Twelve Little Duelists

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it

Warning: Heh, heh, more character death! Fear the abused power of the authoress!

Note: A reviewer has begged me not to harm Yami in a few reviews…well, sorry to say this…I have to! Everyone dies eventually in this fic! Even my beloved Seto (poor Mokuba!) Gomen Nasai, but that's the downside of reading murder fics.

Chapter 5: On the Ax Edge

"Serenity!" Tea sobbed, hands over her face. She shook violently as she attempted to control her grief. Her only comfort came from Yami.

The ex-Pharaoh held Tea in a warm hug, doing his best to quiet the girl. His crimson eyes narrowed at his prime suspects for the most recent killing—Seto and Bakura. "Which one of you did this?"

Neither responded, both were well aware that trying to argue with the accusation was pointless.

"It…it couldn't have been Kaiba…" Tea whispered, in the silence her soft voice sounded unusually ragged.

All eyes turned to the only remaining girl.

"And what, pray tell, have I done to excuse myself of this crime?" Seto asked, his voice carrying the slightest hint of relief. As of late, he seemed to constantly be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tea smiled ever so slightly, "You are as likely to kill Serenity as you are to kill Mokuba."

"What?" Bakura growled, not comprehending.

Tea rolled her eyes, staring in exasperation at the tomb raider. "Isn't it obvious? Kaiba liked Serenity!"

Silence reigned. None was expecting that bit of news and it required some digesting before it registered.

"How would you know, Gardener?" Seto demanded, a small blush coloring his face.

"Oh, come on! No one else noticed that since Kaiba saw Serenity, he eased up on the Dog jokes to Joey?" Tea asked, completely bewildered. "I certainly noticed. It stood out like a clown at a funeral!"

"So that just excuses Kaiba!" Bakura hissed in outrage, his chocolate eyes narrowed. "Because he had an eye for the blonde's little sister, he's no longer a suspect?"

Yami shook his head, "No, everyone must remain a suspect until we find this Unknown. Just because Kaiba happened to like Serenity doesn't change a thing."

Malik grinned childishly and began singing, "Seto and Serenity sitting in a tree-" His song cut off by Seto's hand over his mouth.

"That's enough from you, Malik." Seto ordered, his voice low and stern.

Malik, still unable to speak, nodded and gave Seto a thumb's up. Seto removed his hand from the Egyptain's mouth and was promptly glomped by the boy.

Tea's hands shook as she faced the group, her back to the gruesome sight inside the sitting room. No more tears ran down her face, firmly and bravely set. "I know this whole thing has been horrible, but we can't let it get us down. Friends need to stick-"

"I'm out of here," Seto muttered, turning away from the brown haired girl, "There has to be some chore that needs being down, and it's better than listening to your damned friendship speeches."

"You can't go alone!" Yugi piped in, he glanced back at his nervous yami with a reassuring nod before looking up at Seto. "I'll help."

Seto mumbled something under his breath that sound strangely like, "Great, a midget and a psycho as 'bodyguards', lucky me…" and shrugged nonchalantly, trudging off with Yugi and Malik attempting to keep up.

After the three had departed, Tea looked over the remaining people. "Kaiba's right, we should just do some chores. It'll take our mind of the horrible events."

As Tea and Yami departed in search of things needing a proper cleaning, Bakura chuckled darkly. "Who do you think will be the next to go?" The question was obviously addressed to Ryou, though the yami appeared to ask no one in particular.

Ryou stared at his dark with startled, terrified brown eyes. "Bakura!"

Bakura shrugged, sighing. "It's bound to happen."

"Don't say such things," Ryou replied, shaking his head sadly. "It frightens me to think of it."

Bakura rolled his eyes at his overly sensitive hikari. "At least I can guarantee two things. One," he said, grabbing Ryou's wrist firmly. "You won't be the next." He pulled Ryou along gently, determined to keep his precious hikari safely locked in his room.

Ryou smiled slightly at his yami's over protectiveness. "And what's two?"

Bakura glanced back at the albino with a fanged grin. "The next one will be the first to realize we did not lock up all the weapons available."

Ryou blinked in bafflement, not comprehending what Bakura meant. They had scoured the entire house and found every weapon possible. Well, except Kaiba's gun. What could Bakura be talking about…

Yugi sat perched on the massive pile of firewood behind the house. Kaiba was nowhere in sight, having chased after Malik when the Egyptian attempted to capture a zippy lizard.

The small teen sighed despondently. No more tears fell from his violet eyes; he had suffered too much grief to be capable of crying any longer. He had lost some of his best friends in a matter of days, and, apparently, by no accident at they died. To say he was numb to everything was quite the understatement. He couldn't even view his beloved Yami as he was used to. When he looked at the slightly taller ex-Pharaoh, he felt the usual affection and endearment, but now it was tinged with a faint suspicion. How could he be absolutely certain that Yami was not responsible for the murders? Was Yami viewing him the same way, with caution and uncertainty? And if he lost Yami? What would he do then? He would hate himself forever, suspecting his dark only to find him innocent and gone for all eternity. That thought made him feel completely and utterly alone.

…like Toushi Ujio felt the night he called you and you ignored him? A tiny voice spoke in Yugi's mind. Closing his eyes, Yugi shook his head. No! It wasn't his fault Toushi had died! How was he supposed to know Toushi would kill himself after losing that duel to him? It wasn't his fault that Toushi felt depressed, his dreams had been utterly crushed when the final move had been delivered in that duel. It may not have been Yugi's fault that Toushi became suicidal, but the hikari couldn't help but feel responsible for not comforting Toushi the night he had called, ranting about jumping off the top floor on the school. Yugi had laughed it off as a joke. Toushi was obviously teasing him. But the next morning upon arriving at school, Yugi learned that Toushi indeed had not been joking. He had jumped and met his death on the heartless concrete below.

Yugi sobbed tearlessly, hugging his knees to his chest. It had been his fault. In a way, he was Toushi's murderer. He was a killer! If not for his lack of caring, Toushi would still be alive today. From that day on, Yugi devoted his life to being as caring and friendly as was humanly possible.

But you're still a killer that little, persistent voice spoke. It was the last thing he ever thought as he turned at the sound of gravel crunching under footsteps. The last thing he felt was regret as the ax wedged itself firmly into his head.

Six Guests Remaining

KT: Sorry, I know I ended that chapter on a weird spot, but I wanted to update this chapter today and I ran out of inspiration…(glares at Seto)

Seto: Don't blame me, I never asked to be your muse…