Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The not to distant future ❯ Chapter 6

The not to distant future
By Yami Kitsune
Chapter six: Shadows of the heart



Jou grinned watching Malik grab his shoulder and falling onto the bed and glaring up at him. Yugi sat behind Malik eyes still wide as he looked at the wound on Malik’s shoulder. If the blond hadn’t moved as quickly as he had, it would have gone right into his back.

“How…did you get in here?” Malik hissed trying to hide the pain. He’d had worse then this, the scars on his back proved that. But it still didn’t stop the wound from hurting.

“You missed a spot.” Jou said chuckling darkly and licking the knife that was dripping in blood. “Your yami talks very highly of you. How smart you are. But I was still able to get in, and without very little effort on my part.”

Malik blinked staring at him and Jou laughed again. “The door. There is no curse around the door to stop a possessed person from entering the barrier you constructed. Although, I guess I will give you credit for that. It is a very strong one. But, now you have gone and trapped yourself in a small bubble with me.”

“…jou…” Yugi said sounding almost pathetic.

“Jou is sleeping little Yugi.” The shadow said still using Jou’s body.

“He can still hear me.” Yugi protested. He knew Jou would be able to hear him, like he had heard him when Malik had taken over his mind.

“I know what you are thinking little one.” The shadow said shaking his head. “And I am sorry to say that no, he can not hear you. This is not a simple fact of controlling the mind, this is a full body possession.” he said twirling the knife in his hands. “Now, you both know what I am after. I might be…nice enough, and let your friend go. And let you three live. If you tell me where the other six are.”

Yugi blinked staring. “We…”

“You’ll never get them!” Malik snapped cutting Yugi off. Jou turned and glared at him again.

“Is that so?” He asked looking dangerous. “Well, maybe I’ll let the other two live. You on the other hand, I think you are far more trouble then you are worth.” He raised the knife again but before he could do anything Malik swung his foot up kicking him between the legs. Being trapped in a human body, the shadow was also able to feel the pain. Not willing to be defeated so easily he left the body quickly and dove towards Malik. Malik had no time to protect himself or even think of a spell to keep the shadow away.

He felt the hands grab his arms pinning him back on the bed. Malik screamed his eyes dilating at the pain in his wrists. But it also seemed to be running through his entire body. Ryou had been right, it felt as if all the pain he had ever felt, physical and emotional were concentrated right into the shadow’s touch.

“NO!” Yugi shouted and dove at the shadow the only thing going through his mind was that he had to get him off of Malik. The shadow released one of Malik’s hands reaching up before Yugi could even touch him and grabbed the smaller boy around the throat lifting him off the bed.

“You dare challenge me!?” The shadow yelled in furry. Yugi would have screamed if he had the breath for it. He kicked his feet as he was pulled off the bed and held up so his feet couldn’t touch the floor. The shadow still keeping a hold on Malik making sure that the pain was enough to keep the blond boy under control.

The door to the room suddenly swung open as Ryou came and froze at what he saw. All the screams had woken him from his deep sleep. He stared at the shadow that now had his two friends trapped.

“Ah, there you are.” The shadow said turning to look at Ryou. “So glad you could join us. Be a good boy and hand over that ring of yours. And I’ll let your friends go.” He said watching Ryou as the boy lifted shaking hands up to his ring and clutched it tightly. “I do not have all day!” The shadow snapped. “And neither do your friends!” As the shadow said this the room was filled with another scream from Malik and Yugi made a choking sound kicking and struggling more against the shadow’s hold on his neck.

But the room was suddenly filled with another scream of pain. This one coming from the shadow. Yugi dropped to the floor coughing and gagging and the shadow backed away from Malik quickly holding his arm. Malik sat up on the bed pale sweating. In his hand he clutched the millennium rod. Ryou stared and looked over at Yugi who rolled over on his side. The puzzle hanging from his neck. The shadow shrieked in furry and dove at Jou taking over his body again.

“no…” Yugi choked out struggling to his feet. Malik was already up and running after the shadow who had hijacked Jou’s body. “Jou…” Yugi stumbled and Ryou caught him when they heard the front door slam. Ryou helped Yugi out to the living room. A few moments later Malik came back in closing the door and leaned against it to catch his breath. Using the wall for support he went to the living room looking at Ryou and Yugi.

“….he’s gone…” He said walking over and collapsing in a chair. “He just…vanished…” Yugi looked down looking like he wanted nothing more then to brake down crying again. But he saw the puzzle hanging around his neck. Looking back at Malik he saw that the other hikari now had his millennium rod as well.

“Well…I think we figured out how Ryou got his ring back.” Malik said holding up the rod looking at it. Yugi nodded and leaned back rubbing his neck where the shadow had grabbed him.

“We should put some ice, or a cold cloth on your scars.” Ryou said standing up and hurried off to the kitchen returning shortly with two cold cloths with ice in them. He handed one to Malik and the other to Yugi before sitting down his hand clutching his ring.

~~~~~

From the moment Ryou had found the shadow in the room with Malik and Yugi Bakura had been pacing like a caged tiger. He could feel Ryou’s fear even though he wasn’t fully connected to the boy at the moment, he could still feel it. Which just showed how scared Ryou really was.

Yami sighed putting his head in his hands. He didn’t know what was going on. He had to fight with Bakura to keep the yami here when he had felt Ryou. Yami looked back up at Bakura when Marik suddenly jumped to his feet.

“Malik…” he said his eyes wide. “Malik his the millennium Rod!” Marik said looking at Yami grinning. Yami stood up quickly as well and looked at Bakura who stopped pacing.

“Your soul is attached to the puzzle as well as the ring.” Yami said and Bakura nodded closing his eyes. It was only a fragment of his soul that was held to the puzzle so it took a while but Bakura finally located it.

“Yugi has the puzzle.” He opened his eyes and looked at Yami. “Now can we PLEASE get the hell out of here!?” He snapped. “I’ve seen enough of this place to last me a thousand life times.” Yami nodded.

“Yes, let’s go back.” He said and took Bakura’s hand. The three Yami’s closed their eyes. Yami concentrated on staying with Bakura, while the thief found the ring. “Ryou…” he said softly waiting for his words to reach his hikari. Off to the side Yami could hear Marik calling Malik’s name as well.

~~~~

The hikari’s sat in silence none of them knew what to say. Or do at that moment. Jou was being controlled by the shadows. And they still had no clue who was controlling the shadows. All they knew was the shadows were looking for the millennium items, which were supposed to be back in Egypt locked away in the pharaoh’s tomb. But some how the hikari’s items had returned to them.

“So…how exactly did the items return to us?” Yugi asked.

“We were in danger.” Malik explained. “It’s said that the true holders of the items are able to call forth their power even from across the sea.”

“The…true holders?” Ryou blinked looking at Malik.

“The people who are destined to have the items. Who’s lives have been to drastically effected by the items power. In a way, we our selves are now bound to the items. And the items are bound to us.” Malik said looking from Ryou to Yugi.

“Does that mean, when we die we’ll be trapped in the items like Yami, Bakura and Marik were?” Yugi asked looking slightly afraid at that thought. Malik shook his head.

“No. I’m not really sure WHAT it means…I just know what I’ve been told, and what I’ve read.” He said and looked at his rod again. He ran his finger over the top and sighed closing his eyes.

//Ryou.// An all to familiar voice whispered in Ryou’s mind. Ryou yelped in surprise his hand tightening around the ring and he looked around. Yugi and Malik were now looking at him. //Ryou.// Bakura said again and Ryou looked down at the ring, his hand shaking.

“B….Bakura?” He asked trying to keep the hope out of his voice, and failing miserably. A soft chuckle tickled his mind and the ring started to glow. Not long after the Millennium rod also started glowing brightly. Malik dropped it in surprise tucking his feet up on the chair and staring at it as if it would bite him.

The room filled with laughter. “Come now, you can’t be THAT scared of me.” Marik said appearing before Malik. Bakura soon appearing next to him. Ryou and Malik stared at their yamis with wide eyes, their mouths dropping open. In one hand Bakura held a small glowing orb. He smiled reaching out his free hand he put a finger under Ryou’s jaw and closed his hikari’s mouth.

“That’s better.” He said smirking and then turned walking over to Yugi. He narrowed his eyes. “You had better be grateful for this.” He grumbled. Yugi yelped when Bakura grabbed the puzzle pulling it up forcing Yugi to sit up straighter on the couch. Bakura shoved the glowing orb into the eye of the puzzle. It started to glow and Bakura dropped it back down onto Yugi’s chest. A few seconds later Yami appeared in the room glaring at Bakura.

“That HURT! I thought you of all people would realize that a soul is something FRADGLE!” Yami snapped. Bakura shrugged.

“What can I say. I still don’t like you.” He said turning his back on Yami and looked back at Ryou. The three hikari’s were still sitting there stunned.

“….yami…?” Yugi asked softly staring at him. Yami stopped glaring at Bakura and turned to Ryou giving him a gentle smile.

“Yes Yugi, it’s me.” Yami said and watched as Yugi’s eyes filled with tears.

“Yami.” Yugi said again unable to form any other words that were running through his mind. In one motion Yugi leaped off the couch and wrapped his arms around Yami’s neck tightly. Yami smiled and wrapped his own arms around Yugi holding him tightly. “Shh, it’s alright aibou. I’m here now. It’ll be alright, I promise.”

Marik was sitting on the arm of the chair that Malik was sitting in holding his own hikari close. He glanced at Bakura who, as predicted, had not embraced his hikari. Bakura was not one to show emotions. No matter how happy he was that Ryou was safe, and that he was now back where he belonged, by his hikari’s side to protect him. Ryou looked at Yugi being held by Yami, and Malik who had his face buried in his yami’s chest. Looking at Bakura Ryou lowered his eyes watching a spot on the floor.

“welcome back…” Ryou said politely. Bakura nodded and sat down on the coffee table across from Ryou.

“Looks like you haven’t changed. Still a trouble magnet. At least you had the sense to contact Malik.” Bakura said with a nod.

/I missed you./ Ryou said in Bakura’s mind. Bakura smiled a little.

//I know hikari. I missed you too. But I will not hug you.// He said firmly. Ryou nodded smiling a little back at Bakura.

/I know./ Ryou slid from his chair and moved closer to Bakura resting his head on his yami’s lap. Bakura blinked looking down at him and shaking his head with a sigh. He petted Ryou’s hair and glanced over at Marik who was smirking at him.

“Oh shut up.” Bakura said.

“I didn’t say anything.” Marik said and returned to hugging his hikari.

~~~~

A loud crash filled the room as the hooded figure kicked over the piller with the basin of water on it. Water spilled every where and the basin smashed.

“YOU FOOL!” The figure shouted turning and backhanding Jou, who was still being possessed by the shadow. The shadow unable to leave the body while he was in the presence of his ‘master’. “Not only did you fail to get the items like I asked, you left the hikari’s alive! And now their yami’s have returned to this realm!!! And to TOP It all off you have chosen one of the WORST people to take control of! They will come looking for their friend! And we are no where near prepared to fight the hikari’s AND their YAMI’S!” The shadow glared at his ‘master’ but didn’t say a word.

“My lord…” Someone stepped forward kneeling. “If it pleases you, I can place myself close to the hikari’s…find out their weakness-” The man was cut off by a sudden dark force hitting him square in the chest.

“You fool! I already know everything I need to about the hikari’s! Incase you have forgotten I was close to them for a VERY long time. That is how I know just how dangerous these yami’s are. I was among them when they walked with the hikaris the last time! The hikari’s have no weakness now that their other halves have been returned.” He turned back to the shadow. “THAT is why it was so important for you to finish them off BEFORE this happened!”

“I do not take orders from a human. You promised me the millennium items!” The hooded figure slapped the shadow again.

“You will get what I promised you once you have finished the task you have promised ME! We have to start over from scratch. You will remain in Jou’s heart until the yamis and hikari’s are sure that Jou is no longer a victim of the shadows. And only when I give you the order will you attack. Is that clear?” The shadow hissed at him.

“Yes sir.” The shadow said sounding disgusted with himself. “Mark my words, I will get what is rightfully mine. And then.” the shadow smirked. “Everything you are working to acheave will be destroyed by my hands.” With that the shadow turned and walked away. The hooded figure held up his hand as a few made to stop the shadow from leaving.

“Let him go. He will accomplish what needs to be done. And then, he will be locked back in the shadow realm where he belongs.”

“my lord.” A female said stepping up beside him. “I still do not think it is wise that you released that shadow.” She said turning and watching the door close.

“hmm, perhaps you are right. But you know as well as I do. That that shadow is the only one that stands a chance against any of the yami’s. Come, we must prepare a new strategy.” He turned and walked away. Girl followed quickly after him latching onto his arm as they walked out of the room.

TBC>>>