Authoress Notes: Yes, I know. I've been gone for so long in updating this. Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I'm pretty much busy with studying, being lazy, and playing games, which, of course, introduced me to the fandom I'm currently obsessing over. Without further ado, enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. Simple as that.
Pairings: AtemxAnzu, SetoxShizuka, JounouchixMai
Warnings: Violence, cursing, sexual references, and the occasional OOC.
Plot/Summary: The end is nearing. Two opposing powers will soon clash in an effort to destroy a world or save it. Two people, one full-bred vampire, the other half of his kind and the human kind, find love in each other. But there's always a price for everything. Will that price be life?
Dark Desires
By: xKuroSeraphimx
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Chapter 23: All Hell Breaks Loose
The hospital halls were dimly lit, barely a trace of light illuminating above the doors of patients in special care. Silence was an everlasting companion in this darkness, following with the creeping shadows and the stagnant atmosphere of time.
This was fine.
Leisurely making her way around the building as if she owned it herself, Teana popped the kinks in her back. She thought that once she'd get out in the real world, she'd have something worthwhile to do to keep herself occupied. At least until her time was up.
Then, a scream tore through the air.
Sharply, Teana turned at the sound, but did not move. Her senses were aware of another dark presence behind her, and she grinned, baring ivory fangs that gleamed in the darkness. Twin colored red orbs watched her intently, scanning her body to see if there was anything threatening about her.
She grunted. Foolish boy that simple fact was already established months ago.
"… You're not going to help?" Teana asked quietly without looking to whom she was talking to. She already knew, anyway.
"First things first, Teana. You."
The brunette arched a thin brow. "Me? Whatever did I do now?" she asked, making a great show of sounding emotionally hurt at being wrongly accused for something she didn't do.
"… Where is she?"
"She? Be more specific, 'Tem."
Atem scowled at her, uncoiling his arms and straightening himself from the wall with a sinuous grace that belied his deadly nature. "Anzu… Why are you out?"
Teana shrugged. "I can do what I want, when I want, can't I? Plus, the Whore is losing control on her ability to keep me in check. I just picked her up where she felt weak." She replied simply. Turning to face the tri-haired vampire, a grin curved up her features. "What, going to tell the child of Lucifer what to do?"
She saw the grimace, saw the slight fear and apprehension in his crimson depths, and she loved it. Right, now that the others new of her place in the world, it was about time to set things straight around here. What was their right that they could think that they were safe only when Anzu was around? In fact, Teana could have appeared anytime she wished before Bakura's act in murdering Hikaru. That moment was the final straw, the last locked opened for her to act and show her true power to the world. She was Lucifer's heir, one of his legacies, and she held a piece of the power that could ultimately change the way of things.
Nevertheless, that didn't stop him from saying this, "That's not the point. Nothing's happening, and yet—"
"Ahh, that's where you're wrong, dearest Atem," Teana cut in, wagging a finger at him. "Everything is happening around the world, you see. Look at the way this planet is going. I can see why Akito would want to wipe clean the filth that permeates this world… The taint that stains the hearts of the people who think themselves powerful and right in their actions." She shook her head and continued, "Murder, lust, envy, wrath, gluttony, revenge… All these feelings fester within each being, no matter who they were. You can't even find anything pure these days!"
Atem kept silent throughout her speaking. Unfortunately, what she spoke was the truth.
This world was dirty.
Soon, Teana cocked her head to one side and said, "You're not going to help? Surely you can sense that he is here… He finally got the other half."
It took a few seconds before Atem finally caught on. "Jounouchi… What do you mean, 'other half'?"
A tick appeared on the corner of Teana's lips. "Ra… The orb of Ra was split in half to keep the search for the God Orbs harder and more strenuous. One half was in Malik, which, Akito took after he was liberated from his holding place, and the other was kept within Jounouchi." She explained, her knowledge gained from the battle with her, Akito, and Hikaru all those years ago.
Atem strode past her, intent to get to his friend and try and help him until Teana's voice called to him, "It's too late, you know. Jou will be fine, I believe. As for Akito…" A wicked smile stretched upon her lips once she trailed off from her sentence.
She began walking, the sound of her bare feet slapping the cold, marble ground as the half-breed made her way to the opposite direction of where Jounouchi could be. Atem looked over his shoulder, watching the way her hair flowed behind her… Anzu… He thought longingly, narrowing his eyes as several suggestions flew in his mind as to what Teana could be planning to do with Akito.
"Teana,"
She stopped, indicating that she was listening.
"… When this is all over," Atem began, hesitant over his words. "… What will become of the both of you?"
There was silence between them before Teana looked at the ceiling. "Hmm… Who knows? The both of us might not be alive to see that time, hm?" She paused, placing her attention ahead. "… Either that, one of us might be walking out of this alive."
"And who's that 'one'?"
"… The one who has the right to existence…"
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"Damn that bastard! Damn him, damn him!"
Kujaku Mai cursed furiously under her breath as she applied bandages to Jounouchi's abdominal wound that was caused by Akito. The male half-breed had appeared out of nowhere in the kitchen lobby where she and Jounouchi were pleasantly talking, wrapped in bandages over various spots on his body and left eye, yet had this mad smile on his face.
And it was then that he attacked with speed he hadn't displayed in their past few encounters. It wasn't long before Akito dislocated her shoulder and went for Jounouchi. Despite the pain lancing through her body and the urge to protect the other blond from harm, she threw bullets towards Akito, which, surprisingly didn't touch his body, only to disintegrate by an invisible shield around him.
Even with that form of retaliation, Akito didn't spare her a second glance. Jounouchi tried to fight back, both in anger at her pain and his accumulated hatred towards the half-vampire, but was easily overpowered like an ant being crushed underfoot. With a blow to the head, Akito didn't wait for a nanosecond to pass before he pierced his clawed hand through the blond's torso and pulled out half a shard of a glowing, golden orb, blood spraying out in its wake. With that, he vanished in a hurry, leaving Mai to repair her shoulder before going to Jounouchi and searching for any medical tools.
The sound of the door to the lobby registered upon her ears, followed by a startled gasp from Jounouchi Shizuka. "Brother!"
"What the hell happened here?" Seto growled, his senses on full alert ever since he and his ex-wife heard Jounouchi's scream. He walked in with Malik and Isis in tow, the two immediately going over to the blond vampire's limp body, their healing powers now restored thanks to the facility in the hospital. Not long after, Atem appeared, his expression deathly calm, yet there was a strange glint in his eyes…
"Akito. He was here… Took something out…!" Mai bit her lip as she recalled the sudden even that took place only a few minutes ago. Shizuka panicked beside her, watching hopefully as Isis placed her hands over Jounouchi's wound and began the healing process.
"Where's Hikaru?" Malik asked, looking at Atem since he was the last to arrive in the scene.
Atem narrowed his eyes. He hadn't seen the ivory-haired vampire in a while. "I don't know… He should be arriving if he's not so busy—"
A tremor racked his frame as he felt a familiar dark and powerful presence spark to life, and knew another problem from the past reared its ugly head.
Seto's cobalt blue eyes narrowed to slits as he recognized the energy that was coming to them. "… Zorc." He hissed venomously, remembering the damnable vampire.
Anger exploded inside Atem's chest as he remembered the deeds done by Zorc over three thousand years ago. The tri-haired vampire thought he, Seto, and other companions with him before had taken care of that monstrosity thoroughly. Zorc used to be a comfortable acquaintance, an ambitious vampire whose dreams drove him to stab his comrades in the back. He was the reason he and Seto lost precious lives, lives that could have been saved…
"Looks like he hasn't been taught a lesson in not giving up," Atem said too softly. A murderous gleam flickered in his crimson-colored eyes as he spoke, shooting a glance at the taller CEO. "If he wants another beating, I'm more than willing to give him more than just that."
"What about Anzu?" Mai asked, concern in her amethyst eyes.
The question itself faltered Atem slightly, but he regained himself to respond with a quick, "… She'll be fine." Even he wasn't so sure about his own words.
Mai gazed at him strangely before dropping the subject. A big battle was brewing soon, and they had to prepare well in the scarce amount of time given to them. Not to mention that Akito had just taken a half of what she suggested of the God Orb, Ra. He had both Osiris and Obelisk in his hands, what would be the result of him completing the collection?
Unfortunately, everyone was soon to find out.
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He had sensed the ill tidings of a bloody battle, long before the sky had taken the color of a deep red.
He had sensed the inevitable completion of a broken Orb a few seconds before Jounouchi's scream confirmed his prediction.
Yet what he did not expect was to personally meet a face he thought he'd never see again.
Staggering with the weight of shock and surprise on him, Hikaru turned his head away, not bearing to stare directly in the face of his acquaintance. Yet he did manage to stutter, "H-How…? I thought you were…"
"Gone? No. Not until the events that are soon to come are finished." Replied a deep, silky voice that rumbled with a dark, deadly power.
At this, Hikaru whipped his head onto the figure, anger flashing in his eyes. "You knew and yet you did nothing to stop it?"
"Oh, I did, boy," the figure replied venomously that the vampire inwardly recoiled. "You think I would let this slip by and do nothing of it? Foolishness!"
"So why are these events happening now, then?" Hikaru countered, gaining bits of his bravery in his tone of voice. "Surely, with your power, you could have done something that could have altered the way things will turn out. It's going to be hell soon…"
"Yes, it will… But don't you think this world was already in hell ever since that day a few years ago? The outcome will be decided, depending upon how this battle will turn out. –They- won't care who is the loser or the winner; they just wait and see if actions taken place during the battle will cause them to act."
"And what if that doesn't happen?"
"They'll still wait. Those bastards are a maddening patient bunch, that it's hard to predict their next move." A pause. "I assume –he- has now obtained all of the God Orbs, correct?"
Hikaru nodded. "Yes."
"You do know their true functions, right?"
"Of course."
"… Then go."
Hikaru narrowed his indigo eyes suspiciously, staring at the figure intently. "What about you? Will you just lay down in the side lines?"
"I'll observe what's going on. It's not my time to act yet."
"…Then?"
"If Fate grants me a steady hand, -I- will deliver the final blow."
"… No matter who it is?"
The figure was silent, keeping his thoughts to himself that not even the white-haired vampire could pierce through.
Hikaru grunted. "Fine. Be that way. But tell me this: even if I did interfere, it'd still won't change anything… would it?"
His answer was simple and concise. "No."
"Dammit."
"Now go, boy. The both of them need you."
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He floated in mid-air, sensing the many places of portals opening around the world to allow demons and monsters to wreak destruction upon the people of this planet. To him, it was a form of cleansing the Earth of the filth that plagued it. Their debts shall be paid in blood, and with their very blood, will bring a new era, one of his preferences.
Those who opposed his rule were better off dead anyway.
Then he sensed her, coming at him with intent to kill him. He smiled. Rage, that was what he was looking for in her. It would only serve to make the fight more enjoyable.
"Akito…"
He opened his eyes, dark azure eyes clashing with blood red. He smiled, a vicious, feral smile as she unfurled her dark wings while he did the same.
Wings inherited from their father.
"Teana," He greeted her. Then, with a wave of his hands, he displayed the carnage below them. "Look, Teana! Our day is soon approaching! Soon the filth on this world will be cleansed and then we shall—"
"Cut the crap already."
He stopped; letting his hands drop to his sides yet the smile was still there.
Teana placed her hands on her hips, glaring fiercely at her brother. "I've told you once, I'll say it again: -I'll- decide whether or not to join you in annihilating this wretched place."
"Oh? But you did! Back when I was telling you the stories of our pas—"
"Bullshit, you were talking to Anzu, not –me-." Teana interrupted. "So, my decision is still kept with –me-."
The smile quirked slightly. "Very well… Your answer?"
A ball of white power charged at him, which he evaded in a flurry of black feathers. Akito laughed maniacally at her response. "Yes! Yes, that's it! If you won't answer now, I'll force it out of you!"
She growled at him. "Come and try, brother!"
With that, the two siblings lunged at each other.
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She was curled up in a ball, darkness surrounding her in a comforting blanket.
I'm not even supposed to exist…The brunette clutched her knees to her chest tighter as the thoughts flowed around her mind.
Teana's been looked down as the substitute…A strong gust of wind hit her from behind, but she was not fazed. A little cold, maybe, but…
And it's my entire fault.
The beast within the bars snorted haughtily at her, sending a strong eddy of air knocking her out of her position and throwing her face first into the ground. Growling, Mazaki Anzu turned to Eden while rubbing her face.
"What the hell was that for?" She asked irritatingly at the seven-headed dragon.
Eden leered viciously at her. (Girl, your 'bellyaching' isn't going to solve anything at the moment. Plus, it's annoying. If you want to do something about it, do it. Don't just sit in some corner and brood like an idiot.)
Her glare hardened at his words. "Well EX-CUSE me! I can't get out of this… 'part' of my mind, and you're not making my stay any better."
Several loud barks of a grunt rumbled in the dragon's' throats, shaking the atmosphere around the cage. (One does one's best.)
Anzu remained silent, finding that conversation with a seven-headed, egotistical dragon inside her mind useless.
Finding her silence comfortable, Eden spoke, (Good. Now, you can listen without any distraction.)
The brunette arched a brow. "What do you mean? What are we going to talk about?"
(Listen, and listen well, girl, because I will not repeat myself again.) He paused; the loud shifting of his body lasted for a few seconds. (… That other girl, Teana, does not know the whole truth about your birth than she thinks…)
This widened her sapphire eyes an inch or two. "She doesn't?"
(No. In fact, Lucifer didn't have two children; he had four. One of them was adopted, the other three came from his loins. Akito, Teana, Lucifir… And…)
He trailed off purposely, waiting to see if she would realize what connections he was making. It took a minute then, before realization dawned on her.
"That other child… Was…"
(Yes… You.)
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Well? What do you think for a chapter that took some thought, hmm? If you liked it, review. And please, people, be specific about what you like. Authors do love getting reviews, but if the review only consists of saying, "Update, update, update!" then that really doesn't help the author's writing skills, now does it? Sorry if I sound picky, but let's all help each other, okay?
As for my contest, I have found the two winners… And the winners are LadyGothika and Ahnkitomi. So if the both of you are reading this right now, know that I'll soon be making a fic for each of you. As for the other contestants, I'm glad that you contributed; I honestly didn't think that anyone would do my contest. So, I thank you all so much (bows).