A Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare
"Gotta hand it to Moneybags, he does know how to throw a party," Joey said, stuffing a handful of candy corn in his mouth.
Yugi smiled, though of course Seto hadn't really had much of anything to do with it. He'd given Yugi and Mokuba access to whatever amount of money they wanted and ordered his staff to spare no effort. Though, he had programmed his holograms into truly gory scenes and the first floor of the mansion looked spectacular. Then Mokuba and Yugi had invited their friends over for a Halloween party. Truly two parties, as the high schoolers were back in the ballroom, dancing to thumping pop music, while Yugi and his group were gearing up for ghost stories and games.
"Okay, guys, who's got a ghost story?" Tristan asked.
"I do," Tea said.
"All right. Then let's set the mood." Tristan stood and dialed down the lights, shadowing the room.
They were settled on the floor in a little-used parlor in the Kaiba Mansion, surrounded by snacks and candy, with blankets, pillows, and cushions scattered everywhere. In addition to the faint glow from a lamp near the door, the only other illumination were flickering candles set on the mantle, the snack table, and the side table by the couch. Outside, the night was cloudy and cold, with rain having threatened all afternoon, Nature adding the perfect weather for Halloween.
Tea took the proffered flashlight from Joey and clicked it on, holding it under her chin.
"It all started one night, sort of like this one," she said, starting for a common set up to a ghost story. "In a little town called Koufu in Tottori prefecture. A hundred years ago, there was a pretty girl named Hina, just about our age. She was the daughter of a local shrine keeper, studying to be a miko. But there were two men who wanted to marry her. A local metalworker's son and an older businessman from the Tottori capital. Hina liked the metalworker's son, but she didn't like the businessman."
Yugi could see where this was going. He shifted in his place on the floor and took another handful of popcorn before Joey could eat it all.
"Of course, if Hina wanted to be a miko, she couldn't marry either of them," Tea continued. "And she'd been training all her life. But her mother wanted her to marry the businessman, find a better life than an unmarried miko in a tiny town in a tiny prefecture. Her father wanted her to marry the metalworker's son, because he'd been good friends with the metalworker since they were kids. It seemed no matter what Hina did, she'd upset someone."
Yami held out a bowl of M&Ms to Yugi, and he took a handful. Yami had developed a taste for chocolate that was bordering on an addiction, and the surplus variety of the stuff was the only thing he'd come to like about Halloween. So Yugi had better take what he could get before that also ran out.
"On Hina's seventeenth birthday, the businessman proposed. She was devastated, as she was to start her official miko duties just the next day. All that night she fought with her mother, who had told the businessman Hina would be delighted to accept."
"Bit of an overstep," Ryou commented, then put his hand over his mouth in apology for interrupting. Tea just smiled at him.
"You're right about that. And the events her mother had put into motion she never could have foreseen. For the metalworker's son had heard of the proposal, and he didn't take it well. His father found him hanging from the rafters of the shop."
"Oh, no!" Serenity exclaimed. "How horrible."
"Hina's spirit was broken. Her mother wouldn't let her say no to the businessman, and her father was injured in a fight with his former friend, the metalworker, who blamed his son's death on their family, and the her beloved was dead. She withdrew from the shrine and agreed to marry the businessman."
Serenity made another sympathetic sound.
"The courtship was short and they were married that next month. The businessman told his new bride he was taking her to his home in Tottori and so she had to say goodbye to her parents, whom she still loved, and all her friends. Miserable, she was crying in the carriage as it crossed the bridge of the river bordering the town. They had gotten a late start, and it was already dark, a storm starting. A crash of thunder spooked the horses and they ran, but the carriage overturned and they all fell from the bridge into the river.
"The carriage smashed apart on the rocks, killing the horses and the driver. The businessman was able to swim to shore, but Hina's kimono was caught in the wreckage. The businessman ran away, leaving her to drown at the bottom of the freezing river.
"As Hina's lungs filled with water, she swore vengeance on the businessman for ruining her life.
"One year later, on the very anniversary of his first bride's death, the business had moved up and lived in Tottori with a new bride and a young son. He was one of the wealthiest men in the prefecture and his life was perfect."
"Not for long," Joey said with relish.
"Nope. That night, the businessman's wife told him that their son's nanny claimed to have seen a strange woman in midnight-blue kimono, her hair soaking wet, standing in the courtyard of the house, but when one of the other servants went to investigate, there was no one there.
"The businessman dismissed the story and told his wife to put their son to bed. He was staying up late, pouring over some figures from his business. He was alone when the clock struck midnight."
"What clock?" Tristan asked. "You said this was a hundred years ago."
"Er, the time struck midnight. My mistake, Tristan."
Tristan held up his hands and grinned. Tea sighed and took a sip of her drink, then brought the flashlight under her chin again.
"Just as the *time* struck midnight, the business heard a noise through he open window in the courtyard. He looked up, started to dismiss it, when it came again. It sounded like his name.
"He got up and went to the door, sliding it open to peer out into the night. It was dark, and cloudy, and cold. He could barely even see the dogwood tree that stood at the center. He was about to go back in when the clouds shifted and a little moonlight lit up the courtyard. There, standing just under the dogwood, was a woman.
"'Who's there?' the businessman called, just softly so as not to wake anyone else. He took up a candle and stepped out into the courtyard. 'Who are you and what are you doing in my yard?'
"No answer from the figure beneath the tree. The businessman walked down the path to the tree, and as he did, clouds covered the moon again briefly, throwing the shadows under the tree into greater relief.
"Reaching the tree, the businessman saw no one in the light of his candle. He looked this way and that, but there was no one there. Deciding he'd imagined it, he turned away and went back to the path.
"The clouds parted again and the businessman saw a figure standing in the doorway to his office. She stood with her back turned, wearing a midnight-blue kimono. The business called out to her again, but there was no answer. He stormed forward, bypassing the koi pond and mounting the steps, reaching out to grab the woman's shoulder.
"The woman turned around and the businessman screamed at the sight of a bloated, drowned face, milky white eyes, and hair plastered with water. It was Hina, his first bride, rose from the grave.
"When the servants rushed to the sound of their boss' screaming, they found him, drowned at the bottom of the koi pond. Clutched in his fist was a scrap of midnight blue cloth."
"That wasn't that scary," Tristan said.
"You got a better one, Tristan?" Tea shot back, miffed.
"I thought it was good," Serenity said. "Hina got her revenge."
"Yeah, I got a better one," Tristan agreed. He held his hand out for the flashlight. Tea handed it over with a grumble.
While Tristan got himself settled, Yugi's thoughts drifted to a businessman he knew. Seto was at Kaiba Corp, working late as usual, though probably this time it was just so he wouldn't have to risk a chance of running into Yugi's friends. Or Mokuba's. His younger brother's own group was at the back of the mansion, having a Halloween dance. Supposedly, a pair of Seto's maids were monitoring the group of teenagers to make sure nothing inappropriate happened, but Emiko was known for slacking off and Ami was too timid to really stop anyone from doing anything. Maybe after Tristan's story was done he'd go check on them himself as a favor to Seto. Although, Mokuba might be able to handle it alone. Yugi didn't want to risk embarrassing him acting like a hall monitor.
"Okay, this one's a true story," Tristan said.
"Suuure it is," Joey said with a grin.
"It totally is. This happened to my cousin, Tommy. He lives just outside of Sapporo. This one is good because it happened during the day. Tommy and his friends Mitch and Masanori had been dared by some kid at school to explore this old, abandoned house at the edge of town. So, one day, they skipped school and went to the house. It was a two-story house, covered in dead ivy and the yard was covered in dead leaves and the windows were all boarded up and covered in dirt-"
"Everything was covered," Tea said with a smirk.
"Yeah. Anyway, they found one of the windows that was broken and they pried off the boards and snuck inside. It was dark in there, and Mitch pulled out his cell phone and used the flashlight feature so they could see."
"Let me guess, no service?" Joey asked.
"Are you guys going to let me tell it or what? Yeah, there was service, they were right outside Sapporo. Anyway, the flashlight app lit up the kitchen they'd snuck into. It was covered…it was dirty. There was dust everywhere, and some leaves that had slipped through the boards, and a big, dead rat on the floor."
"Gross," Tea said.
"The place smelled awful, but the three guys crossed the kitchen and out into the living room. There was still some furniture, but it was covered in moldy sheets, lots of dust, and some more dirt and leaves that had blown in from the kitchen. There was a big fireplace, kind of like Kaiba's-" Tristan waved at the cold fireplace across the room. "And a big portrait still hanging over it. It was an old-fashioned couple, her sitting in a chair and him standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder. The picture was all faded and dirty and Tommy told me her face was obscured with this big stain. They weren't sure what, water or mold or something. His face was visible and Tommy told me he had this look about him, like you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. Tommy didn't like that painting, but he took a picture of it with Mitch's cell phone to prove they'd been there. Then they went to the stairs and started up.
"The stairs creaked so bad Tommy thought they'd fall through, but they made it upstairs. There wasn't a whole lot to see. Three bedrooms, with some furniture, but not as much as downstairs. In one of them, which might have been a little girl's room, they found a dollhouse. It looked just like the house they were in. Tommy took a picture of it, too. Then he called the guy who'd dared them, a kid named Asa."
"A horror story where the phone works, that's new," Joey said.
"I said they had service! Tommy told Asa where they were. Asa said he'd be right over, 'cause he didn't believe them. Tommy said he could send pictures, but Asa wanted to see for himself, so they waited around a bit for him to show up.
"While they were, they looked around some more. In the main bedroom, there was a master bath. Tommy said the big old-fashioned clawfoot tub was still there, and he said there was a big rusty stain in it, and on the side, and all over the floor. The mirror in there was cracked. Tommy said he had some real creeps looking at that stain, so they left.
"There was a doorway to the attic, but none of them had the guts to go up there. Even though it was day, and there was sunlight coming in the windows, Tommy said the silence was perfect. They couldn't hear birds or traffic, nothing. He wanted to go, but he knew if he did, Asa would call him chicken for the rest of his life.
"They went back to the girl's room and checked out the dollhouse. It even still had furniture. There were all the chairs and a couch and the coffee table in the living room, a dining set in the dining room, beds and dressers and stuff in the bedrooms. Tommy said he was looking in the master bathroom suite when he saw the dolls. There were two of them, a man and a woman. The man doll was standing over the woman doll, which as laying in the bath tub. Tommy said the man doll was holding a little knife."
"Ooh," Ryou shivered.
"Tommy was real freaked out, but Mitch and Masanori said the little guy doll was holding a silver comb. Tommy swore it was a knife, but they saw a comb, so he gave up trying to convince them.
"Asa was still not there, so he kept looking into the dollhouse. in the living room, he realized there was a fireplace, and above the fireplace, there was a tiny little portrait. Tommy said he felt like his blood had gone to ice when he saw a tiny man and a tiny woman in the picture. Her face wasn't obscured and even though it was so small, like almost as small as a postage stamp, he said he could see the man was the same as the one downstairs, and the lady was pretty and had a look on her face like she was scared of something and trying to hide it."
Yugi had to admit, this story was better than Tea's. He noted that next to him, Yami was searching through another bowl of candy for some chocolate pieces. He was listening, but he wasn't the least bit spooked by Tristan's story, though everyone else was paying close attention.
"Tommy took a picture of it. Then he stood up and went to show it to Mitch when Asa finally got there. They heard him calling from downstairs, but just as they went to the door to go down, they heard a man's voice."
Serenity shifted and pulled a pillow up to her chest, hugging it to herself.
"They stood in the doorway and listened. They couldn't hear what the man was saying, but they could hear Asa. He was apologizing for breaking in and saying he had no idea anyone was there. He said he and his friends would just go and the guy didn't need to call the cops. The man said something else and the last thing Tommy heard Asa say was to ask the man what he was doing. Then there was nothing.
"Tommy, Mitch, and Masanori were freaked. They called the cops themselves, and hid in the closet in the room with the dollhouse. Tommy told me he was sure the man would come into the room the whole time, but nothing happened.
"When the cops arrived, Tommy and his friends finally went downstairs. Asa was nowhere to be found. But the cops didn't believe them when they said they'd heard another voice. In the dust were only sneaker prints in kid's sizes. They said Asa must have gotten scared and run off, leaving them upstairs.
"Tommy told me just as the cops were leading them through the front door, he looked over his shoulder at the portrait. He swears that the man in the portrait was looking right at him.
"And he had his hand on the shoulder of Asa."
Tea, Ryou, and Serenity all noticeably shivered. Joey was less than impressed.
"He was making that up."
"If he was, he did it off a real disappearance. He showed me the article. Asa Nakamura, disappeared after leaving school grounds."
"What about the pictures? On the cell phone?"
"Mitch sent those to Tommy and he showed me. They're all blurry and hard to see. But one does look like a portrait of a man and a woman. And the woman's face isn't covered in a stain, but it's all…I don't know weird."
"Weird how?"
"Weird! All kind of distorted." Tristan hesitated and added, "She kind of looked like she was screaming."
Joey looked unconvinced. Ryou, however, was holding a pillow now just like Serenity.
Thunder crashing made them all jump. Yugi looked out the parlor windows and saw the storm had started. Rain was lashing the glass. They'd been so caught up in Tristan's story that they hadn't heard it start.
"Awesome, who has another ghost story?" Joey asked.
"I do," Yami said, thoroughly surprising everyone.
"They had ghost stories in Egypt?" Joey asked.
"Of course. Any place with beliefs in the Afterlife has scary stories."
"Cool. Here, take this."
Yami obligingly took the flashlight. He held it under his chin and smiled. Yugi blinked in surprise, for Yami looked truly horrendous for a moment. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced around at the others. They were all watching Yami with bated breath.
"Now, this took place many thousands of years ago, even before my time. It was the time of my ancestors."
Yami launched into his story. Yugi stared at him with mounting horror with each word, and he heard the others murmuring to themselves with growing dread. Yami seemed not to notice. He was staring at a spot somewhere over Ryou's head, speaking calmly and slowly. As if he wasn't telling the most horrific, vile, frightening horror story Yugi had ever heard.
"…and the blood ran down the face of Sekhmet, and dripped into the eyes of Ammit," he finished.
The room was silent. Yugi shook off his trance and looked around.
Tristan's mouth and eyes were open wide. Ryou and Serenity were leaning against each other and almost hidden by their pillows, peering over the tops with twin looks of terror. Tea was pale even in the firelight, and looked like she might be sick. Joey was a lump beneath a blanket.
Yami dropped his gaze from the ceiling and blinked at the room. "That was the end," he said.
"What the fuck was that?" Joey croaked as he came slowly out from under his blanket.
"I don't want to go to sleep tonight," Ryou said in a tiny voice.
/Was it that bad?/ Yami asked Yugi.
/…Yami, that was the most horrifying thing I have ever heard./
"It was just a story," Yami said, seeming out of sorts in the face the reaction he'd got. "It is not true, not like Tristan's."
"Yami wins, hands down," Tristan said. "If they made a movie of that, Hollywood would never be allowed to make another movie ever again."
Thunder crashed and everyone screamed. Everyone except Yami, who still seemed puzzled by the effect his story had had. He held the flashlight out to Tristan, who looked like Yami had offered him a severed hand. He took it with reluctance and clicked it off.
"I think we're done with ghost stories," he said.
"I did not mean to frighten everyone," Yami said regretfully.
"Yeah, you did, you were telling a ghost story," Joey said, finally sitting up. "And you win, man. You win. We got our money's worth."
There was another moment of silence. Because Yami seemed at a loss, Yugi cleared his throat and said, "Okay, how about some games? Let's turn up the lights and play some games. That'll take ours minds off… off Yami's story."
The others agreed and started to gather up their snacks while Yugi crossed the room to the light panel.
"BOO!"
Everyone screamed. Yami's hand was instantly on his Puzzle.
Laughter started. The lights came up and Yugi saw a pair of Mokuba's friends, a couple of boys, laughing themselves hoarse at the entrance to the parlor.
"You guys are pussies!" one howled.
"Did you pee your pants?" the other asked, leering at Yugi.
"Real funny, guys," Tea said. "Shouldn't you be back in the ballroom?"
The two teenagers were still laughing. Joey growled and waved his hand.
"Go on back to Mokuba, you jerks," he said.
"Make us, loser."
Joey started that way. Yugi hurried in front of him. The two boys were taunting them, making faces and laughing. Tea huffed in disgust and turned away.
"Ignore them. Come on, let's set up for some games."
"Games for children!" one of the two boys said. "Gonna play Candyland, you babies? Halloween too scary?"
"Why, I oughta-"
"What's going on here?"
It was Mokuba. His two friends immediately stopped pulling faces and tried to look innocent. Over Mokuba's shoulder, Yugi could see some other of his friends peering in curiously.
"Your friends were trying to scare us," Tristan said.
"Trying?" one said automatically, then winced.
"Get them out of here," Joey said. "Before I break their faces."
Mokuba apologized, then started leading his friends back to the ballroom. One flipped them off over his shoulder. Yugi hung onto Joey's arm.
"They're gone," he said. "Forget them, they're not worth it."
"Worth a few punches in the face," Joey said darkly. "Little assholes."
"Joey, they're kids," Tea said.
"They're like fifteen or sixteen!"
"And Joey was an asshole at that age, too," Tristan said with a grin.
Joey growled at him and the two headed to the parlor table, arguing and shoving. Tea rolled her eyes and joined them, as did the rest. They set up for Monopoly and played for a while, but Joey quickly got bored and they abandoned the game in the middle. After that, they played Pictionary, and Ryou was surprisingly good at it.
Joey excused himself for the bathroom. While he was gone, the others got ready to play Clue. It was a murder mystery game, but of course far tamer than Yami's story.
Most everything was.
They were setting up the little colored pieces and shuffling the cards when Joey's scream echoed through the lower floor, making them all cry out. They jumped up and hurried out of the parlor into the hallway.
"Joey!" Serenity cried.
"Joey! Where are you, man?" Tristan yelled.
They found Joey at the end of the hallway crouched against the wall between a decorative sideboard and the doorway to the main entrance hall. Yugi knelt before him with Serenity, seeing his eyes were huge and dilated, his face chalk white. However, even as they reached for him, he suddenly growled and surged to his feet, stalking out into the main hall.
"Joey! What's wrong?" Serenity asked as the rest followed him.
"Where are you, Kaiba?! Or are you watching on one of your cameras?"
"Joey, what happened?" Tea asked.
"Seto's not even home," Yugi said.
"Come on out, Moneybags, and-"
"JOEY," Yami thundered, making Joey turn to him. "What happened?"
"What is going on here?" Seto demanded, appearing at the top of the stairs. So he was home. "Why are you yelling in my house, Wheeler?"
"One of his holograms. I was coming back from the bathroom when that Ammit thing came flying at me down the hall. Think that's funny, Rich Boy?"
"Joey, I don't think-" Yugi started.
"What's going on?" Mokuba and some of his friends had appeared in the doorway leading to the ballroom. Yugi saw Ami in the back and she looked nervous. Emiko was nowhere in sight. "We could hear you over the music."
"Joey, you probably just thought one was the… thing from Yami's story," Tea said reasonably. "The… god?"
"Demon," Yami corrected calmly.
"Sorry."
"I have better things to do than scare you, Wheeler," Seto said contemptuously.
"I wasn't scared," Joey immediately lied.
"There's holograms all over." Seto waved a hand as a skeleton popped out of the closet and snatched at his prey with a bony hand. "Witches, ghosts, and whatever else Mokuba and Yugi wanted."
"How would Kaiba even know what story Yami told?" Ryou pointed out.
"I dunno, but-"
"We were all spooked," Yugi said gently. "Let's go play some more games, okay?"
"This is ridiculous," Seto said, turning and heading back up the stairs.
Mokuba started leading his friends back into the ballroom. Yugi saw the same two of Mokuba's friends snickering. Joey saw them, too. Clearly embarrassed, he pulled away from Serenity and disappeared into the parlor. Serenity hurried after him.
"Oh, dear," Ryou said.
The two high school boys were still laughing by the doorway. Yami turned to them.
"You can go on back into the ballroom," he said.
"Yeah, show's over," Tristan snapped.
The kids started to say something, but Mokuba came back out and pulled them away. One leaned back out of the doorway and flipped them off again while sticking out his tongue. Tristan cracked his knuckles, but Yugi waved him back.
"Forget about them. Listen, you guys finish setting up," he said. "I'll turn off the hologram projector and be right back."
Yami, Tea, Tristan, and Ryou headed into the parlor. Yugi stood at the base of the stairs and waited a few minutes, but saw nothing. Strange, the holograms were on repeat cycles that lasted about ten minutes. Poor Joey really must have imagined the whole thing.
Yugi hurried upstairs and to the mansion's office. The holograms were running on a pair of computers that ran their software continuously. Yugi couldn't program them, but he could turn them off.
A feeling of being watched came over him and he turned to look back over his shoulder. With the lights on, the office was well lit and there was nothing to be seen.
Yugi turned off the programs and shut off the computers, then went back downstairs. The lower level was much less ominous without all of the holographic gore. He entered the parlor and found the group arranged around the table. Joey was clearly still upset, embarrassed and angry over being scared. The rest were trying to cheer him up, and as soon as Yugi entered the room, Tea suggested they play the board game and eat some more snacks and forget about creepy for a while. Food was always the way to Joey's heart and he cheered up.
"I didn't see anything in the hallway," Yugi admitted when Tea asked him surreptitiously when the group went to clean up later.
"I'm sure he saw something," Serenity said. "Are you sure that Mr. Kaiba didn't…?"
"He wouldn't do something like that. It's not that he wouldn't care if Joey was scared, it just isn't something he'd do."
"Let's forget it," Ryou suggested.
So, they did.
Until more screams erupted from the hall.
The group got to their feet and hurried out. They found the two teenage boys from before, huddled together at the foot of the stairs. They were cringing and clearly terrified.
Mokuba and his group came out again. After some hysterical back-and-forth, it became apparent the kids had been surprised by an unexpected hologram as well. And they blamed Yugi's group.
"You got Kaiba to scare us because we were making fun of you!" one yelled.
"We did not. No one has left the parlor," Tea retorted.
"And Seto wouldn't-" Mokuba started.
"It was a Duel Monster!" the other kid said. "Skull Lightning, one of his cards!" He jammed his finger at Yugi.
"You mean Summoned Skull?"
"Who gives a fuck?!"
"Hey! Yugi wouldn't do that," Mokuba said. "And neither would my brother."
"I turned off the holograms," Yugi said.
"You're making it up," Joey sneered.
Everyone started arguing back and forth.
"What is going on here?!" It was Seto, stalking down the stairs again.
"Someone else got scared by a hologram," Yugi said. "They said it was Summoned Skull. But I turned them off."
"That's ridiculous anyway. I have not programmed any Duel Monsters or movie characters into them."
"We both saw it! It came out of the floor."
Seto drew himself up. No one, not even a kid, got away with talking back to him. "I told you, there are none of those in here. No one else can program these, not even Mokuba."
Yugi frowned to himself. What was going on? He believed Seto when he said he hadn't programmed anything, but Joey and both boys were sure they'd seen something come at them. Maybe Mokuba did know how to program them and was having a joke. He wasn't sure he believed Mokuba would do such a thing, but maybe he thought it was funny. Maybe his two friends were even in on it.
But the look of confusion on Mokuba's face seemed genuine, as did the fear and anger on the boys' faces. He doubted they were that good of actors.
Yugi glanced at the Puzzle around Yami's neck. /You didn't…?/
/No. It's tempting, but no./
"It's Halloween, we've all been telling scary stories and seeing scary holograms all night, I'm sure we just thought we saw something," Tea suggested.
Joey and both boys started to protest when Seto raised his voice. "Enough! There are no Duel Monsters and no movie monsters in my holograms. They're generic Halloween monsters and they're fixed in place. There is no hologram in the hallway to the parlor and no hologram right here at the stairs. That is final!"
Mokuba nudged his friends. "Come on, guys. Let it go."
Also recognizing Seto's temper, Yugi turned his own group. "Let's go back and play another game or something."
"I guess Rich Boy wouldn't use one of your cards anyway," Joey said. Reluctantly, he added, "Maybe I did just imagine it. And those two assholes are probably just trying to make trouble."
Joey, Serenity, Tea, and Tristan went back to the parlor. Still in the hall, Yugi saw Ryou looking around uncomfortably. Seto had returned upstairs and Yami was looking up after him thoughtfully.
"Ryou?" Yugi asked.
"It's just, kind of scary, isn't it? You don't really think Joey imagined it?"
Not really, but what other explanation was there? "I don't know," Yugi said carefully. "We had a lot of sugar and Joey can be…um…."
"Excitable," Yami finished, turning to them. "And those two would not surprise me if they were playing a prank off of him."
"I guess you're right," Ryou agreed. He gave the two a smile, then turned into the parlor. Yugi and Yami followed.
There were no more incidents. At midnight, Seto came back down to chase all the teenagers out. There was a little grumbling but not much, not when Seto was standing with his imperious gaze, observing the group disperse. Once all his friends were gone, Mokuba bid everyone a good night and headed up to his room.
The older group didn't stay up much longer. Everyone was staying over and Yugi saw everyone upstairs while he stayed down below and turned off all the decorations and the rest of the lights. Thanks to Seto's high tech control panels, this was a simple task and he headed upstairs not longer after the rest.
Walking along the upper hallway, the ceiling light overheard flickered. Yugi paused to look up at it, then thought he heard a faint noise behind him. He turned around, just in time to see a fleeting movement out of the corner of his eye that was gone before he'd even fully turned around.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
"Yes?" Ryou peeked out of his room two doors from Yugi's position.
"Oh, sorry, Ryou." Yugi had thought the movement was further away, but he must have just caught Ryou heading into his room from the bathroom across the hall. "Do you have everything you need for the night?"
"Ah, yes, the room is great." Ryou smiled brightly. "Thank you for letting us stay. It would have been quite late to get home from here. Except for the scares, I had such a great time."
Yugi smiled. "Me too. Good night, Ryou."
"Good night."
Yugi headed on down the hall. Behind him, Ryou's door closed.
Yugi grinned as he sat astride Seto's hips, hands resting on his chest, the brunette's own hands on his hips. The sheet riding low did nothing to mask Seto's appreciation of his proximity and Yugi ground gently against him, watching faint redness spread over high cheekbones.
"Seto, thank you for letting us have our Halloween party here," he said.
"You already thanked me."
Yugi laughed and shook his head. "No, I haven't," he purred.
He bent down for a kiss and reached down to grasp Seto's hands and draw them from his hips. He pushed them up, until they were up above Seto's head, tucking them under the pillow and rubbing his fingers lightly. Seto growled and pushed his tongue into his mouth. Yugi shifted a little higher so he could reach, never breaking the kiss, and grabbed the soft padded cuffs hiding hooked to the headboard. He quickly caught Seto's wrists and bound them.
Seto broke the kiss and looked up at him in surprise. Yugi bit his lip nervously and smiled.
"Yugi?"
"I want to try something different," he said. He ran his hands slowly up and down Seto's arms, feeling the hard muscles. "The idea of restraining all this…power…is…kind of a turn on."
Seto's eyebrows shot up. He looked at Yugi incredulously. Yugi smiled again, and searched his expression anxiously.
"Of course, if you don't want it, say so," he added quickly. "I just thought it might be fun."
Seto studied his face for a moment, then grunted. "Then you'd better make this memorable."
Yugi smiled brilliantly and leaned down for another lingering kiss. Sitting up, he shifted on top of him again and traced a finger slowly along the center of Seto's chest.
"Oh, and there's one more thing," he said.
"What?"
Yugi leaned to the side, letting Seto see Yami was now behind him. The brunette jumped, then glared at Yami. As Yugi leaned to the side, Yami smirked at Seto and leaned around Yugi to brace himself on the mattress with one hand, the other skimming up Seto's stomach.
"I must say, this is a good idea, Aibou," Yami said.
"His idea or yours?" Seto grumbled.
"His, all his." Yami shifted fully up onto knees so he had the reach to lean over Yugi, hand resting on Seto's chest. "And if you don't want this, say so. Don't be stubborn and keep quiet in some silly stoic defiance."
Seto glared, lip curling. Yugi watched apprehensively. It wasn't like this was the first time Yami had joined them, but it also wasn't like the pair didn't fight as viciously as ever. Yugi didn't understand it, having sex with someone you didn't love, but that was exactly what it was for them. Yugi loved them both dearly, but for the other two it was simple fiery lust, and maybe their mutual feelings for Yugi.
"Get down here, and put that mouth to better use," Seto said finally.
Yami chuckled, and did so, grunting as Seto surged up as far as he was able. The kiss was hard and demanding, Seto's tongue dominating Yami's mouth aggressively. Yami's fingers curled through Seto's hair and held his head up, his weight still braced on the other hand.
Yugi slid off Seto and out from under Yami, laying down on his side next to them. He watched as Yami slowly lowered himself on top of Seto, whose head returned to the pillow, though Yami's fingers were still in his hair. The kiss had softened and Yami's tongue flickered into Seto's mouth.
Yugi leaned over on his elbow and started dropping kisses on Seto's collarbone, then slowly down his chest. Swirling his tongue around a nipple made Seto moan into the kiss with Yami. Yugi rubbed his free hand down Yami's bare back. Sudden harsh breathing let him know Yami had broken the kiss and he pushed himself up, looking down into Seto's flushed face.
"You taste like chocolate again," Seto said to Yami. "You need rehab."
"I'll make sure it's onions next time."
Yugi giggled. Seto turned to him and he bent down for his own kiss, softer and sweeter than before, while Yami worked his way down Seto's neck. A surge and groan from Seto when Yami bit him made lust swirl through Yugi. He gently bit Seto's bottom lip, then drew away and turned to Yami, who raised his head.
They kissed over Seto, Yugi's hand rubbing Seto's chest while Yami's tangled in Yugi's hair. Yami held Yugi to him, mapping out Yugi's mouth like this was the first time. Several long blissful seconds later, they parted and looked down at Seto, who was watching them with dark eyes.
"Like what you see?" Yami asked mischievously.
Seto glared at him again. Yugi stood up on his knees and Yami did likewise. They kissed again, deeper and longer, while Yugi tweaked Seto's nipple and Yami's hand ran up his thigh over the sheet. Yugi heard and felt Seto squirm under them with a growl. Breaking the kiss, he looked down at him with a smile while Yami started sucking a hickey where his collar usually resided. Without even mentally talking about it, Yugi and Yami both removed their hands from Seto and focused on each other, Yugi tangling fingers in Yami's hair and gripping his shoulder while Yami held his waist, his mouth darkening the bruise.
The chains rattled below them and Yugi tilted his head back to grin at the ceiling with his eyes closed, enjoying both Yami's talented mouth and Seto's palpable frustration. As Yami's lips trailed down his collarbone to his chest, Yugi arched back, letting Yami hold him up.
/You must be a vision,/ Yami said silently.
Yugi blushed a little, but could well imagine the sight they were making for Seto. He made sure his face was tilted enough toward Seto that the brunette would be able to see him bite his lip when Yami sucked a nipple. He scratched his nails lightly along Yami's nape and shoulders, feeling him shiver at the tingles.
"I said make this memorable," Seto said grumpily.
Yami laughed as he pulled back from Yugi. He turned to Seto, planting both hands on the mattress on either side of his ribs, smirking down at him.
"Don't pretend you aren't hard as steel," he said. "That sheet does nothing to hide it."
Yugi got an idea and shifted his position quickly, relaying to Yami what he wanted while he did. Yami obeyed, throwing his leg over Seto's hips and now resting on hands and knees over his prone body. Yugi shifted around behind him, on his knees over Seto's shins, and started a path from the nape of Yami's neck down his spine. He gripped his hips while he did, rubbing with his thumbs right under the waistband of his boxers. Leaving a trail of bite marks, Yugi hooked his fingers and tugged the boxers down, as far as he could without letting Yami move from his place.
Spreading Yami's cheeks with his thumbs and giving a long lick made Yami groan obscenely. Yugi swirled his tongue, then nipped sharply on one buttock. Eyes closed, he wriggled his tongue, feeling Yami tremble. He ran his hands along Yami's thighs, over his hips and back, tracing his rim over and over again. Yami's harsh breathing filled the room and he let out a shaky moan when Yugi pushed his tongue inside.
/Aibou, Yugi, please./
Yugi drew back and raised his head. He saw that Yami's arms had given out and his front half had collapsed on Seto. He'd been panting into his chest. Viewed through the spikes of Yami's hair, Seto's frustrated glare was hot. Yugi smiled at him and rubbed his hand along Yami's back, knowing they couldn't tease Seto too much longer.
Yugi pressed a kiss to Yami's spine, then urged him up. They shifted position until they were once again kneeling on either side of Seto's legs. Bending down together, they each licked and suckled at his nipples while Yugi reached down with one hand and tugged the sheet out of the way. Freed, Seto's cock was thick and hard in his hand when he gripped it and stroked gently. Yami's hand stole down between Seto's legs to play with his balls. Their lover groaned, the handcuffs rattling again. Yugi licked at his chest, then started down his ribs. Across from him, Yami dragged his tongue wetly up his neck, then moved away to the nightstand. Yugi continued down, nibbling at Seto's hip, his hand stroking slow and tight.
"Yugi!"
Yugi hummed in acknowledgement, sucking a bruise into Seto's hipbone. The brunette squirmed, trying to pull free, and of course unable. Yami returned from the nightstand, moving to Yugi's right, between Seto's legs. He pulled one up and turned his head, nibbling along his thigh. Together they moved up to his center.
Seto gasped when they both licked up his cock. Again without discussing it, they both held his hips down, tracing random patterns. Yugi swirled his tongue against the head, quickly followed by Yami, Seto's left leg thrown over his shoulder. Yugi went down the length and Yami followed. They chased each other over every inch, relishing each noise they could pull out of Seto.
Yugi heard the snick of the cap on the bottle of lubricant and he shifted, slowly drawing Seto into his mouth as Yami moved back. He gripped what he couldn't fit in his mouth and stroked, bobbing his head, unhurried.
"Yami!"
Yugi moaned at the same time. His darkness had just pressed a slick finger into each of them at the same time. Yugi tilted his hips back, sucking slowly at Seto while his attention was mostly focused on Yami. Another finger joined the first and they scissored within him, brushing against his prostate. He moaned muffedly again, feeling Seto arch under him. They then groaned together when Yami added a third finger to each.
/This was a very good idea, Aibou,/ Yami said. /He looks exquisite stretched out and tied down./
/Mmm…/ Yugi couldn't really concentrate on words at the moment.
Yami's fingers thrust and twisted. Yugi realized he could feel the movements of Yami's fingers in Seto by the twitching of the shaft in his mouth. He was nearly woozy with lust at that thought and pushed his hips back again. Yami's husky chuckle sent shivers down his spine.
"Enough," Seto gasped.
Yugi lifted his head while Yami drew back. More lubricant was poured on his fingers, which he wrapped around Seto's cock and stroked while he smirked at him. Yugi threw his leg over Seto's waist, then shifted back, groaning when Seto slid slowly up inside him. He worked his way down until he was sitting fully in Seto's lap. Hands braced on his chest, he grinned down at him. Seto punished him by jerking his hips up, jostling him and making him cry out.
Yami gripped beneath Seto's knees and pushed his legs up, out on either side of Yugi, who leaned forward. He leaned down and kissed Seto, swallowing his moan when Yami sank inside him. The position was awkward, but Yugi loved it. He pulled forward, then pushed back, rocking on top of Seto. Behind him, Yami began to thrust. Seto once again tried to pull his arms down, instinct driving him to try and hold Yugi and was again held back. Yugi broke the kiss, looking down into his face. His eyes were so dark, face flushed red.
Yugi felt Yami's breath against his neck before his dark kissed his shoulder. He sat up and bit and turned his head, reaching back to cup the back of Yami's head as they kissed again. His other fingers rubbed and tweaked Seto's nipple.
It got rushed and unsteady after that. Yami increased his pace, dragging another groan out of Seto. Yugi broke the kiss and concentrated on rocking back and forth, mewling when he got the angle right. He arched his back, bracing most of his weight on one hand on the mattress, the other still planted on Seto's chest. He could feel it heaving, slick with sweat.
Seto tried to move, but he had no leverage, ankles on Yami's shoulders, arms bound over his head. His moans were getting faster, letting Yugi know he was getting close.
Opening his eyes, Yugi looked down at him again and dived in for another kiss, swirling his tongue briefly before pulling back and kissing the corner of his mouth.
"Come for us, Seto," Yami said behind him.
His pace got harsher, Yugi could feel it, and he matched it. He leaned over Seto, inches from his face, feeling his unsteady breathing stirring his bangs. His eyes had closed and the tendons in his neck were standing out. Yugi felt all his muscles tensing beneath him. He rubbed his hand over Seto's chest and down his stomach, before taking himself in hand and stroking. He dropped his head and whimpered into Seto's neck and that was it. Seto came with a snarl, arching so hard beneath Yugi he almost lifted him. He felt him pulsing inside him and he shuddered. Behind him, Yami groaned as Seto clenched.
Yami came next, crying out Seto's name aloud and Yugi's in his head. One hand gripped Yugi's hip, before Yami slumped forward on his back, breathing heavily against his skin. He pressed a kiss then shifted back, drawing Yugi up more. Yugi gasped when Yami's hand slid forward and pushed his own away, wrapping around his length and stroking.
"Come now, Aibou," he said aloud in his ear. "All over Seto."
Yugi gasped and squeezed his eyes shut. Yami's hand tightened and it took just another couple of strokes for Yugi to reach his orgasm, feeling it burn through him like fire.
He collapsed forward onto Seto, ignoring the stickiness, and caught his breath. Behind him, he felt Yami move, lowering Seto's legs and going to get the cuff key. Yugi nuzzled into Seto's chest and closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, Yugi was on his side in bed, Seto at his back. He pushed himself up onto his hip. He felt exhausted. And very sticky.
The air smelled funny. Frowning, Yugi pushed himself up more. He realized he was holding something and he looked in surprise at the long butcher's knife in his hand. Then he stared down at himself in horror.
Smeared all over his chest, splattered along his legs, coating his hands and feet, was blood. His blue pajama pants were half violet with saturated blood.
Yugi turned to Seto, who lay on his back. He was turned to Yugi and his eyes were open. His head was still lying on his pillow.
But it wasn't attached to his body.
Yugi's scream echoed through the bedroom. He jerked back from Seto and almost fell out of bed. The mattress jostled and Seto's head horrendously rolled. Sobbing, Yugi looked down at all the blood smeared all over his body, at the huge butcher's knife. He threw it away, mind a confused jumble.
Abruptly his head was filled with a vision.
Yugi enters the bedroom. It's late, well after midnight. Yami has returned to his own room some time ago. Only Seto remains, laying in bed, asleep. Yugi pads silently across the spacious room and slowly climbs into bed. He sits astride Seto's hips. In his hand is a large butcher's knife, the blade gleaming faintly in what little light seeps into the room. Yugi reaches out, caresses his hand through Seto's hair. He bends down, kisses slack lips gently. Then he sits up, tightens his fist in brunette hair, and slices the knife across a vulnerable throat. Blood sprays in a short burst before beginning to pour like a faucet.
Seto's eyes snap open and he opens his mouth. More blood spills out that he chokes on, struggling to say what Yugi thinks is his name. His hands come up, grabbing Yugi's wrist, his shoulder, but he's already weakening. His neck splits wider into a Cheshire grin of gore. His eyes are bulging, blue panicked in a way Yugi has never seen before. His back arches and he gurgles again.
Yugi saws the knife back and forth, leaning his weight into it, and the spine gives with a crack as the knife slips between the vertebrae. Seto's arms fall and he grips the sheets spastically while his heels drum. Blood spreads rapidly in a widening pool around his head.
Another few slices of the knife and Seto's head comes free. The shocked, horrified expression slowly freezes in place while below his body twitches with misfiring nerves. Yugi sets the butcher's knife aside and cradles Seto's head in both blood-drenched hands. He smiles with a lidded, lazy expression and raises the head higher, kissing the bloody lips with tender care.
Yugi came out of the vision, shaking and sweating and whimpering. He can think only one thing: 'No, no, no. I didn't, no, I didn't.'
Yami. He has to get to Yami. He can do nothing, but Yugi has to get to him.
He rolled over, sure he's going to vomit, sure he's going to faint, and staggered out of bed. Weaving like a drunk in his shock, he headed for the door.
Beyond the foot of the bed, he found Yami staked to the floor with five serrated steak knives.
Yugi's shriek of despair once more echoed through the room. His knees went weak and he sagged to the carpet, then crawled over to Yami, sobbing with horror.
His darkness lay spread eagle, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling, an expression of shock that mirrors Seto's frozen on his face. The Millennium Puzzle lay shattered on the carpet near his head.
Tears spilled down Yugi's cheeks as he reached out a trembling hand to touch Yami's cheek. His skin was still warm, but there was a horrific stiffness and Yugi snatched his hand back.
Another vision exploded behind his eyes.
Yugi hears the door behind him open and then close. Footsteps cross the floor to him and Yami's voice is soft and concerned.
/Aibou? What's wrong? I felt a disturbing sensation from Seto…/
He trails off as Yugi turns to him with a smile, still holding Seto's severed head in his hands. Yami's eyes widen and he freezes on the spot. He's so stunned he speaks aloud.
"Yugi! What-"
Yugi slowly turns back and sets Seto's head gently down on his pillow. Then he grabs the other knives from their place on the mattress and whips around, flowing off the bed like a striking asp from Yami's desert homeland, and slams Yami to the floor. Yami grunts at the impact, the wind briefly knocked from his lungs. Yugi drops all but one of the knives and when Yami reaches up with one hand, Yugi takes his wrist and tenderly pushes his hand down, then slams the steak knife through his palm, pinning the hand to the floor. He reflects on how similar Yami's scream of pain is to his own.
Yami reaches for his Puzzle with his other hand. Yugi rips it out of his grasp, raises it so high Yami's neck is lifted several inches, then slams it down as hard as he can. The plush carpeting is not enough to stop the Puzzle from caving in where it struck, a dozen pieces scattering.
Yugi reaches down and picks up another steak knife. He pushes Yami's hand down and drives the knife through his palm, both hands nailed down on either side of his head.
Tears of pain shimmer in Yami's scarlet eyes. Yugi smiles at him, astride his hips, and reaches down to pull another knife from the floor. He turns around and slams that one into Yami's ankle, feeling the rebound as it strikes bone and skids off before plunging into the carpet. He turns to the other leg. Yami struggles, so Yugi holds his thigh down and extracts a fourth knife from the floor. That, too, is driven home.
/Aibou! Yugi! Please, stop this!/
Yami's mental voice is filled with anguish. Yugi turns around to face him again, still smiling. He says nothing, but reaches down and fits his hand around Yami's throat, pushing his head down to the carpet. He draws a fifth and final knife.
Yami looks up at him with fear and sadness and anger. "Who are you?" he says aloud. "You are not Yugi."
/Yes, I am,/ Yugi says, and watches Yami's eyes widen in horror. /Atemu, do you have any idea how beautiful you look in pain?/
/Why are you doing this?/ Yami whispers.
Yugi hovers the tip of the knife over Yami's heart. /Because I can, Mou Hitori no Boku./
He leans down and gently kisses Yami's trembling lips. As he does, he lowers the fifth knife, feeling the skin give and break as the knife pierces into Yami's chest. Yami's scream reverberates against his lips, soon followed by a surge of blood. Yugi continues to press the knife in inch by inch, marveling at how it cuts down with ease, only a minor scrape along a rib hindering its smooth progress. He licks the blood from Yami's mouth as Yami chokes and drowns.
Yugi lifts his head and looks down at him. His eyes are cloudy, but still hellishly aware, blood trickling from the corners of his lips and running down his face.
/Yugi…/
Yugi shoves the knife down in one final thrust. Yami's eyes widen and he seizes. When he goes limp, the light fades from his brilliant eyes and Yugi feels the presence in his mind disappear, like smoke blowing away on the breeze.
Yugi clutched his head, squeezing his eyes shut and moaning. Yes, Yami's presence in his mind is gone. Their connection is severed, and he is empty and alone.
The others. He has to find them, warn them away. Something is wrong, something is very wrong.
They're scattered in rooms all along the hallway, put up for the night by Seto at Yugi's request, once a long, fun night of games, horror movies, and candy had wound down.
A fun night that is now a nightmare.
"Guys!" he cried, finding his voice hoarse and weak in his grief and shock. "You have to leave!" He climbed to his feet and slowly walked to the door. "Something is happening! You're in danger!"
He reached the door and found he was almost unable to open it. His mind wanted to break, shatter like the Millennium Puzzle. He wanted to drown in his sorrow. But he has to warn his friends first.
"Guys!" he cried louder, pulling open the suite door. "Joey! Tristan! Tea! You have to run! Get out now!"
No answer.
Yugi felt dread begin to wash over him with every beat of his heart. He stopped in the silent, dark hall and strained to hear anything.
Nothing. Silence.
He walked slowly over to the door that led to the room Tea was in. He raised his hand and pounded it on the door desperately.
Silence.
Slowly he gripped the handle and twisted it. The door swung inward, showing a bedroom that was shrouded in darkness. Yugi walked in, calling Tea's name over and over. No answer.
The bed was empty, the sheets still drawn up. The bed hadn't been touched.
A faint radiance shown. Yugi saw the bathroom light was on behind the door, a faint line glowing at the base. He walked across the room to the door and heard the sound of water rushing from the faucet. He cried her name again, but still she didn't answer.
He put his hand to the knob and opened the door. Better to embarrass her than leave her. Though he wouldn't enter the room. Something was happening with him and all he could do would be to stay back and impress upon her the need to run for it, no questions.
The door opened onto a spacious, fancy bathroom. As Yugi knew, Seto's bathroom was state-of-the-art high tech, but many of the guest rooms had old-fashioned bath tubs next to the showering stations.
There was water all over the floor. The tub had overflowed sometime ago and the drain couldn't keep up. The carpet squished under Yugi's toes at the threshold.
Tea lay at the bottom of the tub, her legs hanging over the edge.
Yugi sank to his knees on the sopping floor. He struggled against it, but he could not stop the vision from taking place.
Yugi stands up and contemplates Yami's corpse. He looks like an offering to some dark god.
Turning away, he walks across the room to the door and exits the bedroom. He then crosses the silent, dark sitting suite and finally out into the hall. No one has heard Yami's scream. The walls are thick and the nearest of his friends is Tea, still two doors down from Seto's chamber.
He walks to her room. Opening the door, he finds the bedroom's bedside lamp aglow, but the room is empty. There's another light on in the bathroom, and the door is ajar. Water is running, further masking the sounds of Yami's death.
Pushing open the door, he steps into the bathroom. Tea gives a little shriek of surprise, clutching the towel around her body to herself. Her hair is damp and the air is shrouded in steam. She's already showered and is filling the tub for a soak.
"Yugi, you startled- What's that on your clothes?!"
He's saturated in Seto's and Yami's blood. Her eyes wide with horror, Tea takes a cautious step towards him. But she's not afraid of him. She goggles as she reaches out a trembling hand to him.
"Is that blood?! Are you hurt?!"
"It's Seto's," Yugi says dully.
"Oh, god. We have to get the others. JO-"
Yugi widens his eyes in fear. "Shhh!"
She looks down at him. Voice soft and shaking, she hisses, "Is someone in the house? Are they still here?"
Yugi lets his fake fear slip from his face and smiles. "Yes, I am."
He shoves her as hard as he can. She stumbles back and hits the edge of the tub. Her legs go flying when she topples backwards into the water, sending it gushing up over the sides of the tub and onto the floor. Yugi kneels at the edge of the tub and shoves her back under when she tries to sit up. He grabs both shoulders and holds her under the surface. The faucet is still on, helping to mask the sounds of splashing and thudding. Tea's thighs thump against the tub and her hands clutch and claw as she tries to find purchase. She reaches up and scratches at Yugi's arms and shoulders, tearing furrows, but he barely flinches. She goes for his eyes and he leans out of the way. He has to use all his strength to hold her down, resentfully noting she's almost as strong as he is.
Her clasping fingers grab a spike of his hair and she cleverly tries to pull him down to her, get his own face below the water. He resists and manages to keep just above it, watching the vague outline of her terrified eyes beneath the frothing surface. Bubbles burst out of her mouth and she thrashes and squirms like a hooked trout. He almost slides on the wet tile.
Slowly, her fighting starts to weaken. He holds her down.
With one last manic burst of strength, she almost pushes herself up, but then her hand slides on the tub's smooth bottom and she goes back down without ever managing a lifesaving breath. Her hand rips a chunk of Yugi's hair out and he growls. She squirms again, then slowly subsides. Her legs stiffen, then go limp. Her hand thuds against the side of the tub, bristling with a handful of red-and-black strands.
He holds her under for a while longer, just to be sure. The water is overflowing now, and vaguely stained with the blood washed from his hands. He looks down into her wide, unseeing eyes, still visible through the rippling surface.
Finally, he stands up and leaves the bathroom, drawing the door shut and crossing the bedroom. He flicks off the light as he leaves.
Yugi felt tears run down his cheeks. He stared at his blood-caked hands clenched into fists on his thighs.
He knew his hands were washed clean in here. When he drowned Tea. But now they were soaked in blood again.
Standing, Yugi walked slowly out into the hall. His movements were robotic, because he didn't want to go, he didn't want to see, but he knew he had to make sure.
The door to Joey's room was ajar. He was not surprised. He stood before it for a long time, willing Joey to open it for him, to smile at him and ask what was wrong and just be there. Just be safe.
It didn't happen.
Slowly, Yugi reached up, fingers trembling, and pushed open the door.
The stench of blood hit him like a living thing. Choking back a sob, Yugi walked into the room. It was dark, and Yugi fumbled with the light switch with his head down, bangs in his face, eyes on the floor. The light clicked on and still Yugi didn't raise his head.
"Joey?"
No answer, of course.
"Joey, please. Say something. I'm begging you. Please… say something."
Silence.
Yugi lifted his head. Made himself look across the room. He owed Joey that much.
He looked across the room at the mess on the bed. Tears ran down his face, but Yugi now felt little more than empty.
With Tea at the bottom of the tub behind him, Yugi pads back down the hall to the main suite. He enters the bedroom, walking past Yami on the floor and over to Seto on the bed. He picks up the long butcher knife laying on the sheets. The blood on it is getting tacky. The blood soaking into the bed and carpet is going to take much longer to do the same.
He then walks over to the closet and takes down three of Seto's expensive silk ties. The silence of the mansion is still complete.
Joey's room is not so silent. Joey is snoring softly and muttering in his sleep. Yugi sets the butcher knife down on nightstand. He could plunge it into Joey's heart that moment, but it won't be that easy.
He knows Joey is a heavy sleeper. So much the worse for him.
It takes a little maneuvering, but Yugi manages to tie Joey's hands to the headboard. The third silk tie goes around his face in a gag. That wakes him, and his eyes are confused as they survey Yugi kneeling one knee on the bed. His question is garbled, but Yugi understands him just fine.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he reaches over to the nightstand and raises up the butcher knife. Joey's eyes widen and he twists in his bindings. Yugi smiles, catches his chin in his hand, and lays the butcher knife against his cheek. A quick jerk of his hand and he lays Joey's cheek open to the bone.
The cry of pain is muffled enough. He won't be interrupted.
Joey's eyes are wide and terrified. He thrashes, but he's going nowhere. The blade flashes again and a line draws itself across Joey's forehead, spills blood into his hair and down his face. He shakes his head out of Yugi's grasp and blood splatters all the way to the nightstand.
Another cut slashes Joey's shoulder. Then another to his side. His arm. His leg. Each swing of Yugi's arm throws blood across the sheets and up the wall. Soon Joey is crisscrossed with dozens of cuts and Yugi's arm is tired.
The knife rests against Joey's stomach, bared by his panicked movements. He freezes and looks up at Yugi with wide, pleading eyes. His words are garbled enough to be largely incomprehensible, but Yugi gets the gist. It's what they've all been asking.
The knife slices slowly through skin and muscle and fat. Joey's screams are louder, but Yugi doesn't pause. Guts spill out in glistening coils. Yugi saws the knife up, splitting Joey like a fish until it catches on his breastbone. Vivisected, he is choking on his own blood. Yugi raises the knife, once again dripping with blood, hovers it point downward, then shoves it into Joey's open mouth. It cuts through the tie, through the back of Joey's neck, and into the pillow, sticking him to the bed like an insect.
Joey seizes once, then goes limp. His eyes are fixed on some point in eternity, a look Yugi has seen several times tonight.
He draws out the knife, pats Joey's blood-soaked hair, then stands and exits the bedroom.
Yugi stood staring at Joey's corpse for several moments. The sheets were a twisted mess, a visual reminder of how hard Joey thrashed in his last few agonized moments. He was been cut so many times there was probably not an inch of skin not drenched in blood. It had even dripped into his open eyes.
Yugi turned and left the room. He walked down the hall, no longer pausing at each door, all too aware of the continued silence of the mansion. All to aware he knew exactly what happened to each of his friends.
He walked past Tristan's room.
Tristan's face is purple and bloated, his eyes and tongue sticking out, strangled with his own belt.
He walked past Serenity's room.
Yugi sits on her legs, stabbing her over and over again in the back as she reaches into space and weakly calls for her brother.
He walked past Ryou's room.
A card twists slowly in Ryou's fingers, dim light glinting off of gold.
He walked down the stairs, passing Mokuba's broken body on marble floor at the bottom.
Mokuba makes a series of unmusical thuds as he tumbles down the steps, crashing to the floor with broken neck and twisted limbs.
Yugi walked down the length of the grand foyer entrance to the front door. He unlocked it and opened it, not at all surprised by the twisting purple-and-black shadows where the front yard should be. He stood there, blood drying on his clothes, watching the shadows writhe in front of him.
He has seen it before.
Yugi stood there for an indeterminate amount of time. And as he did, he felt everything seem to twitch. There was a flash without light. His clothes no longer clung to his body. His skin was no longer sticky. In his mind formed the familiar buzz of Yami's presence, peaceful and content in sleep. Behind and above him was the indefinable sense of life, awareness of presence that he is not alone in the house.
Yugi closed the door. He turned around, walked back along the foyer. He stopped in the main hall. Before him are the stairs, empty.
Now is where Yugi can scream. Wake the mansion, wake his friends, wake his darkness and…
Yugi walks into the kitchen. From the chef's block he pulls a great butcher's knife.