Author's Note: Hi again guys! Good news! I finished this fic this morning! So I can now promise you that this story will end up completed! Yay! For those of you that are interested France was awesome or...hem hem...C'etait fantastic! Nous sommes mangez beaucoup de chocolat aussi! Lol, anywho, here is the next chapter! For those of you that were scared that Yugi was dead, fear not! Lets call it...123 reviews hmm?

Chapter 13

-:Sorcerer of the Doomed:-

A slave of the dark arts, this sorcerer is a master of death-dealing spells.

He cradled the body for what felt like hours. He could still feel his best friend's innocent little heart beating in his chest, but though Yugi's body was alive his soul was dead. Tears splashed onto pale porcelain cheeks but creamy eyelids remained firmly closed. Around them the shadows faded away, satisfied with the tribute paid to them. Slowly the trees of Domino wood came back into view, bringing the two boys back into reality. But neither noticed. Yami couldn't stop himself anymore. He had never cried like this. It felt like the lowest point in his entire life and for the first time the only person who was able to pull him back from the darkness was gone. He had killed the light and had plunged himself into darkness because of it.

"I'm so…so sorry." Yami sobbed and pulled Yugi closer to him, feeling the boy's comforting heartbeat. "Because of me you're gone for good."

"Not for good." Yami dropped Yugi's body as if he'd been burnt. Had Yugi just spoken? Slowly Yugi's eyelids drew back and he sat himself up from where Yami had dropped him. Immediately Yami's blood ran cold.

"Ieb." Yami spat, his lip curling in utter disgust, how dare this man walk about in the corpse of his hikari. "There's nothing standing between us now. I'll kill you straight out." With that the Pharaoh threw himself forwards and pinned Ieb to the ground, his hands wrapped around what had once been Yugi's throat. "You made a miscalculation." Yami smiled maliciously as he dug his nails into Ieb's neck. "You created a man with nothing to loose. You'll regret that."

"I did no such thing." Ieb hissed back, his eyes sparkling with an unreadable emotion. "You still have everything to loose. Including Yugi's soul." In a flash Yami took away his hands from Ieb's throat, but he didn't get off of the other boy, keeping him restrained.

"What do you mean…?" Yami growled, "You had better not be messing me about Ieb. If you are I'll send you to hell with no questions asked."

"That would make me the second person you'd sent that way today." Ieb smiled wickedly and Yami almost lost it all over again. Ieb was toying with him even now. "But now to business. You were right when you said there was nothing standing between you and me. That was always the way I wanted it. I hear you call yourself the king of games." Ieb raised an eyebrow with that comment, "Still as self important as ever I see. But I figured I'd give you a chance for an appeal." The spirit that now had Yugi's body to himself laughed, "All serious court cases have one after all! Now then, this is how it is. You will play by my rules or you will not play at all and you will never see Yugi ever again understood?" Yami nodded numbly, there was nothing else he could do. He would do anything to change what he had brought upon Yugi. "First off let me show you something. It is about time you learnt what you sent Yugi to the shadow realm for." Yami was about to snap out a response when the woods about them disappeared once again and darkness engulfed them, making Yami's spine tingle. This was ancient power and no one was supposed to do this, even bearers of the millennium items. So who was Ieb really, and how could he manipulate the shadow realm where others couldn't or rather wouldn't? Was he really that talented? Or that mad?

After a couple of minutes in which Yami had felt like he was looking up at the sky from underwater the darkness began to fade away in places, giving away hints as to the two spirit's new location. When Yami's eyes finally adjusted the first thing that he noticed was that Ieb was no longer underneath him and that he was sat on a cold stone flagged floor. The next thing he noticed was that he was sat in what looked like a corridor, though it seemed to have no doors and went back as far as the eye could see, eventually fading into darkness. The wider than average corridor was dark and cold, it's walls, like its floor, were of sandstone so little heat was generated and any heat that was created was quickly spirited away. Slowly Yami pulled himself up from his knees. The walls around him were covered in bloody hieroglyphics stretching back into the darkness as far as the eye could see. Slightly disgusted the Pharaoh made his way over to the nearest section of wall to read the ancient script. What he discovered made him shudder. These were plots of vengeance formulated over millennia and spelled out in the liquid product of their successful enactment. Bloody prayers for the success of bloody deeds. There was a chair in the room also. It was offset to one side, a black chaise-lounge with gold trims, masked in shadow. From the distance away that Yami was he could only just make out a figure. But he was almost certain he knew who it was.

Yami made his way over to the seat with caution, and was unsurprised to find Ieb lounging in it. However rather than being dressed in his usual garb Ieb was in the dress of Egypt, his chest bare and a black robe around boyish hips. Hips that had once been Yugi's. About his neck he wore a black collar with a gold stripe running through it from one side to the other around his neck. From one ear a small chip of hematite glinted in the dimmed light and another larger stone set in a thin gold casing hung in the centre of his forehead.

"I wondered when you'd show up Pharaoh." Ieb laughed, "I want to talk to you, please, sit down." Ieb waved a hand and a black and gold seat materialised from nothing. Yami looked at it suspiciously. "How can I do that?" Ieb asked Yami's question out loud. "Well all will be explained, but first, please sit down and relax." Yami slowly lowered himself into the seat. If this was what it took to get Yugi back he would do it. "In fact," Ieb smirked, "I think now is the time for a celebration. This is, after all a reunion. We haven't seen each other in over 5,000 years and we did use to be friends." Ieb laughed and Yami shuddered, the sound only revealed how completely unhinged his adversary was. A moment later a glass of wine materialised into Ieb's hand. The spirit in Yugi's form offered the glass to Yami and the Pharaoh took it with caution. Ieb quickly summoned another for himself. "Unfortunately I can't manage a party for this momentous occasion at such short notice, but this wine has been maturing for over 4,000 years if that is any consolation…" Yami felt himself getting angry again. He didn't have time for these games. Every moment spent talking to Ieb was another moment where Yugi was wrestling with his worse nightmares in the shadow realm.

"Look, you called me here and I'm sick of you playing games! If you have something to say spit it out!" Yami cracked at last. However Ieb was irritatingly unmoved.

"I though you liked games. But never mind, you are right, I did summon you here for a reason. So I think it is time you learnt why." Ieb pulled himself off the chaise lounge on which he had been lying and started wandering down the corridor toward the darkness. "Come along Pharaoh." Ieb smiled, though his back was to Yami. "And don't leave your wine. It is, after all, your dynasty's finest achievement."

----

He had cried for what felt like forever. His eyes were red and his body shook violently from the stress it was undergoing. Blood pounded through his ears, filling the silence around him and adding life to the macabre picture of death in front of him. Angrily Yugi slammed his already bloodied fists against the glass, but there was nothing he could do but leave red smears on the window that separated him from his friends. On arriving in the shadow realm Yugi's worst fears had immediately been realised. When he had finally come around he had discovered that he was in a glass cube, seemingly floating in the darkness. At first Yugi had reasoned to himself that he could live with that, even if it would eventually send him mad. He had not been reckoning on further torture. Shortly after his imprisonment the images had started appearing. Joey was first, lying cold dead on the floor, his eyes open and his mouth wide in a final scream. About his neck were bright red marks and bruises standing out starkly against light flesh. Strangled. Shortly afterward Joey had been followed by Ryou hanging from space by his millennium ring, Tea, a red rose of blood blossoming on her chest, Tristan, floating face down in watery darkness, his body swollen and his skin clammy, Grandpa, his body twisted and bloodied. Yugi watched in complete horror as those he loved floated in the shadows outside of his glass box. They were all gone and it was all his fault. The tears had started then, fast and constant. But it was the last person that had truly pushed the hikari over the edge. By the time he appeared Duke, Yugi's parents, Rebecca, Mokuba and Kaiba had joined the other shadow realm casualties and Yugi was shaking, rocking himself back and forth. Then there he was, Yami.

"No!" Yugi screamed as he saw he best friend materialise in the shadow. Yami waved at him and smiled, but Yugi knew what was going to happen. It had happened to all of the others. "Yami! Look out!" Yugi screamed, his voice hoarse with emotion. "God, please! Yami!" But Yami just shrugged at him making a gesture to show that he couldn't hear. It was then that a figure began to draw out of the shadows. "Yami!" Yugi yelled as loud as he could, but the glass stopped sound. Angrily Yugi raised his fists to hammer on the glass. He would do anything to save Yami from death. He would die a million times over. "Yami! No!" Yugi screamed, blood streaming down his arms now. Yami just smiled. He was still smiling when the knife slid through his stomach from behind. Suddenly Yugi's heart stopped in his chest. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move. Yami was dead, there in front of him, skewered on cold steel. It was his fault. It was then that he broke down and cried. He cried like he had never cried before. He didn't cry for the pain in his hands, he didn't cry for the death of his friends, he cried for the death of his hope, the death of his mind, the death of the light.

Reviwer's Section:

Cactus Bob: Lol, I never lie! Yugi isn't dead...just err...not in a good place right now /wink/ Does that mean I get a neo-sammy! Sounds tasty, and it is lunchtime...! I love Yugi too/glomps Yugi who looks a little indignant but hugs her back anyways/ As to when this story is wrapping up...three chapters left! The next one is a MONSTER though, its like 6 pages!

Psycho Kage Suma: Yes, was a bit sad wasn't it! Don't worry, things will all sort themselves out eventually!

Coco Gash Niccals: /Huggles Ieb/ It's ok sweetie, it isn't your fault your an unhinged ancient spirit. lol! Anyways, we'll have to find Gash's glass fast! We've only got three chapters left guys/Grabs Yugi and walks in a random direction/ Quick! Off we go! (Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter, just loading up the angst lol)

Masami Mistress of Fire: Lol, don't kill me! Yugi is ok...ish.../hides/ he'll be fine! Honest! Hope you liked the chapter and /cough/updatesoon/cough/ lol

Yami Yuugi: Geep! The trade/Gets writting/ Now that I've finished this one I can get going! Did you upload the next episode by the way? I can't remember if you did or not...Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and enjoy updates to come! And as to Yugi.../reads next chapters/ yeah...he doesn't get many breaks does he lol!

The Black Angels Red Rose: Don't worry about Yugi! I'll take good err...care...yeah that's it...of him! I'm glad you like this story and thank you so much for reviewing! I hope to see you again next chapter!

cheekyeyes: I love Yugi too (possibly my favourite character...I love Yami too though...the dynamic between them is aswesome!) As you requested Yugi's POV is in this chapter and I think it is probably in the next one too! Though looking at where Yugi is I am not sure that that's a blessing! And don't judge Ieb just yet, he's not as bad as you think he...no...wait...yes he is...lol

gowb: No! I didn't kill Yugi so you have to tell me what your account name is! If you don't I'll kill Yugi all over again lol! As for what I am and am not allowed to do.../evil laugh/ I am the author, I can do whatever I like, the power is mine! lol, hope you liked the chapter!

Yimi Makuya: Lol, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and well done on guessing, you are obviously not that bad!

Yami Val: I didn't kill Yugi! Not yet anyways lol. Glad you liked the chapter and as for the re-reading thing I have to do that all the time whenever I get an alert /sighs/ Unfortunately I can't answer your questions though, will Yami save him? You'll have to wait and see!

Manyana: Wow. Thanks, I actually blushed when I read your review! I'm glad you like the story so much and I hope you continue to do so! I'm touched that you like my writting style, you just know how to press all an author's buttons don't you lol. Well, if you stick around this party is drawing to a close in around three chapters, but if you check out the plot bunny section on my profile you will see that I have another fic coming up shortly that you might be interested in! Thanks again for your review, made me feel special! Oh and keep reading!

Thanks for your reviews everyone and its such a shame that this is coming to an end soon! I just hope some of you will stick around for some of my future stories!

Trikki