FicWad

Life was a strange, strange thing that always seemed to change and twist in unexpected ways. Such was proven many a time for the Muto family, and right now Sugoroku was cursing what seemed to be the family curse.

Machiko should have married to another man, it seemed she had only bad luck since she had joined their small family, and Sugoroku could see her hunched over the bed holding her son, eyes red from crying and her mid length brown hair, which was usually neat and tidy, was frazzled and greasy.

Things were meant to get better when the Ceremonial Duel happened, Yami no Yuugi was meant to move on into the other world and find his rest, but it seemed Yuugi couldn't function with out his darker half, he had walked away just fine but as the days passed all the Hikari who had once had a Yami slowly but surely fell into a rut, they didn't seem to have the drive to do anything.

Ryou was the first to go into a coma, his father didn't even bother to come see his son leaving it to Sugoroku to set him up in the hospital. It angered him that the man couldn't even return from a dig to make sure his son was alright.

Next was Malik, his sister had called panicking that he wouldn't wake and she no longer had the Ahnk to tell her what was to happen, on a joint decision they had roomed both males at the same Hospital.

Yuugi was the last, but even though he had been there longer didn't mean he was in better shape, his frame was thin and his ribs were showing, and even though he was 'sleeping' dark purple bruises were under his eyes.

After all three were gone so to say, things in the world started to go wrong, more and more natural disasters, moving with deadly accuracy destroying everything in their path, and odd creatures were spotted, wavering in the light before fading back to darkness.

Quiet frankly Sugoroku was tempted to have a heart attack and die so he could go see the gods and smack them up side the head for taking away the darkness that was needed to preserve the light.

Though if he did that Machiko would bring him back just to kill him again, and knowing what he did it just might be possible.

"You’re thinking something stupid again." Her voice was dry and it rasped horribly on his ears prompting him to get up and fetch a glass of water from the pitcher sitting beside the bed that held his grandson. "I don't know what to do, why ....what made him fall so far?"

Pausing his pouring he looked over at the woman who was now crying again, before with a heavy sigh he walked closer handing the glass to her his eyes looking to the side as he cleared his throat.

"Have you told Kado yet?" Machiko who had taken a small sip to try and sooth the rasp in her voice paused and lowered the glass into cupped hands on her lap.

"No you know how disappointed he was when he turned eleven and received no letters. I felt it would be better to leave him out of this" sensing the danger in her voice he backed away looking down at Yuugi briefly.

"I see....because he wasn't born how you were expecting him to be your going to just sit here and watch then?" with a sigh he reached down and gently pushed one of the golden bangs to the side before letting it flop back in place, "Then I guess right now we just have to have faith that everything will be alright."

"Have faith? Have Faith! I don't have faith that everything will be alright, my only son is in a coma and two of his friends are as well after what I can now see was a disastrous trip to Egypt! If I had never said he could go this would have never happened."

"Yuugi had to go, and even if you would have said no he would have found a way to go with out your help." Sugoroku snapped his eyes narrowing at the woman before him, she had forsaken the glass of water he had given her, setting it to the side, and now she had a death grip on the small and pale hand of Yuugi.

"It's just....what if he never finds his way back to us" her face turned away from him "Do you think they would help any? Do you think it will help him find his way back to us?"

"He will find a way back no matter what. If you wish to call them and ask a favor then do so but for right now though we just have to wait....wait for him and the others to return."
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Darkness was everywhere, the swirling purple shadows around them sucked up any light that could have possibly formed as one walked through the dark fog that hung to what could be called a ground.

Right now though there were only three walking through this particular area, and they were all connected holding hands with one another was they walked in the deathly silence, not even their foot falls breaking the quite.

Yuugi, the smallest of the group, walked slightly ahead of the other two his eyes closed and his face scrunched in concentration,

"I think it’s this way" he said suddenly, breaking away the quiet around them.

"Is it much further?" Ryou, the one in the middle, asked his voice was soft and it was barely heard, though is question earned him a slight tightening of Maliks hand in his own.

"No, I can feel....feel him" Yuugi whispered back his eyes opening slightly, his usually violet eyes shinned almost the same color as the venomous fog around them, the sharp purple of the shadow realm over taking them easily.

"That's good! But you should rest, if you keep trying so hard you'll get so tried you won’t be able to find them." Malik stated also softly going to reach for the other males shoulder only to have said male speed up his walking.

"I'll rest soon, the pull" Yuugi slowed, his voice wavering "Its getting so very strong now." his free hand went to his chest holding the area above his heart lightly brushing the dark leather tank top there.
Ryou tightened his grip on Yuugi's hand briefly before turning to Malik. "We will rest once we find them; we have to....keep going until then."

Malik opened his mouth to say something before letting it snap closed, Yuugi's pace had speed up enough that he was lagging behind which was slightly shocking seeing how short his legs were, he figured if he was to say anything else that the other two would just ignore him again, it seemed the pull was stronger in them because they had spent so much time with their darkness’s.

Quiet once again descended upon them as they steadily made their way forwards, eyes unfocused and practically useless in this dark. But as they drew towards an even darker patch in the mist, even Malik felt the bone deep pulling, a pulse that raced through is body as they moved closer, and the whimper from Ryou told him that it was oh so very strong for the other Hikari as well.

"We're almost there!" Yuugi cried turning his head back to the others, his eyes were wide as joy mixed with the almost painful feeling racing through their veins, and “I hear whispers ahead."

"Really?" Ryou asked tightening his hands around the ones he held, doe like eyes sharpening as he scanned the area turning his head side to side as if trying to catch the noise. "I hear nothing."

"I don't hear anything either." Yuugi paused his walking his eyes opening,

"Its so loud though." his voice broke off at the end, before he started to walk again only this time faster tugging at Ryou’s hand, "Its this way"

"Yuugi...your the only one who can" Malik started before grimacing as they walked in to the dark patch, voices rose and fell in a haunting pattern around them, some loud others whispering, all in a ancient language. Yuugi let go of Ryou's hand and ran forwards into another dark patch and the other two ran after him.

But unlike the smaller male they were not granted entrance to this patch running into it so harshly they were knocked down.

Yuugi didn't even glance back as he traveled through the dark corridor, the shadows swirled around his feet tugging lightly, and the rising canopy of voices started to echo inside his skull making it throb dully as his brain tried to figure out what was being said.

Seeing that the end was near Yuugi tried to put on a burst of speed, his legs burning as he ran forwards into the only light in this dark realm, before tripping as the ground went from smooth to a rough stone flooring, his amethyst eyes flickered around catching the golden walls and the beautiful hieroglyphs there.

"You made it" a soft voice seemed to whisper as Yuugi looked around franticly trying to find where the voice was. "We were worried that you could not make it in time"

"Who’s there!" he stood up unsteadily, one hand reaching to rub his knee that was throbbing, blinking at corner that seemed to hold a cage, with a slight limp he made his way over, eyes still glancing around still to try and place the voice he almost tripped again when a deeper voice started talking.

"We are the ones who have called you here." Yuugi paused his walking, settling on just looking up.

"It seemed that our allowing the Pharaoh to go on to the underworld was a hasty decision."

"The world is once again out of balance, the king of the shadows is not beside the keeper of the light."

"We decided to call out to the lights, those who came and entered this area, they would be the ones to return with their darkness."

"You are the only one that could enter, though we are not shocked by this fact. Their darkness's are....less then deserving to receive the honor of returning to the land of the living."

"We had withheld judgment on them until this moment, in case they could feel the pull and enter as well. But it seems this was not the case."

"Less then deserving?" Yuugi whispered his eyes tearing up slightly "How can you be so harsh in your judgment? Bakura, and Marik were driven to their extremes by forces out of their control!"

"We have been lenient on their punishments so far, they do not suffer."

"But...the hikari we are suffering with out our yami, so if we suffer then they are as well, and now you’re trying to keep them away from each other, talking of punishing them because you didn't let Ryou and Malik enter! It’s not right you shouldn't do that!"

"You feel this way even though both attacked you?"

"Yes! I don't care that they came after me, the learned their lessons after words, Ya....Atemu made sure of it!"

"It seems as if you think they have paid the penitence for their crimes already, we do not agree with this theory and we feel they must still be punished."

"How do you want to punish them?" Yuugi asked is a soft whisper, he had turned to walk towards the cage he had spotted when he first came in but shadows had wrapped around it when the second voice started talking, the light source for the room seemed to flicker for a moment as he waited for the answer to his question, his eyes following the light patterns on the walls.

"We had decided that if their hikari could not enter their souls would be....destroyed so to speak."

"All that is needed is one Hikari and one Yami, any more is excessive, and it is a fitting punishment for them throwing off the balance."

"So are you going to destroy your selves as well? You destroyed the balance so if you’re going to kill them for it then you should do the same thing for yourselves!"

"It is not the same.

"But it is! Bakura turned out how he did because of Zorc and what happened to his village, and Marik came into being because of his father, who did it in the name of the Pharaoh, if anything you should be punishing me, Atemu he earned his rest so just let him stay, punish me instead and let them go back to their hikari and let them keep the balance."

"You offer your life for the two of them to go free?"

"You know that you would not only die but cease to exist in any plane?"

Yuugi nodded giving a watery smile his eyes closing slightly as his head bobbed.

"They....all four of them deserve something better then the hand that's been dealt to them, if I can do this to make their lives better and try and start paying off the debt owed to them then so be it." The voices seemed to blend together for a moment whispering over his head before a tendril of shadow raced down that path he had taken, and it returned with both Malik and Ryou who fell uneasily to the ground faces slightly green.

"It has been decided,"

"The keeper of light, the one you know as Yuugi, has offered his life up for your darkness's to be returned to you."

"So we feel that if both he and the king of the shadows are there to keep them in line"

"We will allow them to return to you, but at a price." Malik, the first one of the two to stand up held his head lightly blinking before turning to try and address the source of the voices.

"What do you mean you'll return them at a price, and what’s this about you offering your life for our Yami's Yuugi?"

"We mean that if we are to return them, all three of them when only one is needed, that other duties will be put under your control."

"You would never be granted entrance to Duat, you will forever be part of the mortal realm." Malik snapped his mouth shut glancing at Yuugi who worried his lower lip for a moment glancing at the other two.

"Our little keeper of the light, to save them you can take this deal, or they shall be destroyed,"


"We offer it but once, take eternity for you and the others, take the responsibility for the balance of many things instead of just one, or allow us to deliver our punishment."

"It’s not fair! You shouldn't make me choose like this!" Yuugi snapped his foot down on the ground his large eyes tearing. Ryou glanced over before reaching out to touch the smaller hikari.

"Yuugi....."

"I can' say no Ryou, you've lost enough I can't ask you for you to give up your darkness, I.....will you two help me?"

"You’re asking us if we want to live forever. You’re asking us if we want to be banned from the afterlife unable to join our loved ones after they pass on!" Malik seethed for a moment before Ryou touched his shoulder as well pulling the three of them closer.

"Malik, you know how much I wish to join Amane, to join my mother but....can we ask Yuugi to shoulder this burden alone? Can you give up the other half of your soul to be destroyed and never returned to you? Even if we do say no and die, when we move on we still will not be able to enter Duat, we are not full souls!"

"That is true young one,

"It was taken into consideration while we were deciding their punishment."

"You never told me this when you first started to talk of their punishment! Ryou and Malik have never done anything to damage the balance you shouldn't harm them for what the others did!"

"It can not be helped,"

"But know if you accept, you will be called into conflicts that are destroying the balance, you will have no choice but to go and to fight."

"The keeper of the light shall also keep the knowledge, he will be the keeper of you and your darkness's, he alone will have the power to punish if you step out of line once again. He alone is the one that can not be forcibly removed from this world to the next."

"But your pain will be his pain, for us to return the two, he will be the one to suffer for them. Their misdeeds can not go unpunished."

The three hikari sat huddled together for a while their thoughts weighing heavily in the air as shadows silently swirled past them, Malik with a heaving sigh pulled Yuugi into a hard hug holding the smaller light to his chest.

"Would you do this for us? You....asked before they said all this."

"You shouldn't have to suffer for us, Yuugi you should say no." Ryou stated quietly weaving his fingers into Yuugi's because it was all he could do with the death grip Malik had on him. "I don't want that for you"

"I don't want you two to be the ones hurt either, I'm willing to take on their pain its worth it if it makes you both happy, you both have earned a slice of happiness so again I ask you, will you help me with this? I don't think I can do this alone, even with the other me beside me I don't think I can make it so long." Malik released his hug and looked at Ryou who shifted uneasily before heaving a sigh echoing the one the blond had released moments ago.

"We will."

"So be it." the two voices melded together and the shadows around the cage in the corner released with a snapping sound,

"We will return them to you, along with the items that brought you together."

"They will have their own forms, but they must return to you and the items, you the light will be the power for the shadows and with out you there will be no them."

"Go now, return to your physical forms, the darkness's will be along shortly." and as these words spread through out the room the three hikari collapsed into the awaiting abyss of sleep.
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"I'm calling him." Machiko whispered, it had been over a month since all three of the lights had slipped into their comas and with each passing day she had withered away a little more. Tomeo had even dragged himself from the digs he so loved, a tired air hung around him as he drifted in and out of the room that held his son.

"Do you think that's wise? You said when he didn't receive any letters you didn't want him apart of that world, too dangerous for your baby you said. If you call him then Kado will find out what you have kept from him all this time."

"What else can I do? she screamed standing from the seat that had been her home away from home. Dropping the light grip on her sons hand she walked closer to Sugoroku who merely closed his eyes preparing for the slap he knew was coming, but even as he tensed his body it didn't come, and with a slight wince he opened his eyes to look at Machiko who was staring blankly at the bed that held Yuugi.

He almost wished he wasn't looking though, the small frame of his grandchild was thrashing about wildly, and from the sounds of the alarms and yelling the same was happening in the other rooms.

Rushing over as quickly as his old bones would allow him he tried to pin down Yuugi's arms to calm some of the thrashing but it did no good.

"Go get a doctor!" he yelled over as he was almost thrown away, Machiko stood there though still looking on blankly before her eyes widened in alarm. Sugoroku having been thrown away from Yuugi glanced down as well and his mouth formed a small o of surprise.

Shadows were crawling up his frame, gathering at his chest before becoming solid, and piece by piece he saw the millennium puzzle that had caused all this form. As the pieces formed Yuugi slowed his thrashing, the thin arms and legs slowly settling back on the bed and the wild heaving of his chest slowed, and as the final piece formed a flash of bright light flashed through the room.

Machiko, once she had cleared the dots from her eyes rushed forwards franticly touching her sons face before angry eyes settled on the puzzle sitting innocently on his chest.

"This is the puzzle you gave him isn't it!" her voice was all but a hiss.

"Yes" he whispered, eyes watering slightly as he walked over brushing his hand along Yuugi's face "It was the best and the worst gift I have ever given him."

"Sugoroku! Ryou....he's awake!" Tomeo said as he slid into the room breathing heavily, a similarly winded Rishid also entered the room.

"As is Malik-sama, the rod is once again with him," his dark eyes fell on the still form of Yuugi before drifting to the puzzle and then back to Sugroku.

"Have they said anything?"

"Just they wish to see Yuugi. Malik-sama will be most distressed to hear he has not awoken yet." Tomeo blinked before frowning.

"Do you know what’s going on!" crossing the room he grabbed a handful of the older male’s shirt pulling it slightly "Why didn't you say anything!"

"Calm down I'm sure he doesn’t know anything you silly man!" Machiko whispered before her face hardened "And if he did he will not answer to you but to me!"

"My only son has been in a coma, the doctors couldn’t find a reason why, and now all the sudden the ring that he got rid of appears again and they wake up! A ring he told me you took him and the others to Egypt to do so. I think it’s all your fault!"

"If you’re so worried about your son now why did you leave it to me to care for him when this first started? You couldn't drag yourself away from the dig to come and make sure he was well taken care of while he was like this. Just let me go and return to him, I'm sure he would be overjoyed by this."

Tomeo pursed his lips together before releasing his grip, turning sharply on his heel he made his way back towards his son without another word and Rishid bowed slightly.

"I will return to Malik-sama, we will know when the chosen on awakens." Sugoroku nodded before turning back to Yuugi and Machiko who had moved to sit in the bed, her hands carefully avoiding the puzzle sitting on his chest.

"Do you know what happened?" her voice was soft and dangerous and it made him regret not telling her what he thought was the problem "Did you know that he had....such a gift?"

"You’re asking me if I knew he had magic....yes I did, him and his friends had a powerful magic, but not one that is compatible with"

"Why didn't you ever tell me!" she asked cutting off his words "If I had known....I would have called him sooner! I would have had my baby back sooner! Even now he is not awake"

"It wasn't my secret to tell...Yuugi thought you would be horrified by his magic so he kept everything to do with it out of your sight. I think right now he's just more tired then the others is all."

"Is all...." she whispered her hands slowly stopping on her sons face, with a growl she went to wrench off the puzzle sitting on her son's chest only to have her hand shocked making her recoil her hand away. "It is all your fault, it’s because of this puzzle you gave him....." Machiko stood rounding on the man who was her other father, eyes burning with rage.

"I didn't know" he whispered as she moved closer, "I didn't know this would happen I didn't think it was even possible to solve the puzzle in the first place or I would have never given it to him!"

"What is the magic that Yuugi was so horrified to tell me about? What trouble have you caused my son to fall into! TELL ME!"

"Shadow magic." Both Sugoroku and Machiko turned to the bed at the soft whisper, bright violet eyes looked at them with a soft sadness that he never wanted to see on the young face "I didn't want to tell you that I could use shadow magic."

"Yuugi." Machiko whispered before running over and hugging him tightly, tears falling down easily as the small male tried to make his arm move to pat her on the back "Your back, oh gods your back." she just keep saying this as she rocked back and forth with him.

"Yes, we're all back now and everything will be alright mother." he paused for a movement closing his eyes briefly before one hand moved to awkwardly hold the puzzle "Its all going to be alright."
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Uh, yeah....this has been sitting on my computer for a wee bit so I thought I would get it posted. Any thoughts are welcome and if it goes over well I'll try and post some more...though if it dosn't well the rest will be finished on my computer and never poster =P.
Anyway Love and Cookies,
Alighttheflames