…or maybe not. All of a sudden, I didn't want to know where the stairs went. I had a feeling that if I did end up following them, I'd get in a lot of trouble, and I'm in over my head already. I shivered and turned away from the stairs. I was getting an ominous feeling from them. I had just entered the main hall when I heard someone call me from one of the vampire's rooms. Nervously, I went back into the hallway and listened for the voice again, but it didn't come. I peered into each room quickly; something in the third door I looked into caught my eye, and I cautiously entered, lighting the candles on each side of the door.
I held my breath.
The Millennium Puzzle was lying on the bed.
The cathedral doors shook, sending slivers of wood every which way. Yami looked up quickly and saw the wooden bar snap in two. Fear overwhelmed him; his dark side had broken loose. Yami stood completely still underneath the tree where he once hung by his hands. He saw himself exit the ancient cathedral and scan the graveyard with his red eyes. While Dark Yami's head was turned, the Pharaoh sidled to the other side of the tree and held his breath.
"I know you're out here…come out, come out, where ever you are…" Dark Yami said slowly, his voice dripping with sinister intentions.
Yami spared a glance around the tree's trunk. He watched Dark Yami stride around the graveyard at a leisurely pace before hiding himself again. He could hear the one loyal to Osiris prowling around, growling softly.
Then everything went silent. Yami felt his heart rate return to normal, and he released a relieved sigh a little too soon. For the moment the breath escaped his lips, he heard something break straight through the tree and felt a strong, cold hand around his throat. Then, without warning, Yami was pulled forcefully backward through the tree and thrown onto the stone walkway, Dark Yami standing over him with a wicked and triumphant grin. "I told you that you couldn't hide from me," he hissed, kneeling by his other half.
Yami didn't move. He couldn't summon enough strength to blink or speak. He just stared up helplessly into the evil one's eyes. Yami drew in a sharp breath when he felt a sharp nail cut deep into his throat and felt blood trickle down his skin.
"You're probably wondering why you feel pain if you're only a soul," his dark counterpart said. "Ra favors you. After Leyanna returned to the heavens, Ra restored your body. You are alive again. So that means that if you die here, you'll cease to exist. And your hikari will fall to a fate worse than death, which he will whether you escape from here or not. But don't worry. I'm not planning on killing you." Dark Yami cut his wrist with one of his long nails and pressed the wound to Yami's bleeding throat. "I am still only a soul." Dark Yami's malevolent grin returned. "You can figure out the rest." Dark Yami dropped his voice to a whisper. "Say 'farewell' to your free will." Then the wicked Pharaoh faded away.
Yami screamed in massive pain. He could feel the incredible strength of his dark side coursing through his entire body, and felt his canines lengthen and sharpen at the tip. All thoughts of escaping from the prison within the portrait vanished and were replaced with thoughts of death, blood, and the pleasure of murder.
Then he stopped screaming. The fiery pain faded away before he climbed to his feet. Yami stared down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them, then smirked.
"Weakling," he murmured, "he didn't even struggle. I was hoping that he would. Now all that is left is to escape from this hellish prison." Yami, possessed by his evil side, walked down the path until it ended. What appeared to be a wall of water rippled in front of his eyes. He placed his hand on the watery surface, and it froze just like ice. Then, with a gentle rap from the dark one's knuckles, the wall shattered like glass, and the way to the museum could be seen. He stepped out of the portrait and into the dark room. His red eyes shone with pleasure.
He was free.
He threw open the door and strolled out, slamming it none-too-gently behind him. The sound echoed silently down the hall. The museum was closed. The light from the security guard's flashlight shone a few feet away from him. Yami slipped silently into the shadows, waiting for the unsuspecting man to pass. The anticipation of his first kill in ages was invigorating. He didn't have to wait very long. The guard came by within ten seconds, whistling a merry tune and twirling a truncheon around. Then, without warning, Dark Yami jumped out from the shadows and pinned the startled man to the wall. A curse of surprise escaped the man's lips before Yami sunk his fangs into the veins in the guard's throat and drank from the crimson liquid that spilled out from the wound in massive amounts. A purr-like growl resonated from his throat while he fed, pleased by the first taste of blood in eons. The warm fluid trickled down his throat, renewing his strength and awakening his lust.
Finally, after the guard had no more to give, Yami withdrew his fangs and dropped the corpse to the floor, licking blood from his lips.
All those millennia of waiting finally paid off, just like Osiris said it would.
Author's Note: After re-reading that chapter, I realized that I don't like it! L That's sad. L I feel bad for doing that to Yami. Don't hate me! I couldn't think of anything else for the life of me! Man, trying to get rid of writer's block sucks…