And forever myself

Forever without you

Forever wandering

Forever alone

And always screaming

Always bleeding

Always wanting

Always denied

And eternally forgotten

Eternally ensared

Eternally serving

Eternally unrequited

Ever ~ Me

ATEMU'S POV

I couldn't help but give in when Yugi pinned me with that cursed look. He looked like a small (fuzzy and cuddly) animal that had been kicked rather viciously. I couldn't control my facial muscles, either, because I'm pretty sure I pretty much melted under that gaze. I nodded, albiet reluctantly. After all, we were talking about the Tomb Robber. But Yugi seemed to know them well enough. I guess it wouldn't be too bad....

What was the worst that could happen?

YUGI'S POV

I grinned as the other Hikari's let out whoops of excitement. Marik and Bakura grinned evilly. I just hope they didn't do anything too bad... Switching my focus from the assortment of people around me, I feel my gaze drawn towards the door.

My blood runs cold.

Anzu, dressed in an insane amount of finery and sheer cloth stood at the door, and my position close to Atemu was not earning me any brownie points with her. I immediately leapt away, as if burned by her gaze, but the tiny smirk on her face unsettled me. I glanced at the Hikari's, wondering what they thought, and they just stared at her with wide eyes. I'd forgotten that they didn't know Anzu was such a bitch...

I fought the urge to whimper as her gaze turned to me and turned glacial. I'm getting more and more afraid of her. My instincts scream that something bad is going to happen to me, and it would be her fault. My instincts have never been wrong before.

Atemu stands, frowning, and moves to stand near me, his face set with protective determination. I scuttle further back and find myself in the furthest corner. Atemu looks at me, confused.

It gives Anzu all the time she needs to strike, and strike she does. With a simple, indistinguishable sound, she hurls something at Atemu.

My eyes widen as everything slows down. My mind is screaming for Atemu to get out of the way while my feet move, feeling like they're wading through mud as they race to get Atemu away from it. Then the sound of glass shattering and the smell of blood greets me as Atemu and Anzu and the others are enveloped in red smoke. My vision turns black as I fall downward.

TIME BREAK

I opened my eyes to find myself floating in complete darkness. There are no malevolent colors swirling within it, not the mix of bloody red or malicious purple from my memories of the Shadow Realm. It doesn't feel familiar or cold or draining. It is simply dark. Then, I fall.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey runt, whutter ye doin' hea?"

Jounouchi-kun? I turn to see my best friend, but freeze, seeing that look I remembered only too well. The one he'd given me before we were friends, that icy predatory look. Normally warm honey brown eyes glared at me coldly, and I shivered.

"Jounouchi-kun...?"

A snort of disgust, and suddenly I was pushed against a wall. I winced, but looked at my friend, confused, lost, afraid...

"Don't look at me like that, runt! You know better by now..."

Why?

Anzu pushed me roughly against the pavement.

"Get away from me, freak! Can't you see I just wanted your Yami all along? I never liked you."

I looked down. Of course... she blamed me for everything that happened to the Pharaoh. It was my fault. I wasn't good enough. I couldn't stop him from going to the Afterlife. I was too weak. And she knew it.

Ryou simply sighed with imaptience.

"Yugi, I don't care. I don't want to hear your pathetic whining. Stop being so selfish."

I stopped. I was selfish, wasn't I? A worthless, friendless, selfish, stupid person... and it took me this long to realize it... Why?

Honda looked away.

"Faggot."

Atemu sneered at me, glaring down his nose.

"Why the hell would I even care about a pathetic thing like you? Worthless, useless, stupid thing that you are, you should feel lucky that I even let you live. Even let you in my presence. Don't disgrace me with your insignificant feelings."

I had no defence against that. Nothing to break the mental walls. Nothing to contradict what he said, because...

It was all true...

I heard the sound of choked sobs after a time. I knew but didn't care that they were my own. I was back in the darkness. I could feel that.

I felt so raw. So broken. And I couldn't figure out how to pull myself back together. That is, until the Voice broke through the sounds of my crying. "Serve me. Become mine and all will be well again." The Voice was cold, but it sounded reassuring. It was female, I think, and it was gruff with age.

But I felt myself nodding in response, and I was suddenly surrounded by grey cement walls. The face of my grandfather, half-rotted and very zombie-like stared at me before his frame crumpled and turned to dust instantly.

I let out a scream, but was slapped in the face. "Did I say you could make any noise? Hmm?" Another slap, and I recognised the Voice. Anzu... Oh shit. "Now then, my slave. It's time to get to work. Go clean out my coal oven. And make sure to get rid of all the red ones. I hate burning embers." I was quick to obey, but horrified and screaming in my head. ~Yami!~

ATEMU'S POV

I sat up in my bed quickly. Anzu, my queen lay beside me, snoring loudly. I turned away from her in disgust. Why did I marry that greedy bint? I was wondering what had woken me up when something on my bedside table caught my eye. It was a solid gold puzzle piece, the eye of Ra at its center, and it was glowing, pulsating quickly with fluttering flashes like a frantic heartbeat.

~Yami!~ That was the sound that had woken me up. That sweet voice, a voice like no other, but bathed in fear, calling for... me...? I blinked. Yami... where had I heard such a term before? And suddenly, it hit me in a flash. I jerked forward in voluntarily in surprise.

"Yugi!" I breathed. Anzu stirred, but didn't wake. I felt like my throat was closing in around me. Something was so very wrong. "Yugi?" I repeated, just a little bit more loudly. Anzu woke and sat up groggily.

"What's wrong snuggle bear?" She asked in a thick voice. I winced at the name.

"Where is Yugi?" I demanded, my voice much louder now. Her face took on a surprised look, before a smirk appeared.

"My counterpart in the realm of the living took him. He's now her slave for eternity. And you're my husband for forever." Her laughter rang throughout the room, eerie and mad. I panicked, and backed away from her, but she grabbed me and pulled me down onto the bed. "Come, my dear, and let us play." She said. And I couldn't hold back the absolute terror-filled scream. "No distractions now. I killed all of Yugi's little friends, too." She laughed sinisterly.

~~~~OWARI~~~~~~

*hides* Don't kill me...! *avoids the torches and pitchforks*.