Yami no Game: Death's Awakening Chapter 2: Countdown Initiated, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Zypher: I thank you all for reading and reviewing. So here's the next chapter to enjoy.

Note: Idea for this chapter in inspired by the Mittenacht yu-gi-oh music clip from YouTube. Watch and listen closely to the music, not the vocals, (preferably at the start of the clip) and you'll find the similarity. If not, I'll possibly tell you somewhere in the story (most likely the start).

Yami no Game: Death's Awakening

Chapter 2

In the dark shadows of Yami and Aqua's soul room, the faint ticks of a clock were heard. A medium sized gold watch (like a pocket watch without the cover) hanging by a chain was slowly ticking away. Crimson eyes fazed into vision and looked down to the watch, a smirk forming through the bleak shadows as shadowy claws held the item. "Soon, the time will come and you will be ours, Yugi. No one will dare try and stop us...else it'll be their life forfeit..."

After the next day of school came to pass, Yugi headed home quietly, thinking about what he heard while he was in school.

-Flashback-

"Hey, did you hear?" One student spoke. "What is it?" Another whispered. "On the news, they said it was a murder of unrealistic proportions. The police found a corpse in the alleyway and it was completely devoid of skin. They said it was one of the students here from the uniform remains...it was soon confirmed Ushio from the ripped disciplinary group's captain band he wore." The first student explained. "Wow. Who could've done such a thing? It sounds like a monster did it if there was no flesh on the bones. Not even the most skilled of murderers could do such a thing." The second student added. The students continued to speak of the event, Yugi quietly standing behind the corner to listen. 'I wonder who could've done such a thing...Whoever it was must've done it to help me but they didn't have to be so cruel to kill him.' he thought.

/But Yugi, it could've been for the best./ Yami's voice floated through his mind like a gentle whisper. "I know, Yami, but did they really have to kill him so brutally?" he questioned. /Probably not but I personally think it was for the best. I can bet even trying to threaten him wouldn't stop him from hurting you or others./ he answered. "Yes, you could be right about that..." Yugi murmured before walking off to his class.

-End Flashback-

'I know Yami told me to not worry about it but it seems so cruel that someone would kill just to help someone like me.' Yugi thought as he walked inside the Game Shop, greeting his grandfather before heading upstairs. When he was in his room, Yami appeared as a spiritual projection, sitting on his bed. /Are you still thinking about what those kids said?/ he asked. "Yeah, I know I shouldn't be worrying about it but who, in this whole entire city, would come and save me but kill another? I just can't get that thought to leave." Yugi said.

Yami stood and walked over to him, placing a transparent hand on his shoulder. /Don't worry yourself over it. Remember, it wasn't your fault in the first place. It was his for messing with you. He got what he rightfully deserved for his exploitation. Not matter how brutal it was to another's eye./ Yami murmured. Yugi nodded and once Yami left to go back into the puzzle, he picked up his bag and got started on his homework.

The next day went calmly and Yugi left out of school with a happy demeanor. Aqua appeared beside him and smiled softly. /You are happy today./ he stated. "I know. It just feels so right to not be bullied anymore. Some kids still taunt me behind my back but it doesn't matter to me as long as they don't tyr to physically bully me." Yugi spoke. /That's good to know./ Aqua praised. Yugi looked up to him before spotting the clock resting just beneath the broad collar he wore. "Hey, Aqua, what's with that watch? I never saw you wear it when we first met." Yugi pointed out. /Oh this?/ He touched the watch lightly before smiling down to Yugi. /Oh, it's nothing important. Just something I wear on special occasions./

'Such as the amount of time you have before you truly become ours for eternity.' he thought with an inward smirk. "Oh, ok then. I think I'll take a walk through the park." he said. /Be careful and if you need any help, just call on us./ Aqua spoke before his transparent form became wispy shadows and went back into the puzzle. Once he was safely back in the puzzle, Yugi started making his way towards the park.

Katsuya Jounouchi, or Jou for short, was walking along the sidewalk, bored out of his mind but was also curious of the suspicious death of Ushio. He knew about the way he bullied the Motou kid for the money he thought he deserved and can only suspect that Yugi would know something about it. However he was never able to locate the petite student anywhere. 'He must know something cause I know Ushio would use any time, before, after and in between classes, to pick with Yugi but where could he have gone?' The blonde thought to himself.

He finally spotted Yugi heading towards the park and followed in secret.

Yugi sat on a bench and reveled in the peace of the park. The birds singing. The fountain spewing water into the pool with a soft splash. Everything was perfectly peaceful and Yugi thought the same. But what he didn't know was that a thief watched from afar, particularly interested in the puzzle. 'That little trinket can fetch me a pretty penny. That thing looks like solid gold. I'll be living on easy street pawning that off...' he thought and quietly made his move. Jounouchi made his way to the park and started looking for Yugi, losing him among the many paths. 'Now where could he have gone?' he thought. He soon spotted him and was going to walk over until he saw the thief coming up behind him.

"Yugi! Watch out!" he cried but was too late. Yugi look up to see who called but the thief covered his mouth before running off with him in tow. Jounouchi ran after him, hoping to catch up before something happened.

Yugi struggled in the man's grip, trying to get away. They reached an inhabited part of the park and the thief threw him down. Yugi looked up to him. "What do you want with me?!" Yugi cried, shaking in fear. "Why, to take that little trinket off of you! Of course, I couldn't have any witnesses." The thief growled as he grabbed at the rope but Yugi tugged at it as well. "No! Let go!" Yugi wailed as he tugged back, trying to get away from the thief all together. "Let go of him!" A voice shouted causing both looked up to see Jounouchi running towards the thief, giving a good left hook to his jaw. The thief lost the grip he had on the puzzle but wasn't one to stay down. Of course, both Yami and Aqua felt the disturbance and someone else's presence trying to take the puzzle away and knew that would simply not do. Shadows seeped out from the puzzle, covering the area slowly. Jounouchi was about to clock the thief good when he saw the shadows and froze up in fear, along with the thief.

The blonde turned to Yugi and saw shadows wrapping around him and dragging him into the inviting darkness and he ran towards him. "Motou!" he called and tried to reach out for him but missed as the shadows dragged him inside but the thing that shocked Jounouchi was that he didn't resist. "Motou! Where are ya?!" The blonde called once again as he stood, looking around the darkened forest, trees bare of leaves swaying in the faint wind. "He's with us now and I suggest you leave unless you want to become part of this game of death." A voice hissed menacingly and Jounouchi turned to where he heard it, seeing a silhouette of a dragon, crimson eyes looking down at him with the watch still ticking slowly. Jounouchi nodded slowly as the shadows parted to let him leave, he ran out and they closed up once more to seal away any entry. 'I shouldn't have ran but how am I supposed ta save Motou from...that?' he thought.

The thief tried to run out as well but when the shadows sealed him inside, he looked towards Aqua's silhouette. "You dare hurt our little light and tried to take us from him. Such disrespect means death but for your sake, we'll give you one more chance. We'll play a game for your life but if you lose, your soul and body is ours." Aqua whispered darkly and the thief nodded, hardly given a choice otherwise. "W-what am I to d-do?" The watch flashed with a golden light and Aqua's eyes narrowed in malicious glee. "You have a set time limit to find our little light's treasure through this darkened forest. Many traps await you but if you are able to find it, you will be set free and have what you desire in hand without consequences. However, if the hands line up at twelve midnight, your fate is sealed." The thief swallowed but nodded in growing dread. "Your time starts...now." he whispered before disappeared but the clock stayed and was ticking normally, the hour hand at the twelve already and the minute hand at ten, leaving him with only ten minutes. The thief started to run blindly through the forest, the ticking growing louder with each passing second. He avoided the many traps consisting of grasping branches and binding vines as he looked through bushes, mounds of dirt and hollow trees alike but no sign of the puzzle.

"Five minute left, foolish human."

The thief, terrified at the amount of time he had left, now tried to find a way out but the forest appeared endless, the cackling of the demons sounding around him as he tried. Seconds continued to tick away, making him more terrified at the growing shadows as he ran through the dead, dark forest, looking for a way out as the ticking from the clock pounded his ears like his heartbeat.

"One minute left."

The thief started to sweat profusely and looked around quickly, looking for any sign of an opening. He finally saw a light at the end of a path, showing the regular park and ran towards it, unaware of the evil chuckle emitting from Aqua. "Your death awaits you, fool. The gates of hell have been opened." he snarled as the thief ran through the light but it was naught but an illusion, the image shattering like glass. The thief screamed as he fell into an endless abyss. He looked down and saw the clock that kept track of his time.

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

Jounouchi continued to watch the shadows, still frozen with fear about what could be happening to Yugi. 'I hope whatever it is didn't hurt him. That's what I'm most worried 'bout. He doesn't deserve this...' he thought, wishing there was some way he could find Yugi through the shadows but knew it may probably be futile. He heard the thief scream and looked up. 'What's goin' on in there?!' The blonde wondered as he watched the shadows.

"Your time is up." Aqua whispered as the thief fell through the clock face, shattering it into many glittering shards. He hit the ground hard and slowly looked up, now seeing Aqua without the darkness shadowing him. Another came up beside him, the thief believed Yami to be the kid he tried to rob. 'What is this?! Is that kid some sort of demon?!' he thought as he looked into deadly cerise and crimson eyes. "You have failed and now your punishment will be dealt upon you. You should learn to never mess with the shadows of a demon incarnate." Yami spoke softly as the Sennen eye blazed upon his forehead, causing the shadows to slither towards the paralyzed thief. The thief tried to run once more but he couldn't move and screamed as the shadows engulfed him.

Yami licked his lips in hunger as the illusion soon disappeared, leaving his disembodied soul floating over his cold form. The bodied version of his soul became a sphere and wisps of it slowly started to seep into their mouths, fueling their energies and bringing them closer to gaining a body. Once the absorption was completed, they started feasting on the body.

Jounouchi continued to watch the shadows, thinking about running in there himself and demanding to know what going on when he saw the shadows starting to evaporate away. The skeletal remains of the thief laid on the ground as the shadows pulled from the body. His eyes widened as he fell back from shock, scooting back quickly. 'What happened in there?!' he thought, fearing that the shadows would attack him but they didn't. The blonde almost thought he saw the form of two winged beings flying off, one holding Yugi's sleeping form. 'Whatever happened, I need ta find out and quick before anyone gets hurt by whatever killed that guy.' The blonde thought as he finally got up and ran towards the game shop.

They slipped into his bedroom silently and Yami laid Yugi upon the bed, gently caressing his face afterwards. 'Soon, my little light. Soon you will be with us more than just our host carrying our spirits.' he thought as he leaned down, placing a gentle kiss upon his forehead. They soon became wisps of darkness and went back into the puzzle, the shadowed silhouettes once more watching over him as the puzzle shone faintly.

Zypher: And that all for this chapter. This probably might be the best one, at least to me, that I have written. But I thank my mood music which was Mittenacht by E Nomine. Best way how you can listen to it is probably from the Yu-gi-oh vid from YouTube. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed and will be eagerly waiting for the next. See you in the next chapter.