Authoress Notes: Well, here's a fairly quick update for everyone! I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the appearance of Eden! I had a rather fun time typing that up. And whom does Teana love? I think you'll find out in this chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Never have, never will. If I did, Atem would act darker like this one, and wouldn't leave!
Pairings: AtemxAnzu, SetoxShizuka, JounouchixMai, and others.
Warnings: OOC-ness, mature themes, sexual themes… you get my drift?
Genre: Action/adventure, romance, angst and… I dunno.
Plot:
((AU Dark fic)) In a world where vampires are gods, humans are low, and slaves are treated as dirt, Anzu is a pleasure slave, serving years in bed. Atem is a high-ranked vampire, in need of… entertainment. Could love between a lowly pleasure slave that lost the ability to love and an arrogant, cold vampire exist in such a world where status is everything, and your image determines how you're treated? Now with the mention of Bakura, necromancers, sorcerers, and the three God Orbs, could things become more complicated?
Dark Desires
By: xKuroSeraphimx
((start chapter))
Chapter 22: He Said, She Said
She was falling. She just felt it, the passing wind that roared around her as she fell, the endless darkness that surrounded her, engulfed her in shadow.
Why was she falling?
"ANZU! Don't go down there! ANZU!" Teana's distant voice shouted to her, trying to reach her lighter half, but Anzu continued to plummet down the somewhat endless chasm of her mind.
Anzu's eyes slowly opened their lids as a light begins glowing down from where she was going. Her body felt numb, her mind was blank, every square inch of her nerves ached as if they just went through a tough workout.
Suddenly, Anzu was sprawled on a place where it was completely white. Anzu tried to breath as her lungs seemed to be constricted by some unknown force, and her heart was hammering wildly in her chest that the brunette was afraid of it bursting out.
What was hurting her so much?
"ANZU! Dammit, Eden! Why… sto… she doesn't… ZU!"
Teana's voice was slowly becoming fainter and fainter by the second, and soon, her voice was completely gone, leaving Anzu to rot away in some unknown part of her mind that tried to kill her out from the inside.
Anzu closed her eyes tightly, letting her hand tighten over her heart. Through gritted teeth, she hissed in a small intake of breath, and silently, hopefully prayed that it would all end.
'Please… Let it all end…'
((scene change))
'They are doing… Everything they can… To help her.'
Was what Atem was thinking as he began pacing up and down the hall in front of a hospital room, his arms crossed, his brow in a tight frown while his teeth were bared in a snarl. His group finally arrived in their hotel after getting over the shock of seeing Eden lay the smack down on Akito and the demons that he had brought with him. But that all soon ended when Atem noticed that Anzu was also coughing up blood, even bleeding more so than usual, and they were soon on their way.
Jounouchi and the others had minor scrapes and bruises on their bodies from their battle with the demons, but it soon disappeared thanks to their healing capabilities. And so, they waited patiently for any news on Anzu's healing. The only people who weren't present were Malik and Isis, who were overlooking the process with several other healers. Atem wasn't, at the least bit, hurt by any of demons thanks to the powers Akito gave him, but the only blood on him was the demons that he killed and Anzu's own blood that was smeared on him when the tri-haired vampire carried her.
Yet here he was, pacing before the door that only separated him from Anzu, growling and shooting death glares at the wall or door.
Everyone kept his or her silence, knowing that Atem wasn't to be disturbed, for right now, it was an unwise decision to do so. Any distraction might cause in massive bloodshed, and coming from Atem, he would have no remorse.
But it was all that could keep Atem from just ramming down the door and telling those blasted healers to hurry up and give him a diagnosis on Anzu. If they could just hurry…
The sound of a door opening registered immediately upon Atem's keen sense of hearing and he stopped his pacing, and was now in front of Isis and Malik's face while several healers walked out of the room. "Well? How is she?" the tri-haired vampire asked hurriedly, not sparing any effort in trying to see the brunette soon. Behind him, the others stood from the bench that he or she sat on while Hikaru and Seto leaned away from the wall behind them.
Isis cleared her throat. "I suggest that you don't raise your voice when you go in there, Atem." She shivered slightly under Atem's heated glare. "Anzu's been put up in a critical condition, and, even with her healing capabilities, it'll take a while for her to fully heal. It seems to the healers and I that she used a great deal of energy, though the other healers don't know why. But my guess is that her using Eden takes a mighty toll on her body, and her body can't handle the strain it's put under when Anzu uses Eden's power, thus it leads to the conclusion of her bleeding and coughing a lot."
Malik nodded confirmation beside her before he turned to face Hikaru. "Do you know a reason why this would happen if Anzu uses Eden's power, Hikaru?" he asked calmly.
Soon, all eyes were on Hikaru's form, who, was staring back at them with his indigo black eyes. Then he let out an exasperated sigh before he spoke, "This is actually my first time in seeing Eden myself, actually, so I'll surmise up to what I know so far." He explained slowly. "Well… I guess that because Eden's power was mostly sealed up inside Anzu, her body wouldn't get used to using it. And from the looks of it, it would be wise of her to not call upon it more than two or three times, for the results may not be pleasant."
"I guess that's why her father locked it up…" Seto added, crossing his own arms and sending a contemplative stare towards Hikaru. "Her body's too fragile to endure the strain of such a powerful force."
The tall white-haired vampire shook his head. "I don't think that her body's fragile, but more like not used to it. Throughout the most part of Anzu's life, her powers were mostly locked inside. Unlike Akito, whom I think is more susceptible to using Apocalypse, Anzu needs to watch out for the backlash that is sent at her after using Eden. And whether Akito likes to see it or not, his and Anzu's body is too small to house such powerful beings inside them." Hikaru said, running a hand through his slightly tousled hair.
"Plus, on Anzu's part, she needs to worry about Teana as well." Shizuka added, earning several nods of agreements.
Atem turned back to Isis and Malik. "So, can we see her?" he asked, forcing his voice to sound calm.
((scene change))
How long had it been since she blacked out?
Anzu twitched one eyelid open, then the other before she slowly sat up from her position. Her body ached in protest but she ignored it, wanting to know where she was and why she was even in here.
Staggering to her feet, Anzu held her stomach, feeling slightly queasy, yet her head throbbed painfully as if someone had banged her head against a brick wall. The brunette looked around and found that, just like Teana's area of their mind except for the lack of the stench of blood and roses, whereas this place was completely stark white with no ocean of blood on the ground she stood on.
Taking a shaky step forward, Anzu began walking through the wide expanse of ivory, trying to pinpoint where she was now in her mind. The only sound that she heard was the thumping of her shoes on the ground, her shallow breathing, and her own heart beat in her head as she walked.
Anzu walked for hours and hours on end, and everywhere she found was white, totally, completely white. Suddenly feeling her legs wobble and the last of her strength leaving her, Anzu collapsed unto her knees, using her arms to try and keep herself up.
"Where am I..?" Anzu thought out loud, looking back up again. "Why am I here? And… Where's Teana?" she paused, taking in a large amount of breath before, "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?"
"ANZU!"
"Teana?" Anzu's head shot up, but all of a sudden, the ground beneath her began to tremble and shake, and before she knew it, the floor beneath her gave way and turned into millions upon millions of white shards. Once again, Anzu was falling down darkness, but this time, she was screaming.
But that soon ended when Anzu hit an invisible ground. Anzu grunted upon impact and lay limp for long moments before she began to very slowly get up from her position. Now on her knees, Anzu grabbed her head, shutting her eyes to try and ease the growing pain that had doubled when she fell. Then her sapphire-colored eyes slowly opened to find that it was dark all around her, much like Teana's but…
A huge gust of wind blew at Anzu's face; nearly pushing her on her back before it suddenly drew back. Then it blew out again, then back and continued onwards as if it were breathing, a soft, low rumble emitting every time it pushed and pulled. It was then Anzu looked up to see a large, humongous gate with several seals over the rusted bars. Anzu could barely see the top of the gates and the length of the gate.
'What is this place…?' the brunette thought while trying to keep herself steady when another harsh gust of wind threatened to push her back. 'And WHAT'S in there?'
As if sensing her thought, the rumbled stopped and suddenly, through the darkness behind the bars, fourteen pairs of gleaming gold eyes glowed on the other side, staring down on her intently. Anzu shivered at the penetrating gaze, finding it very uncomfortable from whatever that was staring at her.
(Girl, come here…) Commanded a deep, rumbling voice that rolled over her like soft thunder.
Anzu, being already freaked out as it is, slowly and cautiously stepped towards the front of the gate, uncertain if she was making the right decision in compiling with this unknown… THING in her mind. When Anzu was merely a few feet away from the gate, large, long and sharp claws emerged from between the bars, startling Anzu with a cry as she fell down on her butt while a high, mocking laugh echoed throughout the darkness.
The sapphire-eyed brunette rubbed her sore bottom before shooting a glare at the creature behind the rusted bars. "Hey! What the hell was that for?" she screamed at the creature.
(Hah! Foolish girl, if it weren't for these bars, I would have skewered you or more on my claws…) replied the creature haughtily with a superior tone in it's voice.
"Who the hell are you anyway? And what are you doing in my mind?" Anzu asked, glaring fiercely at the fourteen pairs of gold eyes that stared down at her.
Before the creature could speak, a familiar shout interrupted it and Teana appeared from the sky and landed gracefully next to Anzu. Then Teana shot an annoyed glance at the creature before shifting her gaze upon her lighter half.
"I'm surprised you're not dead…" Teana stated sounding rather calm through gritted teeth, yet she had this subtle hint of disappointment laced with anger in her voice.
Anzu gave her darker half a withering look. "Would've been glad to have gotten rid of me, wouldn't you?"
Teana grimaced, crossing her arms over her chest. "Heh. More or less, I would have been happy to know that you'd be gone and I wouldn't have to see your damned face again, but then I would have been disappointed here, knowing that I wasn't the one to deliver the final blow." She replied rather smugly.
"Bitch."
"Whore."
Then that deep, rumbling voice was heard around them. (My, my… 'Bitch' and 'Whore'? You two seem to be getting along just fine…) it stated sarcastically.
Teana snorted disapprovingly. "Aw, shut up you damned beast! This is all your fault to begin with!"
Puzzled, Anzu turned to face her other half with a quizzical look. "His fault? What is he, and what's he doing in my—I mean, OUR---mind?"
(Temper, temper…) The voice taunted with a slight tsk in its voice.
"Grr… You keep going on like that, and I'll SHOW you TEMPER!" Teana threatened, raising a fist to the creature in the cage before she turned to Anzu. "You want to know what's inside this cage? Well, guess what! Anzu, meet Eden. Eden, meet Anzu!"
((scene change))
Anzu slowly opened her eyes, letting out a soft moan as she woke. Her head throbbed, her body ached like the devil, and the world around her blurred and turned like a pendulum being waved around at her face. Once she focused her eyesight, Anzu found that she was in a dark, hospital room, the only sound that was heard was the hear monitor beside her bed, beeping every once in a while. Numerous bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs and the hand that was injured by Akito as well. With a heavy sigh after her observations, Anzu leaned back against her fluffy pillow, staring at the dotted ceiling above.
Why was she awake, she thought as she continued to stare unblinking at the ceiling. Why wasn't she with Teana and Eden in whatever the recesses of her mind brought her to? Why did they snuff her out, just like that? Too many questions formed so fast in her mind that it increased the throb of her head.
But then Anzu's mind wandered back to Akito's story of their past. How she really became a slave, how her parents died, who her parents were, the realization that a powerful being was sleeping inside her, and…
… How she wasn't real.
That thought caused a small frown to slightly wrinkle her features. She wasn't real. She wasn't the true Anzu. Teana was. While she was…
What was she?
From what Akito had told her, she was just a fake persona to hide the real one, a façade to hide the true strength beneath a thin mask.
So what was she really?
From what Teana had said, she wasn't supposed to have been born, or rather, created. Lucifer conducted the experiment on both her and Akito to prevent their powers from being known to the world. Yet it seemed that there was a glitch on Anzu's part, and so, she was the result, as well as Teana being cut off from the rest of the world.
What am I?
… If I'm not real, why do I exist? Do I have a meaning in this world?
If I don't…
… I shouldn't be able to live… Should I?
Anzu grasped her head with one hand as she shut her eyes. Something in her emotions was causing her to feel… Angry.
It was then that Anzu opened her eyes at the thought.
Angry? If I'm just some fabrication of dark magic, how could I be able to feel?
Anzu looked out of the window before slowly settling back into the fluffy pillow behind her. Her eyes drooped low, feeling really lightheaded and sleepy.
Am I… jealous of Teana?
The brunette finally closed her eyes as sleep overcame her.
… I hate this…
((scene change))
A small boy of four years stood alone in the private garden of his home, holding a small ball in his hands. A cool wind brushed past, but the boy did not care. In fact, he only felt empty, lonely, cold…
He was alone.
All because of what he was.
"Akito…"
Akito turned to face his mother who sat on the porch that led to the garden her calm, serene eyes intent upon him. Forgetting all about his earlier feelings, he dropped the ball and ran towards his mother, wounding small arms around his mother's arm as crystalline tears stained his face.
"I hate this, mother. I don't want to be alone… Why don't I have any friends…?" he sobbed, tightening his hold on her arm.
Soon after his question, he felt her own arms wound around his small frame in a comforting embrace, and he faintly was aware of the bulge inside his mother's womb.
"Oh Akito… My dear son, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry that you have to suffer all this…" He heard his mother say, bending her head to place a small kiss on his silky black hair.
He looked up, a puzzled look on his face. "Why are you sorry, mother? It's not your fault! It's not your fault I'm a half-breed! Please don't be sorry! Mother! Mother?"
His mother began to cough for a while, releasing one hand around his waist to cover her mouth. She stopped, and a sad smile was curved up his lips.
"Then, Akito, who is to blame?"
His eyes widened when she asked that question. Sad thing was, he didn't know at the time.
Then…
Akito stared at the limp body of his dead mother, tears staining his eyes, but his face remained impassive. His hands were dripping with blood from the punctures his nails made to his flesh.
But he didn't care.
His mother was dead. And it as all…
"IT'S ALL HER FAULT!" Akito screamed, throwing an expensive porcelain vase at a wall, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Suddenly, several servants were restraining him as he tried to make way into the room his baby sister was in.
"LET ME GO! IT'S ALL HER FAULT! ALL HER FAULT MOTHER'S DEAD!" he roared, attempting to wiggle his way out of his servants grasps.
"Akito-sama, please, your sister is not at fault! Your mother was already—"
But Akito wouldn't hear it. Instead, he elbowed the servant with the strength of a full-grown man, and once he was free, sent a head-spinning punch into the other's servant's face. He was about to cause more damage before Hikaru came in and was restraining him as well.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? IT'S ALL MY SISTER'S FAULT THAT MOTHER DIED! Dammit, let go of me, Hikaru!" he screamed, trying to get out of the vampire's hold on his arms.
Knowing that Hikaru wouldn't let go, he glared at the servants and everyone else that had gathered to see what was causing such loud noise. They were all shocked and afraid to find Akito raging, blind by anger and hate to see the truth.
"I'LL KILL HER! I'LL KILL HER, THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO! THEN I'LL KILL MYSELF! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU BASTARDS WANTED? FOR US HALF-BREEDS TO DIE! IT'S. ALL. HER. FAULT!"
As Akito woke up from his dream, he shouted,
"IT'S ALL HER FAULT!"
((scene change))
Hikaru opened the door to the hospital's roof and proceeded to walk to the end, feeling a crisp, cold wind billow around him.
Once he reached the railing, he let out a sigh and took out a pack and lighter, and lit and cigarette. After pocketing the lighter and pack, he leaned his arms on the railing and stared at the star-filled sky. The vampire let out a puff of smoke through his nostrils before placing the cigar in the corner of his mouth.
His thoughts soon trailed to the appearance of Eden and what it did to Akito. Such a glorious presence, he thought. Yet he shivered at the power that Eden held. If he didn't know better, the great beast had only used a dot of its power. Unfortunately, Akito had Apocalypse; so, he had an effective shield to use against. Still, it only injured him, and he was still roaming free.
Bastard.
"Even for a vampire, smoking is still a bad habit, Hikaru."
Before Hikaru had time to even register where the voice came from, the cigarette that was in his mouth was taken away from him, and indigo black eyes trailed to the person that had taken away his calm.
Teana.
Immediately, his senses were on full alert, knowing that Teana was unpredictable and dangerous when out. Of course, he himself knew that he couldn't take on Teana. She had enough power to destroy half the galaxy behind her, so it would have been pointless to put up a fight against her.
Not that he would fight her anyway.
Teana winked at him before flicking the cigarette over the railing. But Hikaru didn't mind, his mind was solely focused on the woman in front of her who was only in a simple hospital gown. They continued to stare at each other, letting a stagnant silence to pass between them before Hikaru cleared his throat and said,
"Teana, what are you doing here?"
She pouted slightly, clearly displeased with his question. "Is it not okay for me to take a stroll around this hospital and get some fresh air?"
Crap. She was playing him. "No… It's just that you should be exhausted after using Eden's power hours ago." He replied calmly, letting his face be impassive and unreadable as best as he can.
Teana snorted haughtily. "I'm not the one who is exhausted. I'm not that weak. Honestly Hikaru, who do you take me for?"
Silence was her only response.
She shrugged nonchalantly before turning her back to him. "I guess that should be expected, though. I'm not usually out anyway. I guess you hate me enough to wish for me to gone forever." She said, her voice a flat monotone that didn't sit well with the white-haired vampire.
"I never said I hated you, Teana. I never did. Why would I? After all, it's my sworn duty to protect you in anyway I can when you need it and watch over you. Lucifer assigned me to serve you—"
"Liar," she hissed, her voice thick with malevolent venom before she rounded on him, her blood-colored eyes blazing with a cold glaze. "Silky… Court-trained… liar…"
A knife to the heart would have hurt less than the words she whipped him with now. Swallowing hard, Hikaru opened his mouth, but Teana beat him to it.
"No… You don't serve me. You serve her, don't you? That filthy, dirty whore who was supposed to be my cover up, and the one who was to shield away my powers." Teana's voice shook with unquenchable rage. Rage that was solely focused upon her other half. "It's her, isn't it? Damn you, Hikaru. Why can't everyone accept the fact that she's nothing but a façade?"
"Teana, you and Anzu are the same now that—"
"No we're not! Don't you dare put her in the same level as I am! She wasn't supposed to even exist! She wasn't supposed to have feelings or a heart for that matter! It's all her fault, and just because of her, I'm stuck being seen as the substitute instead!" Teana cut in.
She was shouting now, and the deep, seething rage inside her was roaring around her in black torrents. Her eyes blazed with a deep hatred that Hikaru was afraid to even speak for he didn't know what the consequences would entail afterwards. Oh yes, he was afraid of Teana's power.
But not her in general.
Feeling that it was okay to speak now, Hikaru spoke, "… You want her dead." It was a statement, not a question.
The slight narrow in her eyes was answer enough.
"… Why? Why couldn't you wish to have co-existence with—?"
"No," she hissed, much like a snake hissing off an intruder in warning.
The argument itself was starting to grate on Hikaru's nerve.
"No co-existence. It can never work. She and I both know that. We have our differences, we have our likes and dislikes, and we're two completely different people who, unfortunately, are stuck in the same body. It can never work." She spat the last part out as if it was some bad taste in her mouth.
"… Teana…"
"Who do you love, Hikaru?"
The question was abrupt, shocking, but what surprised Hikaru the most was the full bluntness in it.
Crap. Shit. Crap.
"Love? What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation from such a delicate situation.
"Don't play dumb with me, Hikaru. Answer the damn question." The sheer coldness in her voice would have been colder than a glacier.
"Anzu or me? Which is it?" she continued, staring straight at his indigo black eyes.
Silence once again was filled between them as Hikaru thought out his answer. Try as he might, unfortunately, he couldn't find one.
"… I…"
A small snort cut him off as he noticed that Teana's head was bent, her chocolate-colored hair shielding her eyes, yet he could see the small, self-mocking smile that twisted upon her lips.
"Just as I thought. Heh. One more incentive to rip her apart…" Teana said quietly.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Shit.
Before Hikaru could try and mend the damage that had been done in just a few seconds, Teana turned to go to the open door and proceeded to walk there. Once she was at the doorway, she spoke
"Once I find some way in obtaining a new body, I'll kill her. You may hate me when that time comes, but I don't care. I'll be dead along with her anyway." Teana turned to face him, and the sadness and self-loathing in her eyes stabbed him like a million white-hot daggers. "See you around, Mikagami…"
With that, she left, leaving the white-haired vampire to just stand there, utterly bewildered by what just happened.
How could such a small conversation put so much damage between them?
Raking a hand through his hair, Hikaru gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, feeling the anger and resentment inside him swell and fester, making him want to take it out on the first person he saw.
'Teana… You don't know how much this is hard on me as well…'
((end chapter))
Well, there you go. Finally, some more tension! Well, if you liked the chapter, click on that button down there and review! Thanks!