A/N: I know! I'm alive!
Chapter 13
Nights spend in Darkness
Breathe.
That's it, just breathe.
Everything will remain the same if I just continue to breathe.
… But I don't want things to remain the same. I want my Onii-san!
The little raven head curled a little tighter into himself, trying to remind himself that as long as the Shadows weren't touching him or whispering too harshly that he would be fine. It had been many days since he had been taken by Pegasus' men, 'invited' by the creator of Duel Monsters to witness the tournament in his company. Endless days and nights spend in a small cell in almost complete darkness, given food and water three times a day. While his time spend with the Dursleys made him quite capable of living with little food and water to survive, living with his family had spoiled him a little when it came to living and breathing space.
He shivered and sighed wearily, deciding that it might be better to think of warm and cheerful days. Like the days Neville-kun had been in Japan still and they would stay up late playing games. He remembered the last letter he received from his British friend and worried that the Gryffindor would be in danger of more bullying from both Snape and Dumbledore about him. Neville had spoken to his grandmother about their behaviour and Lady Longbottom was thinking about pulling her grandchild out of Hogwarts. Something which hadn't happened since the early days.
Neville had also spoken about Draco and Hermione and the slowly developing relationship between the two. All three had spoken about their academic futures. Since Draco was a Pureblood it was expected of him to finish his Hogwarts education, much like Neville, and while the Slytherin's mother had argued before that she wanted her son at Durmstrang Institute, Lucius wouldn't have it. He wanted his son to stay in Britain, with his friends and his connections. Draco always said that it seemed like his father was waiting for something, some dark sign that a long dead Dark Lord would return. Maybe when more Purebloods would transfer, Narcissa Malfoy would be able to get her wish.
Hermione was hesitant. She didn't know a lot about the Wizarding World and was told by professor McGonagall, who had brought her Hogwarts letter, that Hogwarts was one of the top magic schools in the world. In the none-magical world Hermione had already been signed up for Oxford University. Her parents had wanted her to study there, so when the Transfiguration Mistress came with an acceptance to a magic school… they were a little disappointed. They understood, but they were still disappointed.
Haruto didn't understand this very well. Shouldn't they be happy that their daughter had been given the opportunity to study at a school only people with a certain gift could go to? Sure they hadn't treated him in the kindest of ways, basically keeping him against his will, but the teachers were still there for the other students weren't they?
Hermione had explained she had been slightly disappointed with Hogwarts. She had been looking forward to studying at Oxford University. It had been a dream of hers as well as her parents. She doubted that she would be able to get into University when she would finish studying at Hogwarts.
"So why would she want to go to Hogwarts, if she wants to go to University?" Haruto muttered to the darkness. Suddenly a sound was heard down the long, dark corridor outside of his little cell. The realness of his dark, little cell seemed to have caught up with him again and Haruto tried to stop the startled gasp from escaping between his lips. Shadows hissed with laughter at his expense and for the first time he fixed glowing green eyes on them in the form of a glare.
"Scary," one of them hissed mockingly. Haruto whispered a quiet "shut up" and started to make his way towards the bars to see if he could figure out who was coming his way. One of the guards for sure as a large shape moved through the dark hallways with a much smaller shape dragging behind him. Suddenly the light of a torch lit up their side of the corridor and revealed the large guard who had brought Haruto his food sometimes, dragging a child behind him. The child was stumbling along since he was blindfolded, gagged and tied up, but still struggling to get away from his captor. Haruto admired that. If he had been a little braver, would he have struggled against his captors too?
Darkness and shadows swallowed both guard and captive again and somewhere in the darkness a key scraped inside a heavy lock and the sound of a cell door opening. "Mister Crawford has requested you to stay here until your brother comes," the guard said, his gravelly voice echoing against the stone walls. "Here is some food. You will see Mr Crawford in the morning."
With that the door slammed close and was locked once more. Heavy footsteps passed by Haruto's cell before stopping abruptly. "Oy kid," the guard said and Haruto looked up from where he was sitting so he could stare up boldly at his captor. Maybe it was because he was tired and he felt lonely and a lot of other conflicting feelings that made him want to glare at everything and everyone at the moment. The guard's pearly white teeth glittered menacingly in the dark. "Keep it up and your room will be upgraded. Mr Crawford has already requested to have breakfast with you. Someone will come for you in the morning. Sleep tight now." And with that the guard moved away once more.
Haruto wanted to scream and cry and hurl things at the walls and at the guard who disappeared in the darkness. He didn't want an upgrade or eat breakfast with Mr Crawford. He just wanted to go home to his Onii-san and his Jii-chan and that strange prince which lingered in Yuugi's Puzzle and Yuugi's friends. They had all been so nice to him, playing with him and keeping the Shadows away. Even the Spirit which lived inside the Puzzle was nice to him and wanted to protect Yuugi, which made him A-Okay in Haruto's books.
Someone sniffed softly and a soft whisper of 'nii-sama' reminded Haruto that the guard had brought in another boy. One who had also been taken by Mr Crawford against his wishes and was just as lonely as Haruto had felt when he had first arrived here. "Are you alright?" the raven head whispered to the darkness beyond his cell door.
There was a horrible hissing laughter which rang through the hallway and Haruto gritted his teeth, his cheeks flaming red. Such a scary little one, the Shadows hissed as they danced around and between the cells. And so delicious too. Not like the other one, the new one who smells like lies.
"Who's there?" a soft voice spoke and Haruto startled out of his trance-like state. He hadn't realised he had started to hunch into himself again until he heard the other boy speak up. There was some shuffling around in the dark, but Haruto knew it wouldn't make any difference. The darkness around here was absolute, especially now that the torches had gone out again.
Haruto still smiled tenderly at the darkness. "My name is Mutou Haruto," he whispered, grasping the bars of his cell to adjust his position. "I've been here for two days now. We will get water and food in the morning."
"Will we still be able to see the sun then?" the boy whispered back, sounding hopeful.
"No," the raven head replied and a silence fell between them. Something brushed against his arm and Haruto shied away, moving backwards until his back hit the wall. Dark magic, different from what had been used at Hogwarts, crawled across his skin as if searching for something. It had been like this since he came to the castle. The dark magic, which Mr Crawford had used during the duel with his brother and to get Haruto to the castle without the raven head being seen, crawled across his skin much like the Shadows but still so very different.
Today his magic seemed to rise up to meet the invading force head on. It caused a low buzzing sound inside his ears and his eyes started to itch. Blinking rapidly Haruto waved his hand in front of him in an attempt to get rid of the irritating magic. The reaction created sparks, lighting the little cell and setting it in a depressing light. The magical reaction caused the Shadows to hiss angrily around him, flashing angry red eyes and pointy teeth. Two curled around him before pushing towards the others as if they were protecting Haruto from the more violent Shadows. The raven head narrowed his eyes when their images seemed to flicker, taking the shape of familiar forms before they seemingly disappeared in the darkness again.
"Wait, Mutou?" the other boy suddenly uttered and a lot of shuffling was heard from the other side of the hall. "As in family to Mutou Yuugi?"
Haruto perked up at his brother's name. "You know my Onii-san?"
"I don't think there are a lot of people in Japan who don't know about Yuugi-kun," the boy said softly, seemingly reminiscing. "The duel between my brother and the other Yuugi was broadcasted live across Japan after all. A lot of gaming fans will have seen it and I know that Pegasus boasted that Yuugi would be at Duelist Kingdom to draw in Duelists. Everyone wants to play against the boy who beat the National Champion, which was my brother."
The raven head frowned, trying to remember if Yuugi had told him anything about defeating a known Champion in the Dueling world. "Wait," he muttered softly. "Is your name Kaiba?"
"Kaiba Mokuba," the boy said, finally introducing himself.
Haruto sucked in a breath and narrowed his eyes. "Your brother is Kaiba Seto?" He had heard it all from his Onii-san. The fight for the Blue Eyed White Dragon which had injured his Jii-chan and the Duel which caused Kaiba's fall from glory. The insane little brother who vowed revenge, nearly poisoning Jonouchi and himself because Yami was able to figure out the game the younger Kaiba was playing. And later the insane theme park build just to get back at Yuugi for beating Kaiba only to be humiliated this time for the whole of Japan to see. It explained why the boy smelled of lies and darkness. His past deeds still cling to him like a lingering illness.
Should Haruto judge the younger Kaiba on his past actions against his family?
"Try to get some sleep," Haruto muttered to the other boy not wanting to make a decision right away. "The days are long enough." He made his way back to the make-shift bed in the corner, curling in on himself to gather some warmth around him to ward off the cold Shadows. They appeared to have gathered their menacing strength again and were swirling and chuckling around him as if enjoying his insecure state. Maybe it was true. Maybe the Shadows only grew stronger when they noticed his indecisiveness. But Haruto couldn't help it.
Silent sobbing broke through the seemingly everlasting darkness and Haruto felt a pang of guilt. When he opened his mouth to say something the raven head couldn't find the words to comfort the youngest Kaiba. Haruto bit his lower lip when the silent sobbing continued and he was sure that it was going to be a long night for the both of them.
…one hour before sunrise…
Something gripped his arm roughly and Haruto startled out of his dreamlike state, struggling to get his arm out of the steel grip which seemed to burn him. He cried out, flinging his arm out and twisting his body to rest against the cold stone of the wall. Red eyes sparkled menacingly down at him and for a moment Haruto felt something strong and frightening circle around his throat. It became increasingly harder to breathe but struggling seemed futile. Haruto was tired from lack of proper sleep and the constant strain on his young body caused by the Shadows circling around him, touching him.
"K-Kuriboh," Haruto stuttered, gasping for breath as he tried to claw away the phantom hands around his neck.
A soft 'kuri' alerted Haruto that the little fuzz ball had appeared but the black dots which had appeared in his vision made it hard to see. The oxygen burned away in his lungs, seemingly slowly slipping away between his gasping lips. But what would he do when all the oxygen had disappeared? How was he going to draw another breath when those phantom hands squeezed his windpipe shut leaving not only a burning in his lungs but also on the skin of his neck? With a violent 'kuri' the phantom hands disappeared leaving Haruto collapsed on his bed.
The little hairball which was Kuriboh fluttered around him as the raven head coughed and heaved trying to get the oxygen back in his lungs. "They keep – getting – stronger," Haruto panted, massaging his tender neck feeling comforted by the small Monster.
"Kuri, kuri-kuri, kuri!"
Raising his head Haruto stared into the large purple eyes of his friend and reached out for him. "I know but I'm not strong enough to hold him in for long," the raven head whispered taking comfort from hugging the small Monster close, burying his head into those soft hairs. "The more I focus on him the more the others slip through my control. I can't do this Kuriboh."
The longest speech ever followed and Haruto didn't know whether to blush in shame, feel disappointed or encouraged, or if he should chuckle at the sight the little ball of hair made. The small Monster flung his limbs wildly in mid-air, his large eyes wide with excitement and anger. It warmed Haruto's heart that Kuriboh would do so much to try and encourage him to do better. For a moment it felt like Yuugi was standing there, speaking to him in excitement before holding out his hand for the younger boy to take as if to say 'let's tackle this problem together like always'.
Someone huffed down the hall and the moment was broken causing Kuriboh to disappear and Haruto to catch his breath because of the backlash of power. "Kaiba?" the raven head whispered, dragging his body through the darkness to the bars at the front of the prison cell. The other boy moaned as he seemingly awakened and something creaked awkwardly.
"Kaiba?" Haruto called again, a little louder this time to get the other boy to wake up. He didn't know a lot about the Kaiba brother's but the young wizard had decided that he would at least make some sort of an effort to get to know the youngest brother. "Kaiba Mokuba!"
"What?" came the muffled reply and Haruto could hear the other boy shuffling around a little.
Suddenly feeling awkward and at a loss of what to say the eleven-year-old started to fidget, tugging at the shirt he had been wearing since arriving at Crawford's Palace. What should you say to the boy who had tried to kill his brother and Jonouchi? Haruto swallowed and willed his insecurities away. They were going to get through this! "H-how did you sleep?"
It was lame, but it was all he could think of to say!
Kaiba gave an incredulous snort. "Like I slept on the cold floor of a stone cell."
Haruto's cheeks flamed with embarrassment and he hunched in on himself a little. "It takes some getting used to I guess," he muttered softly but it echoed through the hallway as if he had shouted. The raven head cringed a little at how meek he sounded.
Something ticked against the steel bars but when Haruto looked up the hallway remained empty in the darkness. He wondered if Kaiba was carrying something more which had created the noise. "How long have you been here?" Mokuba asked softly.
"I'm not sure," Haruto admitted and he clenched the cold steel bars between his hands. "Three, maybe four days?"
The youngest Kaiba gasped and something hit the steel bars again on his end of the hallway. For a moment Haruto felt torn between speaking and remaining silent. The silence was frustrating though and caused the eleven-year-old to fidget in discomfort. He wondered if Mokuba was feeling the same way.
"Do you-"
"What was-"
The two boys started at the same time before lapsing in an awkward silence again. "What did you want to say?" Haruto asked wanting to dispel the silence while he still had the courage.
"Do you know why you're here?" Mokuba asked, bypassing Haruto's attempt to question the other boy completely. The raven head wondered if it was because the youngest Kaiba was used to having his questions answered quickly or if he didn't know how to interact with others. It wasn't really his place to question Kaiba on something like that though so Haruto simply let his head fall back against the cold stone wall.
"I don't know," Haruto muttered, a little bit annoyed with the other boy. "Why do you think we're here?"
"I'm here because of Onii-sama," Mokuba stated in a matter-of-fact tone which left no room for argument. It was a slightly resentful statement that seemed in contrast with the respectful and adoring way the youngest spoke of the oldest Kaiba. It reminded Haruto a little of his own situation. He loved and adored his older brother but if it hadn't been for Yuugi he probably wouldn't be in this situation. Which was a completely unfair and unreasonable thought and he hoped it would never cross his mind again.
Haruto hummed softly. "We're the same then," he said thoughtfully and he reached out to touch the cold steel bars.
"No we're not," Mokuba cried out suddenly sounding quite frightened. "We're not because I know Onii-sama would come and rescue me!"
A sliver of fear creped through Haruto's heart and a dark Shadow brushed past him causing the raven head to shiver. "Onii-chan will come and rescue me," he muttered, mainly to himself.
"You've been here for three days already," Mokuba sneered. "Admit it; no-one is coming for you!"
Haruto flinched and something from long ago whispered harshly in the darkness. "No-one is coming for you so quit your whimpering." He curled in on himself and started rocking back and forth, quietly wondering if his heart was leading him on. If Yuugi would save him. His breathing hitched when the Shadows around him grew, feeding on his doubt and despair.
The two boys lapsed into silence, neither speaking of their doubts and fears letting the Shadows and darkness grow between them. Haruto feared it, but he feared breaking the silence even more. Silence is what he had been used to for a long time; it had been his friend and companion for a long time. But hadn't that time long since past? Haruto didn't know anymore. He didn't know fear from pain from pleasure or love. He barely even knew his own mind or heart.
Something snapped in the silence and, like having received an electric shock, Haruto snapped out of his daze. Had he been asleep? He didn't know. He didn't even know his own thoughts anymore. It was hard to breathe, hard to think.
"Boy!"
The raven head startled and drew back from the cold bars. How he had not noticed the guard standing there Haruto didn't know. All he knew was how to skitter back into his cell because no matter how scared he was of the Shadows. Humans were much more frightening. The guard sneered down at him, entering his cell with a stride before grabbing the eleven-year-old by the wrist. Haruto cried out in fear and pain, trying but failing to free his wrist from the guard's iron grip.
"Stop struggling," the man growled. "I'm only taking you to Mr Crawford."
Like that was such a comfort. The raven head pushed himself to take a calming breath and to stop struggling. The guard released his wrist and started pushing the eleven-year-old not to gently towards the hallway. The lights flared in the hallway and Haruto cringed a little as he was no longer used to the light. It flickered and for a moment it appeared to die out before it grew in ferocity. Something else, something more was fuelling these flames. It was something which caused Haruto to worry, because it was that exact thing that kept the little raven head locked inside.
He passed three or four cells before he passed something which glinted in the flickering lights. It was a pair of eyes, sparkling blue filled with tears and a dulled fear which flared a little when Haruto passed with the guard. The raven head looked away, unable to look at the small boy who had joined this lonely prison.
"Mutou," Kaiba called but Haruto was pushed a little more forcefully by the guard as if he wanted to cut their introduction short. "Wait, I want to know. Please, Haruto!" But they had already passed and while he could hear Mokuba shuffling around in his cell, calling out his name, Haruto had passed in silence without glancing back.
The light in the castle was hard to get used to but somehow he managed without much thought. It wasn't like it used to be. No longer had Haruto felt the need to twist and turn, to hop around and dance past the Shadow of the human which kept flickering in and around him. That little fact actually made him want to cry. Why was this all happening? Was it a good thing? But why did it feel like a bad thing? Why did this all feel so different?
Someone chuckled – or should he say something? – making Haruto startle and when the guard placed a hand on his shoulder to push him on the raven head twitched. It sounded inhuman like a Monster roaming around rather than an actual Shadow. The eleven-year-old couldn't see it though but it wasn't like he could spin around the hall to see if he could find it. Did he want to find it?
He didn't have to think about it because they had already arrived at their destination. The dining hall was almost as large as the Great Hall but without the old stone and the roaring fires or floating candles. It was a rich Victorian room with high bay windows, a chandelier and large paintings which made it all the worse. Haruto didn't know what was worse; that the room looked like a Victorian version of Hogwarts or that the room was airy and light enough to make him feel at ease. It was like the room was mocking him, reminding him of his insecurities and fears.
"Ah, Haruto-kun!" Crawford called out from where he sat at the head of the long dining table. "May I call you Haruto? I am sorry for not calling you sooner!"
The man was as creepy as Haruto remembered, his long white hair an odd contrast to his youthful face. His three-piece red suit reminded the young raven head of the blood red wine Aunt Petunia sometimes drank, never too much and only for formal dinners. Uncle Vernon drank enough for the both of them. The gold of his Eye glinted knowingly making Haruto shiver in discomfort. It was only then that the smell hit him. The room was crisp and clean, reflected in all its inhabitants but the eleven-year-old who had been forced to remain in a small, cold cell for the past few days. Nothing could take away the smell of his own sweat and dirt, not even the smell of fresh food and juice.
"Would you like something to eat? Drink? Pull up a chair my boy and make yourself comfortable while I finish my morning paperwork." The man was inviting, charming even. His heart was racing and Haruto knew that he wouldn't be able to move from his spot. Not while the man still had that Eye. So the raven head shook his head and remained standing silently observing the creator of Duel Monsters as he worked his way through breakfast speaking to a man in his absurdly exuberant way. It was all done in American English but Haruto couldn't care to follow the conversation. If Crawford wanted to speak to his business partner, or whoever the other man was, in English without a care for whom else might overhear than let the man be.
"That'll be all, thank you Parker," Crawford finished and he waved the man away before glancing to his young prisoner. "You seem quite different Haruto-kun. I remember our first meeting quite well but I wonder if you do…?"
Haruto breathed out deeply to settle his erratic heart; forcing his body to take the calm state it would often be in when he was 'asleep', if he could still call it that. It was his first time exploring this state of calm while he was so clearly awake. He had already been able to force his way out of his 'sleep' state once before, now he was actively seeking out the 'sleep' state without losing the reality he was in at the moment.
"I was very impressed by your display of power," the older man continued, clearly thinking that Haruto was simply ignoring him. Crawford took a leisurely sip of his tea making the young raven head swallow when he realised that he had yet to drink or eat this morning. "Your ability to summon one of my Monsters like that, I have never seen it displayed so brilliantly before."
There was a manic and obsessive glint in the one remaining eye making Haruto want to flinch back. Something about the glinting golden eye caused his spine to straighten rather than weaken.
"It had me quite stumped for a while," Crawford admitted. "We – and by 'we' I mean those with a Golden Item – can only summon Duel Monsters through the cards, but you… I didn't see you using a card Haruto-kun."
Haruto reached for his breast pocket. "I always carry one with me," he said softly, fondly. He would never let anyone own Akio and Kuriboh was safe with his brother.
"Only the one?" Crawford asked sounding a little surprised. "It's clear that you do not play the game then?"
The raven head remained silent. Should he tell the Creator of Duel Monsters that he had become an avid fan but had never found the right deck to play with? That they had haunted him for years before Crawford actually had even the idea of creating the game which was now widely played in Japan and America. But he was afraid of his keeper, his warder, his kidnapper and he had good reason to fear this man in front of him. Crawford radiated power quite the same as Yuugi did because of the Prince but the Creator's power was much darker and colder. Yes, Haruto had good reason to fear this older man.
"Silence can sometimes speak much louder Haruto-kun," the Creator said in a teasing tone before taking another leisurely drink.
Cold. The cup was placed back a little more harshly then intended. The gold became shadowed and frightening. Darkness seemed to grow, pushing away at the light. Push out towards the corners, out through the windows. There was no light left.
Calm. Haruto felt it flood his system like a dam had been breached. This was the power he recognised. This was the strength which he had used once before while his brother dueled Crawford. This was the calm his 'sleeping' moments often caused.
And for the first time the power felt warm, comforting. It was almost like being hugged by the Spirit of the Puzzle. Sure it gave him goosebumps and when he had been younger Haruto would have shied away from the heat. Now he welcomed it and even found comfort in it.
Laughter rang through the room which became light and airy again in an instant. The power remained though, together with the calm. It gave the raven head the strength to stand confidently and he wondered if this was how Neville felt like when he set out to protect Haruto. He could do this!
"Beautiful," Crawford cried out, half way out of his seat before settling down again. "How bright you shine Haruto-kun. Is this the power you use to control my Monsters? Is this-"
The Creator was interrupted by a loud 'crack' and two man appeared by the windows. Haruto recognised them instantly and started backing up purely out of instinct. Pegasus Crawford was still sitting between him and the two wizards.
"Harry!" Dumbledore greeted completely ignoring the Creator sitting in between. "We have been looking for you, my boy!"
Crawford frowned, Snape sneered but the strength had yet to leave Haruto. The Creator had forced him to master it and now he could use it at will. "Did you think I would leave with you Headmaster?" Haruto asked his voice impassive as the strength rid him of his insecurities. "Can you not read or do all those titles make you blind?"
"You disrespectful, little…"
"Not now Severus," the Headmaster quieted his man patiently and the Potions Master crossed his arms across his chest in a manner which reminded Haruto strangely of his cousin Dudley. "Now my boy-"
But Haruto could think more clearly with the strength running through his veins. Everything seemed clear as day in this room and even if he was in the same room as both his kidnappers, Haruto could almost tell that neither could hurt him at the moment. "This just proves everyone right. But by appearing here blindly I can simply state it was self-defence."
He was free of fear and pain and while the two wizards had a power which had hurt him in the past and both their Shadows appeared to be as cold as before, they were clearly underestimating Mr Crawford who watched the exchange with a growing smirk. Yes this man who had created one of the most powerful games in the world and had a power to rival an average wizard, was clearly thinking of something.
"Haruto-kun," the Creator said with a smirk, finally turning towards the eleven-year-old as if dismissing the two wizards. "Will you introduce me to these two men? So rude to simply barge in here without a proper warning, don't you think Haruto-kun?"
Something stirred between them and their shadows grew, seemingly catching fire when they reached each other. This was new to Haruto and he felt curious about the way his shadows seemed to appear so much stronger when close to Crawford. Was it because of the strength that made it act almost Monster-like? Could the Golden Eye Mr Crawford wielded be amplifying his strength enough to form it the way it was doing now? Was that the power of the Eye or was it something all the Golden Items possessed? Too many questions and no way to get answers. Maybe trying out the new power was his only option.
Crawford looked at their growing shadows with hunger in his eyes and Haruto wondered if this were going to get worse from here on out…
A/N: and that's it again. It was so odd writing about a small, delicate but most of all frightened Harry again - who is growing up to be something much stronger - when I got used to writing about a more assertive Harry. It was so bad that when I was writing the scene with Mokuba I wanted Harry to half shout at the boy that Yuugi was going to save him because that was how loved he felt by his brother. I actually had this scene all writing out that when I re-read the thing I raised a questioning eyebrow at myself, thought; 'what the hell?' and promptly deleted the entire thing.
Anyway, a massive thank you for all you patient readers who have had to wait a whole year before me finally getting back into the swing of continuing this story again.
