Hey everybody! Chapter SEVEN! (eats more sugar) Less author's notes this time:

LEMON/LIME VERDICT: There will be a lemon/lime in the story! Definitely not for a while though. I'm going to put it in a separate, labeled chapter so that those of you who don't want to read it don't have to.

REVIEW RESPONSES: My computer crashed, so I'm having trouble finding all your reviews and getting on the Internet. (sigh) So the review responses will be next time. Sorry…

ON WITH THE FIC ALREADY:

Last time…

I had to fly.

Fly.

I said FLY, dammit!Don't think about—that.

My wings slipped a little bit as my concentration did. Crap. I'm so screwed.

Augh! Not like that!

Dead & Dying

Seventh

Yugi's View

It had been getting dark when Yami and I left Haven, and by now, all I could see of the cities were bright clustered lights. They bunched together, as though afraid of the darkness. Pairs of bright orbs zoomed down lighted ribbons—cars on the highway with their headlights on.

I was beginning to get hungry and cold. I'd worn my jacket, but Yami was flying very high up and rather fast. The wind tore at my hair and clothes. Stiff from being in the same position for hours, I tried to shift without disturbing Yami. This was nearly impossible, as I was practically wrapped around him.

And that wasn't entirely a bad thing. Concentrating on Yami made me feel less hungry and cold. Yami was not very warm, though.

A snap somewhere off to my left brought my attention to Auru, who had just flapped his wings. Rino was still clinging to him. A flickering white light surrounded Rino's hands as he cast invisibility over the lot of us. Auru angled closer to Yami and me.

"Rino's hungry—can we stop for some food in the next city?"

Yami didn't say anything for a moment—he was evaluating whether we were far enough away from Haven.

"Come on, Yami-kun, we're at least thirty miles away."

"Yugi, are you hungry?" Yami asked me.

"Yeah."

"Okay—let's go lower. Rino-kun—you're holding up alright?"

Rino nodded, but his face was showing the strain of keeping the enchantment up for so long.

Yami and Auru let their wings go slack, which meant that we plummeted about a hundred feet. Rino clutched Auru and nearly let the invisibility shield go.

Auru whispered something to Rino, calming him, and then the four of us dropped even lower. We skimmed the air above a highway.

"There," said Auru, pointing at a restaurant. Light still spilled out of its square windows.

I looked at my wristwatch—it was 11:17. Yami and Auru flew over to a nearby grove of scraggly-looking trees. They descended and landed with two thumps. The shadows that had composed their wings vanished into thin air.

Rino and I stood up and stretched; Auru and Yami massaged sore shoulder muscles. "Never flown for that long before," grumbled Auru.

Yami walked cautiously to the edge of the trees and looked out. He waved a hand and Rino, Auru and I came up behind him.

"Through that alley and up the street to the restaurant." Yami pointed out the way.

We nodded to him and slowly edged our way through the alley. With a quick glance up and down the street, we slid out onto the sidewalk and acted like we were supposed to be there.

Yami got to the door first. He pulled it open and let me go through first. Auru grabbed the door and let Rino through.

The restaurant was a deli-style place. Little trays of sandwich toppings crowded behind the counter. Tables were strewn about haphazardly, with chairs attending them. A few half-hearted plants drooped from hanging pots.

Yami went up to the counter, pushing me in front of him. We ordered, grabbed our sandwiches, and stopped at the cash register.

Uh oh. I don't have any money—.

Yami pulled a wallet out of his back pocket. He handed the man tending the cash register some money. The man handed Yami his change, and as Yami put it back, I noticed a lot of very large bills in the wallet.

Suspicion crept through me.

Auru and Rino were already walking to a booth, though, and Yami gave me a push in that direction.

Rino was unwrapping his sandwich; Auru was taking a long drink from his soda. I slid into the booth first and Yami slid in after me. I don't know if it was on purpose or by accident, but he slid a little too far, effectively pressing his thigh against mine.

I concentrated very hard on my sandwich. We were the only people in the restaurant, aside from the man behind the counter, and the silence was deafening.

Auru stopped drinking and looked at Yami. "If we're camping tonight, we're going to have to get something warm for Rino and Yugi-kun."

Yami nodded. "Yeah…but do you see any clothing stores open at this time of night?"

Auru made an annoyed face at Yami. "They don't have to be open."

"I am not stealing anything," said Yami firmly. I bit into my sandwich, partially to hide my expression.

If Yami doesn't steal, then where did all that money come from?

A job was unlikely, if Yami had been at Haven for as long as it seemed he had.

I was jerked out of my ponderings by a napkin being tossed into my field of vision. I looked up a Rino, who said, "Mustard," and pointed to the corner of his mouth.

I swiped the napkin across my face and smiled sheepishly at Rino. He seemed to be getting over his paranoia and was being less clingy to Auru.

I started listening to the conversation again. "A tent of shadows? That will tell every vampire from here to the coast where we are!" Yami gestured with his sandwich.

"I'm just thinking outside of the box," retorted Auru.

"Well think inside it," said Yami. Auru glared. Rino reached for his hand and Auru's glare instantly softened.

"I'll be fine with the coat in my suitcase," said Rino.

"There are clothes for cold weather in my duffel, too," I reassured Yami.

He took another bite of his sandwich and a drink. "Well, we are definitely stopping somewhere tomorrow to buy a tent, or sleeping bags, or something."

"Agreed." Auru pulled Rino's hand under the table. Shortly thereafter, Rino's face turned a brilliant shade of red.

I finished my drink and turned to Yami. "Refill," I said. He got up and let me through.

Yami's View

Yugi walked over to the drink machine and held his cup up to it.

You're watching him.

Am not.

Are too.

Am not.

FINE! I am watching him. Now I'm going to stop arguing with myself.

I was still standing at the edge of the booth, waiting for Yugi to get back. He would slide in first, and then I would.

How far are you going to scoot in, though?

Will you stop arguing for just a little bit?!

And then my senses prickled—tingling—

Yugi!

I shot across the room and flattened Yugi to the ground. A huge, magical explosion tore through the restaurant, just missing us and our booth.

The microwave and oven in the kitchen exploded, leaving an enormous hole straight through the restaurant. Auru had seized Rino and adopted a fighting stance in the back corner of the restaurant.

I could feel Yugi breathing, and a part of me was very relieved. He was alright.

But another part of me was highly attuned to the sickening presence where the door of the restaurant used to be.

Footsteps crunched through the rubble. A tall man appeared through the smoke. He was clothed in black from head to toe, with a bandolier of seven bells across his chest.

"Hey!" The restaurant man crouching behind the counter stood up, a gun in his hand.

The intruder, moving extremely fast, grabbed a bell and rang it. The sound was piercing and horrible. A white orb left the man, and he collapsed over the mutilated countertop. His eyes were unfocused. His soul had been taken.

The intruder looked around, bell still ready in his gloved hand, and spied Yugi and me.

"Damn. I missed," he said, tsking in annoyance. He prepared to ring the bell again.

Oh no.

A sickening nausea replaced the sandwich in my stomach.

He's a necromancer.

(hangs off edge of cliffie...)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Next update: Early next year! Going away for Christmas. Sorry about the short chappie—the next one will be longer and not so rushed. (sweat drop)

A necromancer is a wizard who specializes in magic dealing with the dead and undead (a.k.a. Yami and Auru), using them as puppets, raising them from the dead, stealing their souls, killing their physical bodies, etc. (gasp!) Necormancers are usually equipped with seven bells (this concept is from the Abhorsen Trilogy, by Garth Nix.)

Your reviews will add to my Christmas happiness (and possibly speed the next chapter along). HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!