The Shadows Within

Chapter 9

Atem's POV

Why did Ra decide to make my life a living a hell. Yugi I love you my Aibou, but you will owe me big time when this is all over. The little shit has emptied out my blood storage at least 5 times this week and I keep getting questioned why I need more. Isis is getting very close to finishing her spell. She's just got a few more kinks to work out. I also have to figure out how to get him into the circle without him knowing what we're doing.

I sit there and think for a little bit. "My god you're doing it again," he says. I growl and ignore my mating instinct for two seconds and punch him across the face. That effectively knocked him out. I immediately regret it seeing that it is my mate and he looks more like my mate when his face is relaxed and not in that constant sneer he seems to have nowadays. I push his bangs out of his face and sigh as I pick him up. I carry him to our room and lay him on the bed. 

My beautiful baby. I walk back into the kitchen and look at the two cards that Seto and Joey had given me that had snapped some feeling back into Yugi. Well actually it merely weakened his evil half enough for me to communicate with the good half of his soul. I think I'm gonna use the tower to lure him down to the spell room. I'll purposely leave a path open and make sure he is lured down there in the right way.

I'll have to talk with Isis and maybe Marik and Bakura. After all, they do have the personalities that match his bad half the best. They also were evil at one point, but we don't go into that anymore. I decide to leave and go down to the bar. I sit down and order a glass of whiskey. Seto slides into the seat next to me. "You know drinking doesn't solve anything," he says. "No but it sure helps me relax," I say.

"Hey this'll work. You'll have him back. Then you two can resume your relationship and then chase down the slimy asshole responsible in the first place. Since we still haven't caught them or figured out who did it," he says. "Pegasus is still looking for them. But I have a feeling that there's only one way to find a person that far into the Shadows. Into Darkness itself," I say. "And to that I, along with the rest of the nerds, say hell no. It's not happening. Over my mummified corpse," he says.

I chuckle. "If anyone can dive into the shadows that deep and come out the other side, it's me," I say. "Well you're forgetting about Bakura and Marik. I'd say since Yugi has been there somewhat," he starts to say. I interrupt him agitated at the idea. "Hell no. He is my Light. My Hikari. I will not tarnish his soul with one shred of Darkness," I say. "It's kinda a little late for that. I hate to say it, but it's true and you know it," he say.

I lay my head in my hand and down the last of my whiskey and gesture for another. "Look I know it's not something you want to hear. Believe me if the roles were switched, I'd probably have you on the floor by your throat. Unfortunately though it's the truth. His soul has been tampered with by Dark magic," he says. "Yes and I failed to protect him," I say. "A lot of people failed Atem. Not just you. You're a good mate to him," he says. 

"A good mate doesn't sucker punch him across the face," I say and swallow down the whiskey. "You punched him," he asks and I nod. "Across the face," he asks and I nod again. "Well when he wakes up after the spell, I expect you to get an earful and a nasty case of blue balls," he says. I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose. "What the stupid jack ass wouldn't shut up and he drank all of my blood. Again," I shout. 

"No need to shout Atem," he says. "Though it is rather irritating," I say. "Ok so how bout you stop drinking and go to Ishizu and talk to her and discuss this big plan of yours," he says. I nod and pay the bartender and get up and walk to the spell room. "Ahh just the person I was about to send for," she says as I walk in. "You needed me," I ask. "Yes I need to go through the spell in detail with you," she says.

"Alright. I may have a plan to get Yugi down here without suspicion, but I want to run it by Marik and Bakura since they kind of are the most like his evil side. No offense," I say. "None taken but I'm not them," she says. "Ok I want to lure him down here with something. I'd only leave one path open for him and maybe have him chase me. That way he wouldn't notice that I'm actually leading him to a trap. Then I get him to step into the circle and it would be spelled to not let him out," I say.

"That may work. He doesn't have to be there willingly and he can be trapped there. The tricky part will be getting him down there without him knowing what is going on," she says. "Yes which is why everything will have to be normal and I'll have to lure him out without him knowing I did it on purpose," I say. "Of course," she says. "We can definitely help you with that one," says Marik whom I didn't hear come in.

"How long have you two been standing there," I ask. "Oh not very long," says Marik as he steps in with Bakura. "We can help with this plan of yours. After all we are the more devious out of everyone," says Bakura. "Exactly my point. No offense but you match him better than everyone else so you'll know how he acts," I say. "None taken," says Marik. "Alright so here's my plan," I say.