Title: The Black Tattoo
Author: SilverWing147
Part: 7/?
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: I'm late I know. I'm sorry. Please also forgive the errors in here, I know there's quite a few.

Ch7. Easily Consuming

It had all happened in a rush. Yuugi woke up late the next morning, and by late meaning somewhere between the hours of three and five o' clock, so showering getting dressed and heading out the door with his three friends, had all been sort of a rush. But now that they were out of the house and on their way to destination one - Anzu's house - things had slowed down.

His nerves were still frazzled with the excitement of the past forty –eight hours, as well as there being the nerves that came from knowing that a bunch of shadow reapers could be watching you, waiting to strike at any moment. To be honest, he didn't know how much of this he could take. He sighed, Anzu throwing him a somewhat concerned look to which he replied with a reassuring smile.

Anzu, Yami, kidnapping, Shadow Reapers, The Black Raven, his friends being in danger, Ryou and Bakura being missing (something of which he was beginning to scare him more and more), his hand hurt, his muscles hurt still from playing host to the shadow magic (though to be honest the hurt was only dull and only when he really used the muscles). Adrenaline had long ago worn off and the harsh truth was slowly bearing down on him. One relationship lay behind him in a somewhat dishevelled state of friendship, Anzu's smiles and kindness were helping, but the sting remained. In truth, while she had been with him, lurking in her mind was Yami.

His foot scuffed the pavement, Jounouchi and Honda talking animatedly ahead of them about just who's ass they were going to kick when they showed their face. Yuugi admired them their enthusiasm but...

"There's no way you could do it guys." He said, voice almost too quiet to be heard over their boisterousness.

"Wha?" Jounouchi said, spinning on his heel to face Yuugi, who just grinned at him almost tired.

"You couldn't beat up this guy, you wouldn't even be able to get close."

"He can't be that tough!" Honda cried.

"He only emptied Kaiba corp." Yuugi replied with some of the snark accumulating from the worries on his mind. He winced, he hadn't meant it to come out like that. "Sorry guys, I'm just worried. This guy... I don't know who he is and if he's able to boss around a bunch of Shadow Reapers like he does, well, then, he's going to be pretty dangerous."

He licked his lips, looked down as his gut twisted thinking about the mysterious man. "He has a lot of shadows, more than we've ever faced... even I could feel him from the other end of the building. He's dangerous."

"So you just want us to stand around and do nothing while you try to do this on ya own?!" Jounouchi cried, arms flailing out.

"Who are these 'Shadow Reapers' anyway? They like a gang or something?" Honda asked. Yuugi noticed Anzu's interest increase as well.

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I didn't really... explain these guys to you. Ah, really it's Yami who has the better understanding and I know via default but I'll explain it to you when we get home okay? Just... not on the streets."

Jounouchi grunted and ascent and shoved his hands in his pockets, continuing on.

They reached Anzu's house with no hassles apart from the few haphazard attempts at conversation. Honda and Jounouchi's homes followed without complication, Yuugi was attacked by Honda's dog and the gang waited down stairs while Jounouchi snuck his way past his old man.

By the time the game shop loomed into view the streetlamps were coming to life and the sun had almost completely lost the battle to stay floating in the sky. He had a quiet conversed with Yami over the duration of the walk to fill in some gaps in his knowledge about shadows and shadow reapers, because honestly he didn't know that much himself.

"Okay Yuug', spill. What are these guys coming after ya?" Jounouchi asked, plopping down next to him on the sofa.

"Well... They're kind of difficult to explain without you kinda... okay. Well they're not a gang. It's like... you know how Witches and Pagans just call themselves Witches and Pagans, and the same with Christians and the like?"

"So it's a religion?" Anzu asked.

Yuugi shook his head. "Not quite. It's a belief system in some ways, but they're still free to practice a religion anyway. I don't really know the ins and outs of that part, but they're not a gang. Yami says that they've probably been called different things throughout history, Shadow Reapers is just the modern incarnation."

"They're basically shadow users, like the Black Raven. They manipulate shadows that they've gained and use them for their own ends. The guy who told us who they were said that a shadow reaper was someone who 'reaped the benefits of the dark by sacrificing the light'. They've been running around town gathering all the innocent people, the ones with the most light in their heart. It makes them stronger to be able to offer light to shadows like that... though the ones we've been encountering weren't just gathering them for themselves; they were bringing them to someone, probably to their boss which is why he's so much stronger than they are."

"Wait a minute Yuug', you're saying they suck the light out of peoples soul?" Jounouchi asked, eyes wide with horror.

Yuugi shook his head slowly. "I'm not exactly sure how they get the light, if they take it or the soul, or... I don't know, but they die. You can't live without at least some light in your body, it creates life, without it you die."

"So if you're not strong enough to beat these guys and you wanted to get stronger, then you'd have to kill people?" Anzu asked.

Before he could answer Yami's voice echoed in his head. 'It is not so. Thy light is endless, thus are the shadows thou art able to call to thee. The only prohibiting factor is thy body's endurance.'

"Yami says that because of the way I am, the reason I can bear the tattoo, I'm not restricted. The only thing that stops me from being stronger is how much my body can take. That's why I'm always tireder after fighting one of these Shadow Reapers, I'm not used to the magic, so I can't... my body doesn't endure it well." He explained. Anzu nodding in understanding.

"Okay so they're a bunch of occultist shadow wielding psycho's who kill people?" Jounouchi summed up.

"Not necessarily occultist, but the psycho part I'm not so sure on. The guys we've met so far haven't been that strong, but..." Yuugi drifted off.

"Okay, so explain to me this shadow strength stuff. So what did you mean by the way 'you are'? What's different about you?" Honda asked, glancing him over as though looking for some visible deformity he'd been ignorant to.

"Well...my soul is... lighter than usual for lack of a better description. If what Yami said is true, if I hadn't been born with the excess light then the tattoo would've killed me at birth." He said with a skittish sort of chuckle, trying to make light of the situation. "It's like... okay, picture a light bulb. If it's a really low watt, lots of dark not so much shadows, but a high watt light bulb and you've got not so much dark but lots of shadows, really strong shadows, which is why shadow reapers take the light from other people, they need it to make stronger shadows."

"O-kay, any idea why they're after you?" Jounouchi asked.

Yuugi shook his head. "No. Their boss must have a grudge against the Black Raven, and so thinking it's me and not some other soul in my body... well maybe just get rid of the body component that is the Black Raven." He shrugged.

"Why would they be after us then?" Honda asked.

"What are you dense?" Anzu said haltingly. "They'd want us because we're friends with Yuugi. Think about it. They just held Kaiba hostage to make sure, the next step up is for them to get us. They'd use us against him."

The room fell quiet with the announcement as Yuugi was forced to admit the truth of it. Hearing Anzu saying it just made it so much more real, and so much more dangerous. A hostile thought that rampaged through his mind.

"But we'll be fine, we got Yuug' with us!" Honda said jumping to his feet.

Yuugi grinned at the vote of confidence. "Thanks Honda."

"Kids! Dinner on the table!" Grandpa called from the dining room. Honda and Jounouchi were the fastest out of the room, and Yuugi made to follow when there was a touch on his shoulder. The touch was light, so light he'd barely felt it, but it froze him in his tracks, his body stiffened, and he turned.

"Yuugi..." Uncertainty.

"Anzu." He acknowledged, looking at her carefully. He was afraid in part, of what else she might have to say, terrified of what she may admit to, and stupidly paranoid about what she might know. He wasn't sure what to expect, it was hard. They were friends now, but they hadn't said it to anyone else, they hadn't had any time apart to deal with the change, everything else was pushing them into a box together when they were probably the last person they wanted to see.

His insides quivered. She smiled.

"I know you'll protect us Yuugi. You're the most loyal person I've ever known, and I know that you'd give your life for any one of ours." She said softly, eyes watching her feet.

He nodded, throat dry. Where was this going? Yami's mind pressed his as he listened in interest.

"But I don't want you to. If saving us or... if saving me means that you have to die, then I don't want you to. It was hard enough to see you practically passed out in that alleyway. I just... you've been doing this on your own, and no matter how I tried to get you to talk to me you wouldn't, because you were afraid of me hating you, or of hurting me." She continued, her gaze lifted from where it had been looking at the floor, and she looked at him. The conviction in her gaze made him pause, throat tighten and fingers curl into loose fists.

"You're not alone. You shouldn't have to be alone." She bit her lip. "I'm not, we're not... No more pretending Yuugi, you don't have to worry about my feelings, about hurting me, I want us to be better friends than we were partners, I want you to trust me and I want you to know, that I believe in you Yuugi. I believe that when you fight, you will win."

He shuffled nervously, looking away. "It's not me that'll be fighting... your words should really be for Ya—"

"No! They're for you." Voice strong with conviction and her will to make him understand. "I believe in you Yuugi. I believe in your heart. It's your body, your light, it's you. Yami might be the fighting strategy, but you're every part that makes his strategy work, and I believe that if anyone could save us... it'd be you." She smiled, reached over and ruffled his hair.

"You're my best friend. Even if I can't fight with you, I want to support you. Even if we're not together, I want you to know, I'm still here for you, if you can forgive me."

Her voice was soft, heartfelt, and sincere. The weight of lives and magic on his back seemed overwhelming as she smiled, holding out her arms to him with words alone. He could almost feel his insides crumbling. The lies he'd been telling himself, the things he'd hid from thought so he wouldn't... they were dissolving under the passionate gaze offering comfort. His throat tightened, he bit his lip, and held back tears. He didn't want to...had to be...damnit.

Yami pressed his mind further against his hosts in comfort and Anzu laid a hand on his shoulder the grip reassuring and strong. She smiled at him again and headed into the dinning room.

He wiped his eyes once, took a deep breath and followed in after her, quickly shoving a lid back over the box of problems and recovering the crumbling walls. He'd be fine.

"Sir."

"Yes, Tatsuki?" He asked, flicking around to stare at the man who'd interrupted his ponderings. "What is it?" He spat.

"We have never questioned your hunt for the Raven, but instead willingly followed your every command, showing you utmost loyalty at all times." He said, the smirk on his face at odds against his words.

"I repeat; what do you want Tatsuki?" Growl.

The smirk never slipped. "Let us go earlier and once we have the friends, let us steal the light from them. Give them to us. He'll follow them whether or not they're alive."

"No."

"What? But what use do you—"

"I said no Tatsuki." The words a deadly hiss. "I have my reasons for wanting them alive and whole. Is what I have given you not enough? Besides," a smirk, "I'd worry less about his friend's lives, and more about saving your life from him. "

Tatsuki sneered, turning on his heel to leave pausing when his master continued speaking. "I can smell your traitorous thoughts from here Tatsuki, last of the ambitious four. Need I remind you why you show me complete obedience?"

Pressure rose, and Tatsuki winced, clenching his teeth. "No, sir."

"And the Reapers?"

"Ready to leave on your word."

"And you, Tatsuki?"

Teeth still clenched, defeated. "I'm ready to undertake anything my master commands of me."

A smile. "Good."

'Bearer?'

"Mm Yami?" Yuugi asked, rolling around to lie on his back. His friends had long since gone to bed, but he couldn't sleep. There was something going on.

'Thou art not well. Thy lies are transparent; it is clear that thy heart is troubled and aching.' Yami's voice a low murmur in his mind.

He sighed, rolling on to his side once more. "It's just... it's a lot okay Yami? Just a lot."

He got the impression of Yami blinking in confusion, but he didn't think that Yami could understand. They needed him to protect them, it was his body that had to be there so they would be killed or taken away. He didn't want to include his friends in this... in this curse! He didn't want his grandpa at stake. He wanted to know where Ryou and Bakura were but he still couldn't contact them, and if he went to check it out he'd have to take all of his friends, and probably grandpa, and that would be far too risky. It was frustrating. He knew that between him and Yami they could probably get to the bottom of this, find this boss and stop all this stupidity, death and violence, but he couldn't because this boss had rounded a corner and blind sighted him. Now his friends were at risk and he couldn't leave them, so what was he supposed to do? He couldn't sit in defence the whole time.

And then there was Anzu, ready to tell him not to die, while swooning for Yami and lying, but that was passed. She was only human, and she was trying to do what she thought was right. He loved Anzu, the betrayal hurt, but it wasn't a mortal wound against him. He'd be fine, he was always fine just after, it was all great, and maybe this was good. He didn't really love Anzu the way he thought he had, because Yami had been easily able to do what he did without him fighting too much against it.

And that brought him around to Yami. It was confusing. The anti-trust was pretty much entirely gone, and now he trusted him enough and entertained the possibility of just accepting what it is that Yami does. Accept and forgive, if not understand. It's just the way Yami is, and he's a spirit. This means he'd be practicing necrophilia if he pursued Yami, which was a completely ridiculous idea. Yami was a spirit, but, gods that kiss it was so alive it was incredible, but that was wrong, and he couldn't be focusing on trivial matters like this when there were far more important things at stake, such as the lives of his friends.

His brain felt like it was going to explode, his heart was being pulled in every direction possible, and the confusion was practically unbearable. And the guilt. His friends were at risk because of him. Damn the guilt. Once he started on thinking about it, it was almost enough to make his brain spin out, so it was best not to think about the problems. Was best not to think about his friends sleeping down stairs, and the psychotic evil genius plotting his demise; was best not to think about Anzu and Yami; was best not to think at all really, especially with that clacking around outside.

'Bearer.'

He sat bolt upright. Clacking around?

Yami's mind whispered against his, and shadows oozed around him, probing, feeling. He shuddered.

'There is someone strong just beyond thy house. Approaching slowly.'

He eased out of the covers, slipping off his shirt, padding downstairs to his shoes. He paused at the door, spotting his friends all sleeping soundly. A wry smile tugged the corner of his lips as he noticed Honda's arm wrapped around Jounouchi and Jounouchi's arm resting on Honda's forehead. They'd jump a mile apart when they woke up like that. Anzu was curled into the couch, head against the cushions, auburn hair splaying around her head in a sleepy mess.

'Bearer.´ Urgency.

He chided himself for loitering and quickly made his way to the entrance, tugging on his shoes and slipping outside making sure the door was locked behind him. He slipped down the street, into an alley where Yami seized control, wings silently pumping them to the top of the building where the rival was standing.

'They will be safe.' Yami reassured him as they flipped over the top.

'I hope so.'

He had never been commended for patience. He didn't have it in spades or aces, or whichever card you wish to name, it just wasn't a talent. Strength, ambition, drive, he had them. Three up each sleeve.

He licked his lips, spotting the Game Shop, sensing slight movement. Good, he knew that he was here, ready and waiting. His master's instructions had been clear. Beat and taunt, distract and lure away from the game shop. A perfect plan, not to mention he got to square off against the Black Raven.

He tapped his foot, hearing the light click of a door and swift steps on pavement. He heard the whoosh of wings beating the air, and the whisper of shadows not his as they slipped along his senses.

"Welcome to the roof, Black Raven." He turned, smirking in arrogance.

"To whom am I responding?" Smooth, rich voice. It was fairly intimidating as well, but drive and ambition conquer intimidation tactics.

"You may call me Tatsuki." A mock bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Raven. My master has requested that I be despatched to... dispose of you." A wicked grin.

The Black Raven's grin grew wide and he raised an elegant eyebrow in return. "Oh really?"

"No hard feelings though." Tatsuki hissed, his shadows gathering.

"Not at all." Raven grinned, licking his lips slyly and his wings flaring behind him. There was a tear as shadows screamed trough the air towards him. Straight to the point, got to like a man who's straight to the point.

He dodged quickly to the side, spreading his fingers wide, thrusting his hand forward, the shadows extending past and towards the Raven. Raven sprung from the ground, effortlessly arching over the shadows and retaliating with more of his own, lunging forward as he hit the ground.

Tatsuki blocked the blow, striking back. Raven smirked; this Reaper didn't share the weakness of the other stronger one he'd fought. Tatsuki didn't give him chance to breathe, striking back agilely, foot darting out, hand sweeping in close, body arc, pulsing out and sending him reeling back.

Raven, didn't pause, regaining his footing and darting forward. The winged one feigned a blow to the side, quickly bringing his hand around to strike his shoulder, leg hooking around his front foot, slipping it out at the same time.

He went down, trust hard to the ground. He hissed in pain, shoulder blades digging against the hard concrete of the roof. He twisted a hand, pushing shadows thrust against his back, sliding and lifting him backwards. He flew high in an arc to land on the next building, shadows slowing him before impact.

Raven pumped his wings, darting upwards into the sky and charging for him. He narrowly dodged, sending snaps of shadows after the other man. They weren't strong enough to damage his wings, merely dispersing into it. A whispered curse and the Raven pelted him with shadows. He dodged deftly to the side, blocking the rest with a wave of shadow.

"I commend thee for thy skill." Raven jeered. "But thou cannot hope to create a victory against my shadows."

"I don't need victory. Me surviving and you crippled will do me fine." He smirked, lunging forward, shadows surging behind him. "Enough of a victory to steal that precious light!"

He roared into his next attack, enhancing his blows with shadows. In the air, Raven easily dodged him chasing him back to the ground with a flurry of attacks, punches, kicks; knees and elbows joining the fray. One or two landed but the damage was minimal, clipping his side or shoulder. His feet struck concrete and he countered, shadows ripping into the ground as the lunged blood thirsty for Raven. Raven's own shadows rose in defence, neatly stopping his shadows from making contact as well as launching attacks against him.

He sighed in exaltation. Fighting with fist and shadows at the same time! The skill involved was immense. He was fighting a true Shadow Reaper. Adrenaline raced through him like fire and lightning, sparking his awareness, burning the pain out of his limbs whenever they were struck. It was like being invincible and vulnerable all at the same time.

Duck, strike, block, dodge, block, strike, strike, block, strike, dodge, duck.

He paused in time to catch the Raven smirk. He was in the wrong position.

He quickly raised arms and shadows to block, a beat of wings and a mighty shove from the Raven and he was soaring backwards. He used the shadows to lessen the blow as he neared the roof of a building two away from where they were. His shadows could only do so much, helping to lessen the impact and raise him back to his feet before the Raven could pin him.

Damn, it felt like he'd just been drop kicked. He managed to shield in time to not suffer any rib damage but his shadows were growing weaker with over use. He expected him to be good, but not this good. The Master was right to warn him, but how people became this strong was a mystery to him.

"Art thou still breathing? Or should I fetch an embalmer to tend thee?" Raven jeered, easily soaring over, landing at the edge of the building, sauntering across easily.

He was almost defeated. He roared in frustration, sending a lash of shadows darting forward, attacking darting back, leaping back to the next building.

Raven followed to counter his previous attack. His arm was going numb with the shadows. Damnit, he was going to be screwed. He dodged, Raven's fist burying into the brick behind him. He leapt back, countering with more lashings of shadows. They were weaker now, easily deflected as Raven came toward him again, like a demon with burning red eyes. The Shadows had stretched over his hands to forms claws; no doubt they were tipped with the same deadly substance that had rendered his comrades incapable of handling shadows.

He swung back, leg arcing to strike at the Raven's collar bone; it was dodged, heel digging into concrete. He lunged, his fist struck the joint of Ravens wing and they both cried out, springing back. He felt like he'd just grabbed hold of a naked electrical wire! His whole arm felt numb.

A breathy laugh from the Raven, his eyes narrowed.

"I see that there's more to your wings than what you'd first think." He said.

Raven grinned.

Oh, he was screwed. Time to change tactics!

He wasn't tired exactly, but this battle was wearing on the body's endurance. The Shadows were still strong and eager to help as always, but he didn't know how much magic he could continue to use while maintaining that Yuugi would be able to easily use his body the next day.

That blow to his wing had been painful, but he'd been happy to see the pain that the contact with his wings had caused his opponent.

"You're as skilled as my master warned me you would be." Tatsuki commented.

"Who is he?" He demanded. "Tell me and thou might yet live." The threat was hollow but Tatsuki didn't need to know of his bearer's completely anti-kill policy.

"I couldn't tell you if I tried, not that I would anyway." Yami sighed, he should've known. "But I know your name, Yuugi Mutou. How are your friends? You keeping an eye on them? I imagine that those guys are the light of your life eh?"

Yami growled, his hackles rising. He didn't like this new tactic of Tasuki's.

Tatsuki smirked. "My Grammy used to say that friendship is like the sun, sometimes it burns you sometimes it warms you. How close do you think your friends would have to be to death before that starts burning you?"

"Shut up." His bearer didn't need to hear this rubbish. It was merely taunting, riling him up, hurting his bearer with insinuations about the deaths of his friends, insinuations and pain that he did not need right now.

"Ooh, touchy subject. Guess little guys like you can't live without the sun." A Tasuki leapt forward, he blocked it, but Tatsuki's face was now glaring into his own as he whispered. "Your light is being stolen, Yuugi Mutou, and you're too busy to stop it."

Reality left him numb. They were pretty far from the game shop by now. They'd been lured away! This guy was only a distraction. No...

Smirking Tatsuki struck, blasting him with shadow energy, he was flung back and into the sky, lashings of shadow magic chasing after him. He narrowly dodged them, a few of them stinging across his skin. Blind with fear and rage, most of it not his, Yami came forward.

He struck, wings flat as he darted in. The blackness caught him, shooting through the wingtip, slamming him back against the building. He screeched, the wing falling limp and numb with the dark crackle of electricity.

"Let us see you live without the sun" A voice jeered from above.

"Let me see if thee lives at all." He called back, brining his hands up, fingers splayed as he cursed. Dark and gold came to his hands like knives and with a louder curse were propelled towards the silhouette.

He heard a scream of agony as one of them struck and smirked to himself as the impending doom of the dark ground loomed closer. He desperately opened his wings, one hardly moving, and tried to pump away from the ground, only slowing his decent fractionally as he spiralled towards a wall.

Oh this was going to hurt.

His back struck the wall; he bounced off it and onto the ground, grunting as the breath was knocked out of him, landing on his front to spare him the pain of crumpled wings.

Yuugi's friends were in danger. He gathered himself up, his wings were numb and useless. Damnit. He couldn't get back to the top of the building without expending more shadow magic than he could afford. Besides, it'd only be to kick Tatsuki some, the shadows he'd thrown would poison him numb anyway. He staggered to his feet, calling shadow magic to give him strength. He withdrew his wings into his back, back into the tattoo, and started running towards the game shop, praying he wouldn't be too late.

Jounouchi groaned clutching his head as his brain tried to pound its way out of his skull. Vision was blurry at best, and he ached everywhere. Where was Yuugi? Had they got him too? There's no way he would've slept through that. Shit, where was Grandpa?

"Mr Mutou! Gramps!" He called, voice cracking. He winced, staggering up and on to his feet. He lurched towards the door, body pitching forward, he stumbled, clutching at the door frame. Damn.

"Gramps!" He called again, ears straining. He faintly caught the sound of a pained grunt and he rushed towards it, practically tumbling into the hall and towards the stairs. He gasped in shock, the elder man sprawled at the bottom.

Thank gods for the stairwell light being on. He fell to his knees next to the elder, quickly checking him over. He wasn't beat up, but one of those jerks probably pushed him down the stairs. He didn't look too great. Damn Shadow Reapers.

"Gramps?" He called, nudging the elder. When he got no response, he bit his lip in almost panic, damn he needed a doctor. Phone was next to the kitchen. Right.

He staggered up and leaning against the wall made his way down the hall. He was probably leaving smears of blood all over the wall but that didn't matter. Hospital mattered. Yeah, get Gramps to a hospital. He swore, staggering over his own feet, head still pounding.

"Damnit, Yuug', please don't tell me they got ya too." He was going to get those bastards for this.

He reached the phone, quickly calling the police and ambulance. He'd just put down the phone when the crunch of glass alerted him to the presence of someone in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he swung around the door, trying to look as firm and intimidating as possible.

"You back for more you son of a— Yuug'!" He quickly staggered over to his friend.

Shit, he was so white, he was shaking. Oh man, they must've dragged him outside or something. "J-Jounouchi...w-what h-ha-happened?"

His voice was shaking so bad, stuttering.

"It was 'dose Shadow Reaper creeps. They bust in here and took Honda and Anzu, I tried, we tried to fight them off but they were so strong. We scuffled for a bit in the dark and then before I knew it, they were gone, just up and left. I thought they'd got you too! Did they drag ya outside or summat?"

Yuugi shook his head mournfully. "N-No. We sensed s-someone outside. Went to drive them off, but it w-was a t-trick, it was a trick... oh god."

His whole body was shaking. "Yuug', listen to me. You need to go get Honda and Anzu, the Reapers said something about going to get their 'albino' pet too, which means they're probably heading to Ryou and Bakura's. You gotta stop 'em! I've called the cops and them, and they'll get here soon to take care of Gramps but yo—"

"— What did they do to Grandpa!" Yuugi cried, about to lunge from the room. Jounouchi stopped him.

"He'll be fine, one of them prolly just shoved him down the stairs or somethin'."He said, trying to calm him. "But you need to go Yuug'. I can barely walk so I'll stay here with your gramps. Right?"

Yuugi blinked, shaking his head to try focus. It was all spinning away from him. Jounouchi's hands on his shoulders kept him steady. Yami was worried the interior of his container was white, bright white and sterile. This wasn't a good sign for his bearers well being.

Jounouchi gave him a wry smile. "I understand if you don't wanna save Honda, he's annoying but you should at least go rescue your girlfriend." He joked.

"She's not... she's not my girlfriend Jounouchi." Yuugi whispered.

"What? She wouldn't dump ya for not tellin' her about the Raven thing, she loves ya Yuugi."

Like rubbing salt in a wound. "No." He shook his head. This was all too much; he couldn't have this talk now.

"But Anzu she—"

"Doesn't love me." Yuugi interrupted, fist clenching, he pulled away from Jounouchi. His heart thundered. The tattoo was flaring on his back but he wasn't changing into Yami, the tattoos were still on his body from before, but they felt like they could glow now.

"I'll talk to her after, I'm sure she's just upset you didn't tell her or something, you know girls."Jounouchi said perplexed. Wasn't there more important things though?

"Don't."

"She does love you though Yuugi, one day you'll get married and all that, but before that you gotta go save her." A light joke. The response he got was nowhere near what he was expecting.

"No!" He yelled, eyes watering, but god he refused to cry. Not now.

"But Yuu-"

"No!" He screamed, his friend falling silent, watching his tensed form. He hadn't seen Yuugi this riled, this upset, at any time that he could remember in the current circumstances. He'd faced death, faced gaps that bridges won't cross and been caught in between them, and he had never been as emotional as he was presently. There was defeat in the slouch of his shoulders, his fist was scrunched tight, pressing on the table top.

"Jounouchi please, just… don't." He continued quietly, voice tight with restrained pain, body slowly easing into the relaxed stance of the condemned. The sirens wailed louder in the distance and he tensed again.

"Yuugi I don't understand! Anzu really does lo-"

"No!" He all but roared, fist slamming on the table, eyes firmly shut against tears. There was pain in his voice as he continued to yell. "She doesn't love me!"

He swivelled, staring directly at his blonde friend, his eyes desperate and sad. "She wants him."

It all swirled in his mind and made sense. Damnit, that tattoo was really fucking with Yuugi's life. He reached forward to put his hand on Yuugi's shoulder, but the contact burned and with a startled hiss he pulled his hand away.

"You shouldn't touch me right now." Yuugi's voice whispered, deathly quiet. "I should go."

Jounouchi licked his lips. "Yeah, I'll take care of Gramps for you."

Yuugi nodded once, slowly. The air seemed to crackle around him. He'd never seen Yuugi like this. Was this the tattoo doing this to him? Before he even had one ounce of the courage to voice that question, Yuugi had vanished out the door, sirens wailing ever closer. He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall, exhausted.

How was he going to explain this to the fuzz?

Yami swore from inside his container. He was standing at its centre, using shadows to raise himself from the ground just a little. The walls were white and burning hot. Thick dark shadows scurried along the surfaces. The air was so humid it was like breathing water, his eyes were closed because the light was so blinding he couldn't bear to keep them open.

His bearer's emotions were spiralling out of control. He had no control on himself, no mental discipline to help cope with these kinds of situations. The past few days were killing his insides, and Yami hadn't helped. It was just like when someone went into a fit of rage, in control and completely out of it, except things were being made worse. The confusion, pain, guilt, and terrible anger were fusing with the tattoo. It was now so hot and well fed on light and raw energy that it didn't need Yami to help maintain control. Yuugi's conscious was retreating and his emotions were fusing with shadows to create and violent reaction.

This was so bad. He was going to end up killing himself if this continued. The light inside Yuugi's soul was raging out of control. He couldn't even reach Yuugi at this stage, he was pretty sure that if Yuugi wasn't calmed soon he'd be expelled out of Yuugi's body to exist solely in the tattoo where he'd be vulnerable. Inside Yuugi no one could reach him, but in the tattoo anyone with some real shadow knowledge could, and if he was taken from Yuugi then when Yuugi was calm and that tattoo activated next, he wouldn't be there to control the shadows in anyway and they'd probably rampage out of control and end up killing Yuugi anyway.

Was this all part of the boss's plan? No, he couldn't have known about Anzu, he couldn't have known about him... no. There was no possible way.

Pain raced down his spine, wings bursting from his back and straining. He grit his teeth. What Yuugi was doing was even affecting him. He'd never had wings in his container. Not that he'd tried as it would be fairly pointless. They ached and strained, trying to expel energy but unable to. He grunted in pain, his concentration on remaining off the floor weakening for a moment. He cried out as soon as the pads of his feet hit floor. It burned. Gods.

He used his wings to push up and then concentrated on the shadows once more. His wings were fairly useless in here, not to mention they were just stretching themselves beyond limit and not really moving. That single wing beat had been hard enough to manage, and it was only from painful instinct that he got them to obey.

His breath misted before him. Even as the walls burned the air froze. This was so not good.

"Yuugi!" He cried, trying to contact his bearer. "Yuugi please! "

He couldn't even feel his hosts mind anymore. He'd been completely overwhelmed. The cold air tore his throat. "Yuugi answer me"

Nothing. Harsh cold stung his closed eyes, the light blinding. Where was his bearer? This couldn't be it, this couldn't...

'Yuugi!"