Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hunted ❯ Chapter 19 ( Chapter 19 )

 Nearly finished for the night.

Ishizu was not prepared to have the small Hikari Vampires run into the Meeting room.  “Sister,” Malik called out as he and Ryou entered.  “We found something that will be of great importance to the team!”

He and Ryou set the books on the table in front of her.  She looked from the books to the boys, “What has gotten you both excited?”

Ryou flipped open Ryota’s journal to where he had marked a page, “There is hope for Yugi if Atem and the others can get the Soul-Crystal that has Yugi’s soul trapped inside.”

“And this one explains what was done to us and why we’re so different from the ‘others’,” Malik exclaimed, opening the book.

Ishizu read the notes and paled, “So you three aren’t ‘normal’ in their eyes and were mistreated because of Angel blood?  Atem was right in calling you three Hikari.  Angel blood is very hard to obtain and is even more difficult to mix with Vampire blood.  Normally the one being given such a mixture dies.”

“Then why is it that we’re still here,” Ryou asked.

Another voice spoke up, “I might be able to explain that.”  The boys turned to see Odion and Seto in the doorway.  Seto continued, “When Atem called before saying that he had found you three, I did a background check into your families.  While doing so, I found some medical files and discovered that the younger of the three sets of twins born at the East Domino Medical Center within three days of each other were given Angel blood as they were selected by the Hunters for this unheard of process and their parents agreed to it since the infants were likely going to die from a rare illness.”

Odion picked up where Seto left off, “The children recovered, and nothing was noticed until later.  It turned out that the children were pure of heart and far more innocent than others around them.”

“Why were we never told this,” Malik asked.

Seto sighed, “Most likely because your real parents were Hunters and if the Vampire Lord had discovered the truth, you would have been killed long ago.”

“Yugi had no parents, that’s why he lived with his grandfather,” Ryou pointed out.

“His parents were murdered by a minion of the Vampire Lord shortly after his first birthday,” Seto admitted.

Raiden looked at Atem, sneering, “What’s the pathetic whelp to you anyways?  You’re Hunters that kill my kind without remorse.”  Then he showed mock guilt, “Oh.  Oh my, this is a shocking twist on things.  That little runt and his two friends must be related to three of you.  Would you like to join them?”

Atem, Bakura, and Marik rushed at the Vampire Lord in unison.  “DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK OF OUR HIKARIS IN THAT MANNER,” Marik yelled as he ran towards the vamp.

Raiden sidestepped to dodge the attack, “So you gave the failures an identity and freedom?  I can locate my pet no matter where you’ve got it hidden.  I can even summon it here if I so desire.”

The two teens were trying to grasp what had just been revealed to them.  Malik sat on the table and picked at his pale blue shirt while Ryou stared at Seto and Odion.  Ishizu excused herself to go and check on Yugi.

She had to readjust the flow on the sedatives and clean his wounds.  Halfway through wrapping his wrist with a new bandage, his eyes cracked open.  Ishizu caught a glimpse of washed-out amethyst, before they closed again.  She heard a faint sigh coming from that frail Hikari and watched as his eyes cracked open again.  “Ishizu,” she heard a faint whisper call.

She looked at Yugi as he tried to speak regardless of his current condition, “Hurts.”

“I cannot do that Yugi,” she replied with tears in her eyes.  “You shouldn’t be able to speak according to the notes.”

“Trying…fight…hard…Feel weak…Tired…”

She couldn’t believe that Yugi was speaking with a shred of his soul left and his body under the control of another and badly injured.

“…Yami…danger…need help…Hurry…”  Yugi shuddered and fell still as his eyes closed, not opening again.

She ran from the lab and towards the Meeting room.  “Atem and the team is in danger and need help,” she panted.  “Yugi fought just long enough to pass this on.  The effort alone may have placed tremendous strain on him.  I need your help to place him in the stasis pod if he is to have a chance.”

Seto nodded, “If that kid makes it through this, I’ll have to make him an Honorary Hunter.  Now, Odion, let’s go and save their hides.”

Before the pair reached the door, Malik spoke up, “Could Ryou and I come along?  We may not be able to fight very well, but we know our way around that death pit.”

Seto looked at the boy, “If you are anything like my own brother, if I said no, you would still follow.  You two may come along, but you’ll have to listen to what you are told by us.”

 “We understand,” the Hikari vampires replied.

They hurried to the lab to help Ishizu.  Odion gently lifted the frail Hikari from the bed and carried him to the stasis pod.  With great care he placed Yugi into the device and Ishizu connected the leads and IV.  After closing the lid, Seto initiated the device’s power-up sequence.  Noting the worry in the other two’s eyes, Ishizu stated, “This should help keep him alive long enough to retrieve his soul and rescue the others.”

Atem had been sent flying into a nearby wall by a magical blast from Raiden.  Bakura and Marik had pulled out the super-soakers loaded with Holy Water laced with garlic oil and tossed them to Joey and Tristan.  The pair charged at the king of the vampires wielding their silver daggers that had been soaked in the blessed water and garlic solution.

Raiden had summoned his minions to his chambers to deal with the intruders.  He sent another wave of dark magic at the group and this time managed to send Bakura and Marik crashing into the wall next to Atem.  With the others distracted by his minions, Raiden glided over to where Atem lay, “You should have left the runt with me and returned the rest of my ‘pets’ as well.”

Atem weakly glared at him, “Don’t speak of Yugi in that manner, demon.”

“Ah, a fighting spirit,” he gloated.  “I admire that.  I might make you and your two friends into my ‘new’ children.  But I’d have to teach you three who’s in charge beforehand.”