Author's Note (January 2018): Hello again everyone! How are you? I hope you're all doing well! Though it's been a LONG time again, but here I amn, trying to power on through with this story! It's never easy, but it is something that I want to see through to the end, no matter how long it takes! I must apologize for my particularly long absence, however, but sadly 2017 was not a pleasant year... Aside from the normal stresses of life such as work, and relationships, there was a tragic death in my family that greatly affected me and my loved ones for several months. Coupled with a personal struggle as well, there were times where I wouldn't even be able to think about this story of mine, as beloved as it is. I am hoping however, that with the release of this chapter, I'll be able to update at least a little more frequently, but I suppose only time will tell...

Though it has been nearly a year since then, I can tell you that the last chapter that I had written was especially challenging, as I tried to find a believable way to have Yami give in to his inner darkness. Of course, much of it involved the thug leader goading the young prince; preying on the deep seated fears he *already* had about himself! But part of it also involved a bit of inspiration from the Yu-Gi-Oh manga, something that Marik once said, regarding how long ago, a "man came to power who worshiped not light, but darkness." His words were extremely vague, and I suppose you could even argue that they may not have been about Yami aka Atem at all. Or, if they were, Marik may have been a bit biased in his assumptions, especially given that in this part of the manga, he had just attempted to manipulate Joey aka Jounochi into dueling Yugi to the death! But if there was any truth to his claim, I found it a rather interesting concept that various stories may have been passed down about Yami/Atem; some that may not have painted him in the most heroic light... It made me question if his people did fear the power that he and his priests possessed. Given that even in real history, the populace viewed the pharaoh as a god, it isn't that far-fetched to think that they would fear his or the crown prince's wrath. Or rather, in Yami's case, his own abilities coupled with Zorc Necrophades' influence; based on the story I'm trying to tell myself. Also, with Ancient Egyptians being as superstitious as they were, and with the true Yu-Gi-Oh story supporting this, such as when the townsfolk feared individuals with blue eyes, or the village of Kul Elna in ts entirety, I'd imagine that having the ability to summon monsters or to control dark energy would have been especially frightening! So, I reasoned that even if the bearded man was trying to get the best of Yami, maybe, just maybe, some of what he said was true; again, according to what Marik revealed in that part of the story!
And though it may be evident to some, I made reference to the scene in the anime, where the Blue Eyes White dragon struck down a gang, men that had tried to harm Seto years ago; despite this plot thread not being present in the manga version of the Ancient Egyptian arc. I of course made references to my own work as well; particularly the events of Chapter 6, 8 and 10. I also find it interesting that this chapter is numbered 13, a rather unlucky number, or so say they say. It certainly seems to ring true for Yami in this situation! And just between you and me, this chapter was also extremely difficult to pen, given it's particularly dark nature. Speaking of which, It would appear that this story certainly *is* becoming grittier in tone, but I hope that you're finding it enjoyable anyhow. I can only assure you, that if you are hoping for a lighter feel to the unfolding events, eventually I do hope to find more of a balance within the narrative. It may take some time, as I hope to write the following scenes in realistic and satisfying way, but that is my ultimate intent. It is also my hope that that these building plot threads will lead to a defining moment for Teana in particular; solidifying her role for the remainder of this tale and Yami's life as a whole. I'll certainly try to convey that at least! Please wish me luck! And as always, I thank you for your patience and your absolutely incredible support!

Chapter 13

*Ah, a perfect fit!* Zorc Necrophades thought, as he took full possession of the prince's body.

Basking in his conquest, the demon gleefully tested the dexterity of his new hands, followed by the massaging and flexing of his stiffened neck muscles.

*And you...* He mused again, reaching into Yami's robe pocket; to uncover the Millennium Puzzle. *You are never far from his side. How convenient!*

Chuckling, Zorc placed the elusive item around his neck, momentarily blinding the criminals with its bright golden glow. And though brief, the light was somewhat comforting to the men; reaching far across their darkened prison. But when it faded, the effects proved twice as devastating; for they were now the ones nearing their breaking points!

Frightened and confused, the thugs could only cower, trembling incessantly; whimpering in a state of disbelief! Turning from one direction to the next, they faced an expansive blackened void, enveloped by a thick, suffocating, violet mist; crackling and drifting before them!

"Ok! Ok! Y-you win!" One of the men dared, addressing the now malevolent looking royal.

In spite of his terror, the man knew his only chance was to bargain. With each passing second, he and the others were becoming increasingly disoriented; clinging to the ground for leverage!

"Y-yeah! You're all powerful, all right?" Another wheezed, in agreement. "Whatever you say! Just make it stop!"

*Such pathetic nonsense.* Zorc thought, eying them all with revulsion.

"Oh, come on!" A third pleaded. "We'll go quietly, ok?! You can take us in, try us, or-"

"Try you?!" Zorc scoffed in amazement. "You're as pitiful as you are foolish... Whether I emerged or not, you were found guilty from the moment my host set eyes on you."

"H-host? What do you-?" One of the men gulped, looking towards his equally bewildered companions.

"And just for that," the demon remarked, manifesting a ball of dark energy; hovering over the palm of his hand, "well, that and my own amusement, you will all suffer the consequences..."

With those words, Zorc extinguished that energy, snuffing it with a deliberate, crushing hand gesture!

"No! Noooo! I don't want to die!" One of the men shrieked; as he managed to rise to his feet.

"Impressive!" Zorc beamed with excitement. "And what will you do now, mortal? Oh, I can hardly contain myself!"

With a hysterical wail, the man stumbled clumsily, only to take off running; disappearing far into the abyss! Shaking his head slowly, Zorc turned expectantly; greeting the man as he appeared from the opposite direction!

"Do you see?!" Zorc leered, triumphantly. "Try as you may, but you can never escape me!"

With dawning realization, the man hopelessly slumped to his knees; the sound of Zorc's laughter echoing all around him!

It was then that the demon's eyes fixed upon the leader, who unlike his minions, had remained remarkably calm, overall.

"You." Zorc said in acknowledgment, as the bearded man stiffened in response. "You are not like the others. Why?"

With a menacing stride, Zorc slowly approached the leader... Stopping mere inches away, the demon stood for what seemed like an eternity; only to kneel at the man's side.

"Boss! No!"

"Boss!" The men hollered, in alarm.

"Silence!" Zorc growled in annoyance.

With a wave of his hand, the men froze; each trapped in an encasing barrier of light!

"There... That's more like it. Have patience! You'll have your chance. Your chance to beg for mercy that is!"

Only the bearded man remained unaffected, striving to maintain his composure; with both palms pressed firmly on the ground.

"Why so silent?" Zorc probed, as the leader refused to make eye contact. "You were so brazen, a short time ago! So eager to "have your voice heard." Isn't that right? And I must say, you made quite an impression! To go to such lengths, all for the sake of undermining this youth. It's rather curious..." Zorc said, with a slight pat to his chest.

"You... You're really not-" The bearded man said, in a voice just barely above a whisper.

"Now, now... Let us focus on the topic at hand, shall we? I'm grateful, of course! So grateful that I'll allow you to satisfy my curiosity; before the darkness consumes you."

The man said nothing, but was beginning to tremble in fear.

"What's that now?" Zorc feigned asking, bringing a hand to his ear. "I couldn't quite hear you. How about I start? Your "brilliant" plan was to manipulate my host. To toy with his emotions... Prattling on and on, with such astounding overconfidence!" He then paused. "And right now, you must be thinking "if I only knew;" knew what your ridiculous posturing would unleash!"

The leader remained unresponsive, staring blankly at the ground, as Zorc felt himself grimacing in aggravation.

"Come now!" The demon pressed. "You must have some explanation! Some rhyme or reason for your actions. Yes, I could feel it in you... Such profound bitterness, such rage; eclipsed only by that of my host's. It was almost as if, you wanted him to strike you down... Was that it? Did you wish to die by his hand? Be honest now..." Zorc said with an almost gentle assurance.

Even then, the man refused to speak, as Zorc felt something inside of him snap!

"ANSWER ME!" The demon cried, violently grabbing him by the root of his hair.

Forcing the leader's head back to face him, the leader's eyes grew large with fright, only to squint in confusion, as Zorc's own expression changed; his crimson stare flickering, momentarily.

"Oh my..." Zorc blinked, rubbing his chest in amusement. "That was unexpected! I dare say that was more him than it was me. But then, what difference does it make...? Don't you fret." The demon said, this time to the young prince from within. "I know a better way to get what we want..."

Bringing his face even closer to that of the bearded man's, the red in Zorc's eyes burned brightly, consistently, as the Millennium Puzzle also reacted; illuminating the darkness once more.

"W-What are you doing?!" The leader said at last, flinching from the demon's probing gaze. "Stop it!"

Now struggling to break free, the man was met with an even stronger grip, prompting a heart racing paralysis; not unlike the dark magic immobilizing his companions! Silently, the demon peered on, with a fixed intensity, only stopping of his own accord; as he released a deep, disgruntled sigh.

"How...disappointing. Really now, mortal... Is that all?"

"What? What?!" The leader spat, with all the defiance that he could muster.

"So, in the end, it was all about power; or rather your desperate need to obtain it." Zorc hissed, casting the leader aside like rubbish. Shaking his head disapprovingly, the demon rose to his feet, to purposefully stand over him. "This goes far beyond foolishness. It's sheer delusion."

"I- I don't know what you're talking ab-!"

"I expected more from you. Something grander, I suppose; something mildly entertaining at the very least..." Zorc scoffed. "But regrettably, your motives are as simple as they are self-serving... Worse yet, you lack not only imagination, but the ability grasp how weak you truly are."

"Weak? Me?!" The leader bellowed in outrage.

"You detested that weakness, " Zorc continued, dismissing the man's protest, "loathed it with every fiber of your being. Much like..." he stopped to consider, "an ugly scar; that you hoped to conceal at all cost! It's ironic then, that you would go so far; piercing deeply into your own flesh, just to maintain your facade." The demon divulged, stomping on the leader's mutilated hand. "Ah, you did this many times, I see. First, to externalize your frustration, your growing envy; silently cursing what fate had dealt you. And yet, this dismal act proved useful somehow; as the "perfect" means to fool the lot of them!" He then said, gesturing towards his frozen men.

Turning quickly to face them, the leader realized that despite their paralysis, his followers were still listening to every word!

"Yes, remarkably, you managed to do just that!" Zorc revealed, now relishing in the man's plight. "You made them all believe it, that you should be respected and feared! Using their weakness to your advantage, so that you could tower over them; so that you could command them at will. After all, what is a king without peasants to serve him? Simple minded fools to help spread your "glory." And that's what they were, nothing but worthless pawns; used in your spineless attempt to elevate yourself!"

"No! It wasn't like that! I-!"

"But that wasn't enough for you. It was never enough... Why settle for a mere taste, when you could have more? When you "deserved" so much more! You played your part well, didn't you? Convincing yourself that with enough power over others, you could have anything! Or anyone..." Zorc trailed, with an audible shift in tone.

With a fluid hand motion, someone or some thing had begun to stir; materializing from deep within the shadows! It was drawing nearer; its movements slow and laborious! Yet for the bearded man, it immediately triggered a sense of panic, as he crawled inelegantly; darting from one direction to the next! But there was no where to run... For one apparition had become another, then another; closing in from all sides!

At last, the first of these beings came into view, visible only by sparks of energy; the bloodied glint of Zorc's eyes. It was a woman: unnaturally frail and thin, with long scattered tresses, concealing a face cast downward. And though sullied with dirt and sand, prominent bruises could be seen, as well as a bleeding gash; running profusely along her right arm. Raising her head, gradually, yet another crimson glow became evident, shining out from hollowed eye sockets; revealing a face of rotting flesh!

"AHHHHH!" The leader wailed, scurrying backward in retreat. Suddenly, he felt himself collide with something damp; followed by drops of moisture, falling above him.

Recoiling, the bearded man hollered again, as another woman stood over him; drenched from top to bottom, with grotesquely pale and bloated skin. Shaken, the man's gaze shot upward, meeting a second pair of sunken eyes, their scarlet hue illuminating the thick, severed ropes; dangling from her arms and legs. And like last, the figure also possessed a heavy wound; deliberately etched upon the same limb.

One by one, more corpses of young women emerged, each mutilated similarly; all in varying stages of decay. And as blood pooled at their feet, they stood irradiating the perimeter; their red, transfixing, vengeful gazes weighing heavily upon the bearded man!

"No! NO! It's not possible! You're dead! All of you! You can't be-!"

The bearded man could now hear his ragged breathing, feel his mind beginning to race! In stubborn denial, the leader was soon roused by the cries of his equally petrified men, each managing a single scream, before the magic strengthened around them; freezing their expressions to ones of sheer, unadulterated horror!

"To gorge yourself, you soon set your sights on them!" Zorc said, with unexpected severity... "Prey, easily overtaken! Allowing you the "pleasure" of deciding their fates!" He then growled, his fury escalating. "With only a word, you could strip them of their freedom; to be sold like cattle to the highest bidder! Or, you would force them to submit, basking in the brutality; as you stared into the face of true helplessness!"

His stomach churning, revolted by the scent of death, the leader's gaze flashed back to the demon's, as he again perceived the slight flickering; the violet hue emerging.

"I- I never could have imagined such- To bear witness to this horrible-!"

Affected by the vision, the young prince surfaced momentarily; overcome with both sorrow and contempt. "To you, they were mere conquests... Violated, branded! Then callously left for dead! Just like- Just like Teana..." Yami breathed, unable to divert his gaze.

Suddenly, the prince turned in alarm, certain that he had seen her; that he had seen Teana, among the victims! His heart sinking, Yami soon realized he was mistaken; shutting his eyes in renewed anguish.

Lured by the demon's sudden lapse, the leader began crawling, inching his way forward; one cautious step at a time.

"Hey... Hey, highness! It's you, right?! You can put a stop to this! You can make them go away! Can't you?!"

In spite of himself, the man clung to this hope, hope that he could somehow appeal to the young prince; who appeared to be wavering...

"My companions are rather cross with you..." The demon remarked, with a mixture of both spite and sarcasm. "I can feel it in them, and in you..." He continued, his fiery glare returning. "It wasn't enough to defile them! You wanted them to beg, to cry out for mercy; even as you watched them in their final moments!"

As if prompted, the women drew nearer, reaching for the bearded man, with harrowing, unearthly moans! Stunned, the leader could only look away, prostrating himself on the ground in penance.

"Poor you... You're hanging on by a thread." Zorc snickered, with new found giddiness; as he echoed the leader's own words.

Kneeling to the ground again, the demon raised his hands, signaling for the group to keep their distance, for the time being. It was then that the leader felt a hand upon his head, as the demon stroked it, with mocking reassurance.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. But then, you were never mighty... And some part of you knew... That it was all futile. You would never have the power that you desired. Not when those with true power, like the pharaoh, or even my host, were safely beyond your reach. You're nothing but an insect in comparison!" Zorc sneered, digging his nails within his scalp. "How does it feel, mortal? To have your true nature exposed, to be faced with such hapless inadequacies! And those poor men of yours... Taken in by mere bravado, by the tales of your impressive "battle scars." How humiliating it must be... You hoped, prayed that they would never know; how cowardly you were... Even refusing to put yourself at risk! But why would you, when you had them to do it for you?

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" The leader cried, bringing his hands to his ears.

"And yet..." Zorc considered again. "Tonight, was a night like no other, when you encountered that girl, and my host, especially... Ah! What an enticing opportunity! For this, this was what you'd been waiting for all along! Worth every scrap of courage; to give the performance of a lifetime! For that at least, I'll commend you... You assessed the situation well. His fears, as well as hers. And with the girl in your grasp, you had power over him indeed! Take comfort in that, human. For one brief moment, you were in complete control! You were no longer the pathetic weakling that you've always been!"

Outraged, the leader's teeth clenched, as he reached into his pants pocket! Grabbing hold of his blade again, he quickly pointed it directly at the demon's throat!

"What's this now?" Zorc chuckled, heartily, with a slight tilt of his head. "You can't be serious! Have you learned nothing?"

"I- I'm not weak... Y-You hear me?!" The man stammered; his hands quivering. "You're going to let me out of here! Now! Or I'll do it! I'll kill you, you monster! I'll kill you, like I killed the girl!"

With an explosion of anger, the demon felt the young prince resurfacing; his face twisting with malice! Seizing the knife with his own hand, Yami allowed it to carve into him, before snapping it, effortlessly from it's very hilt! Forming a ball of dark energy, he hurled it without hesitation; striking the leader head on!

The sheer force of the blast had sent the man flying, catapulting him directly into the horde of victims! Swarmed in an instant, the women violently tore at his clothing, as they grunted and moaned; clawing and scratching from every angle!

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Yami bellowed, banishing the apparitions back to the darkness. "He belongs to me!"

Like a carrying wind, the young prince beckoned leader; propelling him into his grasp!

"You call me a monster?!" Yami hissed, with uncomfortable closeness, as his hand tightened around the man's neck! Gawking wordlessly, the leader could only wheeze, as the prince raised the larger man above him; his feet unable to touch the ground. "And what are you?! You made those women suffer! Slaughtering them without remorse! You would have done the same to Teana... But you killed her, before you had the chance! She's dead now... Because of you! It makes me wonder, wonder what kind of foul creature lurks within you! Well then! Let's find out!"

Dropping the man, the young prince stepped backward, thrusting his arm out in summoning; as Millennium Puzzle shined brightly once again. Moments later, the leader witnessed a golden glow enveloping his entire body; his mouth opening involuntarily! Before he could utter a sound, he felt himself forcefully regurgitating; releasing a thick black mist from deep within him! Heaving and sputtering, this fog had slowly begun to take form, growing larger and more menacing! And from it arose a gruesome creature, one with thick, enormous bones on the outside of its body, wore like armor over skinless exposed muscle mass. This beast also possessed large bat-like wings, with long sharpened talons, on both hands and feet. And it's face... It's face resembled a hideous elongated skull, with eyes of piercing emerald, topped with two protruding horns on each side of it's head!

"What... What is that?!" The leader exclaimed, lifting an arm, defensively. "Th- That thing came out of me?!"

"My!" Zorc exclaimed, tickled by this new development. "I never would have imagined, but your ka is actually quite powerful!" Zorc grinned, as he began to study the beast. "Perhaps you strengthened it with your little outburst just now. Or your desires alone served as sustenance, regardless of your many failures. Either way, it would have been coveted indeed, had those wretched priests known of its existence. I dare say, it even reminds me of myself... The form that I will take once again; now and for all time..."

Staggering slightly, the demon's eye color continued to alternate, as inwardly the young prince thought only of vengeance!

*Why fight me...?* Zorc murmured, questioning Yami from within. *Don't you know that we are allies now? Against a common foe? Go on... Take your revenge... Let whatever punishment you envision fit the crime... I grant you all of my power, to do with him as you will. For when it is done, the two of us will truly be one...*

"You wished for power..." Yami breathed, now addressing the leader directly. "And your creature is the very definition of it."

"No... No, please!" The man begged.

"The answer is simple then... Perhaps you knew, from the very beginning. Underneath it all, you're just like him; you're exactly like this beast!" The young prince decreed; as the eye of Anubis appeared on his forehead.

With those words, the leader doubled over in agony, feeling as if a thousand knives were skewering his flesh. He then felt a horrible burning sensation, followed by the sound of tearing and shredding throughout his entire body... Writhing on the ground, the man lifted a hand, only to see monstrous talons extending from his fingertips, his very skin melting to the bone!

Through the unrelenting horror, the young prince gleefully looked on, knowing full well that the transformation was only occurring in the man's mind; a nightmare of his own making... And yet, with each passing second, it was as if Yami's heart was blackening; in danger of being tainted forever, by his own dark desires. Zorc had been right... Reveling in the moment, the young prince was completely oblivious to how little of him remained...