could hear through. He glanced from the smirking figure of Yokoshima to Yuugi.
"Hurry up, Pharaoh. I'm still waiting."
"I… N-no, I h-haven't anything like t-that." His words sounded so weak. It was obvious that he was lying. The smirk on her face widened. Anzu, behind her, sprouted a smug look.
"Wrong answer, Pharaoh. And for that, Yuugi suffers." Anzu smiled insanely and pointed to Yuugi. Dark Magic flew from her fingertips and hit Yuugi. Black fire danced all around him, burning his pure soul painfully. It was the equivalent of being stuck in a burning building, burning alive. A scream was heard all throughout the museum, Yuugi's scream.
"STOP!" Yami yelled, scared and hurt. He could feel the pain radiating from his hikari. Anzu smiled and lifted the curse. Yuugi was left, breathing heavily, eyes unfocused.
Everyone watched as Yuugi struggled to stay conscious, to stay above the darkness clawing at him. A crystalline tear dropped from his eyes, hitting the floor beneath him. His pure aura was fading; he was dying slowly and torturously. Still, his spirit had not been broken. The Light around him was fading but it was still fighting off the Darkness as best it could. Yuugi was still clinging to life by a thread. Only Yami held the thread, barely, and his grip was slipping.
"Yuugi, I'm sorry." He was frozen on the spot, wanting to comfort him, but couldn't move. Yuugi looked up. His normally sparkling amethyst eyes were a dull purple.
"Y-Yami, you came." A new light shone in his eyes. "I knew y-you would. I h-have faith in y-you." The Light fought harder and succeeded in driving away the Darkness… for now.
"Yuugi…" Yami looked at his little angel's body. Blood trickled from many wounds, it was slowing but it was still bleeding. Yami noticed that there were lacerations on his neck, small but there. Someone had a knife, and they used it. He inwardly growled.
"How cute. Little Yuugi still has faith. Pitiful, we'll have to change that." Anzu stepped toward Yuugi. Yami didn't miss the fear in Yuugi's eyes.
"Touch him and I'll kill you." Yami hissed. Anzu stopped.
"Very well." A knife appeared in her hand. It was the same knife she used to stab Yuugi and the same knife Yuugi used to try to end his life. Yami watched in slow motion as the knife left Anzu's hand and flew toward Yuugi…
Someone outside the dome screamed in horror.
Yami forced himself to breathe as he summoned the last drop of Magic he had. He didn't have enough to stop the blade or teleport, so he redirected it. Yami knew that he couldn't aim it at Yokoshima or Anzu; they'd just redirect it toward Yuugi again. So, he aimed it toward himself…
Yuugi screamed.
To Be Continued
YD: This cliffhanger was even worse than chapter six. Ahem, I don't suppose a bribe would work now, would it?
HS: Now you've really done it, Yami. You twisted the plot too much. We're going to have to put it back on track. We can't let the Pharaoh die, it would leave Yuugi broken. You saw he put strength in fighting when he saw Yami no Yuugi!
YD: (looks at readers) They're going to kill me.
HS: You deserve it.
YD: Review please…
A million thanks to Yugi-is-my-one-and-only, Sarah Costa, Jade Cade, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Yonaka Yuki, Daikaio, Feebeefi, Hikari's-dark-side-08, HellsEternalFlame, Deceptigirl, Setsu, oreosarecool, can't remember5713, Yufa Gale Kurata Yagami, ele, i love athrun, Hathors-Favorite, gohan/videlgoten/trunkslover, Badbunny, Steven Thericeball, Eliza-Stonetear, Empress Miya, Ran Ohki, and Princess Nefertari AKA Krysta. I love you all!
