Under Pressure
Love and Hate
Mahaado collapsed. His eyes were looking helplessly out the window. He heard noises to the sides of him and deducted it was the Sprites taking Typhoon to the infirmary. He closed his eyes, feeling suddenly very weak. His thoughts seemed to be reaching him very slowly. He failed to protect Atemu once again. Someone was shouting and Mahaado had to force himself back to reality. He was shocked to realize that the voice was yelling about him.
"He's in shock! Quickly, Master Tristan, Master Kaiba, take him to the infirmary! I had no idea the Traitor Princess hit him that hard," shouted Triton's voice. Mahaado suddenly felt himself being lifted awkwardly, for he wasn't a very small person at all, and a searing pain in his stomach. Someone had his legs and someone was carrying his shoulders.
Cracking his eyes slightly, he saw that his torso was soaked with blood. Tristan and Kaiba carried Mahaado out of the room; Mahaado could tell because the noise from the Dining Hall became quiet, but there was the sound of Sprites and servants running every which way, panicking over the attack on the Empress. Mahaado heard Kaiba's voice from right above him.
"This is the second time there's been an attack on a monarch from inside the palace," he said in a hushed voice.
"I know. Now we don't even know where Atemu is…" whispered Tristan.
"If he's even alive! And you saw Typhoon; she's not looking very good. She'll die, Tristan."
"Look, there's no way you can know that for sure. Atemu pull through when he and Dimys fought didn't he?" said Tristan in a calm yet stressed voice. Mahaado thought the only one Tristan was trying to convince was himself.
"Think logically, would you? She got stabbed in the chest!" hissed Kaiba. "And Atemu would have pulled through if Aura hadn't kidnapped him!"
"Why did she kidnap him? She could have just stabbed him like Typhoon and Mahaado and it would be done," mused Tristan. Mahaado was wondering the same thing. He felt the two boys renew their drip on his legs and shoulders before awkwardly stepping up a staircase. The silver rails were studded with sapphires and the marble steps were highly polished. People sprinted up and down the stairs, taking no notice of Tristan and Kaiba struggling to take Mahaado up the stairs and bumping into the three, knocking Mahaado's wound.
The three moved very slowly, Tristan having to go up walking backward. An echoing sound filled the staircase, becoming faster and steadier as Tristan and Kaiba began to get the hang of carrying Mahaado and going up stairs. Mahaado heard Kaiba's breath getting faster and labored as he began to tire, having moved up three floors. Kaiba sounded very strained as he continued talk to Tristan.
"Maybe she took him to make sure he's dead," said Kaiba. "Dimys and Aura have tried twice to kill Atem and both times failed." He paused as the two boys stepped off the staircase onto the floor with the infirmary. "Atem seems to have that annoying ability to come back when you think he's down and out."
Tristan was silent. He didn't like the idea of Atemu being alone with Aura, especially when Atemu hadn't even finished healing from Dimys's attack. Had he known where Aura had gone, he would have charged out of the palace himself to go and get Atemu back. He looked at Kaiba, who was tightening his grip on Mahaado's shoulders.
"What if he's dead?" whispered Tristan. Kaiba didn't answer, seeming to be more interested in the elaborately designed velvet carpet and the silver suits of armor lining the walls. Kaiba claimed to have seen Atemu once before, when he was still in the Puzzle. Kaiba claimed that Atemu accepted him; no matter how many times Kaiba had been cruel, rude and cold toward him and Yuugi, Atemu had forgiven him.
Tristan watched Kaiba avoid his gaze for a bit and then looked at Mahaado's face for the first time since they started up to the infirmary. His eyes were slightly open, but they were full of sadness and pain. Tristan closed his eyes, hoping to hide his watering eyes. Still walking backward and not opening his eyes, he spoke.
"Kaiba?"
"What?" Kaiba's voice was cold and harsh.
"Would you miss him?"
Kaiba didn't answer at once. He looked up at the ceiling, which had one large chandelier after the other. Each one was studded with sapphires, as most things in the palace. Kaiba looked away from Tristan, more aware now more than ever he was carrying one of Atemu's dearest friends. Would he miss Atemu? He knew Mokuba loved Atemu; Atemu was too kind too Mokuba for the gray-eyed boy not to. But did Kaiba? Did Kaiba consider Atemu a friend? Did Atemu consider Kaiba a friend? Yes, said his heart. You would miss him.
"No," said Kaiba, ignoring Tristan's eyes becoming as large. "I don't need friends and I don't need him. I wouldn't miss him."
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Atemu awoke with a blinding pain in the back of his head. He felt dried blood on his face and in his hair. The smell of death and evil burnt his nostrils and made his stomach turn. Aura was near. Atemu noticed that he could only see out of one eye, his right one; the other one showed him only red. He also felt that his shirt was ripped to shreds, his bare back, chest, and shoulders prickling with chill bumps. On his chest was a small but shining burn that he had gotten from Aura and Dimys when they attacked the palace.
"So you're awake, Lord Guardian," said Aura in his ear from behind him. But Atemu could not move. He felt as if he had already overtaxed himself moving around Typhoon's palace before he was fully healed.
He merely sat limp, tied to some sort of crudely put together chair. The rough sides and rotted wood cut in to his skin, his already beaten skin bleeding freely. Atemu felt Aura tracing her finger along his face, obviously hoping to get a rise out of him, but he couldn't retort if he wanted to.
"I bet you're wondering why you're alive, aren't you?" said Aura, putting her chin in Atemu's shoulder, sending a jolt of pain up to Atemu's head. Atemu didn't answer; he stared blankly at the ground. Aura wrapped her arms around Atemu's chest, ignoring his wince. "Well, I'll tell you. You're alive because you belong to me now."
Atemu could have smiled. So she thought that she had won, did she? Well, in a few minutes, she'll find that all her efforts for capturing me will be for naught, he thought to himself. He felt his energy failing him. His life was shortening as he tried to collect energy… not a lot… but enough. All he needed was enough power to cut through the ropes… then he could grab the dagger on Aura's belt and finish her.
"I'm dead," whispered Atemu, the air needed to speak properly failing him. "I'm dying. I can't be yours." All he had to do was stall her for just a little bit longer… Come on… thought Atemu, just a little more energy…. He struggled to collect his Shadow powers, his body wanting to give up, shutting down. Just a little more… and then I can rest.
Aura spun the chair around, sending shocks of pain shooting through Atemu's body so painful, he cried out. All of the energy he was gathering vanished, his concentration broken; he suddenly felt extremely weak and his head flopped onto his shoulder. Icy cold hands wrapped themselves around Atemu's neck, cutting off the air that was barely getting to Atemu in the first place. Aura straightened his neck to where he was looking her in the eyes, her maddened eyes, her wide, evil eyes.
"You won't die…" she hissed, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Because if you die, I'll go back to the palace… and I can-" she paused to stroke Atemu's cheek, releasing his neck "- I'll slit each and everyone of your little friends' throats." And as Aura bent forward and pressed her lips to Atemu's, he felt his heart skip a beat. He knew good and well that Aura would be more than willing to fulfill her promise… with interest. But Atemu had no energy left to keep himself alive until help came. And at any moment Aura would get bored of him and she would murder him. He ignored Aura's kiss and a sudden thought pulsed through his mind.
He had to kill her. There was no other way.
He blinked. What was he just thinking? Killing someone? Was he going mad? Never had he ever thought of outright killing someone… what was happening to him? The first thing that came to mind was… the shadows. They were affecting his mind. He needed to gain control or he would soon become a danger to his friends…
Aura broke away from Atemu and looked at Atemu in the eyes. Then she threw her head back and laughed manically.
Aura was danger enough for right now.
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It seemed that Triton was landed with the task of organizing everything, from sending search parties to look for the Lord Guardian to making sure he knew where all of the human children were at all times, seeing as how most of them were prone to wonder off. Triton had ordered for everyone to stay where they were, should they be needed in Atemu's retrieval, meaning Tristan and Kaiba were to stay in the infirmary and Yuugi, Joey, Mokuba, Tea, Mana, and Mister Mutou were to stay in the Dining Hall. Young Yuugi was so frenzied after the Shadow Guardian's kidnapping and the fact that he had to stay where he was instead of looking for Atemu, that he had to be held down as several servants quickly cleaned out the knives and forks.
Under by what everyone assumed to be Triton's orders, guards were positioned on every floor. But there were slightly more guards surrounding the infirmary and the Dining Hall, meaning that Triton had fully meant that no matter what, no one was to be allowed to leave under any circumstances. This earned Triton the honor of being verbally abused by Joey and Mokuba, until Solomon Mutou put his foot down and said that Mokuba could no longer call Triton an "over bearing prude" and Joey could no longer call him an "annoyingly over protective pain-in-the-ass." Mana was equally furious that she could not see Mahaado but decided against voicing her opinion seeing the look on Mister Mutou's face at Mokuba and Joey's impudence. Tea and Yuugi seemed to think of nothing more they would have like to do other than go out and search for Atemu, but both had too much respect for Triton and the rules he set down to protect them to defy them.
Kaiba and Tristan found two chairs in the corner and slumped into them, their minds spinning with the realization of everything that had happened in the past couple of days: they had been transported into a totally different realm, betrayed, watched one of their friends being thrown from the top of the palace, Atemu nearly died twice, Typhoon had been attacked, Atemu kidnapped, and now Mahaado was injured.
Pompous nurses and doctors ran around in circles like fowls with their heads cut off, trying to find something productive to do. Typhoon was in the corner across from Tristan and Kaiba, a thick velvet curtain shutting her off from the rest of the room, as was Mahaado, hiding both from view from anyone. Multiple doctors finding that he had two broken ribs from the fight with Aura surrounded Mahaado. Triton, who had been in the Dining Hall trying to calm Yuugi, Joey, Tea, Mana, Mister Mutou, and Mokuba came in, leading a very shell-shocked Leucothea to a bed in another corner of the large infirmary, but left quickly to check on his other siblings. The doctors told him that Calypso and Neptune had carried Typhoon to the infirmary, but quickly retreated to another part of the palace. Triton assured everyone at that very moment he was sending troops to look for Atemu before he left to look for Neptune and Calypso. He also asked Tristan and Kaiba to stay in the infirmary until he got back.
Tristan didn't speak to Kaiba at all. As much as Tristan knew good and well that Kaiba was being cold and defiant on purpose, it did not stop him from being completely and utterly furious at Kaiba. And if Kaiba sensed Tristan's fury, he was very good at ignoring it. Tristan felt weak and helpless, not being able to help Atemu at all. If I were the one who had gotten kidnapped, Atemu would have already found a way to get me back, thought Tristan, as he shifted himself uneasily in his seat. We always said we'd be there for each other, but we've let Atemu get hurt over and over again. Suddenly the smell of sterilization soaps, squeak of rubber gloves, noise of medicine both liquid and pills, and the pure white walls of the infirmary became too much to handle. Tristan stood up suddenly, without even thinking about it.
"Where're you going?" snapped Kaiba.
"Out."
"Triton said to stay here and-" Kaiba began, but Tristan cut him off.
"I know what Triton said," growled Tristan.
"Then sit down and get a grip," said Kaiba, his voice smooth and angry.
"I'm doing whatever the hell I want."
"You better not do anything stupid," said Kaiba, his cruel eyes like two pieces of ice. "If anyone else gets killed, it'll be your fault."
"Atem's not dead!" shouted Tristan. A short, plump woman hurried over, her kind, round face shining with perspiration and worry. She looked from Kaiba who was sitting calmly in the chair with his legs crossed, resting his head on his fist to Tristan who was on his feet with his rage contorted with rage and his hands rolled into fists and seemed to guess who the antagonist was.
"Good sirs, this is a infirmary! Please lower your voice. And Sir Triton has said that you two are not to leave, so please sit down," she said gently to Tristan, who grudgingly sat on the edge of his seat. She turned to Kaiba and her eyes hardened. "And please keep your thoughts positive," she sighed, and noticing his look of supreme indifference, glared and hurried off, the hem of her light gray dress dragging on the ground.
Tristan got to his feet almost as soon as she was out of sight. The infirmary seemed to be spinning slightly and closing in. Stumbling slightly, his cheeks tinged with green, Tristan bounded toward the exit. Kaiba watched, but said nothing this time.
As soon as he was out of the infirmary and closed the door behind him, Tristan took a deep, shuddering breath and collapsed, his cheek hitting the soft velvet carpet. And for the first time in his life, he felt as though he would never get back up. He had no will to stand back up and keep fighting. Suddenly, Tristan saw the boots of one of the Sprite guards Triton had put around the infirmary.
"Master Tristan, it is Captain Triton's orders that you stay in the infirmary. Allow me to assist you up and back in," said the Sprite briskly. Tristan didn't answer. The guard seemed to take this as insubordination rather than weakness.
"Master Tristan, you must-"
There was a noise of frantic footsteps on the hard marble stairs but Tristan didn't move. Someone gasped and the footsteps sped over to him and he felt a pair of hands on his arms. Next thing he knew, he had been turned onto his back and was staring into Neptune's worried face. Above him was Triton and another Sprite that Tristan didn't know. He guessed it was the Sprite that had ordered him to return to the infirmary.
"Master Tristan, what are you doing out here?" asked Triton from behind his brother. "I thought I said to stay in the infirmary."
"Got sick," muttered Tristan, his vision slightly blurred.
"And you left the place with all of the doctors?" asked Calypso's voice from somewhere around Tristan's feet.
"The infirmary made me sick," said Tristan.
"Not surprising when you think about it," said Neptune, helping Tristan sit up. "After all the things that's happened? Maybe the infirmary isn't the best place for Master Tristan to be right now." He looked kindly at Tristan. "You'll have to excuse my brother, he's a little neurotic."
The door to the infirmary slammed open and Kaiba froze in the doorway, framed by the mahogany woodwork, his eyes wide and wild.
"Mahaado's gone!"
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The many moons filled the foreign night sky. Different, but stunning colors shined brightly throughout the cloudless inky sky. A sharp, strong scent of salt was floating through the air, entering the homes of villagers of the small town surrounding the palace. True, many buildings had been demolished during the fight with Aura and Dimys, but the sight of the petite, quaint village was still a calming one.
But as fathers and husbands locked roamed theirs homes, locking windows and bolting doors, taking out garbage and bringing in the family pet for the night, tucking in small children and climbing into beds themselves, no one saw the dark figure traveling swiftly and silently through the streets. No one saw the tiny trail of shining crimson flashing slightly in the moonlight, trailing the dark figure. And no one heard the figure's labored breathing.
But yet, Mahaado still slunk through the town, quietly and carefully, breathing heavily through his nose. He knew that, at some point, someone would realize he was gone but hoped it would be somebody low on the food chain, therefore taking the information longer to get to Triton. He leapt up onto a building sharply, landing silently on the roof of a decent sized home. Sprinting quietly from roof to roof, Mahaado closed his eyes, and, automatically, his sense of hearing heightened. Then he nodded his head up, and much like a wolf tracking its cub, Mahaado listened carefully for any sound he might recognize. A sudden tingle shot through his ears as he enhanced his hearing more with a spell and suddenly Mahaado heard a distant voice, as though hearing through a poor radio.
"You won't die…" Mahaado stumbled slightly, taken by surprise, as he heard Aura's high-pitched voice; she was talking to Atemu. "Because if you die, I'll go back to the palace… and I can-" there was a slight pause and Mahaado wondered what she could be doing "- I'll slit each and everyone of your little friends' throats."
An odd feeling welled up inside of Mahaado. The only time he ever felt it was when Mana or Atemu was in danger. A sudden realization hit him. He was worried about those kids. He hadn't noticed it, but slowly but surely he had been growing attached to them.
Mahaado cocked his head to the side and listened hard for any trace of where the sound had been coming from. Then, without warning, he heard a cruel laugh erupt in his ears, coming from the direction he had gone when Yuugi led him to Death Cavern. He came to a screeching halt. For a minute he stood quite still, listening to Aura's laughter ring in his ears. Would she really return to a previous hideout? Perhaps she thought no one would think to look for her in the same place twice, or perhaps she didn't care as long as Atemu was dead.
"MAHAADO!"
The magician spun around to see Triton marching toward him with nearly three-dozen soldier Sprites behind him, looking angrier than Mahaado ever thought possible. Even his short, spiky hair seemed to stand on edge. Triton's small, sharp eyes were narrowed with unrelenting, cold fury. Behind him, jogging to keep at his elbow was Yuugi, his eyes wide with concern at seeing the splotch of blood on Mahaado's robes. But the look on Triton's face gave Mahaado the feeling that maybe the bloodshed wasn't over. Mahaado tried to explain.
"Triton, before you say anything let me-"
"I'm not letting you do anything. In fact, you're returning to the infirmary. Now!"
"Triton, I can't, Atemu, he's alive! I heard Aura talking to him, just a few seconds ago, and he's alive! I know where he is!" gasped Mahaado as Triton drew level with him. Even though Triton was a fair few inches shorter than Mahaado, he seemed to tower over everything and everyone.
"Speak fast, Magician."
"When I left, I used a spell to see if I could hear where they were. Aura has returned to Death Cavern."
"Nonsense, why would she return to somewhere she'd already been?" snapped Triton.
"I don't know, but she's there I know it. Do you really think you know the way her mind thinks?" added Mahaado at the look of blatant disbelief on Triton's face. Triton closed his eyes as if praying for patience and then turned to his troops.
"We're going to Death Cavern. Prepare yourselves for battle."
Triton glanced uneasily at Yuugi who was doing his best to inch his way over to Mahaado's side. No doubt he was intent on accompanying Triton and Mahaado to Death Cavern to retrieve Atemu. But would Triton allow the boy to come along? Yuugi was but a child and unaware of the dangers of entering the cavern and then facing Aura. And Triton knew good and well that if anything happened to Yuugi, the Lord Guardian would have Triton's head. No… to allow Yuugi to come was unheard of, unsafe, and Triton was not willing to allow Yuugi to place himself in harm's way.
"Master Yuugi," said Triton slowly and in what he hoped was a gentle voice, ignoring Yuugi's already large eyes growing huge and looking at him pitifully. "I must ask you to return to the palace. Magician Mahaado and I will rescue Lord Atemu, but in the meantime you must stay safe."
"I want to help rescue Atem!" shouted Yuugi, as he planted his feet in the ground and prepared himself for a fight. Triton looked up at the clear sky and then looked back at Yuugi. They did not have time to bicker and his temper was already being tested because of Mahaado's attempt at freedom.
"Very well," snapped Triton, "very well!" he added as Mahaado opened his mouth to argue. "We very much to do and very little time in which to do it in. We mustn't spend our time arguing with one another, understand?" He nodded to his troops and immediately the night air filled with coordinated footsteps, marching quickly down the road.
Triton looked from Mahaado to Yuugi, their facial expressions completely different. While Mahaado looked as upset with Yuugi's company as Triton, his face tight and angry, Yuugi looked as though he were trying to grow up very quickly, walking with his head held up high and ignoring the fact that he was several feet shorter than the shortest soldier Sprite.
And then, in the distance, coming from where was known to be Death Cavern, a large explosion was seen, erupting from the ground like a giant mushroom. Several seconds passed in silence, as everyone stood quite still, and then the ground began to shake and rumble violently and even people who had not been awakened in the village from the thundering sound of Triton's troops marching down the street poked their heads out of the window to see the largest monster any of them had ever seen. It was several miles high with thousands of black tentacles squirming and wiggling from all around its sleek, long body. It looked much a glistening gray dragon, its pointed head rolling around as if looking for something.
But its eyes were what really startled Triton. They huge and bright, shining, pure blue, like the largest topazes he had ever seen. Inside they were furious, cold, and… insane…
Triton bounded forward. He had half a mind to draw his sword but knew it would futile. Ignoring the roaring protests from his soldier Sprites he continued to run forward. One word was on his lips and he would not dare to utter it until the monster could hear him. Then, shouting so tumultuously loud, his voice rang out throughout the city, his throat feeling as though at any second his throat would tear.
"AURA!"
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As Aura laughed in Atemu's face, she pulled a dagger from her belt and put it to his neck. He could feel the icy cold steel, glinting merrily in the dull firelight, against his flesh, as though it had no other wish other than to tear through his skin and watch the blood flow.
"You want to kill me, don't you, Lord Atemu?" she asked, stroking Atemu's check with one hand and holding the dagger to his throat with the other. "I know you do. With your power you could."
There was no doubt in Atemu's mind that if he were at full health he would not have been here in the first place but now… well, now he was completely at Aura's mercy. In his head swam many visions of Aura torturing and slaughtering his friends if he couldn't keep his eyes open until she got bored with him. Then she would kill him and be on her way. Hopefully, Yuugi and the others would be able to return to their realm before she turned her sights on them…
And then Aura was speaking to him again.
"… And do you know why I've got you in my grasp and why I've got the lives of your little friends in the palm of my hand? Because you were too weak to finish me off at the palace. Because you were too weak to protect them. And now, because you are weak, I'm going to take away that title of yours. No Shadow Guardian has never been as soft as you, and I won't let it start now."
"You… can't do that," murmured Atemu, a pain in his chest made his heart hurt and constricted his breathing and made it difficult to speak properly. "There's no way…"
"There is a way," said Aura breathlessly, her eyes staring hungrily into his. "You see, if wounded bad enough, a Shadow Guardian's Shadows will be completely unprotected. In fact, they will rush to their master's wound and try and heal it, I mean, why do you think you didn't die after being hit so many times from Dimys and I? So, if one were to have to right magic, once the Shadows revealed themselves, one would be able to suck the Shadows right out of the weakened Shadow Lord or Lady and, while gaining the immeasurable power of the Shadows, one would suck the life energy right out of the weakened Shadow Lord or Lady as well."
These last words echoed around the cavern, abnormally loud, as Atemu struggled to comprehend this shocking piece of news. Aura was going to kill him and steal his power. If that happened, there would be no limit to the lives Aura would end and ruin. The pain in his chest became stronger, pulsing through his body and causing his heart to slow down. He couldn't let Aura kill him… but he was tied down and she had the knife to his throat. His heart ached miserably. A thought struck him… that pain in his chest had been there ever sense he had gain his title as Shadow Guardian… what did that mean?
It seemed Aura was waiting for Atemu to answer her. He suddenly realized that he had kept his face incredibly blank and emotionless, even though the shock was causing his chest to pulse with the ever-slowing beat of his heart, shooting jolts of pain through his back and neck. Normally, he would have thought of something, anything to stall Aura. But his stream of thought had suddenly dried up. The realization that he was fated to die at a young age hit him so hard and so abruptly that his body and mind were in shock.
"Finally ready to die?" asked Aura conversationally. Atemu did not answer, but only stared straight ahead, trying desperately to make his mind work, his body, his mouth, anything! But he was going to die and his body wasn't ready to accept that, even if his mind was. Many times in the past he had something to distract him from the looming danger of murder, a duel, a fight, bad memories, but now… all he could do was wait for Aura to flick her wrist and suck him dry.
And it wasn't as if Atemu was afraid of death… he just… wanted to live a little longer… no worries of a country depending on him or an evil disaster to destroy the world. He only wanted to worry about normal things… possibly his paycheck, when rent was due, did he want a dog or a cat? He didn't even get to enjoy being in his own body after several thousand years.
But it seemed as though someone had an overwhelming desire to send everything they wanted to strike him down…
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," said Aura she drew back her arm, preparing to strike, and then paused. "Did you know, Lord Atemu, that when you have Shadow powers, you can change your form? You can choose if you want to be able to change into animals or be able to morph into the shadows…" She bent down to Atemu's ear and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret of mine… I've always wanted to be a dragon…"
She brought down the weapon and pierced his chest, merely half an inch to the right of his heart, and a spurt of scarlet soared in the air and sprinkled the dirt ground. She quickly pull out the dagger and threw it to the side. It only took a couple of second for Aura to see what she had been waiting for. As Atemu's head flopped back onto the chair, consciousness leaving him, two little sparks of darkness fluttered across his chest and into the wound. Aura pressed her hands to his chest, her hands being immediately drenched in blood.
Willing herself to stay calm, Aura began to chant a spell under her breath. As she felt the two sparks of shadows being pulled into her body, soon more began to flow out of Atemu's limp body and into hers. Along with powerful energy she'd never felt before in her life, Aura began draining memories from Atemu… a little boy with light crimson eyes following a sickly looking woman around who had the same color eyes as the boy, a brown haired boy with blue eyes and dark skin was pushing the crimson eyed boy out of the way of a striking snake, a boy struggling to keep his head above the water of a small stream, two small-framed boys with the same color hair, but different shade of eye color fighting a man with silver hair and a Millennium Item in his eye…
Winds were starting to build up around them and Aura shook her head and looked at Atemu. She saw that the tips of his fingers were starting to lose their color, from a deep shade of bronze to a dull shade of gray, black, and white. As Aura drained more and more power from Atemu, more color was sucked from his body; the dull colors were creeping up Atemu's arms and down his hair and forehead. Sweat glistened on Aura's face as she saw her pure blue hair turning black, her peach skin becoming pale and dead looking. The color had been drained all the way to Atemu's lower neck and all the way to his chest. His face was pure gray and white with an empty expression. And then she saw Atemu's eyes. They were open but only very slightly. They were once vivid and bright, they once danced with the perfect balance of light and shadow, and they once shined as the only window into the pure, loving, warm soul that Atemu worked so hard to bring out but never succeeded. Now, they were vacant and gray, only reflecting the dim moonlight.
And then, suddenly, Aura could drain no more. She saw that Atemu was completely empty of soul, mind, and life and she was the new Shadow Guardian. Smiling, she dropped her hands. She made to turn around but then stopped looking at the corpse tied to the chair, bloody and, finally, beaten. Something flickered across her mind, possibly the small bit of decency she had left He doesn't deserve this. He's done nothing to deserve this. I can't just leave him here. She moved silently and touched Atemu's empty face. It was ice against her skin. Perhaps she'd deliver him to the palace so his friends would at least know that he was dead and maybe have a funeral.
A vision flashed across her mind. It was one of those silver-eyed Sprites with the young boy that looked like Atemu and one of the two magicians. They had many troops with them and they were heading toward the Cavern. This would be the perfect opportunity to use her new powers. The corpse would have to wait. Aura had been longing to kill that Sprite for a very long time now.
She beckoned every bit of her stolen energy and was suddenly enveloped in shadows. Her body was becoming longer, sleeker, and stronger. Her body was growing larger and larger until she became too thick for the Cavern walls. She collided and crushed the walls, creating a large explosion around her.
It took her a couple of seconds to get used to her new body. But before she could grow too comfortable, she heard a raging voice bellow out her name.
"AURA!"
Her body twisted around to see Triton sprinting toward her, his face wild with unrelenting fury. If her face was still capable of human emotions, she would have smiled. One of her tentacles shot forward and wrapped itself around Triton's thick body. Aura heard the pitiful and fearful cried of the people below.
"TRITON!"
"No! Put him down you overgrown worm!"
"Yuugi, NO!" Aura bent her head down to see a boy sprinting, not to her and Triton's aid, but toward the Cavern, obviously looking for Atemu. From up in the air, Triton was shouting at Yuugi.
"KEEP RUNNING, BOY! FIND THE LORD GUARDIAN!"
Dashing surprisingly fast, Yuugi reached the Cavern's entrance without inference from Aura. But as soon as he stepped one foot into the Cavern, another tentacle sped ahead and wrapped itself around Yuugi's ankle pulling him up and hanging him upside down. But suddenly, Aura let loose a hysterical roar and dropped Yuugi. Mahaado had shot an attack at Aura and was flying up to release Triton, whose face had gone purple because of Aura's tight grip.
"YUUGI GO!" yelled Mahaado.
Yuugi sprinted into the Cavern to the limp form tied to a chair. The sound of his heart pounded in his ears as he neared Atemu, and he was sure it stopped for a second when he saw Atemu.
"Atemu?" whispered Yuugi, his voice not working properly. Atemu did not move. "Atemu no!" cried Yuugi, throwing his arms around Atemu's freezing skin. He broke down and wept, his sorrow doubling up. He had cried over Atemu's dead body once before but this time there was no Nyx to save him. He pulled his hand back slowly and saw that it was covered in blood.
A purring noise from behind Yuugi made him jump. A large snow leopard appeared out of the shadows of the cavern walls as Yuugi turned around and slowly walked over to the violet-eyed boy and sat down. But this snow leopard seemed to have more black and gray on him than normal. As many times as Yuugi had visited the zoo, he had never seen a leopard act so peculiar. He had also never seen one sit so stiffly. The ones he had seen had always been relaxed and calm but this one seemed to be stressed. Yuugi also half-expected the leopard to leap on him and attack him, as many of his school books said leopards did, but this one was very close to Yuugi but didn't seem too interested in putting Yuugi on his menu.
There was a large crash outside and that jerked Yuugi's attention but to the dead body in front of him. Suddenly Yuugi had the sudden urge to wrap his arms around the leopard next to him. It seemed as though the snow leopard was as equally depressed about the dead body as Yuugi.
But something about the dark leopard seemed to jump out at Yuugi. The animal looked at Yuugi as though they were two bored little kids at a park. Its face seemed to say, Well, now what?
"I don't know," said Yuugi aloud. He suddenly realized he was talking to an animal and stared at the strange leopard. The two sat very still as the leopard blinked large crimson eyes at Yuugi.