Title: The Black Tattoo
Author: SilverWing147
Part: 6/?
Rating: Yet to be classified
Warning: AU, BL
Pairing: eventual YYxY, YxA, other pairings yet to be realised.
Summary: He didn't know when it came, or where from, but he'd been cursed with a mark on his back. A tattoo of a pyramid with an Egyptian eye, a black tattoo. What some people call a hero, and others a menace, emerges under the name of The Black Raven, and Yuugi's life has never been more complicated.
A/N: Puzzlefans, get down on your knees.
Oh, and I just wanna make a note kayz, now, there are many stories I read and don't review, because I can be lazy like that, but if I like a story enough to fav it, or watch the writer than I do tend to review, because that way when they update and it comes up in FFdotnet then people browsing can look at it and go "Wow! Look at how many reviews it has!" and then they read it... well I do that cos I'm a snob sometimes. So not only do reviews help authors get an idea of what they're doing right slash wrong, it also gives people searching for stories an idea of how many people liked it. Then again if you don't like it enough to not review then don't... or give a bad review. Man... maybe FFdotnet should think of a rating system.
Chapter 6: The Pieces Collapse Together.
It was well into the afternoon when he woke, darkness creeping into the sky when he opened his eyes again. He stretched his muscles, clenching his hand tentatively to check the damage only to smile when it only ached slightly at a tight fist. He was completely free of any marks from the tattoo; his chest was surprisingly empty though.
He glanced around the room looking for Yami as he knew that the emptiness was created by Yami being separate. He found the other soul sitting on the chair at his desk, glaring into a nearby wall as if the answer to several of life's problems were hiding just behind it and he knew they were there. He'd probably heard Yuugi move because in the next moment he had stopped his glaring and glanced inquisitively over at Yuugi, a small smile on his lips.
Yuugi cocked an eyebrow. Yami didn't usually separate himself when he was sleeping unless he was having a nightmare, and given the time of day it was, it was very unusual for him to be out.
"Good afternoon, bearer." He said, the words warm on his tongue.
"Afternoon." Yuugi murmured in reply, distracted by his curiosity. "Why are you...out?"
Yami turned away, looking in another direction instead of at his host body, and their questioning gaze. "Merely restlessness bearer."
Yuugi sighed, fiddling with his fingers tangled in the blankets with the awkward silence which followed. He remembered the first time they'd talk after he had found out the truth of what Yami was, a dead man's soul trapped in a black prism.
"Who are you?"
"Yami."
"That's just what we call you, if you were alive, what was your name?" A scrutinising look.
"I...I do not know." A sad chuckle and slow shake of his head. "I knew once, but no longer. I lost my precious recollections to the shadows long ago bearer. I cannot tell thee what thou wishes to know as I do not know it myself."
"You don't know who you are at all?"
A mere shake of the head, and Yuugi could see the linger of an old sadness in his eyes.
"Do you know why you're... stuck to the tattoo?"
"No." He replied simply. "I know naught but shadows. Neither time nor memory stayed by me, just suffering in penance for a wrong I committed long ago."
Yuugi's mouth was dry. "What did you do?"
"The dark took that knowledge; even the shadows themselves do not know my crime." He replied sadly.
"What's the point of punishment when you don't know the crime?"
"True." A slight grimace, a distant look. "But... I do not think that this was to be my punishment."
Yuugi looked confused for a moment. "But you're... you're a dead spirit without any memories and you exist in a grey box!"
"Again, thou art correct, but there are worse than this. At least I have the chance to make it up, and I couldn't have dreamed a person more perfect to bear the tattoo than thee. Thou doth not realise how blessed I am to be able to reside within thee. I owe thee all I have..."
Yuugi had felt his opinion of Yami shift in that time. Not enough to warrant an attempt at true trust, but just enough to allow him to trust him some. His help the night before was irreplaceable; Yami had been almost a saving influence in his life. Although the papers weren't sure whether or not to herald him a hero or call the citizens of Domino to attempt citizen arrest of the dark vigilante with wings deeper than the night sky in the desert.
"Art thou well?"
Yuugi jumped. Yami was a great deal closer now than what he had previously been. He was lowering himself onto the side of the bed, perching there as he quickly looked him over for any signs of illness or injury that he'd not noticed before.
He smiled. "No, I'm fine Yami. Just ya know... a bit tired and stiff."
Yami nodded in understanding. "I —"
"—Can I ask you a favour, Yami?" Yuugi asked, looking away from him.
Yami blinked. This was unusual. "Bearer?"
"Can you... I mean... I don't want to go down to speak to Anzu, try to explain to her the truth after so long of lying, and I don't really know if she'd believe me telling her that it's not really me that's the Black Raven, it's you and I'm just the vassal. I'm sure she won't really believe me, and it's not like I've given her any reason to believe anything I say anymore with all the lying that I've done. I'm a-afraid that she'll, that she..."
"That she what, bearer?" Yami grew worried leaning in closer to his host.
Yuugi looked up at him with a truly heartbreaking expression, his eyes glassy and fearful. He licked his lips anxiously. "That she loves you more."
He could hardly swallow around the lump in his throat at his bearer's confession. He feared that his girlfriend loved... but that was insane. Yuugi was perfect, compassionate, albeit a little stubborn at times, there was hardly a flaw to him that could dull his radiance. Even his flaws were perfect. Modesty so flawed it was self-depreciation, he was glorious and didn't see it which made him even more glorious as he could not grow arrogant or conceited. How could anyone not prefer him over some half hero half terrorist with wings and red eyes?
"Yuugi." He breathed. He reached out a hand to touch, fingertips skimming over the fine hairs of Yuugi's eyebrows as his hand swooped to lay a palm against his soft, pale, cheek.
Yuugi breathed out slowly. Yami's touch was strange and warm, but terrifyingly cold with dark. But it felt... it felt, nice. Yami's thumb smoothed over his cheek in a degree of intimacy that he was sure wasn't supposed to be allowed between them given who each of them were and how much trust he had in the mysterious spirit with no memory, and yet he couldn't bring himself to pull back from the touch, and fought not to lean into its offered comfort.
"How could anyone ever want me, when they have thee?" Yami murmured, voice sinuously low and breathless.
The hand slid down his face to rest against the side of his neck, delicately perched on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. As much as he grudgingly admitted it, Yami was gorgeous. He couldn't blame Anzu for having a crush on him, and she had never even met him beyond being lifted by him over a few buildings. His voice was smooth and rich, each word set out with the confidence of cornerstones. Arrogance lurked in his self-assured stance, brought on with the knowledge that he could have to world at his feet if he so wished. They were almost opposites. Smooth and cool to nervous and clumsy.
Yami's other hand rested lightly on his knee, as though he were afraid of the touch being detected and rejected. He licked his lips anxiously at the gesture as Yami's hand continued to smooth down to his shoulder from his neck. "C-could you though? Just... explain the truth to her?"
Yami let out a breath. "She has no reason to want me."
Yuugi shook his head woefully. "Not true. You're a cool, mysterious, vigilante with wings sprouting from your back and tattoo's over every visible inch."
Yami chuckled. "If it were thee in control, thou wouldst have tattoo's and wings. As I am now, I bear no wings and my tattoo is the same as thine." Yami replied, lightly brushing his fingertips against the strands of Yuugi's hair.
Yuugi felt his scalp prickle at the slight sensation. He closed his eyes, hm-ing lightly as he thought over the other's statement, and then decided it was pretty true but, "I'm not like you."
Yami blinked questioningly at him.
"I'm not tall, dark and mysterious."
Yami blinked at him once more, "Bearer, we are of the same height."
He sighed. "That's not what I meant."
Yami chuckled, running his hand through Yuugi's hair properly this time, grinning at the small unbidden noise that snuck from Yuugi's throat. "I know." The words softening into a smile.
His hand on Yuugi's knee shifted slightly until it was resting on his thigh where he paused, waiting to be pushed away. When he wasn't he let it rest there more comfortably, relaxing his hand and arm.
"I will speak to the girl on thy behalf."
Yuugi smiled, relaxing a little more and looking directly into Yami's face for the first time since conversation started. "Thank you."
"Thou art welcome." He replied, resting his hand on Yuugi's cheek again, his other moving to perch on his hip.
Yuugi's expressive eyes flickered briefly, worry and nervousness at the intimate actions. Were he honest with himself, Yuugi would admit that he liked Yami's touches. That secretly he enjoyed the hand on his hip and the one resting against his cheek, his very skin seemed to hum, waiting for the next sensation.
He bit the inside of his cheek lightly. This was bad, he couldn't fall for this. He could tell that with Yami's smooth voice, and the tone he spoke in, that he was trying to seduce his younger host body. Each touch was seductive, tentatively testing while at the same time luring him to want to want more. Worse was that it was working.
The hand slipped down, cupping his jaw line and the pad of Yami's thumb slipped lightly across his lips. He swallowed hard and his body tensed. Bad. Bad, bad, bad.
"I fear, to ask thee for forgiveness once more." Yami breathed, enraptured by the small puffs of air buffeting his thumb as Yuugi exhaled.
Yuugi was only given a moment to contemplate these words before a deafening silence rang through his mind. Yami kissed him again. It was perfect. The sensation was strangely cold, yet warm and tingly. There was a touch of wetness and the heat of breath. His bottom lip captured by Yami who drew it into his mouth, pulling on it as he pushed forward. The hand on his hip gripped tighter and the hand that had been cupping his jaw slid back to cradle his head.
He wasn't sure if he was breathing anymore.
His hands rose, one holding to Yami's shoulder the other stopping uncertainly to press lightly on Yami's stomach. He wasn't sure if he was pushing him away or if he wanted... wanted more.
The kiss itself was easy. It wasn't as though it was his first, he'd kissed Anzu many times, and there was that one time that he chose not speak of but Jounouchi delighted in reminding him about, but this was different. It wasn't different because Yami was dead and a guy, though that could be held accountable for a lot of the oddness, but it was... it was as though more sensation was registering. His entire body stirred with it. It was as though he were meeting his counterpart, someone who knew his body better than himself and was humming to it at just the right tune. It just felt so much better.
He couldn't help it, curiosity and sinning desire, seeking more of the strange sensation he pushed back. Yami gave a small grunt of satisfaction and the kiss grew more intense. Teeth and tongue harassing his bottom lip as he took Yami's upper lip, running his tongue along the underside. His body shuddered as though it was being scrutinised by those red eyes even though they were closed.
He was pressed back towards the mattress and he didn't fight back, but he should. Before he knew it he was sighing into the pressure of Yami's weight atop him, that hand on his hip skimming some exposed skin and tracing patterns that were haunting similar to the marks of the tattoo. His head hit the pillow and the other hand withdrew from behind his head, sliding down his torso to rest with palm flat against his chest.
Yami's lips left his own, trailing to his ear and filling him with burning sensation. Wet and hot, the kisses to his neck, and nips to his earlobe. Wild and sinful, so sinful. This was such a bad idea. Yami's hand grazed a shielded nipple, the roughness of the fabric rubbing over the sensitised peak. Yuugi arched, body caving in to the desire for contact.
Yami leaned above him once more, a sinful smirk on his lips as he swooped down capturing Yuugi's lips once more. Yuugi couldn't find it within him to care. But it was wrong. Yami's hips pushed down against his, and he cried out, sound muffled by Yami's mouth, body moving on its own. Yami's hands skimmed his body, touching and teasing, seeking sweet, hot, sexual flesh. Each brush of flesh on flesh was a madness. Yami pressed down on him again, kissing with fervour.
He pushed back against the darkness, against intoxicating warm lips. His body cried out in pleasure against the body above his, Yami's smile searing his mind. His hands tried to push him away, while at the same time welcoming him closer. Lips moved against lips. He felt himself slip deeper.
He should stop… he should… Anzu was downstairs, gods Anzu. Yami pressed in closer as though willing those thoughts away, hands smoothing his sides as they simultaneously frazzled his nerves. He panted, body arching, caving into the darkness.
Suddenly there was a hand beneath his shirt, teasing the flesh of his chest with ghosting fingertips and pressing palms. No. He groaned, this wasn't fair.
Yami pulled back and in an impulsive rush the hands that had been pressing to Yami's chest tightened in the fabric and pulled him back in closer, he mentally laughed at the startled grunt Yami made before his mouth was engaged with Yuugi's once more.
He was pressed sinfully deeper into the mattress, body wantonly arching to press against the other. This wasn't right. This was perfect. Yami's very mind seemed to press against him; the gentle heaviness almost intoxicating.
Anzu was downstairs. Jounouchi was probably down there as well, and grandpa. What if one came upstairs, and right now... uhn.
Summoning more courage than what he thought he should be allowed he pushed Yami back, disentangling his fingers, laying his palms flat to Yami's chest and pushing him away. Yami's hands stopped their movement and for a brief moment all he did was stare at Yuugi as though he'd only just realised he was there and what they had been doing.
"...Yuugi." His voice had a tint of rasp and was breathless. Yuugi was somewhat pleased to see the slight flush on the others cheeks but quickly quelled that feeling, stomping it down ruthlessly.
"Yami... why? Why do you... did I..." He drifted off, frowning. He understood to a degree that when someone was touching him the way Yami had been, his body was bound to react, but not so violently, so easily. It wasn't right. Why had Yami even started it in the first place? Why hadn't he stopped sooner?!
"I crave thee." Yami replied simply, licking his lips his eyes darting around for a brief moment in a sign of nervousness. He could still taste Yuugi on his lips.
Yuugi blinked up at him a slight frown still on his features. "I cannot help, but crave thee. The light I was born without and I the darkness thou dost not have. My sanity, my saviour, how can I not want thee?"
The thud of footsteps. "Yuug', are ya awake yet?" A hesitant voice. He frantically looked over at the door, hearing the squeak of the doorknob as it was slowly turned in an attempt to be quiet.
Oh no. He quickly looked back to Yami to find him gone and a rapid swelling in his chest as he quickly returned to his container.
"Yuug'?"
'Nice timing Jounouchi' He thought dryly to himself.
"You're awake!" Jounouchi grinned at him from the doorway, stepping inside and pushing the door to behind him.
"Hey Jounouchi." Yuugi croaked out, forcing a smile onto his lips. "Thanks for bringing me home."
"Think nothing of it pal 'o' mine." Jounouchi said, smiling happily. "Honestly I was a bit worried when you passed out like that. I mean usually ya get home on your own, but I suppose it was different this time eh?"
Yuugi smiled, he knew this tactic. "Yeah." The 'get Yuugi to talk tactic' was well used by Jounouchi on many an occasion where he would try to lead Yuugi into conversation about the events of the night. "There were three of them... the third one vanished. We think it was the ring leader."
"Were they... ya know." Jounouchi wiggled his fingers in a symbol for magic.
Yuugi nodded.
Silence fell between them for a moment, Jounouchi fidgeting before he finally let out a breath of air. "Yuug', I'm sorry I couldn't catch up with Anzu. That girl is damn fast when she wants to be. She was too far ahead by the time I noticed what was going on."
Yuugi's fingers clenched in the sheets at the same time as he smiled at Jounouchi in acceptance. "It's okay; she was bound to find out sooner or later."
"Yeah." Jounouchi replied dejectedly. "She uh... she's downstairs. Wouldn't leave ya know? She's been hammering us with questions, but some of them we thought was best if you answer. But you might wanna clear it up pretty quick, Honda will be back again soon. So uh... how ya gonna explain things to her?"
"I'm not."
Jounouchi opened his mouth to query but Yuugi continued talking. "Yami is. I figured that it would be better, if she could see that... we're not the same person."
Jounouchi appeared nervous. "Yuug' are you sure that... that you should let him—"
Yuugi chuckled weakly. "He's not going to maim anyone Jounouchi. Just talk... could you give me a second, then we'll be down."
He seemed apprehensive but nodded anyway and quietly left the room.
'Bearer I—'
"Don't apologise. This time it's my fault as well... could you just..." He left the question hanging in the air but felt Yami's compliance, his consciousness shifted back to make way for Yami's, minds brushing each other as they switched.
"Wings?" He said by way of enquiry.
'Would you fit out the door?' The tint of amusement.
Yami grunted, and had he had his wings out he would've ruffled them in irritation. As it was he pulled off the shirt that Yuugi had worn to bed and gently released the wings from his back, wincing as the skin split but there was no further discomfort as they grew.
"She'll believe it easier now." Yami grumbled, pressing his wings to his back as he headed out the door, Yuugi's mind shrinking back. Yuugi needed to hear this conversation even if he was afraid of what would be revealed within it.
"He'll be down in a second." Jounouchi said plopping himself down at the dining room table. The very same table he'd been sitting at for three hours yesterday while an irritated Anzu pelted him and grandpa with questions. She'd been relentless about what her boyfriend had been hiding from her.
They didn't feel right explaining more than why they knew and for how long and why Yuugi had been keeping it a secret. They had mentioned Yami but Anzu just didn't quite understand that they were truly separate entities and not just separate identities.
He'd just lay his head down against the table when he heard the squeak of the staircase and everyone at the table turned to look over at the hallway entrance. The first thing they notice with the lack of shirt and the pitch black wings sprouting from his back. Grandpa and Anzu gasped. Jounouchi winced. He probably should've warned grandpa about just who was coming downstairs but he was a little pre-occupied with the knowledge that no one in this room had met Yami before.
"Yuugi!" Anzu cried, noting the blueness of his one severely bruised hand and the mending wounds to his torso that she could see. Her eyes however were quickly glued to his wings and she took a shaky step forward, intimidated by the sight of the odd appendages even though she might've expected them. The tattoo's were absent though.
"Y-Yuugi?" Yami glanced over to his bearer's relative, shaking his head in a negative confirming the elders first thought when he'd noticed the slant of Yami's eyes.
"Yuugi." Anzu breathed taking another step forward. Yami took one back and there was an immediate tension.
"If ye would both excuse us please, Jounouchi, Mutou-san, I would like to speak with Anzu privately." Yami said, looking at both of them in turn.
Jounouchi was instantly intimidated by the power of that gaze and nodded and quickly left the room, Grandpa soon followed. Anzu stood staring at the man of her dreams, literally, though she had risen an eyebrow at the strange lilt in Yuugi's voice, as well as the language. Who said 'ye' anymore?
"Anzu, I am not Yuugi."
"What do you mean not Yuugi? You—" She cut herself off, noticing that he had once again moved back when she had taken a step forward.
"I am not Yuugi, the one thou dost speak of is my bearer and owner of this body." He said, lifting a hand as though to prove that the body wasn't his.
"What... Yuugi I don't understand. I saw Yuugi standing in that alleyway, I saw the wings vanish, I don't know how apart from that it's some weird magic, but that was Yuugi. You're Yuugi, unless when you get the wings out you liked to be called Black Raven." Anzu countered.
Yami shook his head. "That is what the papers called me. The name my bearer graced me with is Yami."
"What? Yuugi, are you just." Anzu was finding it kind of hard to wrap her mind around it. "Are you just... trying to protect yourself by pretending to be someone else? I don't hate you. Yuugi I could never hate you, you were my best friend all through high school, the reason I passed history! If you're scared that I won't like that you... hurt some people, I'm okay with that, I mean I had a suspicion that it might've been you, but I just thought I was being silly."
Yami raised an eyebrow and gestured her to continue. "What do you mean?"
"Well... when we were going through that rough time and I asked you to live with me, I thought that it would make things better but you declined, and it was at that time that the Black Raven made his first appearance. I guess I was infatuated with the mystery, and he looked like you, but not the same as but sometimes I swore that you looked just like him, minus the wings and the tattoo's so I..." She drifted off in embarrassment.
Yami's eyes widened. "Wait... dost thou mean to tell me, that thou only maintained interest because..." Yami wasn't sure he could finish the sentence with Yuugi's mind clamped to firmly to his, shaking slightly with the implications of what she had said.
"It was... shallow of me, but that doesn't matter because you are him! And I, I knew that I'd never meet Raven and you were so there and so sweet and loving that it didn't matter I secretly had fallen in love with this mysterious Raven guy because you looked like him, and it matters even less now because you are him so I've always loved you, I just didn't know it was the part of you that you were keeping secret from me that I loved!" She said the words almost frantically, desperate to explain but she didn't understand the damage.
"I am not Yuugi. I am a dead soul, bound to that of my bearers by the black tattoo he was born with staining his back. I am Yami, if you claim to love The Black Raven, it is me you are claiming to love, not Yuugi. We are not the same." He explained, voice blunt and cold. He felt his bearers mind begin receding, shaking.
"What do you... I saw Yuugi with these wings!" She cried.
Yami's wings almost flared as he grew angry, but he kept them and his temper in check. Her ignorance was hurting his bearer. "Yuugi resumed control at the end of the night; he doth not yet understand the use of shadow enough to be able to combat those who wield it. Every action in the night, every injury and murder made in the night at the hands of black raven were my hands, not Yuugi's."
Anzu shakily covered her mouth with the back of her hand, staring at the being opposite. She took a step back from him, noticing the angry glare of his eyes, the deep redness of his iris and was forced to acknowledge that Yuugi had never passed in archaic tongues when they studied them as part of literature. He wouldn't be able to speak it fluently, and with the slight lilt. No... this wasn't Yuugi, she just didn't want to know it.
She took another step backwards.
"He feared for your safety. He feared that thou wouldst turn from him should thou find out the truth. His fear created secrets he thought would keep thee safe, and thou in turn hath harmed him with thy own terrible secrets." Yami practically growled.
"I... I didn't..." What she didn't want to do was admit that it was true. She had been selfish, but she didn't want to hurt Yuugi, and their relationship was good apart from the lies... but she hadn't loved him as much as she should've. She loved him as a brother, as her best friend to the point where sometimes she became jealous when other females would throw themselves at him, clinging and leeching without having any true affection for him. Hadn't she done something just as bad?
Meanwhile, Yami was gently being coaxed from control and although he didn't want to be, he couldn't deny his host a thing.
"Anzu..."
She hadn't noticed but she'd dropped her head, staring at the floor, but on hearing that voice her head snapped up. It was Yuugi. This time it was Yuugi. He was wearing a sad sort of smile.
"I guess I should've been able to tell, I mean we were great friends it wasn't hard to make it something more right?" He said quietly.
"Yuugi." She breathed... he wasn't. This wasn't happening.
"I don't hate you." She flinched. "It's... it's okay, I was lying too right? So I sort of deserved to have something like this come my way huh?"
She couldn't speak, her throat was tight. Yuugi glanced away, licking his lips nervously. "I'm sorry for lying for so long, but I was afraid that you'd be afraid of Yami and in turn, be afraid of me." He gave a depreciating chuckle. "Guess I was wrong about that eh? Well, I suppose it was a good thing you found out otherwise." He sighed. "You're my best friend Anzu, that's just what we were supposed to be."
The wings receded into his back and Anzu made some strange, quiet hysterical noise. She had really jeopardised something precious, she was lucky she hadn't lost more, but those sad eyes let her know that she'd hurt him. She couldn't stand it. She had done it for him at first, thought that maybe, just maybe they were perfect for each other. He always understood, and he was always beside her, just as she was always beside him, but it was friendship they were perfect for. Yuugi was right. They had tried too hard to make something work that they thought was right, she had tried too hard to keep something going that she thought should work, not realising what she was risking.
"I'm sorry." She whispered when she could get her voice to pass through her throat. "I'm sorry."
And he smiled, and forgave. Meanwhile Yami frowned at the interior of his container a sweetly salty fog curling around his legs. '...Yuugi.'
"We have proof." A voice sneered. "We have proof, my reapers, of just who The Black Raven truly is. I had my suspicions," a vicious smirk, "but now I know for sure. Yuugi Mutou, the most unlikely candidate is the Black Raven."
"Sir." Anxious.
"Yes?"
"What's our next move?" He glanced up furtively from beneath his hood.
The leader of the group assembled before him hummed to himself in thought before a slight grin twitched at the corner of his lips. "Rather than just letting him know that we already have one of his friends, we'll gather a few more hostages, now that we know he will come after someone like Kaiba, his closer friends and his girlfriend will bringing him running without thought." The grin spread wickedly.
"Where to?" Asked on of his other followers.
"My house. You must get at least one person, understand? I happen to know from our guest's answering machine, that they're having a get together, which will be the perfect opportunity. If you only get one, grab the midget's girlfriend, I don't care if you kill the rest of them, but you must get away with one at least. Do you understand?"
"Yes." They replied in unison.
"How many of us are going?" One asked.
"All of you."
"When?"
"The gathering is tomorrow night. You are to strike at two a.m. No later no earlier, understand?"
"Yes, sir." The replied once more in unison, standing and bowing out of the room respectively.
"Tatsuki, I want to speak with you alone." He grinned.
Ah, it was good to have such loyal followers, promise them more dark magic and they flock, show them how inferior to you they are and they cower and obey. He had each of them in the palm of his hand, and could trace their movements without effort. The shadows had been kind.
He sneered. These foolish little 'shadow reapers' think they own the shadows, it was amazing just who incompetent they were, but it also meant they were less of a threat. Behaving as they did, they soon reached a limit of power. A limit which didn't bind on him. The only thing that bound him to a limit was the level of endurance a mortal body could undertake without death.
"Sir?"
"I have a special mission for you Tatsuki." He told the raven haired boy, watching as Tatsuki's interest perked. The last of his ambitious four.
"Just tell me." Tatsuki grinned, licking his lips.
Then again associating with them, promising and owning them was the fastest way to accomplishing his goal. He would take the Black Raven down; drag him down to the ground and slice off his wings.
"You what?!"
Yuugi nervously scratched the back of his head and Honda's rather loud reaction to 'the truth' as it were. He'd come back from wherever it was that he'd been and spotted Anzu and Yuugi standing across from each other awkwardly while Jounouchi and Grandpa were watching TV in the other room. It was about five seconds prior to walking into the awkward conversation that he noticed the large scars on Yuugi's shoulder blades, the tattoo, the bruises and lastly the fact that one of his fists was a glorious shade of blue black.
So understandably he had demanded an explanation, and Yuugi deciding that while he was on a role, might as well tell Honda. This way the whole close knit gang knew what was going on. Honda had sat and listened quietly, saving his particularly loud outburst until Yuugi had finished explaining that when he was threatened or sometimes when other people were threatened and he wanted to help, he would switch with the other soul.
"Uh, really Honda, it's not bad, I mean I'm pretty sure now that Yami's not an evil psychopath." Yuugi explained. He hoped he was pretty sure Yami wasn't an evil psychopath, especially considering how complicated things were getting in the past 48 hours. He'd need all the support he could get.
"So you're the host of the soul who's the black raven, and you can use the magic he uses the only problem is you don't know how?" Honda summarised.
"That's pretty much it." Yuugi grinned.
Jounouchi came over and clapped his friend on the back. "I know it's crazy man, but I've seen proof."
"Wow... so do you know why you were called to Kaiba Corp?" He asked, staring at Yuugi who tilted his head in confusion.
"Called?"
"You mean you didn't see it? Those creeps wrote a message on one of the walls saying that if The Black Raven didn't show up in an hour they'd kill us or something. They had it on all the news stations." He said.
"Heh heh, I must've left by then." Yuugi replied. "Besides, they should know that doesn't work, Yami doesn't answer to summoning like that, others have tried. Not to mention I'm not really a news watcher. But it's fairly well known that The Black Raven cannot be called out like that."
"Yeah that is kinda weird." Jounouchi agreed.
"But I guess we were..." Yuugi's eyes grew distant for a moment.
'Bearer!' Yami's voice was loud, filling his mind causing him to forget what he was about to say. 'That's it bearer! That's it!'
"What's it?" He queried, unaware of the peculiar stares that his friends were giving him as he addressed nothing.
'The test! They must have some idea of who thou art! So they take hostage someone who will get news coverage, Honda being there must have been a lucky break, but they knew that thou would defend thy friends, and to further test it, they broadcast that threat. They were testing to see who is behind the alias of Black Raven!'
"...And we handed them the answer..." Yuugi grew pale, and he quietly collapsed into the nearest chair.
"Yuug'?" Jounouchi asked worriedly as they drew in around him in a circle.
"They called The Black Raven... but it was only a precaution. They took Kaiba and Mokuba hostage knowing that I'm a friend of them but not that great a friend, so they broadcast the threat to their lives, knowing that if the Black Raven was who they thought it was, that he'd come... and I ran straight to them. Guys... someone else knows now." Yuugi's voice was haunting and subdued with shock and horror.
"How would you know that? I mean... Kaiba's just rich and important, maybe they though that'd be enough to get you?" Jounouchi exclaimed loudly.
"Honda was there too." Yuugi added.
"A co-incidence." Jounouchi waved it off.
"Wait a minute Jounouchi. That guy who was in the room with us, when Yuugi beat that other guy in the secretaries room, he smiled before he vanished. He smiled like he'd won or something which didn't make any sense to me 'cause he vanished so you'd think he was afraid of getting his ass handed to him but no." Honda added
"What was the point in taking the CEO of Kaiba corp. hostage but not demanding anything?" Yuugi said. "What was the point of calling Raven when he never answers, and when he does, fleeing with a smile afterwards?"
They each stood (or sat in Yuugi's case) quietly horrified. The idea that the ring leader of a murderous group, a group who had been able to empty Kaiba corp. knew who Yuugi was and that they had gone out of their way to find out...
"What are we gonna do?" Jounouchi said quietly, looking at them each in turn.
'Bearer, perhaps the safest place for thy friends is here. They may come after them now they know.'
Yuugi nodded. Yami could be a real blessing when he wasn't busy being a curse. "Alright guys, until we know just who this person is, you should all stay here. Safety in numbers, right?" He said.
They all nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that sounds right... but what about clothes and stuff?" Honda asked.
"Maybe... we could all go around and get people's clothes tonight, in a group." Anzu offered, adding to the conversation for the first time in a while. Yuugi looked over to her, watching her glance away in shame.
He smiled nevertheless. "Yeah, that's a great idea Anzu. It's not too late at night and I'll come with you guys just in case!" He said jumping up from his seat, only to have dizziness hit and stumble back into it. Looks like he'd underestimated how tired he was, then again Yami had just been in control, his body had a bit more energy left directly after possession and he'd been in control again for a while now.
"Whoa!" Jounouchi leapt forward, putting a hand on his shoulder and Honda took his arm on the other side. "Damnit, I forgot you only just got up, shit Yuugi you should be still sleeping or something!" he reprimanded himself his lack of attention.
Yuugi attempted to shrug them off. "No I'm fine. Come on, let's get you guys' clothes."
"Clothes can wait 'til tomorrow Yuug'." Jounouchi countered as Yuugi tried to get free from their hold.
And fail. He was much too weak to shrug off their supportive hands and Honda firmly shook his head. "Is he always like this?"
Jounouchi shook his head. "Sometimes... lots of times, he's worse, but from what I know using magic wears him out more so he should still be exhausted if he was fightin' freaks."
"Right, on three then?" Honda grinned.
Jounouchi matched it with his own demonic grin and Yuugi felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.
"Guys?"
"Three!" the cried in unison, Honda grabbing Yuugi's feet while Jounouchi hooked his arms under Yuugi's arm pits and they carried him like a stretcher upstairs, all the while he protested this ridiculous treatment. Anzu smothered a laugh as Grandpa looked on with a grin wide on his lips.
He sometimes worried about Yuugi, up until the point where all three of his friends were standing around him. They'd at least stop him from hurting himself. He threw Anzu a curious look. But Anzu and Yuugi had been off since their talk, but he supposed that secret had come out and things were a bit awkward now.
He could tell that Yuugi was a lot more hurt and confused than he was letting on. His eyes were strangely far away even when he was focused on the conversation. There was something terrible going on inside his grandson, whether it was because of something that happened within Kaiba corp. or... he looked over to Anzu noticing her single clenched fist. Or something else. She caught the look and quickly glanced away, following the other two upstairs.
By the time she'd reached Yuugi's room, Honda and Jounouchi had him pinned beneath the covers while he sulked at them, bottom lip stuck out in an adorable pout. "Well, while you guys are doing that, looks like I'm snagging the spare bed." She declared.
They quickly forgot Yuugi.
"What?!" Honda cried.
"No way!"
"That things a double!"
"You can't hog it all for yourself!"
"Yeah there are two of us and we're both guys so we can have that and you can sleep on the futon."
"You'd make a lady sleep on the futon?" Anzu countered.
"Who's a lady?" Jounouchi muttered quietly, Yuugi and Honda snickering as Anzu furiously socked him in the head. "Ow! What kind of a lady hits people?"
"Welcome to the twenty first century!" Anzu said before turning on her heel and walking out. Quickly realising just where she was heading, Honda and Jounouchi followed hearing after her, door slamming shut just as Yuugi was in time to catch the grin Anzu threw his way.
They were better friends. Anzu always knew just what to do. He'd have to remember to thank her for that later. But... would they still be able to return to the kind of friends they had been before... even after she had...
'Bearer... art thou okay?' Yami whispered in his mind, voice thick with genuine concern.
Yuugi sighed rolling over in bed as tiredness began to pull at his body once again. He had so much to think about his brain couldn't even begin to function "I'm fine Yami... I'd probably be worse if I hadn't been," yawn, "making out with you just before hand."
'Anytime.'
Yuugi chuckled weakly to himself before settling into a deep sleep, carefully avoiding thinking about the worrying feeling that came from the other inhabitant of his body, the tattoo gently throbbing against his spine.
Authoress is hungry. I feed you some ficcay you feed me some reviews please? holds out hat