Author's Note: Dark Yugi: I'm so glad you liked that chapter! I hope you like this one too!
"How much tragedy has to happen before I split wide open?" -Alisa Mullen, Unrequited (Chosen, #3)
For a moment every eye was locked on Pegasus and Cecelia. When it became clear that they needed a few minutes alone, they all went back to watching for Joey, Kaiba, and Yugi. Tèa couldn't help sneaking a glance back at them. They were standing close to one another, fingers interlocked, foreheads touching, whispering to each other and occasionally sharing a kiss. She smiled, and hoped that one day she could find a love like that.
Pegasus gently brushed the tears away from her face. "It's alright, my dove. I'm back. That's all that matters now." He said, kissing her.
"I know," she said, choked up. "I'm just so happy to have you back. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too." He said, moving to hold her. "But now we can go home." He said, relieved.
"I can hardly wait." She said earnestly. They kissed one more time before walking over to the others. Cecelia stood next to her husband, one arm around his waist, and her free hand on his chest as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Suddenly the great leviathan's spirit shot up from the sea and bolted toward the floating city of Atlantis. The green beam of light holding it in the sky was suddenly joined by a black vortex.
"What is that?!" Asked Tèa.
Cecelia inched closer to her husband. His own grip on her tightened.
As abruptly as it had come, the vortex was gone, as was the green light, and the city started to fall back into the sea.
Every single one of them wondered what would happen to their friends.
Suddenly, Kaiba came running out.
"Mokuba, start the engines!"
"Seto!" He called.
"We have to get out of here!"
"Without Yugi?! No way!" Said Tèa. Joey and Kaiba both looked back in surprise. "Don't you know where he is?" She asked.
"Don't tell me..." Started Joey.
"You mean he's still in there?!" Tèa cried.
"Time's running out!" Said Mokuba.
"Mokuba's right. We can't wait."
"Yugi!" Called Joey, starting back toward the temple. Tristan grabbed him and held on.
"Are you nuts, man?!"
"Get your hands off of me, Tristan! I'm not leaving here without Yugi!"
"Joey, we have to trust that he found a way out on his own!"
"Yugi!" Joey cried again as the helicopter blades began to whirl.
They all hopped on board and took off just as the temple began to sink into the sea alongside Atlantis.
"Good riddance." Said Kaiba.
"I just hope Yugi wasn't in there." Said Mokuba.
"Me too." Whispered Tèa. She went to the window and looked outside.
"Look, those weird lights are back."
"Well that explains why. It's Dark Magician Girl and the three legendary Knights!" Said Joey.
"Guess they're going home now that their world is safe again..."
Joey pulled out his Claw Of Hermos card, and it disintegrated. "Well there goes Hermos." Kaiba took out Critius with the same result.
"Oh well, no big deal," he said, shaking it off. "My deck's still unstoppable."
Tèa suddenly pointed out the window. "Look!"
"Hey, It's Yugi!" Exclaimed Tristan.
The helicopter landed on the sandy beach, and Joey Tristan and Tèa ran out to greet their friend while the Kaiba brothers, Roland, and the Pegasus' stayed in the helicopter. Once everybody was on board the helicopter started up again.
Pegasus sat in one of the chairs, his wife sitting comfortably on his lap, eyes closed and head resting on his chest. He could tell without even looking at her that she was exhausted. Not only that, but she had been having a lot of back pain. She wasn't sleeping, but he knew she wanted to be, so he held as still as possible in case she decided to sleep. He tilted his head to the side and closed his eye, smelling the scent of lavender that wafted from her hair. He was calm and centered, focusing on the feeling of holding his wife. He was perfectly in tune with her body- which it why his eye snapped open when he felt her tense.
"Darling? Are you alright?" He asked.
"I..." She looked up at him, and stopped short. After everything he had been through, she couldn't bring herself to lie to him. "I just don't feel well."
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"My back is just hurting that's all."
"Then come and sit in a chair with a back to it."
"I don't know..."
"I'll help you."
He offered her his hand, but for the first time in her life she was afraid to take it. She was scared of what was happening to her. But when she looked into his eyes she felt safe, so she took his hand but she felt drowsy- and kind of dizzy too. When she stood up she swayed precariously and then started falling backwards. Luckily, Maximillion caught her long before she could get hurt.
"Cecelia?!" He cried panicked.
"Max..." She whispered, eyes barely open. Her skin was paler than the moon, her eyes glassy and unfocused. He scooped her up and laid her across several seats. Everyone was wondering what was going on, but they kept their distance, knowing that Pegasus was on edge and remembering his penchant for hurting others to get what he wanted. He was kneeling beside her, clutching her hand in his own. He looked up at Croquet who looked like he was about to faint himself.
"Croquet?" He snapped.
"Yes sir?" He asked nervously.
"I want to know where the next hospital is, and I want to know right now!" He demanded.
"Yes sir!" He said, fumbling to get his phone from his pocket. You could hear a pin drop in the anxious silence.
He had blocked out the noise of everyone behind him, but there was a sound so faint he almost missed it. It was a constant dripping noise. He tried to figure out where it was coming from, so he looked down toward Cecelia's feet to see something dark dropping onto the floor. He moved over to get a closer look and gasped.
A small pool of blood had formed on one of the chairs and was overflowing onto the floor.