Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Angel of Mine	By : tavia454 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9117 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
A/N:
And now we�ve come to the end of this rather twisted little tale! Yay! We finished it. (sobs) Wasn�t
enough for an epilogue so we added the last two chaps together.
Thank you everyone for the supporting comments and the great (and often too
funny) reviews. We did our best to keep your ideas in mind throughout the story,
so we hope you enjoyed!

Catti�s review responses!
SuzaShizune - green tea and charmed?...love
Charmed...middle-aged sex molesters?..thats
us!!!!
Auster - want help with lemons? email
us...we will help...
HimeAmelie -
calm down...its okay...everything will be fine...breath...laughs...thanks
for the review, though...
EternalDragon - you can castrate (cutting off the penis and balls) a
man without them bleeding to death...there are no major arteries down there,
just small veins...the bleeding will subside and they will not bleed to death�check
out 16th century England that�s what they did to rapists...wish it was still a
practice...sighs...
Kanki - glomps...I usually hate angst
myself...who wants to read a story with a snotty nose? Thank you so much for
reviewing and liking this particular angst...
right_read_time - hope you did not drool too much on your keyboard when
you fell asleep�once drool is in the keys its so hard to get out�laughs...thank
you so much for your review though...

Tavi�s announcement: I am officially on
summer hiatus. I shall return in the fall with another story. Thank you to
everyone! In the meantime I will try to finish FtS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX13

Yugi
shivered violently, snatching a hold of his darkness� arm in a vice-like death
grip the instant the door shut behind him. The diminutive teen could feel his
pulse racing � and his heart felt like it could burst forth from his chest at
any given minute � leaving him gasping for breath.

Just
being here, in this place was messing with his head. He was already emotionally
drained from his Yami�s harsh treatment over the past
couple of days, making him unsure of what his role was in the darker teen�s
life. And this place seemed to call out to him, bringing all of his
insecurities and bad memories to the surface.

His
mind couldn�t help but hear the hard voice of the man who had called himself his master barking out commands that he
expected to be obeyed, no matter how painful or degrading they were.

The
small tricolor haired teen�s trembling increased a pace for each tentative step
he took into the opulently decorated room as he lowered his head, refusing to
glance around at the decadent furnishings. Frightened tears escaped downcast
amethyst eyes to chase each other down the sides of his face. Cruel,
unforgiving memories that he tried so hard to forget swam to the surface of his
mind, making breathing all but impossible.

Imagination
or otherwise, he could have sworn that he heard the sharp crack of a whip from
somewhere within the massive structure. He clenched his hands, his nails
digging into his darker half�s bronze skin and eliciting a hiss of discomfort
from the former spirit.

The
shivering teen wanted so badly to back out that door and run from this place
screaming � and he hadn�t even made it into the part of the mansion that he
knew all too well. But if he did that then he might as well give in, give up on
ever getting over what happened.

A
sick feeling bubbled up from the pit of his stomach and he doubled over,
feeling the acidic bile as it spilled into his mouth. He fought for control one
last time and barely managed to swallow the bitterness before he lost the
contents of his stomach all over the floor.

He
couldn�t do this�he had to! He had to face this part of his past in order to
move on. But it was so hard! He couldn�t!! He felt dizzy�

�Y-Ya�� The small teen hadn�t even managed to put his thoughts
into words before he found himself wrapped up in his darkness� strong, comforting
embrace. He flinched for a moment before curling his fingers up in the soft
fabric of the darker teen�s shirt, deep sobs wracking his slender frame.

��Aibou�� Atemu drew the trembling boy into his
arms as he fumbled behind himself for the exit. �Enough little one; you need
not be here! This is too much and entirely too soon. I�m taking you home.�

The
former spirit knew it had been a bad idea for him to allow his Aibou to reenter
this place of nightmares, where he had been imprisoned for so long. But he had
at least tried to keep his reckless promise. It tore at his heart to have to
put his foot down, but the boy was trembling so violently that it hurt him to
watch. This was not good for his little one�s state of mind!

He
would make it up to him later, but for now Yugi was going home, where he would
be safe. As he lifted the little one into his arms, it was as if someone had
flipped a switch on the teen�s fight or flight response. For Yugi started to
fight him, struggling violently.

�Please�mou Hitori no Boku�don�t
do this.� Yugi sobbed, struggling against his darker half for all he was worth
as he realized that his other half wasn�t going to allow him to complete his
mission. He needed to do this! He needed this to help him move on. �Please�I
want to be a part of this too. Let me help...Please��

The
former Pharaoh�s head shot up at the name that Yugi had given him oh so long
ago, and his grip on the small teen slackened slightly.

With
Atemu distracted by the long forgotten nickname, the small teen dropped to the
ground as dead weight, pulling the former Pharaoh down with him. Both teens hit
the floor with a thud. Atemu�s jaw dropped, his expression dumb founded as he
stared back at his stubborn look alike from where he had landed.

�Aibou?� The royal teen queried as he picked
himself up off the floor, moving slowly towards the motionless figure. His
lighter half hadn�t called him by that name in a long time.

�Y-you
promised�mou Hitori no Boku.� The small teen sobbed.

The
royal teen�s sharp features softened. �Oh little one��

�Y-you
can�t j-just expect me t-to just do wh-what you want�whenever y-you�whenever you w-want�I-I�m not
a-a toy�! You�reactinglikehim!!!� The words tumbled
out of the teen�s mouth before he had a chance to think.

The
vehement tone in which those words were spoken halted the former spirit in his
tracks, his eyes wide.

Yugi
clamped his hand over his mouth the moment the words exited. He hadn�t meant to
say that, he really hadn�t. Where had that come from?! There was no comparison.
His darker half was one of the kindest, most compassionate people he had ever
had the pleasure of meeting � even if he was a little high handed at times.

Well,
make that a lot over the past three days. His other half had gone through such
a change in attitude, and it started when he went after the thugs that were
watching them. But it didn�t mean that he was anything like�

�I-I
didn�t�mean that�oh god�I just�I-I�m sorry�Yami�I�m sorry��

Yugi
stared back at his darker half with a remorseful; tear filled expression,
before pulling his slender legs up against his chest � losing what was left of
his shaky control, sobbing loudly. With a regretful sigh Atemu crawled back
over to the petite teen and pulled him up against his chest, whispering words
to comfort him.

�Shhh�Aibou�tell me�explain to me what�s wrong. Please�I�ll
do my best to make it right.� Atemu kissed the boy�s ear as he held him tight.

�Lately�Lately
y-you�and the others�have been so�Please�I-I have to do this�don�t you
understand?� Yugi pleaded as he stared back into astonished ruby eyes. �I�want
to be here for�the others. I-I don�t�know i-if I
c-can face him yet�but I want to
try�Yami please, don�t force your will on me...The past three
days�you�you�always tell me what to do! Like I�m�a-a�spoiled child! What did I
do�tha-that was s-so�wrong?�

Yugi
hid his face in his hands again, frightened and unsure. His darkness had left
him out of most of the conversations concerning tonight, practically ordering
him to bed, refusing to give him even the slightest of answers to the questions
he had asked. The last time his darker half had even yelled
at him for daring to set foot in the game shop.

For
three days he had not been allowed off the second floor of his home, kept under
lock and key, Atemu watching his every move � or handing him over to Jou when
he wasn�t available. It was as if his darker half didn�t trust him anymore.
Why?!

�Aibou�whaaa?!�

The
royal teen reared back, startled. Was that what his little one thought?! Was
that what he had been doing? Forcing the little one to bend to his will? It was
purely unintentional; all he wanted was for his Aibou to be protected, mentally
as well as physically. And ever since their run in with those two perverts he
had feared for the little one�s safety.

As
he looked down into those beautiful amethysts shining with hurt and betrayal
the former Pharaoh realized that he was in the wrong. Very
much in the wrong.

�Shhhh�you�ve done nothing wrong Aibou�nothing at all.� The
darker teen smoothed a lock of blonde hair out of the boy�s face before
stroking his cheek, rocking him tenderly in his arms. �Shhhh
little one��

Looking
down into the hurt mask that hung over those angelic features like a dark
cloud, Atemu couldn�t find it in his heart to let his little one down by making
him leave. He just couldn�t. Especially when it wasn�t what
his Aibou wanted.

�I-I�m
sorry�I-I didn�t�I didn�t mean that�� Yugi trailed off tearfully before
continuing, placing a gentle hand on his darkness� chest as he attempted to
reign in his wild emotions. �This place�it�it messes with�with m-my head�I�m
sorry�Yami�I-I didn�t mean to�to take it out o-on you.�

��And I am sorry as well, Aibou, for my
behavior over the past couple of days�I�ve been so worried�I��
The darker teen shook his head, holding the small teen close to his heart. �I�ll
not make you leave. But if gets too far out of hand I�m taking you out of
here�kicking and screaming if need be. I don�t like the thought of putting you
anywhere near harm�s way. If you were�� Atemu shuddered as the horrible
memories came rushing to the front of his thoughts. �I cannot live without you!�

Yugi
nodded tearfully. �I�ll be good�I promise.�

Atemu
tilted the boy�s head up, locking eyes with him. �I don�t want you to behave
little one. I want you to be safe.�

The
smaller of the two leaned up, as if asking for a kiss, which Atemu instantly
obliged for a moment before tenderly brushing the tears from his face.

�Are
you ready little one?�

Yugi
nodded shakily and the darker teen pulled him up off the floor. The two of them
began searching through some of the rooms, looking for victims. They found
nothing of interest on the first floor of the mansion other than some
beautifully decorated but empty rooms where it looked like guests who had
imbibed too much could sleep it off without fear of being molested.

Atemu quirked a brow at the thought
before shaking his head and moving on to the next room. How nice!

As
they searched deeper into the center of the mansion the former spirit finally
realized the inner strength that was hidden deep within this tiny angelic being
who wanted nothing more than a chance to face his fears, his nightmares so that
he could heal fully.

His
little one�s face showed all of his determination and none of the fear that had
frozen him to the floor earlier, as they peeked inside of doors and around
corners, never knowing what to expect. He never should have hidden their plans
from the traumatized teen, nor expected him to follow his commands blindly. His
Aibou was worth so much more than that!

Maybe
this whole incident wasn�t just messing with Yugi�s head. He and the others had
been acting like asses for the past couple of days, their thoughts filled with
revenge and torture even as they neglected those that meant the world to them.
Didn�t that put them on the same level as those they were hunting?

With
these thoughts in mind the former spirit continued to search for the surviving
victims.

It
was the second floor where they discovered the first evidence of what the
large, immaculately kept home was truly used for. The first room they came
across was empty � completely windowless, and bare of
anything but a small bucket with stains of an unknown origin. Thick metal
chains attached to the wall waited silently for their next victim.

Yugi
shivered again; wiping the tears out of his eyes as Atemu pulled him away from
the sight, not even wanting to imagine what went on in this room.

The
next room they came to held a stunning, barely clad blonde girl, who appeared
to be no older than fifteen. The instant she laid eyes on them she shed her
clothing and dropped to her knees, waiting, trembling, for their command. The
former Pharaoh�s heart melted at the blank look that her amber eyes had held
moments before she prostrated herself before them.

�You
may�� Atemu started, before Yugi put a gentle hand over his mouth.

The
former Pharaoh glanced over at Yugi, catching the wide eyed, tearful look on
the boy�s face as he shook his head. He threw a questioning look only for the smaller
teen to mouth �not yet�.

�Get
dressed and go to the library, someone will collect you from there.� Yugi
commanded shakily, trying hard to hold himself together long enough to say the
words.

The
girl nodded her understanding before rising from her kneeling position and
gathering her meager clothing around her bare form. Atemu waited until she had
exited the room before turning to his little one with the question still
written on his face. Once he realized that the boy was on the verge of losing
it he wrapped his arms around his shaking frame and let the terrified teen sob
out his fears on his shoulders.

After
a moment, the smaller teen stepped away and regained his shaky composure.

�Y-you
can�t just expect them�to realize they�re being freed.� Yugi tearfully answered
the earlier, unspoken query as he stepped up to the large antique dresser that
crowded the room. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror before meeting his
darkness� eyes through the glass, realizing just how alike they looked at the
moment. �They won�t accept it�not like this. They need to be shown what freedom
is first. Just as you did for me.�

�Ah.�

Atemu
nodded, understanding dawning. He had worked so hard over the past nine months
to bring his little one back from that catatonic state, he shouldn�t have
expected to waltz in here, tell them they were free and receive a thank you in
return. It didn�t work like that.

�This
is why I wanted to be here.� The smaller teen reiterated with a bone deep
shudder. �I still remember��

They
repeated the process again in the next room, this time the child behind the
door was a small dark haired boy who seemed to be no older than twelve. It
sickened Atemu that there were people in this world who would force a child for
their twisted pleasures.

Ruby
eyes flashed dangerously as the former spirit entertained some rather twisted
notions of his own, all centering on the man that he had turned into a eunuch
earlier, before remembering his little one�s sobering words. The thoughts of
revenge fled his mind in the wake of that tearful visage. Had he and the others
changed that much?!

Five
more times they repeated their duties, the only difference being the age and
looks of the children that they freed, the former spirit torn between rage at
the men who held these innocent lives so carelessly in their hands � and
remorse for the way he had treated his Aibou the past three days.

Atemu
had almost started growling by the time they had sent their seventh victim down
towards the spacious library at the end of the hall and this time it was Yugi
who held out a comforting hand, the small teen seeming to grow in strength and
determination for every soul he freed.

�Fuck
it all!� The former spirit raged helplessly. �How many
fucking rooms are in this god forsaken place?!�

Yugi
shook his head sadly, unable to answer the question. He had only seen very few
of the actual rooms when he had been held captive. His room, The Room and, once or twice, the office
that the man who had called himself his master worked from. But from
what he did see as he was taken from one room to the other, this place was huge!
And just the thought of The Room sent
the small teen into a fit of trembling.

�Aibou.� Atemu sent a warning glance.

Yugi
held his hands up, taking a deep breath as he wiped away his tears. �I�m
fine�just a thought. I�ll be okay, let�s just get this done.�

The
former Pharaoh nodded before continuing their task. It ended up taking them nearly
an hour to round up all the children who were kept behind locked doors. Twenty, in all. And the last three had sent him to his
knees, with tears leaking from his scarlet eyes.

The
oldest of the three small children, two girls and one boy, had to be no older
than eight. Their frightened looks and frantic attempts to keep away from him
broke his heart, what with Yugi having to leave the room in order to regain his
composure before giving another attempt to gain their trust.

It
was clear to both him and Yugi that not one of the three had been here long
enough to go through the complete brainwashing, but they knew enough of what
happened whenever anyone stepped through the door to their room enough to fear
the two teens that had entered.

Yugi
knelt on the floor, holding his hand out to the last child, a small dark haired
boy with the most amazing emerald eyes. The child backed into the corner,
shivering, fearful of even the smallest touch. And all attempts to remove him
gently from the room had met with failure.

The
amethyst eyed teen knew their time was running out, they needed get these kids
to safety before the last of their plan could be put into action. As of right
now there was less than twelve hours. Hours that the three dark teens needed to
fully complete their mission.

�Please�I
know you don�t trust me�� Yugi held his hand out a little further, trying his
hardest not to scare the boy any more than necessary. ��but you have to
believe�I need to get you out of here before they come back��

It
took the frustrated teen another ten minutes before he finally convinced the
boy to move from his place in the corner of the room. And as he carried the
child out to Atemu�s waiting arms he breathed a sigh of relief. This was the
last one on this floor.

They
only had the third floor left to search and he wasn�t so sure there was
anything up there. But it didn�t hurt to be safe. After all, who knew if there
was going to be anything of the house left standing after Yami, Bakura and
Marik got through with it.

The
small teen leaned up against the wall as he waited for his darker half to
return from depositing the child in the library, a lone tear sliding down his
face. His darkness was acting odd. Half the time his other half was muttering
and growling, the rest of the time he had this look of almost sick fear � as if
he was fighting something in his mind.

Had
his words to the darker teen had that much of an affect? Was Yami finally
realizing how demanding he and the others had been over the past couple of
days? Frankly the darker teen was scaring him, being over protective to the
point of smothering, demanding and careless of others feelings. He just wanted
his Yami back! The one who loved him, who laughed with him,
the one who turned a blind eye to his failings and mistakes.

�Aibou��
Atemu tenderly brushed the tears from the teen�s eyes, making Yugi realize that
his other half had been standing there for quite some time. �I�m sorry little
one�being here�seeing this�� He gestured to the rooms. �I�we�ve been so caught
up in this game�I�m sorry. I will make it up to you if you�ll let me.�

�I
just want you�t-to�please�come back to me. I hate seeing you like this.� Yugi
pulled the darker teen into his embrace.

�It�s
time to end it.� Atemu stated as he drew the teen behind him, making for the
final set of stairs.

�It
is.�

The
pair made their way up the last set of steps, Atemu taking the lead to ensure
that his little one wouldn�t be the first to step into a trap. When they
reached the top of the stairs, the first detail they noticed was that the third
level was one large room � a storage room apparently � and that, as you could
tell from the outside structure, it didn�t cover the whole house.

There
was a thin layer of dust covering the tiny, high set windows, as well as some
cobwebs strung across the bare ceiling adding to the unused look.

�Over
there.� Atemu whispered as he pointed to a solitary, naked figure chained to a
wall in a darkened corner of the room.

Yugi
nodded and the pair made their way cautiously over to huddled, shaking figure.
The first thing they noticed was that the person in the corner was an older person,
maybe in their thirties with the receding hair line being a rather
distinguishing characteristic.

From
what the figure allowed them to see as it scooted further into the darkened
corner, it was severely scarred. The person�s facial features were practically
torn, creases running down the center and the sides of their cheeks, more of
the disfiguring scars were seen running down the figure�s back and sides. The
next fact they noticed was that the figure should have been a male. But it was
lacking the necessary equipment.

The
pitiful figure began to rock back and forth, mumbling unintelligible gibberish
as they advanced.

�What
the hell?� Atemu asked, puzzled. �Why on earth would someone do that?�

But
Yugi never answered. The moment the figure turned around, his eyes were glued
to the figure�s piercing blue eyes. With a shriek of fright and panic, the
smaller teen lashed out, kicking the creature square in the face, oblivious to its
answering screams, before bolting across the room and down the stairs.

�Yugi! WAIT!!� Atemu flew after his Aibou,
racing down the stairs to find Yugi on his knees, his arms wrapped around his
chest, sobbing pitifully.

�Atemu wrapped his arms around the terrified
teen, soothing him with whispered words as he waited for the episode to pass.
What on earth had spooked his Aibou so badly?! The boy�s words weren�t even
making sense. All he could make out were disjointed phrases such as �it was
him� and �he�s the one�. Other than that, none of the mutterings were even
close to coherent.

It
took close to ten minutes for the royal teen to even come anywhere near to
calming the smaller teen down enough to comprehend his words. And by the time
he did, he wished he hadn�t. His head shot up, scarlet eyes focused on the
stairs with a frightening glare.

So
that was the man who had landed his little one in the hospital to fight for his
life!! The one who had so carelessly tossed his Aibou aside
as if a broken rag doll. And someone else had gotten to this creature
before him?!

Ruby
eyes glowed with vengeance. A movement caught the corner of his eye and he
almost sent the unlucky person into the shadows. But a quick glance showed that
it was only Ryou, coming to make sure there were no others before they left.

�Sleep Aibou.� Atemu rested his forehead against
Yugi�s. Shadows enshrouded the duo�s forms and lovingly swept the smaller teen
off into their comforting embrace.

He
really hated to do this, but there was no other choice. His little one was so
far gone right now, trapped in his memories that nothing he said or did would
matter. He would have to trust in the others to take care of his little one
until he got home. As much as he wanted to keep the boy with him, it wasn�t a
wise idea. He would just have to hurry, then.

The
white haired teen approached the duo. A brief conversation ensued and the
former royal realized that Jou and the others were getting antsy waiting out in
the van. And that Ryou and Malik felt the same way that his Aibou did about the
recent change in their darker halfs� attitudes.

Atemu
straightened, cuddling his little one close to his body as he followed the
white haired teen out to the van they had rented for this occasion. There he
handed the boy over to Jou, only asking that they look after Yugi in his
absence, receiving a nod in reply before the doors closed and the van took off
down the road.

The
children would be in good hands. Serenity had already talked to two of her
coworkers at the hospital in Tokyo; one of them had even given permission
to use their van. They had agreed that it was best if they dropped the van off
with the children inside and she and the others would treat it as an anonymous
drop with Dr. Alex supervising their recovery every step of the way. It was
best if no one knew where they came from.

Once
the van was out of sight Atemu stalked back into the mansion, up to the third
floor, rage consuming his every thought. This was the monster that had come so
close to taking his little one out of the world! When he reached the pitiful
figure he reached out and grabbed it by the neck, shaking it harshly. Shadows
built up, surrounding his slender form as he began to squeeze, causing the
creature to bat at his arms uselessly.

As
he peered into those vacant blue eyes a little closer, the former ruler
dismissed his shadows entirely. There was no shred of intelligence left in
those wide blue eyes. Whoever had gotten to the monster first had completely
broken him. What would his little one say if he demolished this thing the way
he wanted to?

Furious,
he threw the figure back onto the floor with a grunt of disgust � unsure
whether it was aimed at the creature or at himself � where it huddled around
itself once again.

The
former Pharaoh dropped to his knees, intent on a closer inspection. The figure
gazed stupidly back up at him and Atemu groaned. There was no use in trying to
punish something that had no thought of its own. If he tried then he was no
better than those that had defiled his Aibou. They were walking that fine line
as it was. Dismissing the creature, Atemu mercifully ended its existence with a
snap of its neck.

The
shadows themselves would be better equipped to deal with a situation like this.
They would devour the soul � and the soul was what would remember the misdeeds,
whereas he could only inflict punishment on their physical form. In that form
there was no way he could exact revenge.

Thoroughly
pissed off, the former monarch made his way back down the stairs, making a
quick search through the mansion before heading towards the room where Bakura
and Marik were having their fun. They now had only a few hours in which to be
ready for the rest of their guests.
And he was having some serious second thoughts�

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Glass
doors slammed open to bounce off the wall, leaving a large crack in one of them
as it came to rest in its original position. Atemu glared ice at the now
unconscious man who had been strung up in the center of the room, his ruby eyes
taking in the sight of the fresh welts and cuts that adorned his form from his
face to his feet. Apparently the gruesome twosome had been busy.

�Well,
well, look who thought to grace us with his presence�Hey Marik, The Pharaoh�s back.� Bakura crowed.

Marik
stomped over to the tricolor haired teen, huffing indignantly as he stuck a
finger in the former ruler�s face. �Do you even realize how much of a mess you
left us in? We�re lucky that I found a curling iron in the front room�it got
hot enough to cauterize the wound before he bled out all over the place and our
whole plan went up in smoke!�

Atemu
shrugged restlessly, his thoughts coming back again and again to the words his
little one had spoken when they first arrived, and the ones that Ryou had
echoed later. �He would have lived. The practice of
castration has been around since before our time�but forget him for a
moment�we need to talk��

Bakura
slowly put the crop that he had been using on the sobbing secretary, barely
sparing the other two men that were strung up about the room as he raised an
eyebrow. �Oh? And what do we need to talk about?�

�About us�about our lighter halves.� Atemu raked an unsteady hand through
his wild hair. �They are concerned��

�Ryou�s worried? About what?�
Bakura interrupted.

�About how this plan is affecting us.� Atemu replied.

The
two former spirits dropped whatever weapon was in their hand and the three of
them walked out of the room and into what looked like a waiting room. There,
Atemu dropped to the comfortable couch, pulling his knees to his chest and
resting his chin on them. Bakura and Marik dropped into the couch opposite.

�By
all means�spill!� Bakura waved at the former ruler when it looked as though the
teen was going to remain silent.

With
a deep sigh the royal teen proceeded to inform them of the discussion that he
had had with his little one earlier, and of the preceding one with Ryou. They
couldn�t continue this. It was turning them into monsters themselves. Each time
they killed, each time they tortured they lost a little more of themselves �
becoming a little colder, a little less caring. And it was apparent to those
that loved them.

�I
knew something was wrong�Ryou never refused my touch before.� Bakura commented
with a thoughtful look. �But he didn�t say anything.�

�Malik�s been distant as well.� Marik added.

�I
don�t think they are the ones being distant.� Atemu replied. �We are doing it
ourselves. They are afraid of us.�

Marik
sighed. �All that planning�damn, I hate to let a good plot go to waste��

�But
The Pharaoh�s right. We need to take care
of our Hikaris� first. So now
what?�

�Now
we wait. The rest of the rubbish should be here in a few hours. We�ll deal with
them all at once.� Atemu replied with a far away look. �We�re finished with
this.�

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The
three dark teens watched intently from the front lawn, the wild winds whipping
at their hair as windows shattered and walls collapsed amidst the blackened
shadows. The house caved in on itself piece by piece with groans and screams of
protest. Electricity surged and sparked as wiring was torn free of its
moorings, adding to the general chaos while the endless swirling, shadowy
vortex sucked up the debris as it loosened from the frame.

It
didn�t happen all at once, more in stages than anything else. First the attic
collapsed on top of the second floor, sparks flying and framing groaning eerily.
Then the west side of the house caved in towards the east squeezing the middle
of the mansion until it buckled upwards under the pressure.

The
front door exploded outward and was immediately consumed by the ever present
shadows. The razor wire fence surrounding the property was plucked out of the
ground pole by pole with seemingly little effort, to be sucked up into the hungry,
swirling shadows.

The
east side of the house finally buckled, pulling free of the framing and flying
upwards into the endless blackness, leaving a cement foundation as the only
evidence of its previous existence.

The
three teens nodded solemnly to each other as they made their way back to the
car. It was finally finished. No one other than the three somber teens would
ever know what took place in that house of pain and fear just before it
disappeared off the face of the earth. They would never tell. It was enough for
them to say that no one made it out alive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX15

Yugi
awoke to the sounds of someone breathing softly in his ear, strong arms holding
him tightly as the person behind him slept on. He blinked a couple of times as
he took in his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was seeing those
eyes. He shuddered and the arms that were holding him tightened.

�Are
you alright Aibou?� Atemu asked sleepily.

�I�m
fine Yami.� Yugi replied with a yawn.

It
took the smaller teen a couple of minutes to realize where he was, since he
wasn�t in his own room. They were laying on the fold out couch, wrapped in a
warm down comforter. And all around him passed out on the furniture were the
rest of his friends.

Marik
and Malik had staked out the second fold out couch, Jou and Seto were passed
out on the blow up air mattress in the center of the room. Bakura and Ryou were
curled up like a couple of cats in one of the larger chairs; Tristan and
Serenity were on a pallet by the hallway and Anzu and
Duke were occupying the other chair, wrapped up together in a blanket. They
must have all decided to stay.

�Is
it over?�

Yes
little one�it is finished.� Atemu replied with a chaste kiss to the teen�s
forehead. �And I apologize for my behavior. I truly was acting like an ass.�

Yugi
looked up at his darker half with a sleepy smile. �It�s okay Yami. I know you
were just looking out for me. Just don�t do it again.�

With
that said the smaller teen gave his darker counterpart a playful punch to the
arm. Atemu grinned widely at the action before pulling the boy back into his
arms.

�I
am suitably chastened�From this moment on I will not seek to bend you to my
will.�

�Good.�

The
two snuggled together on the couch for a few moments, before loud noises from
the store room caught their attention. Atemu scrambled from the bed, fearing
the worst. That the Yukaza had found out they were
responsible for the downfall of one of their members, and they were here
seeking retribution.

�ATEMU
MOTOU!! MARIK ISHTAR!!! BAKURA�ah damn it! Whatever the hell your name is�get down here now!!!� The words echoed around the room, waking
everyone with same effects as a glass of ice water in their faces.

Bakura,
Marik and Atemu stared at each other with wide eyes. Mr. Motou had returned!
And he didn�t sound very happy. Everyone in the room started to move about,
blinking at each other as they attempted to gather their thoughts.

�Boys
you have two minutes to get your butts down these stairs before I come up after
you!�

At
that call the three scrambled out of their beds. Not happy?! Scratch that.
Downright pissed off was more like it. What the hell had him in such a bad
mood? Whatever it was he had found out, they didn�t want to make it any worse
by having to make him come after them. The old man could be a tyrant when he
wanted to be.

Yugi
glanced fearfully at his darker half. He recognized his grandfather�s voice,
but he had not heard that tone in a long time. What had his darkness done to
earn that? It was then that the small teen realized that he hadn�t seen his
grandfather in almost two years. But right now he wasn�t sure he wanted to.
That tone still frightened him.

�Breathe
little one. I shall return in a moment.� Atemu shushed him, smoothing the hair
back off his forehead before joining the other two as they made their way out
to the game shop.

What
they found when they made it out into the shop was Solomon pacing back and
forth as he muttered obscenities, his wild hair standing on end. Lieren was trying her best to calm the old man, but from
the looks he was ignoring whatever she had to say.

Atemu
swallowed his pride as the other two stood beside him. �You called?�

Solomon
stared hard at the three teens standing before him. �You, you
and you! What the hell are you thinking?!�

�Now
Solomon calm down, this isn�t good�� The old man glared in Lieren�s
direction and she trailed off in the face of his show of anger.

�About what sir?� Bakura questioned respectfully. Atemu
shot the white haired thief a questioning glance. Since when was the thief
respectful?

�About what?!� The old man stopped and stared at the
three. �You know damn well what I�m talking about! The
mysterious disappearances�one well respected doctor going crazy�a man killing
himself, but with signs of breaking and entering!� His voice rose with
every sentence. �What the hell is wrong with you?! I go on vacation and you use
the time to wreak havoc and cause chaos! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
The three of you know better than to behave like common criminals! I ought to
box your ears, each and every one of you!�

�NO!!!
You won�t touch them!� Yugi shot between the three startled spirits, holding
his arms out as he stood between them and the old man, his teeth bared in a
snarl.

Solomon
jumped back a foot when he heard his grandson�s voice, his heart beating
wildly. His jaw sagged as he laid eyes on the longed for sight of his
daughter�s only child, as the boy glared at him fiercely.

�Y-Yugi�?�

�Grandpa,
you don�t know what�s been going on! You can�t punish them for what they did!
You can�t!� Tears welled up in amethyst eyes and Atemu rushed to the boy�s
side, cradling him tenderly to his chest. �Th-they
did it�for me!�

�I
think we need to sit down and discuss this.� The former ruler stated calmly as
he picked the little one up and made his way out of the shop.

�Y-Yugi�?�
Fat tears welled up in Solomon�s eyes, as he stood rooted to the spot.
�It�s�it�s really you? You�re really here?!�

The
small teen struggled from his darkness� grasp and Atemu set him on the floor,
only to watch as his little one bolted into his grandpa�s waiting arms.

�Grandpa!� Yugi sobbed, crushing the old man in
his embrace.

�Oh my god! Yugi!�
Solomon returned the embrace with equal vehemence before memorizing the boy�s
cherished face with his hands. �I never thought�I�oh god, it�s a miracle!�

The
pair collapsed to the ground and the four others in the room ran to their
assistance. But they couldn�t seem to pry the two apart. Lieren
finally backed the others off as the rest of the group wandered into the game
shop, finally deeming the area safe enough. They stood by with tears in their
eyes as they watched the emotional reunion.

Many
long minutes later the group adjourned to the living room, finding it quite
tidy for as many people as had slept there the previous night. Atemu settled
onto the couch, Yugi dropping down to sit on his lap and Solomon picking a spot
next to him � unable to let go of his grandson�s hand for even the shortest
time.

Bakura
and Ryou curled back up into their chair as the others gathered around to
occupy what was left of the furniture.

�How�?
Why�?� Was Solomon�s only question as he gazed at his
youngest family member.

Atemu
and the others took turns as they tried to give a full accounting of what had
taken place over the past nine months. From the first moment they laid eyes on
Yugi to the moment that they entered the doomed mansion. There was much arguing
as points of view and opinions differed, and each time the old man put the
teens back on track with a well placed word or look.

By
the time the sun was high in the sky, the entire story was out in the open,
including the three spirits behavior towards their look alikes
for the past three days. Each of them held the look of shame as they glanced at
their feet, waiting for judgment to be cast from either the old man or their
little ones.

�And
they�re all gone?� Solomon queried. �You�ve taken care of all of them?�

�Yes
sir. �Marik answered.

The
old man sat back with a sigh. �I think the three of you have learned a valuable
lesson. I should still box your ears for that�but I think I�ll let Yugi, Ryou
and Malik decide this matter for themselves. It was them you wronged after
all.�

The
three spirits nodded; their eyes still downcast. It was apparent to all that
they had never been reprimanded before, and so didn�t know how to take the
scolding. Their guilty behavior mystified many of the others.

�Damn�when
you guys feel guilty you really feel guilty!� Jou remarked. �Hey Yugi, you
could ask for anything right now and Atemu would give it to you just that
quick.� The blonde snapped his fingers.

Yugi
wrapped his arms around his darker half possessively. �Yeah, but I�ve already
forgiven him as long as it doesn�t happen again.�

Atemu
glanced up into those warm amethyst eyes, seeing the look of complete
forgiveness. He returned the heartfelt hug with a true smile � the first
Solomon had ever seen. �I promise little one.�

�Don�t
get me wrong boys. I approve whole heartedly of you ridding our society of scum
like that. But don�t lose yourselves in revenge. It only hurts those closest to
you.� Solomon warned. �I don�t want to see you lose what you�ve worked so hard
for. Yugi, I�m so happy right now. I never thought I would see your smiling
face again!�

The
two embraced again and a cheer went up. The nightmare was finally over. Their
little friend was not the same smiling, cheerful boy they would always
remember, but in that boy�s place stood a young man who was stronger than any
of them could ever imagine. And he would be just fine.

�Atemu,
I need you to go to the store and pick some munchies and pizza. We�re gonna
have us a good, old fashioned welcome home party.� Solomon gazed over at the
former Pharaoh amidst the noise.

�I
am forgiven?!� Atemu glanced at the old man wide eyed.

�There�s
nothing to forgive young one. You made a mistake, that�s all. And you did so
much good, that as long as you remember it, it doesn�t matter.� The old man
replied as he held out the money.

�Thank
you. I will remember it well, and I will be a good partner to Yugi.� Atemu
bowed his head as he took the money.

�I
know you will.� Solomon patted his head.

Yugi
scooted off his darkness� lap and plopped down next to his grandfather where
they started a discussion on anything and everything that caught their
interest. Soon the others joined in, and that was the scene that Atemu looked
back on as he made his way out of the house with a serene smile on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It
wasn�t two days later and the former spirit was dropping his heavy burden in
the passenger seat of Mr. Motou�s old station wagon,
eager to get home to his little one. It had taken him all day to find a gift
perfect enough for his Aibou.

�I
could kill you right here and now�and no one would say a word.� The whispered
voice came from right beside his ear as the former spirit sat down in the
driver�s seat of the car, finally glad to be free of the packages that he had
sat in the seat next to him.

Dark
shadows began to wind their way around the former ruler�s slender body as he
questioned the man with the gun to his head. �And why would you wish to do
that?�

�My
mother�s very distraught right now. You killed her sister�s favorite son. I�ve
been watching you for the past two days. I know you did it. Truly I couldn�t
care less; the man was quite a cocksucker. But my mother would disagree.� The
hammer cocked back with an audible click.

�I
would suggest you look again before you think that you have the upper hand.�
Atemu replied calmly.

There
was a stunned shriek as the masked man realized that he was no longer holding a
gun, but rather a poisonous asp and he dropped the snake to the floor of the
car with a squawk of fright. A quick glance around the interior of the car told
him that he was no longer inside of a car, but standing on what seemed to be an
endless blackness. And for a moment he wondered how it was he hadn�t fallen
yet.

�You
are the leader of the Yukaza?� Atemu questioned from
directly in front of the man.

The
masked man nodded hesitantly, still wondering how he had lost the upper hand,
and where in the hell he was. Beads of sweat broke out on his covered brow and
his hands shook as he gazed back at the unaffected teen.

�Honestly
I hate to kill someone without provocation, so it seems we need to come to an
accord.�

The
man licked his lips. �And what agreement would that be?�

�The one where you leave my family and
friends alone. Where they are free of your retribution. And I, in turn,
will leave you and your organization alone.� The former spirit replied with a
smirk. �And the next time you set up a house of ill repute, you do it with
those willing to sell their bodies. Not young children who have no say in the
matter. It is the only allowance I am willing to make.�

�Little kids?!� The man exclaimed before he could stop
himself.

�Yes.
Children. Do we have an accord?�

The
man thought about it for a minute. It wasn�t as if he was going to disagree
right now. This kid could have killed him at any time. But he hadn�t yet, and
was quite content to sit back and let him decide how this confrontation was
going to end. It just stunned him to realize what his creepy cousin had been
into all this time. Sure he had his own whores and often visited houses like
that just for a little bit of fun. But even he had his principles. And this
shocked him even more than he let on.

�Okay�I
agree to leave you and your friends alone. And you agree to leave us alone as
well, am I correct?� The man held his hand out.

Atemu
shook the offered hand with a nod. �That is correct.�

All
of a sudden the suffocating darkness lifted and the man found himself once
again in the back seat of the car, his gun lying harmlessly on the floor. Atemu
raised an elegant brow as he caught the stunned look in man�s eyes.

As
soon as he gathered his thoughts, the man said. �Right�so�� And he fled the
backseat of the car as fast as his legs could carry him.

Atemu
chuckled quietly to himself. His wannabe murderer was rather brave for his
first time facing the shadows. Most of his victims pissed themselves when
confronted with the gathering darkness. That would be the last time he heard
from that group.

The
former spirit started the car and drove out of the parking lot. He needed to
get home to his Aibou. He had a surprise waiting in the passenger seat that his
little one would just adore.

The
end�

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Don�t
Laugh at Me:
By
Mark Wills

I�m
a little boy with glasses
Whom
they call a geek
A
little girl who never smiles
Cause
I�ve got braces on my teeth
And
I know how it feels to cry myself to sleep

I�m
that kid on every playground
That�s
always chosen last
A
single teenage mother
Trying
to overcome my past
You
don�t have to be my friend, is it too much to ask

Don�t
laugh at me
Don�t
call me names
Don�t
get your pleasure from my pain

In
God�s eyes
We�re
all the same
Someday
we�ll all have perfect wings
Don�t
laugh at me

I�m
that cripple on the corner
You
pass me on the street
I
wouldn�t be out here begging
If
I had enough to eat
Don�t
think I don�t notice that our eyes never meet

I
lost my wife and little boy
When
someone crossed that yellow line
The
day we laid them in the ground
Is
the day I lost my mind
Right
now I�m down to holding this little cardboard sign

Don�t
laugh at me
Don�t
call me names
Don�t
get your pleasure from my pain

In
God�s eyes
We�re
all the same
Someday
we�ll all have perfect wings
Don�t
laugh at me

I�m
fat
I�m
thin
I�m
short
I�m
tall

I�m
deaf
I�m
blind
Hey
aren�t we all

Don�t
laugh at me
Don�t
call me names
Don�t
get your pleasure from my pain

In
God�s eyes
We�re
all the same
Someday
we�ll all have perfect wings
Don�t
laugh at me
- 14
- 15
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Angel of Mine