Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The not to distant future ❯ Chapter 5

The not to distant future
By Yami Kitsune
Chapter five: hidden in shadows



Yugi sat in the living room his eyes heavy and tired. He looked at the clock. It was nearly three in the morning but no matter how hard he tired Yugi just couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Even though he felt like he was going to pass out at any moment. Seto had left shortly after Jou had stormed out of the penthouse and despite Yugi’s attempts to contact his friend, Jou would not answer his cell phone. That was nothing new. Yugi could only remember one time that Jou had actually used his cell phone. Most of the time the battery was just dead.

There was a soft squeak from a door being opened. Yugi turned his head to see Malik coming out of his room, he looked just as tired as Yugi did.

“Can’t sleep either?” Yugi asked. Malik shook his head and sat down on the couch.

“No…” He said softly. “I don’t remember the last time I was this restless…What about you?” He asked looking at Yugi. The smaller boy shook his head.

“I’m a little worried about Jou…” Yugi said honestly. Malik smiled.

“I’m sure he’s fine. After all, the shadows aren’t after him.” Malik pointed out. Yugi nodded.

“I know…it’s just. I think I got used to him being around all the time when stuff like this was happening…” Yugi said staring at a spot on the floor. Malik watched his friend. As Malik watched Yugi he realized that despite knowing Yugi and having helped him once before he didn’t really know much about him. Malik slowly stood up and went over kneeling on the floor in front of Yugi’s chair and looking up at him. Yugi’s eyes were closed, but Malik could see the tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. He reached up and wiped one away. Yugi’s eyes shot open and he stared at Malik.

“I’m sorry.” Malik said softly. “I…” Malik sighed not sure what he should say. “Being a holder of a millennium items is never easy. Even if we no longer have the items…This is not really part of the whole legend behind the items but…It’s fairly easy to see that a holder of a millennium item is cursed, as well as blessed.” Malik said. Yugi blinked at him but didn’t say a word.

“You Yugi…you were blessed in so many ways when you finished the puzzle. But nothing good lasts forever. Even blessings. The bigger the blessing, the further you have to fall.” Malik reached up wiping more tears off Yugi’s cheek as they fell. Yugi just sat there staring at Malik, he could feel himself shaking as he tried not to cry.

“We’re all hikari’s. Me, you and Ryou. No one can understand your pain more then Ryou and I can. Living so far away made it difficult for us to comfort each other. But we’re here now Yugi. You don’t have to act brave any more.” Malik’s own eyes started shining with tears but he refused to let them fall. Yugi blinked at Malik, his hands shaking. Malik glanced behind Yugi and smiled slightly when he saw Ryou standing there. Ryou leaned over and wrapped his arms around Yugi from behind hugging him. Yugi couldn’t help but be amazed at how gentle Ryou still was, even after all the abuse his yami put him through.

Malik took Yugi’s hand smiling at him again. “Like I said, we’re here now Yugi.” Tears flowed freely down Yugi’s face. Ryou moved around to sit on the arm of the chair still hugging Yugi. Yugi hid his face in his hands, everything he’d kept inside for the past two years came to the surface. All the grief he had refused to let himself feel, the pain of being alone again, of feeling trapped. Malik wrapped his arms around Yugi as well resting his cheek on Yugi’s head. The three of them just sat there like that taking comfort in each other, in the fact that they didn’t have to voice what they were feeling, or going through, because the other two already knew.

~~~~~~~

Bakura sat watching Yami pace back and forth. The pharaoh had been doing that for Ra only knew how long! Bakura growled wishing he had something to throw at Yami.

“Would you STOP that!? You’re making me dizzy!” He snapped. Yami stopped pacing and looked at him blinking before sitting down where he had stopped and crossed his arms and legs closing his eyes and continued thinking. Bakura stared and Marik snickered.

“I don’t think that’s much better then the pacing.” He said sounding amused. Bakura rolled his eyes and laid down putting a hand behind his head, his other hand moving to rest on the millennium ring sitting on his chest. He reached his mind out just enough so he could feel his Hikari. Something that Marik and Yami were both currently unable to do. Bakura would not admit how much he had actually missed Ryou.

Sure the boy had been a whining brat which pissed Bakura off to no end, but he was, and always would be Bakura’s hikari. Bakura opened his eyes to find Marik leaning over him their noses almost touching. Bakura yelped and sat up quickly cracking his and Marik’s heads together.

“RA DAMNIT BAKURA!” Marik howled in anger. The head collision hadn’t actually hurt, you couldn’t feel pain unless you had a body. But just the thought of how much that would have hurt gave Marik a headache. He rubbed his head and looked at Bakura.

“What the hell were you doing?” Bakura asked.

“Watching you enjoy you’re guilty pleasure.” Marik said leaning back on his hands still watching Bakura. “So, how is the little hikari doing?” This question got Yami’s attention rather quickly.

“Bakura! I told you not to use the ring to check on Ryou!” Yami snapped.

“Like you wouldn’t do the same thing if you were able to contact Yugi!” Bakura snapped. They had gone over this conversation already. And Bakura was getting tired of having the POWER to reach Ryou, and actually return to him. But not allowed to actually use it.

“No, I wouldn’t contact Yugi.” Yami said through clenched teeth. “I thought I explained this to you? If you contact Ryou, Ryou will most definitely contact you back. And when that happens you will be pulled out of this realm and back into the ring.”

“Making you loose your ride home.” Bakura said.

“Aww, the little pharaoh doesn’t want to stay in the shadow realm?” Marik asked chuckling darkly. “I say you go ahead and do it Bakura. Then you can tell Malik how to get me back, we’ll leave the pharaoh here and give him a taste of his own damn medicine. See how he likes being cut off from all other worlds and trapped in the shadow realm until someone decides to let him out.”

“That is a very tempting idea.” Bakura said his finger tracing over the eye on the millennium ring. Yami’s eyes narrowed as he watched Bakura. “However.” He let his hand fall away from the ring. “the thought of being alive again is even more tempting then that. And since his highness hasn’t seen fit to give us the spell we need.” Bakura had a small smirk on his face. “I do believe that the great Pharaoh has finally learned how to play games our way.”

“If you can’t beat them, join them?” Marik asked looking at Bakura.

“Not quite.” Yami said crossing his arms again. “After dealing with you two for quite some time, I know how to handle you by now. Well, at least I know how to handle Bakura, and you Marik are to much like him giving me the advantage over BOTH of you.”

This made both Marik and Bakura laugh. “You have the advantage over us? The only reason I’m helping you with this pharaoh is so I can get a body of my own again. Something you oh so thoughtfully pulled me from five thousand years ago to seal the shadow realm.”

“Speak for yourself.” Marik said. “I’ve never had a body of my own. So I don’t know what it would be like. The only reason I’m going along with this is because the shadow realm is boring as hell!…no wait, I take that back, I think hell would be far more interesting then this place.” Before their conversation could go any further however, they felt the shadow realm shift again.

The three Yami’s all tensed. It hadn’t felt the same as before. Yami looked at Marik giving him a questioning look. Marik slowly shook his head also seeming as on edge as the other two. “I’ve…never felt that before.” He said softly. They all sat there staring at each other wondering what it meant.

~~~~~~

The door to the penthouse opened and Jou slowly stepped in closing the door behind him. He was glad that he’d gotten an extra key from Malik. He sighed and took his shoes off trying to be quiet. He put his bag down by the door and slowly tiptoed into the living room. Malik, Ryou and Yugi had all moved to the couch. All three of them were fast asleep. Malik sat in the middle sleeping sitting up while Ryou and Yugi had fallen asleep, Ryou with his head resting on Malik’s shoulder, Yugi with his head on Malik’s lap.

Jou smiled looking at them. Hikari’s, looking at them he couldn’t help but think that that word fit all three of them. How was it that people could go through so much in their life and still remain as innocent as the three of them had? Jou suspected that was something he would never learn the answer two unless he became the holder of a millennium item. He turned and slowly made his way into the kitchen. He was STARVING, after all he hadn’t eaten since Seto had pissed him off making him leave his half cooked food on the stove and storm out of the penthouse.

Jou knew he should have called, but he really had been planning on coming right back. How was he supposed to know he would pass out on his couch and not wake up? Jou rubbed his head deciding to think on that after he ate.

“Nothing like food to get the brain working.” He said to himself. Though that had never actually worked when he was in school. So he wasn’t really expecting that it would work now. He made himself a quick sandwich and headed back to the living room. The moon, which had been hidden behind a cloud, shone through the window landing on the three sleeping on the couch. Jou stepped closer watching them. His eyes slowly turned black and he moved forward slowly the sandwich dropping to the floor. He looked at Malik and Yugi before his eyes landed on Ryou. Following the cord around Ryou’s neck that held the millennium ring.

Jou reached out slowly to take the ring, only to have it flash as if warning him to back off. Jou narrowed his eyes. “Fine.” Jou said, a second voice mixing with his own. A deep harsh voice. He turned his attention to the other two. Jou stared at Malik tilting his head to the side as if studying him.

“Egyptian.” He said grinning and glanced around the room spotting all the spots where the barrier spell had been put up. “Very cleaver.” he said and leaned forward. Malik stirred slightly in his sleep slowly opening his eyes. He blinked looking up at Jou. Instantly the blackness was gone from Jou’s eyes and the blond boy was standing there. Golden eyes locked with violet.

“Jou…?” Malik asked rubbing his eyes.

“Uh…yeah.” Jou said standing up strait and glanced around. “You know, you guys shouldn’t sleep like that. You’ll regret it in the morning.” Jou said picking up the sandwich he had dropped and headed back to the kitchen. Malik stared after him looking tired and confused. He looked down at Ryou and Yugi. He hated to wake them, but Jou had been right, they couldn’t sleep like that. He slowly got off the couch being careful not to wake either of them. He lifted Yugi gently and carried him to his bedroom. Yugi whimpered in protest opening his eyes slowly.

“malik…?”

“Shhh, I’m just putting you to bed.” He said and set Yugi down on the bed. “Go back to sleep.” He said softly. Yugi nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he’d been about to say never made it out of his mouth. His eyes widened as he spotted something behind Malik. Malik blinked and slowly looked behind him. Jou stood there, his eyes black again an evil smirk appearing on his lips as he raised a knife bringing it down quickly.

Malik’s scream filled the room as Yugi sat up in bed staring at Jou with wide fearful eyes.

TBC>>>