Aibou? He called through his link to his other half. Faintly, he could hear the shower running. Getting up, he walked to the bathroom and peeked in.
He watched the small teen through the frosted glass. His hair, which normally defied gravity, was now cascading as a black waterfall past his shoulders. He held his hands up to his collarbone, eyes closed, as if in praise to the water tumbling down his small frame.
Hmm? A young voice responded to his call, unaware that the older now was watching him. What is it Yami? He could feel contentment through their bond. But something felt off. Something that Yami couldn't put his finger on.
I woke up without you there. He replied, knowing his voice contained the same tone as their conversation the previous night. I was afraid you would reject me again this morning. He could hear him audibly sigh. We were apart for too long, little one.
FLASHBACK
He pushed his hikari down onto the bed. He needed him to listen. Being like this had pushed him past his breaking point.
Yami.
He could feel his little hikari's body trembling under his own despite his mental voice sounding strong. He pulled his hikari's hands from where they pushed against his chest and held them by the wrists against the bed on either side of his hikari's shoulders.
Yami...
His hikari was starting to sound angry but the emotions relayed pain and fear. He brought his lips down, kissing him forcefully.
I can't keep waiting for you to tell me what is wrong.
Can you control yourself if I tell you? His hikari challenged. I can't root out the traitors in our precinct if you can't.
He broke the kiss and looked down at his little hikari confused. "Explain."
"Only if you let go," His audible voice was also challenging. Yami released his hold on his hikari's wrists and propped himself up with his arms instead. "Not going to get off me?" Yami shook his head. He was willing to let go of him partially.
His hikari gave an exasperated sigh. "There is a traitor in the school who is preying on the weak. To get them all, I have been..." Yami didn't like that pause. Usually that meant his little one was trying to make the situation sound less than it was. "Monitoring the situation personally."
END FLASHBACK
No Yami... He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. You showed me last night that leaving you too long makes you difficult. His amethyst eyes glared at his morning audience before firmly shutting the bathroom door.
I had no choice Yugi. Yami replied with a hurt tone. I could feel you hurting. I'm sure that was only the tip of what you are holding back. Someone or something was hurting my hikari and I needed to know what.
I can handle things on my own Yami. He sounded annoyed. Remember that you and I rule Domino City, my darkness. You manage the mirror city in the Shadow Realm where the beasts dwell and I manage the humans in this realm.
I know Aibou... He sounded almost stubborn to Yugi. Please make sure you call me if you get hurt.
I will, my love. Yugi could feel the relief through their link. That I can promise you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi sat with his friends at lunch. His role as ruler of Domino City was hidden even from them and that is exactly how he liked it.
"What cha thinking Yug'?" The blond Yugi fondly knew as Joey asked. "You seem out of it today."
"I bet I know what it is," The girl named Tea teased. "Yami is behind that faraway look." Yugi blushed in spite of himself. "I knew it!"
"Another argument?" The last young man of their group named Tristan asked. "You two seem to be doing that a lot lately."
"Overprotective," Yugi murmured. His friends looked at each other for a moment and then burst into fits of laughter. Yugi looked startled. "What?"
"He has always been that way ever since Dualist Kingdom," Tea said wiping away tears. "He can't help it. He is literally your other half." Yugi blushed but didn't care to respond to it knowing they would laugh further.
School went quickly after this. It wasn't until the bell rang that Yugi began to tense. He knew his duties were now to begin.
"Are you ready, sacrifice?" A voice hissed in his ear. "Tonight is the night. Come alone or I will find another helpless soul to use."
Yugi mentally rolled his eyes. 'I'm anything but helpless, shadow cursed.' He reached out along his link.
Yami?
What is it, Aibou?
Can you come to school? I'll need your assistance. But follow what I say or we won't get them all.
I'm coming.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami watched from a distance at the request of Yugi. His anger spiking frequently as he watched. It took Yugi's constant reminder and reassurance to keep him at bay.
Yugi yelped as he was thrown into the small stone amphitheatre the school used for clubs and performances. He came to a stop against a stone table which Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs engraved around the sides.
Yami recognized it as a sacrificial altar used before his time to sacrifice slaves to Ra so he would bring forth the sun. 'What do they plan to call forth with that.' Yugi's scream brought him out of his curiosity.
Aibou!
Wait Yami. Yugi's voice was strained. The pain of being beaten reverberated through their link. They aren't all here. I don't want the humans to be affected by these shadow cursed.
Shadow cursed... Yami suddenly realized the importance of getting them all. Shadow cursed humans spread from contact with a delinquent monster from the Shadow Realm or from another yami causing trouble in their borders. I think Bakura is causing trouble again for us.
He felt Yugi nod mentally. Ryou warned me his yami was up to something. He didn't want me to tell you yet.
Yugi...
Then the shadow cursed appeared. They threatened the lives of those who are like I was. I pretended to be the same and they said I was the perfect sacrifice. I've been beaten almost daily in their attempt to make me submissive.
Yugi! Why?
I needed to get them all to prevent further infection to susceptible humans. Yami felt his voice waver in pain as they pulled him taut over the table. We need to get them all, my love.
Yugi sensed the darkness becoming whole around him. The last piece made his entrance with an ornate ivory blade.
They are all here now. Yugi felt pain from the link. Yami?
"Look who we found," Two of the humans dragged Yami into amphitheatre and threw him against the table. "It looks like we have a hikari sacrifice."
"Yami!" Yugi cried, now very fearful of their situation. "Yami!"
My sweet hikari. Yami's voice was strong in his mind. Pretend to be afraid for me. I allowed this to happen. He felt pain, fresh and sharp, flowed through their link.
Yugi screamed as the blade followed the length of his forearm. His blood spilled over the edge of the table, some dripping onto Yami's head. Yami! I can't pretend anymore. He could feel Yami's power enveloping the arena and sealing everyone within. Yami!
Aibou... Yami stood slowly. The eye of the Sennen Puzzle glowed bright on his forehead. "You creatures of the lowest order, how dare you harm my hikari." His shadows sliced through the air, dragging the shadow cursed souls into the Shadow Realm.
The shadow cursed screamed and ran. Their hands pounding on Yami's barrier before being dragged away. Only one didn't move...
Yugi's scream drew Yami's attention behind him to the albino that was now perched on the table. His blade gently attempting to widen the cuts.
"Bakura," Yami hissed. "You knew all along that my hikari was your sacrifice." He threw the yami back with his shadows. "You purposefully used your hikari to lure my hikari here."
"You did the same to me first," spat Bakura as he picked himself up off the floor. "There were shadow cursed in our precinct who injured Ryou. They claimed to be sent by you."
"Yami didn't do that." Yugi whispered faintly. He felt betrayed by Ryou. "Ryou and I are friends. I wouldn't agree to such a thing to happen. Yami wouldn't hurt me intentionally."
Bakura stared at the little hikari. It wasn't in their nature to lie outright. They were Masters of the Truth. What is said by a hikari might not always be what you think you heard.
But there was no mistaking what the little hikari had said. It gave him pause. Who then lured his hikari into so much pain that he still was feeling the reverberations through their link whenever his hikari dreamed or remembered.
Yami watched Bakura thoughtfully. Someone or something hurt his hikari and blamed it on a yami he knew. Perhaps there was a bigger plot unfolding than he first thought.
"Bakura," Yami said releasing his shadows. "Perhaps a meeting of yami's is needed." He used the last of his shadows to slice through the ropes that held Yugi, painfully aware his hikari needed medical attention.
"At my palace," Bakura semi-offered. "We need to get to the bottom of this." He watched Yami pick Yugi up. "Once your hikari has been tended to."
"Tomorrow night," Yami said grateful that Yugi was unconscious. "With or without our hikari's?"
"With," Bakura replied. "We won't believe each other otherwise."
Yami nodded and left Bakura alone to his thoughts.
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