Chapter 6
Yami followed Jou through the meadow and across a bridge. A shining river flowed under the bridge and Jou stopped to look into the waters.
"The only way to get out of this part of heaven is to follow the river."
"Walk alongside it you mean?"
"No, jump in."
Yami looked down at the swirling bubbling waters. It did not look very deep.
"This is the only way?"
Jou nodded.
"I will be following you but I do not have to take this route I will meet you at the end providing you make it through the whirlpool of despair."
"Whirlpool of despair?"
"Yes it is the passing from heaven into hell. I will warn you, you will be severely tested by the pool, I do not know if anyone has ever made it through it."
Yami swallowed nervously.
"Of course you don't have to do this," Jou went on. "You can stay here and live out eternity."
"Alone." Yami finished for him. "I have to do this, I have to find Yugi so we can be together again."
"Well your determination may well get you through this journey." Jou said. He knew there was little hope of Yami making it to where Yugi was but he thought if Yami was this determined then maybe there was a slim chance.
Taking a big breath, Yami jumped from the bridge and landed with a large splash in the silvery waters below.
The water felt warm to him and gave him a pleasant sensation. He allowed the warmth to surround him. The river seemed to give him hope and he absorbed it knowing that he was going to need it.
He surfaced and looked round to see that the bridge was gone and the waters had carried him downstream.
He swam along through the waters wanting to get to Yugi as quickly as possible but knowing that it was going to be a long journey.
As the river carried him along he noticed the sky was darkening to a deep red similar to when the sun was setting but somehow it was more oppressive than a sunset. Dark clouds rolled across the sky as it darkened and Yami noticed that the feeling of hope he had felt from the water had gone to be replaced by a feeling of foreboding. He concentrated on not allowing this new feeling to depress him and determinedly swam on.
Up ahead he could see the river ending abruptly and he knew that could only mean one thing, he was heading for a waterfall.
The river was flowing too fast and besides he knew he had to stay in the water. It had become icy cold now and his body shivered uncontrollably. Soon he would tumble over the brink of the falls and he feared what would happen.
'I have to do this, I have to reach Yugi.' He thought as he rushed towards the top of the waterfall.
He paused at the top as if the river was giving him a moment to change his mind before he plummeted over the top and into the swirling waters below.
He tumbled and rolled down with the freezing water as it cascaded down before he plunged into the depths of the pool far below. The force of the water kept him down until he thought he would never surface.
Eventually he pooled his strength and struck out strongly. Slowly he began to work his way away from he falls and into calmer water and was able to surface.
'Is this it? Am I in hell?' He wondered as he looked around.
He was in a circular area of rocks that had waterfalls flowing down all sides and into a huge whirlpool in the middle. Yami knew he was not in hell yet and swam towards the whirlpool in the middle.
'Here goes.' He thought as he allowed the flow of water to grip him in its icy fingers once again and carry him towards it.
He caught a brief glimpse of the inside of the pool before he plunged over and into it. There was no water inside the hole, it was like a huge black hole and Yami knew that this was the entrance to hell.
He remembered the name. The whirlpool of Despair. As he fell through the abyss he could hear voices talking to him through the darkness.
"You'll never find him."
"Yugi's gone."
"He doesn't care about you."
"He's left you alone."
"You are wasting your time."
"You will be trapped here forever."
"There is no escape for you."
On and on the voice whispered to him and he began to question himself.
What if they were speaking the truth? What if Yugi truly didn't care? What if he never escaped this place? Would he be doomed to wonder here forever as a lost soul for eternity?
The voices carried on whispering into his ear but then there was another voice. This voice was not part of the other ones, it was in his own head. He struggled to hear it over the rest of the voices that were getting louder as if trying to drown out the new one.
"Yami…Yami I love you, I always have and I always will."
'Yugi, I can hear him calling to me. He does want me!'
He shook his head and shouted into the abyss.
"NO! I will not listen to your lies! I know Yugi loves me and I will find him."
Immediately the other voices ceased their mutterings and became silent. Yami realised that this was called the Whirlpool of Despair for a good reason. He had very nearly despaired of ever finding Yugi and he would have given up but the love he shared with Yugi had saved him.
Down he tumbled through the seemingly endless abyss though now it was silent. He had beaten this test and passed now he had more to face.
Suddenly he plunged through the bottom of the abyss and fell into a huge cavern where the walls were red as well as the ceiling.
As he fell, he could see a pool of red liquid below him and it looked to him like blood. He could also wee many lost souls swimming around in it trying to get out but there seemed to be no way for them to emerge.
He plunged down and landed in the pool with a splash. He surfaced to the sound of crying and wailing as the others in there with him searched and begged for a way to get out.
Yami realised that it was indeed a pool of blood and he wondered if he stayed too long in this pool, would the liquid consume him? He didn't know but he also didn't want to wait and find out.
He struck out and began to swim through the endless souls swimming around. Though they were souls, they did have solid bodies and he bumped into them as he swam.
Hands began to grab at him and he found himself being dragged under the surface. He kicked out at the ones grabbing him.
He freed himself and surfaced again. He began to swim again trying desperately to get to the side of the cavern. Again hands dragged him down and again he broke free and continued swimming.
He could feel the heat of the blood in the pool and it seemed to be burning him but he concentrated on Yugi and his love for him and swam strongly. He was not going to be beaten!
The walls of the cavern were getting close now and he saw that the reason the walls were red, was that they were running with blood and it was filling up the pool he was in. He could also see a figure up ahead and he recognised him as Jou.
He was standing on a small outcrop of rock just over the top of the blood pool and Yami with one last burst of energy to beat the grabbing hands, made his way to where Jou was standing.
The angel guide held out his hand and Yami grabbed it. He found himself pulled from the pool and standing next to Jou.
"What is this place?" Yami asked and Jou looked sad.
"It's the Pool of burning blood. It's where lost souls come who have fallen through the abyss and were overtaken by despair. Eventually they are consumed by the hot blood and cease to be.
"Y…Yugi's not here is he?" Yami asked fearfully. In spite of the fact this was a truly awful place, he knew he would never be able to find Yugi here among the thousands of souls.
"No he is not here, he is in another place. Come you have more tasks to face before you find him. I must say I didn't expect you to get this far. The despair usually gets everyone."
"It almost got me." Yami whispered realising how close he had come to being one of the struggling souls in the pool. "I heard Yugi's voice and I managed to beat it."
"You're love must be strong." Jou commented and for the first time since Yami had wanted to do this, he began to believe that he might actually succeed.
"To get out of here, you must make your way over to that crack in the rock and follow the path."
"Okay." Yami said feeling better now he had beaten two tasks in his journey and hoping that there wouldn't be too many more.
He began to make his way round the thin ledge that surrounded the cavern. He looked round to see that his angel guide had gone again and he concentrated on reaching that crack.
TBC…
