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Chapter 13

"This world is large and dark and all alone

Still it bears the name of home

Forever I am pulled to return there

But instead through the stars I roam"

- 'Home' By SilverExorcist405

Yugi didn't understand what was going on.

At first, he registered that he was in some sort of box. He knew he was moving, or at least, the box was moving, due to the constant lurching and swaying that his weak and disoriented form was subjected to. He must be in a cart or a wagon.

Opening blinking and fully opening his eyes, he was met with darkness obstructing his view of the outside world. Straight in front of him was indeed an opening, though it was small and didn't let in much light at all. His view was blocked by bars that stood up straight in their steadfast holds. It almost felt…

Like a cage.

When that thought hit him, he began to panic. A cage? Since when had he gotten in a cage? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in Yami's arms. Why would he be in a cage?

A list ran through his head of all the awful things that could have happened to Yami and the reasons for him being in this cage/cart, or whatever it was. He could tell he was moving, because the cart would hit a stone or a dip in the road and cause him to bang his head onto the low ceiling of his prison.

Was Yami alright?

Approaching the light streaming from the opening, Yugi wrapped his hands around the bars and peered out.

A long dusty road ran before him, away from the woods he could see behind. The day was bright and dazzling, and from what it looked like, Yugi was heading towards a tall city with huge marble walls and tall ramparts. Towers and the chimneys popped from over the white fortress whenever the cart jumped from the road. This confused him. Since when were they close to a city? What city was this anyway?

Giving the bars an experimental yank, he found the stiff iron loosen slightly from his half-hearted effort. Yugi raised an eyebrow. Apparently becoming a vampire had made him significantly stronger.

Another hard jerk was enough to splinter the door in half like he was snapping a twig. Leaping with inhuman speed, Yugi jumped from out of the cage and onto the dusty road that scrambled up to a patch of woods just beyond the city.

Behind him, Yugi heard shouting. Turning his head to see if he was being pursued, he skidded to a halt, eyes wide in pure horror.

Next to the now broken cart swarmed a group of soldiers on horseback. A particularly proud man who wore a tall helmet that concealed his face seemed to be the leader, and in his hand he held a long piece of thick rope. Amethyst following the rope, he saw to whom it was brutally tied.

Yami.

He was tied by his hands, and he was sprawled across the road, making it painfully obvious that he had been dragged. That and the fact that there was a long trail of dappled blood leading up to him. Bruises covered his body, but his head was facing away from Yugi, so he could not see his expression.

But there was no doubt.

It was Yami.

Yugi ran back, ignoring the fear that ignited whenever he caught sight of the soldiers that were already rushing at him with spears and lances brandished in front of them. Yugi pushed his legs forward, dodging the attacks as if they came in slow motion towards him. His awareness skyrocketed. He knew where everything was, where everything was going.

He felt invincible.

Slashing down at the rope that bound Yami's hands, it fell apart with ease. Scooping up his taller lover as if he weighed nothing, Yugi took a split second to glare at the man who had been dragging him.

He didn't know it, but at that time his amethyst eyes could have set fire to wet logs, they blazed with rage so fiercely. Upon seeing these eyes, Yami would not have recognized him, never before had Yugi demonstrated such hatred so openly. He looked like a monster.

Nobody, and he meant no-freaking-body hurt his Yami.

Nobody.

If there was one thing that Yugi was absolutely sure of, it was his love for Yami. Up until now, he felt like he had only been a burden to Yami. This moment, this split second where he stared down the man on his high horse, Yugi felt he was not a burden. He was the one rescuing Yami. He was the one helping him. He was the one who was bearing the burden of protecting him.

Running off into the woods, away from the shouting men that frothed at the mouth in fury, Yugi felt like he could fly. His strength soared, and he flitted like a shadow in between the trees. He felt weightless, impossibly weightless, as if the very air was the only thing holding him back.

He hugged Yami closer, and looked down at him. It seemed he was unconscious, but Yugi was glad, because that meant he wasn't in any pain at the moment. Yami nuzzled his neck, and Yugi giggled as he ran. His giggle halted however when he caught sight of the awful burn marks and bruises that raggedly sawed at his wrists. His neck was bruised as well, and blood was seeping through his shirt around his stomach.

Yugi growled, but stopped in surprise. In had never growled like that before. He almost sounded like Yami, but admittedly, a lot less frightening.

Yami nuzzled his neck again, and Yugi smiled softly to himself. And then-

Yugi froze.

A prickling sensation tingled across his neck, and he felt Yami lean in…

And bite down.

Hard.

Yugi gasped in pain. The sound of Yami slowly sucking up his blood made him dizzy, and his energy was being sapped out of him.

Soon, he could no longer stand. He collapsed onto his knees, still grasping Yami.

Yami must still be asleep, and his body was probably reflexively drinking the nearest blood source so that it could heal faster. Yugi was okay with that. As long Yami was getting better, he was fine with the discomfort.

Discomfort? More like torture! The agony was excruciating, and Yugi became more and more exhausted as the seconds inched by. The more faint he felt, the more Yami gripped tighter.

Yugi's eyes drooped. Was this what it had been like for Yami when he had taken blood from him during blood lust? Yugi hoped not. This was awful.

Yugi was reaching his limit. He needed this blood to survive, and Yami was taking too much. However, Yugi had neither the will nor the strength to push him off. He wanted Yami to live. He wanted Yami to…

Yugi closed his eyes completely, and took in the darkness.

And suddenly, it stopped.

Yami's weight was gone. Yugi felt light once more, weightless, unburdened, but it was a different sensation from that one before. Before, he had felt free.

Now, he felt lost.

A gasp echoed in his ears, and Yugi tried, o how he tried, to open his eyes. Just open them. Open them and see who could gasp with such shock and horror that it could spark his will.

Someone whispered something.

"Yugi…yugi?"

It was very soft, and faint, and so brimming with horror. Horror…

"Yugi…hey Yugi…open your eyes Yugi."

Horror. Shock. And now, desperation.

"Yugi, open your eyes, now. Yugi. Yugi, open your eyes. Open…"

Yugi felt heavy. No, no, he felt light. He felt…he felt like he must obey this voice. He must open his eyes, but he couldn't. He couldn't…

"YUGI OPEN YOUR EYES DAMN IT!"

But no matter how Yami yelled, for indeed it was Yami, Yugi would not answer. No matter the raw emotion splitting Yami's expression upon waking up and finding that he had been feeding off of his loved one. No matter how many tears of shame fell down his cheeks and upon his little one's pale face. No matter the memories that surfaced like ghosts in his mind.

Yugi would not open his eyes.

He cursed, low and threatening. This…this was all his fault. If only he had been stronger, if only he had been able to fight off those men. But they had taken Yugi…

Flashback

Yami held Yugi, who was fast asleep, close to his chest. He was still weak from Yugi's feeding, but he didn't mind. Not in the least.

Yugi mumbled in his sleep, and Yami smiled down at him. He needed the rest.

Yami looked up, to his left. The rustling of feet warned him of someone who dared approach.

Yami looked back down at his precious one. He couldn't get him involved in a fight. He just couldn't.

Setting him down, he turned to come face to face with a man.

He wore a burgundy cloak and a regal helmet that concealed his features.

Leaping towards him, Yami restrained Atem's desire to have at him. But before he could even touch the mystery man, he heard him whisper

"Got him."

Yami's eyes widened, and he whirled around to see Yugi still fast asleep…

…in another man's arms.

The glint of a knife at his neck made rage explode within him. But he had no choice.

The man in the helmet brandished a rope. Yami bowed his head.

He was powerless.

Yami choked on his own horror. This was all his fault.

All…all his fault.

"Yugi…open your eyes."

But nothing happened.

Nothing.

...and that's that! btw, Yugi's not dead. So breathe in...out...in...out... Please review!