Gomen nasai for the delay…both my computers crashed (taking the rough draft of this chapter with them) and it was a huge mess. But now it's all good.

Review Responses

DarkAnimePriestess: Thanks! (blushes) I will continue…can't get this story outta my head…

Muffinsnail: Thanks for supporting the OCness; as hard as I try I can't seem to make the characters quite as "IC" as I want. But with YY yaoi…well…it's hard, to say the least. Thank you so much for your constructive criticism. It helps me so much, especially since I don't have anyone beta-read these things…. Yeah the story just took a major plot-leap. I fixed the "-kun" bit; thank you for pointing that out. Yami's character I did put a lot of thought into and I'm glad it shows. I had a different reason in mind for why Yugi thinks Yami might be faking…well I'll just write the thing and you can say if its good or not (won't be for a couple chapters though). Yeah the seven bells thing is Sabriel lol! I know the blast of energy is kind of abrupt...the transition there was really hard to get. Who the necromancer is targeting and why is explained in this chappie. And the plot will slow down lol. Thanks for pointing out my repeated line—compy problems XD. I'm a stickler for chronology so yeah lol. I think that when I have time I will play the wallet money thing up a bit more. I wish I could read fanfic at 3 in the morning! I can't hold anything against you-thanks again for taking the time to review!

Pharaoh'sEgyptianArabian: Thank you for your lemon/lime help & support! I will ask you for advice when I get to the lemon/lime. No…chapter 8 will not turn out good. It is a terrible cliffie. (hangs head) Well citrus is great lol.

Inuyasha0001: Yeah I actually wrote something funny instead of totally angsty XD. Thanks!

Ladywolf(Terri: Citrus is definitely always good for you. Thanks for reviewing every chapter! o

Yami-Yugi3: Yay somebody wants me to write more!

Eve-Of-Misery: Intrigue, danger, and possibilities, oh my! Lol okay just had to say that. Yes I did repeat parts but I fixed that…stupid compy problem. Thanks (happy face).

Pharohs-slave: Definitely no lemon yet but yes citrus! Thanks for saying it keeps getting better and better…it is nice to know my fic isn't spiraling into the realm of boring PWPs lol.

The AutumnRose: waves a yaoi lemons 4-ever banner too Thanks…sorry for the delay XD. Yes, the necromancer is someone we know. You're so dedicated thanks!

Kurai Ai: Yes! Yami and his sexy self! Yeah…Yami didn't really screw up but that will be explained soon. Thanks!

Tiger witch: Thanks for loving the fic! Yeah I read a YGO fanfic where there are two OC's who are similar to Rino and Auru in their…habits. Lol at your postscript!

Kameeko: Thanks for telling me—I'm going to make the rest of the story make sense without the lemon/lime and mark the chapter, so just skip it. Thanks for reading, and don't have kamoray kill me for this cliffie...eep!

Chihiro: Ack don't kill me! There will be a very emotional moment in the next chapter! Lol at your "mood swings" bit…that was funny.

Yaminakathy: Thanks (smiles). I try to lol.

Masami, Mistress Of Fire: Lol thanx for reviewing that was amusing.

Damned to Heaven: Yay! It's interesting and well-written! (dances)

Silverwolf-bakura13: Thank you…it's nice to know that. Sorry about the cliffie…this one is even worse…ack. I'm addicted to "Y" stuff lol…I'm glad your sister reads my story (happy face).

CelseaDarkheart100: Ryou and Bakura will be in the story! Seto probably; Jou maybe. Thanks!

Kian: The story will make sense without the lemon/lime, so you can keep it that way. I'm glad you love it (happy face) and want an update lol.

Chelly Angel: I'm glad you stumbled across this story too lol! Garth Nix does rock. Thanks for putting me in your favs!

Krystal-Grasshopper-Nyght: I, too, do lurk sometimes, and have actually been on ffnet for quite a while without doing hardly anything but read. I do feel loved—thanks!

Samurai Angel: Abhorsen trilogy rules. Thanks for sticking with me through the story!

Winters Child Fallen Angel: Thanks! The enthusiasm makes me want to write more yay!

Meant2Live: Yami makes a great vampire . Thanks for reviewing!

Tainted Hikari: Thanks for commenting on the kiss; it was harder to write than I thought it would be XD. Yay update!

Dark Angel Of Fire Ice: Yes, things are about to get interesting. Yay you love the fic! (dances)

On With the Fic Already

Last time…

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.

Dead & Dying

Eighth

Yami's View

Springing up from the floor, I threw a shield up as the necromancer rang the fatal bell. I could feel the sound pushing fiercely against my shadows, trying madly to get in.

"Auru, Rino—get out of here!" I shouted. Auru seized Rino around the waist and ran out the gaping hole in the back of the restaurant. If I needed help, I could call Auru through the shadows. Rino shouldn't be here anyway if it was going to get bloody. Neither should Yugi. I took a deep breath as the bell sound scratched at the barrier.

"Yugi, follow Auru and Rino. Go with them." My voice sounded strained as the necromancer sent a fresh wave of noise crashing against my sound-shield.

"Go!" Yugi was shocked into movement and began backing up—slowly. "Yugi, go!" He spun around and dashed through the hole in the back of the restaurant. I let the shield go.

Five throwing daggers flew at me and I dodged. I was in front of the counter—actually, where the middle of the counter used to be. Now itwas simply a gapinghole. Careful not to trip over the remains of the counter, I didn't dodge quite far enough and let a throwing dagger slice me on the cheek. I slapped one hand to my face, only to be rewarded with a searing burn across my hand.

Dammit! His daggers have crosses on them.

I reached for throwing daggers of my own and rolled behind the mutilated counter. The necromancer laughed lazily.

Think I'm running away? Just TRY and laugh when I slit your throat!

I sent three daggers slashing towards my masked assailant. He avoided the first two easily, but the third caught his mask and ripped it in two. His mask and the hood attached to it fell, letting silver-white tresses fall out.

"Damn you!"

"Bakura-san?" I asked incredulously. The reclusive director of Menoma's Haven? WHAT!

"One and the same," he snarled, drawing a long, curved sword and lunging at me.

I summoned a shadow sword of my own and parried, feeling the weight of his blow make me shudder.

Bakura lunged again, feinting left and hacking downward from the right. I blocked—barely—and stepped backward.

"Gotten lazy, Mouto-san?" Bakura sneered, bearing down with his cutlass. "All those compliant victims just too easy to kill?"

I'm not lazy! Just out of practice! But guilt was beginning to creep into the edges of my mind. What is wrong with me! Now is certainly not the time for this!

I lunged at Bakura, stabbing forward. He parried easily and pushed me another step back. Smiling maliciously, he swung in an arc to the side. I blocked and stepped sideways.

What is he doing? This swordsmanship is all off—he's just pushing me around like a piece on a chessboard!

Yugi's View

Auru and Rino were ahead of me, Auru helping Rino not to stumble in the dark. They stopped, though, within shouting distance of the restaurant.

I felt torn inside—between leaving Yami and following his instructions. Yami had told me to go. I did. Yet…Yami was dealing with that necromancer all alone.

All alone….

But what was the point of my being there? I was in the way. Certainly not capable of helping, I would have been a burden to Yami.

Auru and Rino sat down. Darkness had wrapped its chilling fingers around the city. Only a streetlight next to the punctured restaurant dared to challenge it.

I sat down next to Rino and wrapped my arms around my knees. Auru glanced over at me with eyes strangely luminescent in the dark.

My anxiety was blantantly obvious, prompting Auru to give me a half-smile and say, "Yugi-kun, don't worry! Yami-kun's got it covered. He can shadow-duel circles around that bas—." Rino gave him a warning look.

"—basket…case," finished Auru lamely. "But seriously, that guy is obviously no match for Yami-kun."

I smiled weakly. I felt exhausted. It seemed like years since I had first walked into the sterilized halls of Menoma's Haven, years since I crossed the threshold of room 103 and seen Yami.

Closing my eyes only made horrible thoughts float delicately across my mind, so I kept them open. I stared without seeing into the darkness that surrounded us.

Yami's View

Stepping backwards and sideways, I dipped low and slashed forward. Bakura struck downward and pinned my sword. "Heh," he sneered.

I had grabbed a knife with my left hand, however, and cut a wide, fast arc towards his neck. I sliced his collarbone instead when he dodged, narrowly missing the wide leather strap that held his bandolier of bells in place. The bandolier was deep brown leather, with seven pouches across the front. Dark felt dampers kept the bells from accidentally ringing. Bakura hissed in pain and backed up.

It was kind of a mistake on my part too, because the smell of fresh blood threatened to send my vampire instincts into overdrive.

"Are you thirsty, Mouto-san?" Bakura noticed my hesitation and leapt forward, aiming for my neck.

"No, I'm not!" I growled, parrying with more force than was necessary.

Blades flashing, we dueled back and forth. Bakura was pushing me to the back of the restaurant, trying to push me against the wall. How he could duel so agilely wearing nearly all black leather was beyond me and very aggravating. His sword, I realized, had a cross inlaid in it, and if it cut me, I was history.

I hacked downward, trying to cut Bakura's sword arm, but he parried and pressed down. He grinned evilly, a malicious glint in his eyes. Bakura was taller and was much more used to a sword. Fine. Time to switch to my own style.

I let my sword go abruptly, and it vanished. Bakura stepped back, slightly surprised, and let go of his sword with one hand. That hand drifted towards his heavy bandolier of bells.

"No!" I snarled, curling shadows around his hands. They burned him as crosses burned me. Bakura hissed and resheathed his own sword. His scabbard looked quite worn from frequent use. That did not bear thinking about at the time, but it was not a pleasant thought. Bakura took a step back, his black boots crunching rubble as they went. "Fine. Your way."

With that, Bakura lunged at me, explosive ball of grey fire in one hand. I smothered it with shadows and dodged. Bakura changed directions and came after me again. By now, we were nearly to the yawning hole in the back of the restaurant and Bakura still hadn't really tried to kill me.

"What are you after!" I growled, blocking a storm of fiery hail.

Bakura grinned evilly. "You haven't figured it out?" He struck again, snapping his fingers and summoning another storm of fire.

"I have nothing you want!" I blocked with a shadow shield and sent my own burst of magic at him.

"On the contrary, Mouto-san, you do," said Bakura, his voice dangerously low.

"And what is that?" I asked, scowling darkly.

Bakura smiled malevolently. "The boy!" Suddenly, his magic ripped through reality, rippling it like water. Pain shot through me as fiery grey tendrils seized Yugi and brought him to Bakura like iron to a magnet. He grabbed Yugi around the neck.

Oh Kami-sama, no—!

"The boy? For blood's sake, why?" I asked.

"He's only got half a soul." Bakura grinned briefly, strands of his long white tresses falling in his face.

Of course. People who only had half a soul were rare finds violently sought after by necromancers. Taking half a soul was much easier than taking a full one; adding half a soul to a person with only half a soul to begin with made them an obedient, mindless puppet.

"You have no business with me and you're just going to kill him?"

Bakura's voice was oddly strained when he growled a "Yes." He lifted Yugi off the ground and tightened his grip on Yugi's neck.

I put my hands in my pockets.

"You want to kill him? Go ahead."

Don't kill me! It was either update with a cliffie or keep you guys waiting for another week...which do you prefer? It is a curse.

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