Sorry this had taken so long, but it's here now and I hope you guys like it! Now,if you all will excuse me, I have a concert to prepare for! Enjoy! X3
Chapter 7 - A Secret Singer Inside
How could Yami be a cosplayer of all things?! *But why do they call him that?* Seto wondered, backing away a little from the duo as they began waking away.
Yami laughed, his voice rich with the pride he was familiar with, but deeper and warmer than usual. Maybe because he was comfortable with this crowd...? The girl next to him, presumed to be Maiyo, let out a childish giggle to make herself seem innocent.
"Kaitsu!" Someone called to him. A male with hazel eyes and black hair. Or perhaps it was a very dark brown? Who really cares?
"What is it, Toneiro?" Kaitsu, or should he say Yami, responded.
"Are you going to change the script again, or was that just for fun last time?" the male asked with a vicious gleam in his eyes that made the both of them uncomfortable.
The week before, Yami had indeed pulled some sort of stunt the last time everyone had gathered. During the scene they were portraying, Yami had a few hot flashes before passing out. Many thought he was just messing with them. Shun and Maiyo had pulled him aside when he came to, but was acting quite differently than he was moments ago. There were drastic changes to the script, but it went well nevertheless. Before anyone realized what had happened, Yami had been restored to his proper self. But he had no recollection of what had occurred after he passed out just hours before.
Kaiba noticed something about Yami at that moment of silence. The familiar choker he remembers seeing every single time he looked at him was hidden under the ruffles of his shirt. Can everyone else see it, though?
"Well, I'm fine, if that's what you're asking." Yami answered. The boy in the ghastly outfit he wore, possibly that of a commoner, only chuckled quietly to himself. He brought something into the light. One that had Yami, Shun, and Maiyo tense up.
"I also heard that you can sing, Kaitsu! Why don't you sing something for us?" That set practically everyone off.
"Kaitsu can sing?!"
"No way! Sing something for us!"
"That's a lie, Toneiro! You should know for a fact that I can't sing!" Yami said, flustered at the casual comment. The look in Toneiro's eyes and the smirk he made to the response made Yami realize that was terrible mistake.
"I know for a fact that you can sing, Kaitsu, and I can prove it!" The other male held up a disc. The color the left in Yami's face was shocking. Trembling, he asked, "What did you plan to accomplish with that?"
"Simple," Toneiro began, making sure he could see the fear in his eyes before he continued. "This disc has a single song on it. One from someone we all happen to like. I'll put it in and you are going to sing it for us. And, no, you can't get out of this one." Yami had wanted to say something, but the last part of that sentence made him stop. He was screwed.
Seto stared at the disguised Yami in disbelief. *Yami can sing? That'll be a first.* he thought, wondering what Yami plans to do to get himself out of this one. The brown-haired male gestured to the theatre just across the street. "Shall we step inside for your performance?"
Maiyo and Shun exchanged worried glances with one another before quickly glancing at Yami. Yami had a very bad case of stage fright. Unless he can miraculously change so he doesn't have that problem, there might be a scene.
They whispered "Good luck" to him before they followed the rest of the crowd inside, leaving Yami petrified outside. *I can't do this!* Seto sees Yami begin to turn, the male pretending to be wandering around the area for a little while. Spotting the bastard forcing him into this mess, he quickly hid behind the car that Yami, Maiyo, and Shun came in.
"Everyone's waiting, Kaitsu! Why keep them that way?" he sang as he began dragging Yami towards the theatre. Yami started protesting at Toneiro, but anything he said fell on deaf ears. Seto decided to follow him, in case something happens. Just to be sure that no one notices him, he kept to the shadows as he tailed them inside.
*So he can sing and he's a cosplayer. What else is he not telling me?* Seto thought venomously as he scanned the area. Everyone was chatting among themselves to pass the time until music starts. When he located Yami in the crowd, he was being dragged off backstage. As he shadowed them, he could hear the conversation that already been started.
"This is bad. This is bad. This is very, very bad." Seto paused for a moment. That wasn't Toneiro. Who dragged Yami back here then?
"How did this ever happen?!"
"Kaitsu, don't shout. You don't want to cause a scene." a girl whispered.
"Well, I think it's too late for that!" Yami whispered furiously, fear evident in his tone.
"The only thing Maiyo and I can do is to watch, but we need to bring Phoenix out here before you go onstage." Shun came into Seto's view. Maiyo seemed to be keeping Yami calm. Or, at least trying to.
"Phoenix? Who's Phoenix?" Yami demanded, still coming to grips with the inevitable performance.
Maiyo and Shun exchanged worried looks once again. Yami still has no idea about his little 'problem'.
Shun looked around to see if anyone else was around. "Yami," Maiyo began, her voice faltering slightly. "Phoenix is you, but he's… someone else."
"Um, I don't think that's clearing anything up for him, Maiyo." Shun piped up, nodding that the coast was clear.
Seto watched curiously as to what Shun was doing. "Oh, sorry." The girl mumbled before standing up and moving aside for the teen.
Shun reached for the choker around Yami's neck, but the male shied away, swatting his hand. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Yami, please! Keep your voice down!" Maiyo pleaded desperately as she quickly searched the area in case anyone heard them.
"Something wrong, Kaitsu?"
"Uh oh! It's Toneiro!" Maiyo gasped.
Shun turned to the horror-stricken teen and took one of his hands into his (which infuriated Seto) and quickly whispered, "Yami, listen to me. We'll explain everything once all three of us are alone, but, for right now, please let us handle this and Phoenix will do the rest."
"I'll ask again, who's Phoenix?" Yami repeated, sounding rather miffed with everything at the moment.
"Kaitsu? Coming back there! I hope you're ready!" Toneiro called from the stage.
"Shun, we've gotta go!" Maiyo whispered quickly before taking off.
The black-haired male looked back on Yami and began taking off his choker. The male flinched from his touch. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Trust me, Yami, it's either this or you passing out onstage." Shun replied as he slipped off the accessory.
There seemed to be some sort of flash in his crimson eyes. "Shun? What's going on?" The genuine confusion in his voice confounded Seto.
"Phoenix?" Shun tried, hoping for something.
"Of course it is!" he whispered. "Who else could I-"
"Kaitsu! I found it!" Toneiro called nearby.
"Am I singing?" Yami (?) asked.
"Yeah, I'll explain as much as I can later." The black-haired male sighed as he took out a choker of his own and put it on Yami (?).
He glanced behind him as they heard Toneiro's steps nearing. With one last look, he whispered, "Good Luck" before taking off.
"Was there someone else back here?" the brunette demanded.
Yami (or should we stick to Phoenix now?) smiled back to him. "Whatever do you mean? I'm just waiting for you to tell me the song I'm singing." Seto stared at him, shocked at the sudden change in attitude.
*What the hell just happened?!*
"Tell me, do you know Cinema Bizarre?" the male inquired curiously. The guy was having way too much fun with this for some reason.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?" he confirmed, a smile on his lips. He was fully prepared for this.
Good! Get on stage and I'll put in the song." Toneiro said as he was walking off. Phoenix made his way to the stage and waited for the song to start. Seto made his way back to the crowd, but he decided to stick to the door out of the hall in the event he was caught again.
The song was one all the cosplayers knew well (they were also fans of Cinema Bizarre).
Phoenix opened his mouth and his elegant voice projected itself to the crowd, his movements matching the rhythm of the music.
Do you know how it hurts when you lose a friend?
You waste your time with anger, waste your life with fear.
Do you know what it means when a story ends?
You simply can't help hiding. You can't say you feel.
*So,* Seto began thinking. *Is Phoenix just a stage name he takes on when he performs? He's a beautiful singer!*
Do you erase and replace what you're thinking?
Do you erase and replace what you feel?
There's so many ways to get lost without God's bleeding.
Erase and replace, know what is real.
The girls were going nuts over Phoenix and the guys were most likely envious of his talent. Some were even becoming fans of his. Phoenix was good at this!
It sets Seto thinking, *Okay, so Yami is...well, Yami. When he claims that he's someone named Aedrian, he's a thief. Now, he's someone named Phoenix who is a singing cosplayer! What's next?!*
It's so hard to forget when you simply can. You need something to believe in.
But you can't turn back time.
It is true that you win even if you lose.
The things that really matter? They're always on your mind.
The entire crowd was going crazy over this one teen; the only singer on stage.
Toneiro smirked at the accomplishment of getting Yami to sing. Seto wanted nothing more than to break him slowly, painfully.
Do you erase and replace what you're thinking?
Do you erase and replace what you feel?
There's so many ways to get lost without God's bleeding.
Erase and replace, know what is real.
Maiyo and Shun seemed happy that Phoenix was enjoying himself, but they seemed concerned. *Over what exactly?* Seto wondered.
You keep looking for something
That's been in front of your face.
*What was the point of all of this, really?*
Do you erase and replace what is mssing?
Erase and replace, 'til it's healed?
Do you erase and replace what you're thinking?
Do you erase and replace what you feel?
There's so many ways to get lost without God's bleeding
Erase and replace, know what is real.
Do you erase and replace what you're thinking?
Do you erase and replace what you feel?
There's so many ways to get lost without God's bleeding
Erase and replace, know what is real.
Know what is real.
Know what is real.
Know what is... real.
The crowd went insane after Phoenix had finished his performance. With a smile on his face, he waved to the people, knowing they probably wouldn't forget him anytime soon. Seto watched as he began walking backstage. He followed Shun in the shadows so he wouldn't be seen.
Phoenix (or should return to calling him Yami since the show's over) ran into Shun on the way. Literally. "Oh! My apologies, I didn't see you there, Shun." he said quickly as he assisted the black-haired male to his feet.
"It's alright, Phoenix. I should have been paying attention to where I was walking." he laughed, seemingly unfazed by the collision.
"Ow..." Yami moaned, a hand to the right side of his head. Shun looked at him. "Are you alright?" Shun asked.
"M-My head... it's killing me..." The crimson-eyed male sudden began to fall forward. Shun caught him just before he hit the floor.
"What happened to me? I don't remember anything..." Seto saw Shun bit his lower lip before he lied, "Nothing really happened, Yami." He touched his forehead. "Have you been sick lately?"
"Possibly." Yami responded. "You still owe me an explanation for who Phoenix is." His eyes widened. "Wait, the performance!" he gasped as he attempted to stand only to fall on his side.
"The performance was finished five minutes ago, Yami." he laughed. "Besides, I think you should get a little bit of sleep before you try to do anything else." He picked him up bridal style and carried him into a nearby room. Conveniently enough, it was a place for someone to sleep in.
Setting him down on the bed, he sighed, "Would you like anything before I go? Maiyo and everyone else might be wondering where I'm at."
"No, thank you, Shun." Yami replied dismissively as he turned on his side. Shun pulled out a water bottle from the mini-fridge on the table.
"Well, I'll leave this here for you just in case, okay?" he said, placing it on the stand beside the bed.
"If you insist." Yami sighed comfortably before drifting off into a dreamless slumber.
Shun walked out a quietly closed the door. "Shun?" someone whispered. Turning his head, he watched as Maiyo walked out of the shadows.
"Maiyo? What are we going to tell him? He wants to know who Phoenix is." Seto was curious to know himself.
"If we tell him now, it might break him. I've seen these kinds of things before." Maiyo sighed. She had a friend who killed herself when she found out she was crazy.
"Well, there has to be some sort of way to tell him. People will most likely bring it up in the future." The male began pacing. Maiyo tapped her foot as she watched him walk back and forth for a while.
"The best we can do is say Phoenix was just another cosplayer who took his place."
Shun shook his head. "No, he'll know we're lying."
"We'll figure it out before he wakes up, okay?" Maiyo stressed, trying to tell him to rejoin the others.
"If you say so."
The couple passed right by him, but he followed them back out. He didn't spy on them anymore, thinking he's seen enough. He walks off to his car and climbs in, turns the key, and begins his drive home.
~A/N: I as listening to "Erase and Replace" by Cinema Bizarre while I was writing this chapter, so I mixed it in just because I could. Do I have any fans here? You don't have to answer that. X3 And yes, Yami has more than just Aedrian to deal with now. I've been planning Yami's derangement for quite some time now, so I hope I'm doing well on this. Please Review! Don't be afraid to say I'm horrible at this! ^ _ ^"