Author's Note:
Heart: Hey guys sorry for yet another delay. Seems like school is kicking our asses more than usual. :P Anyways, here's the next chapter enjoy. =.=
Evil: By the way, Heart's a little peeved that you guys found out about something so quick. You can already guess what I'm talking about, if not, I'll explain later. XP
Heart: Yeah, sure. EVIL! DISCLAIMER PLEASE!
Evil: Don't get your panties up your ass, I'm right here! We don't own the songs written here. We don't own YuGiOh, if we did, we'd have yaoi and shounen ai central over here. BUT WE DON'T. Enjoy guys!
Chapter 14: Heroes and Villains
An eerie silence befell the Motou household as night woke from its slumber. The air was shrouded in a tense cloud, like a taut wire straining until it can no longer stretch. And in an instant, it all erupted into chaos. Halls, once lonely and undisturbed, resonated piercing screams and anger-filled tears across its empty splendor. The maids hide behind pillars and in the empty halls, frightened at the master of the house. The man of perpetual stone had transformed into an unfamiliar devil of the dreaded hell he crawled out of. In rage, he stood over the young tri-colored girl who hesitantly but fearlessly stood against him and was advancing upon her swiftly. A fierce and unyielding gleam shone in his once vacant brown eyes as he towered over Yugi.
"Keep your mouth shut! Who do you think you are?" Gozobouro yelled.
Yugi flinched and shuddered in fear, but rebelliously, she lifted her head and spat back with equal venom in her shaky voice. "I don't know, maybe YOUR DAUGHTER!"
SLAP!
A crack sounded across the room as Yugi fell to the ground. Biting back tears, she sniffed and slowly tried to sit. She held her cheek and hid her face with her hair, trying to crawl away as her father's footsteps became louder and louder in her ears. A piercing glare shot through her body, a look of hatred so pure it frightened her more than anything.
"You are not my daughter. You're a murderer with the face of my daughter who died with her brother. A weak, pathetic cripple that doesn't deserve what she has! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU ATEM WOULD STLL BE ALIVE!" Dragging Yugi to her feet, he gripped her arm in an iron hold, crushing it with searing pain. And again he struck out at her, this time for her head, the impact sending her bulky glasses flying to the other side of the room. "I'll teach you to be-"
"Ahem, sir, Master Duke is here to greet you." Solomon said wearily. The old man looked ages older than he was as he distressingly witnessed his master's treatment of poor Yugi. His shoulders stooped in sorrow for he could do nothing for the girl he considered his own kin. Gently, he motioned for Duke to greet Gozobouro though the boy was paler than he had ever been. And after a moment, he sighed in defeat and trudged regretfully into the kitchen, escaping the scene before him.
However, Duke didn't have to do anything. Gozobouro slipped on his smiling mask of professionalism as he approached the raven-haired boy with Yugi following helplessly behind. "Ah, Duke, I wasn't aware that you were here. Welcome! Come, come, have a seat in the parlor!"
"No thank you sir, I won't be staying long, I just wanted to make a request."
Narrowing his eyes, he eyed Duke suspiciously. He let go of Yugi and faced the boy fully, looking him up and down like a product to sell or discard. "What kind of request are we talking about here?"
Reproachfully, Duke stared back at the devil in front of him. Crossing his arms, he restrained himself from sprinting to Yugi's side and calling the police. In this situation it was best to stay in favor with the devil father. "I wanted to ask your permission to escort Yugi to Tokyo. It would be a great opportunity to visit a Shinto shrine and pray for a successful marriage as well as prosperity for both of our family businesses."
At the sound of the words like milk and honey, Gozobouro brightened. Slapping the young boy on the back, he laughed frivolously, a strange, strangled guttural laugh that seemed more sinister than joy. "Of course, of course! What a wonderful idea! When do you plan to depart, son?"
'Son', Yugi thought forlornly. When her brother had died, her parents love for her died with it. In the dark corners of her thoughts, she pondered on whether or not they even loved her at all. Just an extra next to Atemu, never really apart of the family. 'A son, they only ever wanted sons, not a crippled girl like me. And now they want to replace Atemu with Duke.' Frustrated, she inconspicuously shook off her negativity. 'Be strong,' she thought. 'Atemu would want me to be strong.'
Turning away from her self-pity, she lifted her head high, hoping it would reassure the soft prickling of concern she sensed radiating from Duke.
"I plan to leave this Friday sir. We will go once Yugi and I are finished with school and return Sunday morning." Duke flashed a businessman-like grin. Despite his professional bravado, his core rolled and twisted treacherously. Black and purple blossomed across Yugi's face as the fury red slowly burned across her cheek. What frightened the raven-haired boy even more were her eyes. They were beautiful, pure bright amethyst against the pale of her skin; a light in even the darkest corners of a room. No, it wasn't her eyes, it was the scars laced around and across them that alarmed him. Carved deeply into her face like a hammer to stone, they were prominent and dominated his vision. He could only imagine what kind of torture could scar her and take away Yugi's sight. 'No wonder why she wears those glasses…' Duke's emerald eyes narrowed in concern, causing Yugi to flinch at the intensity of the stare.
But before he could incidentally slip off his guise of nonchalance, the sound of metallic clicks filled the hall behind him. Click, click, click, signaled the entrance of none other than Anzu Motou. Both of the men turned at her arrival, Yugi still pale-faced and silent, didn't move a muscle. The brunette swayed her hips to the beat of her unbearable tall black satin heels, and moved with fierce determination. She possessed a ferocity that could turn deadly at any moment if not handled with care. Like any male tycoon, Anzu was them ten-fold, unstoppable.
"Why so late? Shouldn't you be doing schoolwork instead of hanging around aimlessly in Tokyo?" She said coolly as she gave Yugi a glare full of malice. Apparently, she was the viper watching in the shadows until opportunity arose.
"I figured Yugi and I would need some rest from the flight. After all, jet lag is so annoying." He said chuckling. "Also, my father wants me to check on one of our branches in Tokyo. One of our employees reported a problem that could take a while to resolve."
At this Gozobouro beamed proudly. Duke was the man's new favorite son, responsible and focused. "Admirable. Well, my boy, you have my permission. YUGI! Show Duke out and don't be disrespectful!" he growled.
"Thank you sir."
"Call me father."
Awkwardly, Duke coughed before responding somewhat caught of guard, "Umm… Thank you… Father."
Without warning, Duke felt warmth in his hand. Startled, he found Yugi at his side tugging him gently to the empty hall awaiting them. Her face was cast downwards, the shadows and her curtain of hair hiding what the girl was ashamed of. Duke allowed himself to be lead once again through the maze of the Motou mansion as Yugi as his guide. Words like 'monster' and 'never should've lived' reverberated off the walls and followed their ears to the front door. Melancholic silence followed as they treaded slowly out the door and into the solemn night, neither ready to face each other just yet.
The feeble blue light of the moon shone above them as they reached Duke's car sitting idly in the drive way. The humid night air stilled and the two's breaths were the only sounds present throughout the illuminated darkness as they both stood waiting; who would break the silence first? Duke did, no longer able to control the anger and sympathy crashing inside him, he embraced Yugi. Holding her with all the love he could give, all the hope, all the pain, and all the forgotten dreams, the raven-haired boy held her because he couldn't save her. He didn't know how to. Instead, he comforted her with all that he could, he allowed her to sob silently into his shoulder and take solace in his embrace. Many words could've been said that moment, 'It's okay', 'everything will be alright', but they both remained silent. Those words were already said unspoken.
Shifting slightly out of the embrace, Duke leaned back and gazed into Yugi's scarred face, etching her tear-stained eyes into his memory. "I'm so sorry Yugi…" he said as his voice cracked. When she made no response, he kissed her forehead softly; a gentle butterfly's wing beat against her racing thoughts and pounding heart.
Duke turned to his car and waited stonily in the driver's seat until he made sure Yugi made it through the front door safely. Running a hand through his long black locks, he reviewed the night's events in his head and sighed deeply. 'Why her? ... Why does God have to give such a cruel life to a sweet girl?' In a fight of momentary fury, he slammed the engines to life and sped down the street leaving behind dust in his wake.
Click, click, click.
The flash of a camera and a deep chuckle sounded from across the road. "Well, well, well. Cinderella has a prince, eh? What to do with these pictures now? Decisions, decisions."
Yami's POV
To others, it was another normal Friday night in Tokyo, Japan. Teens, adults, and children alike covered the city-light bathed streets searching for a wonderful time of laughter and enjoyment. Shops and stores beckoned them with their wares with brightly colored signs and smiles plastered on faces of unwilling workers. Above, the stars shone faintly, blinded more by the city than their own luminous light. Yes, to others, Friday night was blissful comfort. However, Yami Sennen embodied the unusual and abnormal persona of the everyday man so even in the fancy hotel room he occupied didn't deter his opinion of an ominous night. If the stars didn't shine brightly overhead despite the overbearing illumination of the city of wonders, something was wrong. Not even one could be faintly traced in the clear night sky.
The crimson-amethyst eyed singer sat cross-legged on the far corner of his room with the lights off. Music gently spilled into the room, filling in and blocking out noise. He stationed himself in front of a makeshift altar surrounded by dozens of white luminous candles, praying in silence as the crowds gathering made noise for him. Opening his eyes, he peered at the altar, staring glumly at the newspaper clipping in front of him. On the framed piece of paper a boy no older than seventeen with piercing eyes and a mass of hair held at bay by a black beanie smiled back almost mockingly at the man. Bitterly, Yami returned to praying, concentrating his mind into blocking out everything but his thoughts.
SLAM!
Well, there went his peace. Bakura strode in carelessly, almost blowing out the candles with the breeze the door caused. Catching sight of Yami's occult-looking altar, the white-haired guitarist smirked, "You still praying for that Ishigami guy, Yams? It's been years, let it go man!"
"Why should I?" Yami responded without opening his eyes. "He's the one that started it all and supported us from the very beginning. Don't forget the sacrifices Ishigami made for us." 'And how he opened my eyes to music...'
"That was all us! Not him! WE started the band, not some wannabe street-skater! You should forget about him, nothing will bring him back anyway!" Bakura shot heatedly, irritated he had no credit in creating the band.
"Not likely, Fluffy."
"Hey, all I'm saying is-"
"Guys. It's midnight." Ryou said as she peered hesitantly through the open door. Cautiously, she made her way to the boys across the darkly-lit room and yawned heavily. "We need to sleep, the concert's tomorrow. Bakura, please come back to bed," the white-haired girl said softly as she took her boyfriend's hand.
Bakura tore his hand out of Ryou's grip and stalked out of range. Turning as he got to the door, he yelled, "I'll do what I want! Just leave me alone!" And with another slam, he made his dramatic exit leaving both Yami and Ryou in wide-eyed astonishment.
Ryou dropped her head in disappointment. Sighing, she turned back to Yami and sat down beside him, wordlessly she began praying with him. "Ryou…" Yami began hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
"Yes…"
Hearing the crack in the white-haired girl's voice, Yami placed a hand gently on her back. Though she had her eyes closed, he gave her a measuring gaze. Even under the dim candlelight bathing her, he could still see the unspoken hurt that weighted her. "No, you're not. All he's been doing is hurting you Ryou. Just the other day he skipped out on your date with him to go 'take a walk'. Why do you put up with him?"
"I…. Bakura wasn't always this way." Ryou breathed deeply eyes still closed in concentration. "Listen, Yami. I know you don't agree, but just leave it alone okay? Everything's fine."
The finality in her tone shut the door between them. Yami knew the girl well enough to know that was the end of it. No more discussion, no more coaxing anything out of her unless he wanted to be assaulted by a frying pan. Already a Kuriboh had fallen victim to the wrath of Ryou and he didn't want to be the next. Sighing in frustrated, he removed his hand from her and sat back. "Okay Ryou, you win. But if you ever need me, I'm here."
"I know, thank you Yami."
Together, they enveloped themselves in silent prayer, acknowledging the lost soul smiling brightly at them. In this comfortable trance, dark thoughts and violent emotions left them as they lost themselves to the beat of the faint melody calling them home.
"Are you sure you want to go, Yugi? We can just go to the site and stay there instead." Duke whispered gently into the darkness.
And the darkness replied, "Of course I want to go. Atemu would have wanted me to go."
Saturday Night, Tokyo Concert Hall
Tokyo Concert Hall was packed. Seriously packed for a Friday midnight concert. Every possible space was filled within seconds, bodies cramped and squished against another uncomfortably but tensed in similar apprehension. Screams of excitement could be heard throughout the building as fans gathered into the stadium awaiting the leather-clad band hiding back stage. Security roamed tirelessly throughout the infrastructure chasing down unwanted fans in private rooms and facing possible death by fan-girl stampede. Good thing they were decked out with night sticks, pepper spray, and a huge ass shield for protection or else the girls would've outmatched them.
'Thank Ra for the security guards.' Yami thought solemnly. The man strummed gently a crimson and black with the insignia of the band's logo, the golden Eye of Horus and hummed calmly as the rest of the group assembled and finally completed prepping their instruments. 'I wonder if she'll show…'
"Millennium, you're up! Kick some musical ass!" A stage manager called encouragingly before returning to his duties.
Rising from his seat, Yami fell into step with everyone. Entering the stage was dream-like in a sense. The screams and cries of the crowd dimmed into a quiet roar under the sound of his beating heart. The ground vibrated beneath the soles of his leather-clad feet, rocking and swaying to the beat of the excitement and anticipation that was heavily clouding the air. Thump, thump, thump. Pounding filled his ears as he gripped the microphone slowly from its stand.
'Yami, when you look into the crowd, show them what you showed me. You have that passionate fire in your soul, you love music right? Show them how much you love it. Show them the true meaning to music. You'll be fine I promise. I promise you Yami.'
With a newfound energy pouring through his veins, he shot a fist into the air and smiled wickedly. His amethyst-crimson eyes gleamed sharply against the harsh white light surrounding him, emitting an aura of absolute command of the stage he stood proudly on. "Hello Tokyo! Are you ready for Millennium?"
Hysterical screams, cries, and cheers immediately responded to Yami's presence. Not one person in the stadium remained silent. The need to release their voice, to be heard above everyone else, to show their admiration prevented not one soul to hold their breath. Chuckling, Yami grinned mischievously as he searched through the crowd, his eyes longing to gaze upon one person he had hoped would come.
"Remember the song writing contest we hosted? Well, tonight, get ready to here our winners! Second runner up, Headstrong by Mai Valentine!"
A crash of drums and a slam on a guitar signaled the sudden start of their show. Arising another cheer from the crowd, they lost themselves to the beat; surrendering all worries and cares, Yami sang with his entire being.
You're circling, you're circling,
You're circling, you're circling in your head,
Contemplating everything you've ever said.
Now I see the truth, I got a doubt.
I get the motive in your eyes,
And now I'm out, see you later.
I see your fantasy,
You want to make them a reality paved in gold,
See inside, inside of our heads yeah.
Well now that's over, it's over.
I see your motives inside,
And your decisions in mind.
WHOOAAA!
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong,
Headstrong, headstrong.
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong.
I can't give everything away…
And I won't give everything away!
Sweat gathered across Yami's forehead. He was pumped, insanely pumped. Whatever feeling he was receiving from this song, it was static electricity. Yami moved across the stage, not once ever taking his eyes off of the crowd. They came for a show, for the music, he would make damn sure they enjoyed it and would make it a night to remember.
Conclusions manifest.
Your first impressions got to be your very best,
I see you're full of shit and that's alright.
It's how you play and guess who gets there every night,
Well now that's over….
I see your fantasy,
You want to make it a reality paved in gold,
See inside, inside of our heads yeah.
Well now that's over, it's over.
I see your motives inside,
And your decisions in mind…
WHOOOAAAA!
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong,
Headstrong, headstrong.
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong.
I can't give everything away…
And I won't give everything away!
I know, I don't wanna hurt you,
I know, I don't wanna hurt you.
I see your motives inside…
And your decisions in mind…
WHOOOAAAA!
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong,
Headstrong, headstrong.
Back off, I'll take you on,
Headstrong can take on anyone.
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong.
I can't give everything away…
And I won't give everything away!
Stepping back momentarily from the mic, Yami took a breath as he allowed the electricity to flow from his body. Though that static surge left him, adrenaline still coursed throughout his body. And judging by the reactions of the audience, they were equally entranced with the performance. "MORE! MORE! MORE!" they begged.
"Our first runner up, This is War by Yusei Fudo!" He yelled. As Bakura started the guitar to a gentle rhythm, he swayed his hips slowly behind the mic stand. Yami clutched it with both of his hands as though it would fly away with the sweet melody spilling into the stadium. The quick heat of adrenaline shifted to shrouded mystery and tense eagerness; the spell of insanity broken and gave way to the coming storm.
A warning, to the people,
The good and the evil.
This is war.
To the soldier, the civilian,
The martyr, the victim,
This is war.
It's the moment of truth,
And the moment to lie,
The moment to live,
And the moment to die.
The moment to fight, the moment to fight,
To fight, to fight,
TO FIGHT!
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world from the last to the first.
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world!
A warning to the prophet,
The liar, the honest.
This is war.
Ooooohhh!
To the leader, the messiah,
The victim, the pariah,
This. Is. War!
It's the moment of truth,
And the moment to lie,
The moment to live,
And the moment to die.
The moment to fight, the moment to fight,
To fight, to fight,
TO FIGHT!
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world from the last to the first.
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world!
IT'S A BRAVE NEW WORLD!
I do believe in the light.
Raise your hands into the sky.
The fight is done,
The war is won.
Lift your hands toward the sun.
Toward the sun
(It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)
(The moment to live and the moment to die)
Toward the sun
(It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)
(The moment to live and the moment to die)
Toward the sun
(The moment to fight, the moment to fight)
(To fight, to fight, to fight)
The war is won.
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world from the last to the first.
To the right, to the left,
We will fight to the death!
From the edge of the earth,
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world!
IT'S A BRAVE NEW WORLD!
A brave new world,
The war is won, the war is won.
A brave new world!
As the final notes came to a soft stop, Yami breathed in content. The final reveal was here. Scanning the crowd once more, he finally found the girl he was looking for. She, like the others around her, was screaming in a chaotic unison while smiling up at him. He frowned inwardly at the sight of her bulky glasses, once again blocking her eyes from view, preventing him from reading what she really thought. 'You're doing great Yami. It's the last one now, think you can handle it?' Smirking at the brotherly voice in his head, he stepped forward to the outermost edge of the stage. "And our winner is Hero by Yugi Motou!" A spotlight shined down on the girl as Yami pointed to her in the sea of indescribable faces. "This one's for you! Thanks for everything!"
Without another word, he turned his back to the audience as the stage settled into darkness. He took his place in the middle of the stage, eyes shut as he patiently waited until the entire stadium fell into an abrupt silence. A white pillar shone onto Bakura as he started the song, rolling into a double beat as a lone wolf. For a moment, the white haired man was the only thing to be seen under the white illumination. Then, as the drums joined the heavy beat, Marik appeared in his own pillar of light. Suddenly, the whole stage was bathed in brilliant flickering light. Taking a breath, Yami fell into the trance he experienced when he rehearsed this at Yugi' house. His eyes shot open as he sang, letting his powerful voice resonate broadly through out the room.
I'm just a step away,
I'm a just a breath away;
Losing my faith today,
Falling off the edge today!
I am just a man,
Not superhuman;
I'm not superhuman!
Someone save me from the hate
It's just another war,
Just another family torn;
I'm falling from my faith today!
Just a step from the edge,
Just another day in the world we live;
I need a Hero,
To save me now!
I need a Hero!
Save me now!
I need a Hero,
To save my life!
A Hero'll save me!
Just in time!
I gotta fight today,
To live another day;
Speakin' my mind today,
My voice will be heard today!
I've gotta make a stand,
But I am just a man;
I'm not superhuman!
My voice will be heard today!
It's just another war,
Just another family torn;
My voice will be heard today!
It's just another kill,
The countdown begins to destroy ourselves!
I need a Hero,
To save me now!
I need a Hero!
Save me now!
I need a Hero,
To save my life!
A Hero'll save me!
Just in time!
I need a Hero,
To save my life!
I need a Hero!
Just in time!
Save me just in time...
Save me just in time...
Who's gonna fight for what's right,
Who's gonna help us survive,
We're in the fight of our lives!
And we're not ready to die!
Who's gonna fight for the weak,
Who's gonna make 'em believe,
I've got a Hero!
I've got a Hero!
Livin' in me!
I'm gonna fight for what's right,
Today I'm speaking my mind,
And if it kills me tonight,
I will be ready to die!
A Hero's not afraid to give His life,
A Hero's gonna save me just in time!
I need a Hero,
To save me now!
I need a Hero!
Save me now!
I need a Hero,
To save my life!
A Hero'll save me!
Just in time!
Backstage After the Show
Brooding atop a large amplifier, Yami strummed lazily on his old worn-out acoustic. After the concert had finished, the singer waited impatiently for Yugi to come backstage and meet him and the band like she promised. For two hours he sat that way, waiting even after everyone had gone alone behind the curtains.
'I can't believe Yugi didn't show… I guess it wasn't meant to be.' He thought forlornly. Checking his phone, he hastily put away his guitar into its case and hopped off the amplifier. Feet landing with a thud, he strode purposefully to the exit without a second thought. 'I'll visit Ishigami, maybe seeing him again will clear my head.'