Twelve Little Duelists
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it.
Author's Note: Koneko Tsuki hath returned! I finally got a new computer after months without one! Now I can continue on with my fics and my beloved readers can stop screaming for more chapters or my blood…. It was beginning to scare me…. (Gives you all cookies just for bothering to read the Author's Note) I luff you all!
"Speech"
---------------------- Changing character stand point
-------------------------------------------- Change in time or place
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.
TCD0012: You're one hell of a detective and I've had to work extra hard in an attempt to stump you and it's making my poor little brain hurt. Keep up the great observation skills!
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Chapter 6: No Birds, Just Bees
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Dark eyes watched in amusement as the ax completed its journey, half of its blade buried in Yugi's skull; the little hikari's violet eyes remained open but unseeing in death, clear tears staining his pale cheeks. Malik giggled quietly as he darted away like a demented shadow.
Still laughing, Malik talked softly to himself in a singsong voice, "Tsk, tsk, Killing is a baaaaaad thing." He paused thoughtfully, lavender eyes staring at the sky. "But… blood is pretty. And pretty is good… So, killing is good!" Clapping cheerfully, the Egyptian hurried his step, determined to find Seto, wherever he had wandered off to…
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Tea returned to the kitchen and Yami with a pile of wood in her arms for the stove. She smiled sweetly at the anxious pharaoh, attempting to cheer him up until Yugi returned with Kaiba and Malik. "Don't worry, he'll be fine, Yami. He can take care of himself, plus, he's with Kaiba, who's probably the strongest person here right now."
As if summoned by Tea's words, Seto walked into the kitchen, Malik in tow. The CEO looked none too happy about the little hikari's over-clinginess, but Malik was all smiles as he gnawed on a wooden spoon from Heaven-knows-where. Tea and Yami looked up from preparing the stove for cooking a large pot of ramen. Yami's crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously at Seto.
"Where's Yugi?" The ex-pharaoh demanded.
Seto halted short in surprise, glancing behind him at Malik and the empty spot Yugi had occupied moments ago. It came back to him suddenly, Yugi had wanted to sit and think for a few minutes, and so they had left him behind at the wood shack. Seto took a deep breath before speaking, knowing he had to word his next statement right lest he evoke the already insanely dangerous wrath of Yami. "He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, so we-"
"Left him, left him!" Malik chimed in gleefully.
"You're not helping," Seto growled at the boy before returning his gaze to Yami. "We went on without him, only because he swore to catch up to us soon." Seto stopped. He had been severely tempted to answer in his usual sarcastic tone 'We did the killer a favor and dropped him off a cliff', but Yami's hand was uncomfortably close to the pot on the stove and surely someone as insane as the pharaoh was capable of killing with metal kitchenware.
Without a word, Yami stormed past Seto and Malik, shoving the swinging door open viciously, letting it swing back toward the kitchen. He came to a stop just outside the kitchen as he realized that he had no clue where to begin looking for Yugi. Turning quickly to Seto, he growled out, "Where is he!"
"Swinging door…" Seto replied quietly.
Yami blinked in confusion as the kitchen door swung back at him in supposed vengeance, knocking him backwards and onto the dining room table. Tea raced hurriedly to his aide, Seto and Malik following slowly, chuckling to themselves. Bakura entered the room at that moment, tailed by Ryou. The two white-haired boys blinked in confusion at the scene before their chocolate eyes.
"Yami! Are you okay?" Tea asked worriedly, dancing anxiously from side to side.
Yami didn't answer as he stared in horror at the shattered Dark Magician figurine beside his own statuette. A strangled gasp came from Tea as her azure eyes fell on the broken pieces.
Seto silently begged any deity listening that Yami had broken the piece when he was thrown on the table; he really did not need another murder pinned on him, especially if the murdered was Yugi.
Bakura smirked maliciously. So, the pharaoh's beloved little pet had discovered the weapon they never locked up.
Ryou shook silently with grief, knowing all too well that the figurines were only broken once their owner was murdered.
Malik chirped joyously. "Seven little duelists chopping up sticks; one chopped himself in halves and then there were six."
Realization dawned on those who didn't know of the last weapon. They had left a perfectly lethal ax lying in easy reach of anyone! Yami was the first on his feet as he raced past them all, through the open front door and outside to the wood shack. The others followed, except for Ryou. The white-haired hikari remained behind as he gazed solemnly at the pieces of what once was Yugi's figurine. There had been twelve so recently. Now all that remained were Yami's Magician of Black Chaos, Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon, Malik's Winged Dragon of Ra, Tea's Magician of Faith, Bakura's Man-eater Bug and his own Change of Heart statue. Which one would lay shattered next…?
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"Told you, told you!" Malik sang, dancing about. They had reached the wood shack and discovered Yugi's still warm body.
Yami collapsed to his knees, shaking with rage and sorrow. Yugi had reassured him that he would return in perfect health, and now he lay abandoned by his killer in the dirt. What had you been crying about Yugi? Who hurt you?
"Seven little duelists chopping up sticks; one chopped himself in halves and then there were six." Malik continued singing, energized by the crimson pool surrounding Yugi's prone form. "Seven little duelists chopping up sticks; one chopped himself in halves and then there were six."
Something in Yami snapped when he heard that morbid prophecy sung so happily. Pure hatred glazed his eyes as he stared at Malik, dancing around Seto. He uttered a vicious growl, lunging at Malik.
Hissing in surprise, Malik sought refuge behind Seto, leaving the CEO directly in Yami's path. With cat-like reflexes, Seto grabbed the back of Yami's shirt, holding the shorter pharaoh at bay.
"Unhand me, you incompetent priest!" Yami ordered in a royal tone, startling Seto into obeying and releasing him. Crimson eyes darted over the landscape. "Where is he? Where is Malik?"
The Egyptian was nowhere in sight, obviously high-tailing it while Yami had been distracted.
"Just let him go," Seto said, in no mood to play peacemaker between Yami and Malik.
Yami shot Seto a warning glare. "That little monster knows something and I'm going to find out what it is."
Tea nodded. "That's true; he did seem to act as if he knew something important. We have to find him."
Bakura's eyes glinted darkly as he headed off in search of Ryou and Malik. "If he touches one hair on Hikari's head, I'll kill him before the murderer gets a chance to."
Without a backward glance at Yami or Tea, Seto headed toward the beach, determined to find the Egyptian before either of the yamis could.
The two remaining duelists split up, promising to meet back at the dining room in half an hour.
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Ryou sat hunched over in a chair in the dining room, staring listlessly at his figurine. What if he was next? He did deserve it though, after what he did to Katsumoto Taka.
Taka had been down on his luck and chose to blackmail Ryou's family into paying him large sums of money. Ryou, not wanting to alert or worry his parents, had agreed to pay Taka. The hikari shook his head sadly. Yes, he had paid Taka, and yes, he had muttered rather loudly while passing a group of ruffians that Taka was carrying a large sum of money. But, how was he supposed truly know they would go after Taka? Sure, he had secretly hoped they would "rough him up" per say, but he had never dreamed they would throw him in the path of a speeding car when they were through with him! How could Unknown have found out about that at all? He had only told a few close friends. It had been all over the newspapers, but in no way had Ryou been connected with it; it was assumed to be a simple mugging turned severely violent.
Nonetheless, he was still to blame for Taka's murder, even if he was not the one who directly committed the crime.
A faint buzzing came from the other end of the table. Trapped beneath a clear glass bowl was a tiny yellow and black bee, violently striking its cage in an attempt at freedom. Gazing at the insect with glossy eyes, Ryou recited monotonously, "Six little duelists playing with a hive; a bumblebee stung one and then there were five." He felt the sting in the left side of his neck as he finished the fateful line. Lifting his hand slowly, he knocked the Change of Heart figurine off the table.
A cold, dark chuckle came from the figure standing behind the pale-as-death hikari. "Yes, and then there were five…"
Five Guests Remaining
KT: Uwaa! Poor Ryou-kun! This fic is starting to take its toll on me now that I have to kill off some of my favorite characters.
Seto: You should have picked ones you hated…
KT: It wouldn't have been a challenge then! Anywho… Review, so I can put up the next chapter and the next character can get slain! Muahaha!
Seto: A little sadistic, aren't we?