Chapter XII: Intoxication

And our scars remind us
That the past is real
I tear my heart open
Just to feel

A cold, malevolent, dark laugh entered from the darkness covering Rika's silver eyes, and she felt a little distant from the world, a coldness washing over her. A voice kept yelling in the distance of her mind. "Wake up! Wake up or all is lost!" She couldn't open her eyes, though. It was so hard to break the darkness, and she felt so weak and exhausted. She felt a pull in her mind, and she fought back with little strength and energy she had. However, that wasn't much. She moaned as a sharp pain surged through her body, like someone stabbing a diamond into her head. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think as the pain washed over her. Someone was trying to get into her mind, she needed to push them off. But she was far too weak now.

"Rika!"

In the darkness, a warm, golden light shown through into her mind, and at last the pain vanished. She felt safe, all of a sudden. A feeling she hasn't experienced in years because of what has happened to her. Her body felt numb, yet warm. The light shown through, and at last her strength returned. She sighed, allowing this feeling to flow through her, and her energy returned, her strength, and her sight. Every inch of pain that was inside her had vanished completely. She felt the warm, golden light wash away the darkness, and her eyes flew open in surprise. She gasp, finding herself back at that lake, and looked to see Mokuba bound to one of the trees, struggling against the rope holding him to the tree. It was no success, and Rika then realized she was bound also to another tree. But how did she get there? Why was Mokuba tied, also? And how did she regain the amulet from the museum around her neck?

"You're awake? Excellent," spoke a cold, dark voice. Rika looked up to see a stranger approach her from the bank of the lake. His golden, blond spiky hair shimmered in the pale moonlight, his cold, dark amethyst eyes sending a chill aura around her, the golden eye glowing brightly on his brow. He smiled sinisterly at her, his white fangs protruding slightly into the moonlight, sending a shudder down Rika's spine. Why was she scared? She had never been scared in his presence before. What could he possibly do to her now? If he was planning to kill her, that was more of a good thing than bad.

"Why'd you bring me here?" she couldn't help but ask. The stranger, or from what the pharaoh has told her about him, Yami no Malik, smiled even more evilly as he kneeled down to her eye level and tilted her chin back. He was staring directly into her eyes.

"I brought you here so I could see the full potential of your power, that strength that you've had for years," he spoke sinisterly. His breath was cold as it sharply brushed against her skin. She moaned from the pressure applied to her chin from his grasp, and he released her at once. But then he swung at her with the golden blade in his hand. She shut her eyes, waiting to feel the cold blade against her flesh and pierce it, causing crimson liquids to pour, but it didn't happen. Instead, she felt the tight bonds of her wrist loosen, and she could move again. She opened her eyes, but at once, his burning hands seized her revealed arm and pulled her up. His grip was so tight that his nails dug into her flesh, causing more blood to arise from beneath the flesh. Rika anxiously looked at Mokuba from the corners of her eyes, hoping he'll be alright. But then she wandered, what was he going to do to them?

"Please, do what you want to me, but don't hurt Mokuba!" she began to beg, not wanting to see Mokuba shed tears from both his flesh and eyes.

"I don't plan on hurting the brat, my dear. Just you," Yami no Malik hissed sinisterly, turning to her and tracing her jaw line in an evil, seductive manner. Her eyes widened when a thought of what he was going to do ran through her mind. No! Please! Not that!

"Fine, then let him go!" she commanded. She was trying to gain some dominance in this situation. As long as Mokuba was unharmed, she'll die happy, no matter what happens to her. But Yami no Malik's evil smile only widened.

"No, I still need him. I won't hurt him…just yet. He'll draw in his brother, and then the fun will begin," he spoke malevolently.

Fun? What fun? Rika felt shudders run through her as Yami no Malik leaned a little closer, but his face tilted so he was breathing into her ear. "After all, what fun would this be without an audience?" he hissed. Rika's eyes widened in horror and then she began to struggle in his grip. But he was holding her too tight. Both hands grasped her arms firmly and he leaned closer in so he was breathing directly onto her throat. He felt the vibrations of her pulse on her flesh, and at once bit down hard so he could pierce her flesh and taste her delicious, bitter sweet liquid flow little by little onto his lips. She let out a small gasp of pain, and he felt it. The blood had grown hot, hotter than even fire, all of a sudden. The more pain he inflicted on this girl, the more aroused Horus will become until he takes complete control over her body. That will be the time to strike. Yami no Malik pulled away from her, but placed a warm hand on the side of her face. All of a sudden, though her blood was flaming, her flesh was cold, like ice.

"How about we have a little fun before your friends arrive?" he smiled sinisterly at her, and her eyes grew wide. He drew the blade into eye view, and then brought it down to her flesh, opening a new wound across her throat, not so deep so her life would be affected, but enough so that crimson poured from her flesh, from the wound that was made too close to her pulse. She brought a hand up to stop the bleeding, but it didn't help at all, as the blood seeped through her fingertips and onto her torn, black, Victorian dress. Yami no Malik smiled at his work on her, knowing he had just begun with her.

"You were foolish to fall for that mind trick I placed on you. Apparently, even Horus falls for idiotic, mortal emotions. But I would have never guessed you were one of those 'family' loving weaklings. How ironic…" he spoke thoughtlessly. Rika looked up at him, trying to contain the bleeding for as long as she could. Yami no Malik realized this, and let out a cold, demonic laugh. "There's no point in trying to stop the bleeding. There'll be plenty more where that came from."

He snatched her wrist painfully and threw her onto the soil below. She let out a groan as her head hit the rocks of the bank, and then Yami no Malik kneeled down, pinning her wrists over her head with one hand and hovering the blade over her with the other. Rika bit down on her tongue, preventing herself from screaming, as he dragged the blade over several places of her body, her arms, her legs, her throat, and with each new cut, more and more blood poured from her body, burning hot against her skin, and each drop he grew more and more excited about, once or twice he would lick up the trails on her body. Mokuba, still struggling against his bonds, watched in horror as Yami no Malik tortured the girl. He was surprised by several things, one was that Yami no Malik was just torturing her brutally, but not sexually, and that Rika was not screaming at all by this pain. He was hoping his big brother would get there soon before one of them died.

I tried to help you once
Against my own advice
I saw you going down
But you never realized

Rika, please be okay….

These were the thoughts that kept rushing through Kaiba Seto's head, as he ran towards through the grass fields, a slight feeling of familiarity rushing through him now. He stopped abruptly to catch his breath, and then turned to see the others running towards him. He couldn't believe he was stuck with these losers, about to save his ex-girlfriend's life. He didn't know what was going on, but something inside him told him that Rika was hurt, and that she'll die if they don't reach her in time. Something also told him that someone else was in danger. Someone he knew, someone….

"Kaiba, look!" shouted Motou Yugi, who was kneeling down in the grass all of a sudden. Something black and crimson was in his hands. Kaiba approached him and saw that it was a piece of black silk that was soaked with a crimson liquid. A piece of Rika's dress, covered in blood.

"No…no, I can't accept this…" Kaiba muttered to himself, realizing what he would do if they had found her too late. Motou Yugi had explained to him five times about Yami no Malik and Rika, and, though he didn't believe any fantasy stuff he told him, Kaiba agreed with her being in danger. With Rika in that mental state, which he had never seen her in before, she was most likely to fall victim to any creep on the street, as psychotic as Yami no Malik or not. He needed to find her before anything bad happened to her.

But this cloth only made things worse for him. He couldn't even think of her being in some kind of danger now. He just needed to focus on finding her. But as he thought of this, a scream filled the air. It pierced the night sky, and Kaiba recognized that scream. Rika!

"Rika!"

Soon, they all took off towards the trees, and Kaiba knew that Rika was already in more danger than anything he could imagine.

That you're drowning in the water
So I offered you my hand
Compassions in my nature
Tonight is our last stand

"Ah! Let her go, you psycho!" Mokuba yelled, struggling against the rope holding him, but to no avail. The ropes burned through his clothing and were scraping against his skin as he struggled, but they didn't get looser. Instead, they only got tighter. He could only watch in horror at the scene before him. Yami no Malik was pinning the bleeding and multiply wounded Rika to the ground, her black, Victorian dress ripped in several places, her hair pulled out from her tail and was frayed against her pale face, tears searing in her eyes as she fought back all pain and emotions. Lying beside her face was the blood-covered, golden blade shimmering in the bright moonlight. She had begun to fight back against Yami no Malik, which was when he had had enough and decided to take his plan to the next step. Aside the pain inflicted on her body, a voice in the back of Rika's head kept yelling and calling to her, a dark, deep, stern voice, a voice, although sounded as cold and dark as Yami no Malik's, filled Rika's body with warmth and security.

"Rika, don't show any weakness! He wants you to cry! He wants you to suffer!"

She obeyed the voice, trying not to let Yami no Malik see pain or tears, but it was difficult, as she had already shown it once. She didn't understand why he was doing this to her. She didn't understand why she had to suffer like this, but she wasn't going to show any pain. She had already gone through enough pain once already, this was nothing. Except this time it was inflicted to her physical being, not her soul, not her heart. If Yami no Malik wanted to torture her soul, wanted to make her cry, there was only way to do that. However, she kept praying inside her heart, hoping with every fiber of her being, that he wouldn't. But as he picked up the blade once more and drew it across the torn collar of her dress, she couldn't help herself. Something inside her was burning like fire. Burning like the sun…so warm…so…safe….

"STOP!" Rika bellowed out to Yami no Malik, her voice being echoed by a deep, dark, strong voice. She suddenly found a strength she never had, and her hands shoved against his chest, throwing him off her. She suddenly rolled onto her side, the blood rushing onto her flesh from the many wounds on her body. She then heard Yami no Malik growl in his throat, then it was replaced by a hissing laugh.

"I see the more I push, the more you retreat. I like that. However, it won't be long before your pathetic friends come and find you," he laughed.

"They won't come look for me. They don't care about me," Rika spoke softly. Mokuba's eyes widened by her words. What was she talking about?

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. With all the time you spend with the thief, he has fallen mad for you. And Kaiba! Ha! He's more crazy for you than anyone I've seen!" Yami no Malik laughed. Rika whimpered slightly, her back to him, hiding her face in her rolled up hands.

"It was all a lie. They won't care for me now. Now that I've killed someone, they won't even look at me. And who would? I'm a freak, I'm a killer. I don't deserve to live," Rika murmured. Yami no Malik turned to her, surprise on his face. This wasn't Horus speaking through her, trying to fool him. No, this was the girl. The girl was showing her true self. This scared, innocent, alone child. She's been alone for a long time, and was darker than anyone or anything he'd ever seen. She really wanted to die, now. So why didn't he just end it?

Because he needed her. Horus can only be awakened when her emotions and heart are peeked to the edge. Where she couldn't take any more and her heart is torn in two. Where her soul and heart are literally shredded by her own emotions. He needed her. She was the hoste, like his hikari. Her emotions controlled Horus, just like his hikari's emotions controlled him. He needed his hikari to exist, and Horus needed her in order to be born again. So, he needed her in order to gain the sky god's power. It was all he needed.

"Don't worry, my dear. It'll all be over soon," Yami no Malik hissed, and then looked at the struggling Mokuba, tied completely to the tree. He was a hostage, preparing to witness such an occasion. And soon his brother would join them, and the Pharaoh will follow. Then he could get his revenge on them. On all of them for trying to banish him. For trying to defeat him. Not even his other self could keep him sealed. It was his destiny to own the powers of Horus. After all, he was the heir of Seth. His spirit, his soul, his heart, were as dark as Seth's. They were alike, and Seth would be proud to see him accomplish such a victory. A victory Seth himself could never accomplish.

"Rika!"

Yami no Malik looked up to see a group of familiar teenagers stand at the brook of the woods, staring wide eyed at the scene before them. Mazaki Anzu let out a terrified gasp at seeing Mokuba tied to the tree, Mou Hitori no Yugi glared angrily at Yami no Malik, and Seto Kaiba was staring in a frightened way at the bleeding, cowering Rika, who was turned from them on her side. "Rika!" he yelled, running forward, but at once Yami no Malik rushed before him and sent him back into a tree by hitting him square in the chest with the handle of the blade. Kaiba let out a groan of pain as he slid to his knees against the trunk, pain rushing into his body.

"Big brother!" Mokuba cried, fighting even harder against his bonds, but, like always, they got tighter. So tight that they pinched his flesh sharply under his clothing.

"Yami no Malik, what have you done!" Yami no Yugi demanded to the killer, who only gave a smug smile.

"I'm awakening the ancient god, Horus! With his power, not even you, Pharaoh, will be able to stop me!" Yami no Malik laughed.

"You…psycho…." Kaiba gasped, clenching his chest, which filled with pain. Rika had rose to her knees, and was staring wide eye at the Kaiba brothers, one pinned to the trunk of tree, struggling, and the other leaning against another tree, clenching his chest. Yami no Malik noticed this, and smiled evilly.

"You see, Pharaoh, your friend, Miss Yukari Rika, is the hoste to one of the most powerful gods of Egypt, the god of the skies, warrior of the sun, Horus. I have been awakened for this very same thing, and my fool-for-a-host Malik couldn't restrain me completely. I realized I had grown stronger, more powerful! A gift from Seth! And I welcomed it, I accepted it! But then I realized what my mission was; find the Eye of Horus, the most powerful artifact of Egypt, and awaken Horus!" Yami no Malik pointed with the blade to the amulet around Rika's neck. "Better yet, I found both. I robbed the museum for the Eye of Horus, and killed Professor Shinto in the process, not knowing I was killing the uncle of the hoste of Horus.

"A funny thing of the Eye, it could find its real owner. I stalked the city over and over, and each time I found a new victim to kill, but each time I found this girl. I only thought of it as a weird coincidence, until the Eye pulled me to her home one dark and cold night. That was when I tried to find some secrets to power of the Eye from her. I took control of her, but she resisted. No one has ever resisted me so strongly that they actually break free. That was when I discovered she was Horus. That was one big surprise for me. But no more surprises, no more coincidences, this bitch dies…TONIGHT!"

"No!" Yami no Yugi gasped. Kaiba stared at Rika frightfully. She was staring at the grass beneath her, her eyes sparkling with tears that overflowed and trickled down her cheek. She was crying, but in her eyes, he saw it wasn't because she was going to die. It was for another reason. What was it?

"Rika…" Kaiba found enough strength to stand back up and approached Rika. She looked up at him, her tears sparkling like mist in the moonlight. He stroked her cheek, brushing away a few soaked strands from her face, and looked at her pitch-black lips, matching her dress and hair. They quivered with fear and pain. "Rika…I…."

Suddenly pained surged through Kaiba's entire body as he was sent flying into the grass, a trail of scarlet left across the grass from his arm. Rika let out a scream as she saw him land on his side, the arm of his clothing torn and his arm had opened to reveal a deep gash bleeding severely in his flesh. Kaiba rolled onto his side in the grass, his eyes closed, as if he was unconscious. Yami no Yugi stared in terror. Where had Yami no Malik gotten so much strength and power?

"Didn't I tell you, Pharaoh? It was a gift from the dark god, Seth. I am his loyal servant, and I shall obey," Yami no Malik laughed evilly, reading his mind. Yami no Malik raised his hand to his face, as if admiring it. "And with each passing night I grow stronger, closer to my goal of controlling Horus' powers."

"That's it! I'm gonna kill this nutcase once and for all!" Jonouchi yelled, running straight at Yami no Malik, fists raised.

"Jonouchi, no!" Yami no Yugi yelled, but too late.

Yami no Malik smiled, and shot out a hand. A violent, black wind swept around Jonouchi, literally lifting him off the ground. Jonouchi tried to shield his face with his arms, but the wind pierced his flesh and tore away bits of his clothes, leaving bleeding cuts on his body. He was then thrown against a tree behind him. He let out a yell of pain as his body collided with the tree, and then fell to the ground, unconscious.

Tear my heart open
I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much

"Jonouchi!" Yami no Yugi and his friends yelled out in terror, worried of their friend being more than unconscious.

"No!" Rika suddenly screamed. Her hands had flew to her face, covering her face in terror, trying to hide her emotions. But the more terrified and scared she became, the more pain that flew through her body. It was a piercing, burning pain that flowed through her like fire.

"Oh, Pharaoh…" Yami no Malik called in an evil manner. Rika, somehow, knew what was going to happen.

"No! Don't!" Rika screamed, but nothing stopped Yami no Malik as he shot out a hand towards her friends, and a pitch-black, more violent, like a hurricane, wind whipped around them. Anzu let out a scream, the pharaoh let out a groan, and Honda and Bakura fought against it, but they were all swept off their feet and thrown into the trees behind them. The Pharaoh collided hard with a large, thick oak tree, and yelled in pain as his body hit the ground hard and rolled, until he just laid there, unconscious. Rika couldn't fight anymore. She fought to hold it all in. She fought to retain herself. She fought to not show her emotions. But eventually, those emotions, the emotions that she's held in for years, flooded out into a scream.

"NOOOOO!"

Tears flowed from her eyes and dropped onto the grass, sparkling in the moonlight. Yami no Malik turned to see the girl crying, but not just crying, glowing brightly gold. He gasped at how she appeared. Her hair was forced to grow more as it whipped around her face, her once silver, cold eyes were now glowing a pure, perfect, gold, completely gold! Her shredded dress billowing wildly in the gold light. What caught his attention was the amulet. It was glowing brightly and sending off a warm aura. The aura embraced the entire woods, surrounding everyone in a safe, warm field. It glowed gold, while the opal had turned a complete pitch-black, light shielded from it. This was it. Horus had finally awakened! That was the key to forcing this girl to reveal her true self! Destroying everyone she cared about, defeating all those she held near and dear. Now they were no longer near or dear. This was perfect.

But he couldn't waist any time. He had to gain the power now, or else he would lose the chance. And then he'll never get his revenge. He'll have to work fast. He ran at her, and his hands wrapped tightly over the amulet. He heard Rika give a horrified gasp, and then bit down on his lip as the amulet burned painfully in his hands. But he couldn't let go of it, otherwise the power wouldn't be his. She was no longer human, she had now become a key to his power, and he'll soon control it. He'll soon control her.

Suddenly, though, the amulet began to cool in his hands. It grew colder and colder until it was as cold as ice. As it dropped temperature, the amulet began to turn colors in his hands. The gold began to fade and eventually Yami no Malik was staring at a pitch-black eye with a pitch-black opal pupil. He released the amulet, being shot back by a few feet, and watched with a sinister smile at his work. He had now intoxicate the pure power of the amulet, and soon it shall bleed darkness into her. She shall fall under his power, become his slave, and he'll control her completely.

The black amulet then began to glow a black light and the gold light surrounding Rika's body was swallowed up by the black light. Black strikes of light shot up from the ground and kept striking her body, causing the young girl to scream out in pain. Her arms swung around her body, and she knelt as a black cloud began to cover her. Yami no Malik was most amuse with this, and watched as her body faded into the darkness. He then let out a horrible, evil laugh as the cloud vanished and revealed Rika, but this time she was different. Her pitch-black, crimson streaked hair was longer, reaching below her shoulders, her whole body was sickly pale, and her head was bent low, her dress torn in several places, revealing a black tattoo above her navel that had faded words written across it.

"Wake up…everyone…."

A faint, distant voice called, and Kaiba Seto opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around, seeing everyone get up. A black light covered the lake, and then he looked up and gasped. There stood Rika, but she had changed completely. Her whole body was pale, her hair longer, and then she looked up at them. He didn't see the same Rika in those cold, piercing silver eyes. This time, he saw someone else. He saw someone evil, someone ready to kill them all. Kaiba saw a demon inside those eyes. A demon ready to strike.

"Oh no!" Yami no Yugi yelled, staring wide eye in fear at the dark figure. This was Rika's body, but not her soul. Yami no Malik had succeeded. He had gained control over Horus' power, and now Rika was under his control. He sent the real Rika to the Shadow Realm, and filled her body with a completely dark soul, a dark heart, that was the amulet around her neck. Rika was gone, and was now replaced by this demon.

"Witness the birth of the Black Phoenix!" Yami no Malik laughed, and he turned to the Pharaoh with an evil smile. "Pharaoh, this is the end! The girl you knew as Rika is no more! She has been reborn as the dark phoenix she truly was! The servant to Horus, the legendary golden angel! Now her true self has been shown! She is under my control, and now she'll show the true potential of her power!" Yami no Malik laughed sinisterly, and the dark Rika smiled evilly, fangs protruding from her mouth. She had been reborn, yes, but not for the best. Yami no Yugi didn't understand what Yami no Malik was talking about, her being a phoenix, but he knew that now Rika held all their lives in her hands.

And our scars remind us
That the past is real
I tear my heart open
Just to feel

"Ugh…"

Where am I? How'd I get here? And…why do I feel so weak? What's happened to me?

A girl sat up in the darkness, wiping her small hands against her eyes. Her long black hair flowed a few inches below her shoulders, and her silver eyes scanned the darkness, hoping to find a trace of light. Was she in a nightmare? She didn't remember much of what was going on, her small body feeling a bit small in her over-sized clothes. A large, white polo shirt covered her upper torso and reached all the way to her knees, while a pair of large white silk pants covered her legs and reached below her small feet by a foot or so. What was she doing wearing such big clothes? These weren't hers.

The child looked around the darkness, starting to get scared of being alone. How'd she get there? Where was she? Why was she there? So many questions filtered in her head, yet none of them were going to be answered by her just sitting there. She stood up, the overly large clothes draping on her body, and she began to walk through the darkness. She felt scared, placing her small fist up to her mouth in case to stifle a scream. A calming, warm voice was talking to her through the darkness.

"Don't be scared….You're alright…look for him…."

Look for who? Who was she looking for? And who was talking to her? She stopped abruptly, feeling as if about to cry. She wanted someone to hold her. She wanted someone to keep her safe, to keep her protected. But no one was there. No one was there to keep her safe. She was all alone, now. It inevitable. She was just a lost child in a cloud of darkness. Her worst nightmare. She began walking again, walking through the darkness for what felt like hours. She finally grew tired and collapsed to her knees, scared and alone and cold. She wanted someone to hold her and protect her.

But then the voice began speaking again. Soft, calming, and warm to her, comforting every bit of her. "Don't be scared…you're not alone…look for him…he's here…." Who's here? Why did she have to look for him? She just wanted to die in this darkness, alone and sad. But then a sound drew her attention.

Cling!

What was that sound? And where was it coming from?

Cling!

Then she recognized the sound. The sound of chains clinging together.

Cling!

Where was it coming from? The child stood up and walked on, searching for the sound to help her. The voice kept speaking to her, but she learned to tune it out and follow the sounds of chains. She didn't know why, though. Why was she searching for chains? Where was it going to lead her? The sound of the chains grew closer and louder, but she didn't see anything in the darkness. She then began to think that what if she had imagined the sound? What if there was no one there? She was all alone in this dark abyss. So there would be no need to move on.

A tear seeped through her eyes and trickled down her face and fell to the darkness she stood on. It sparkled in the darkness, and at once landed in the darkness like a water drop. A faint light appeared above her, and she looked up and gasped. She could see through the darkness, and she saw something dark hanging in the air. She ran forward, and saw what it was. A teenage boy, his golden blond hair falling elegantly against his dark face, his body covered by chains that hung him from the invisible ceiling above in the darkness. The girl stared at the boy, and then couldn't help but blush. He was so handsome, so elegant, it was amazing. But why was he strung up like that? He looked hurt and weak. Who would do something like this to such a handsome person?

Suddenly, the boy began to stir from his unconscious state and opened his deep, dark, amethyst eyes that sparkled with fear and emotions. He looked down at the child, and smiled sweetly at her.

"Hello, there, little one. What are you doing wandering around this dark abyss?" he asked her charmingly. She began to whimper from fear, and his smile widened more. "Don't be frightened. You're not alone. What's your name?"

The little girl looked up at him, and then responded. "What's yours?"

"My name is Ishtar Malik," he spoke softly to her.

"I'm…Yukari Rika…" the little girl responded softly.

Malik's eyes widened. This little girl was the one his other was after. He had already gotten to her and banished her soul to the Shadow Realm. Now, he was staring down at her real self. An innocent, lost child. What has he gotten himself into now?

I'm drunk and I'm feeling down
And I just want to be alone
You shouldn't ever come around
Why don't you just go home?

FD: That's it for now. I'm sorry about not updating, but I've been quite busy. I'm close to ending this story, but it's only a couple chapters more. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm thinking of either creating a prequel or a sequel to this fic, but I'm not so sure right now. I just want to get through this story first. Let me know if you like it or not. Peace!