Disclaimer: .....................If you think I own anything, then there is something wrong with you.

 

Okay. FINALLY, the last chapter of One Night. This is for Chibi-chan. They always go after the best of us, ne ? ^_~. I'm looking forward to more from you whenever you can get the chance. And also, a big thanks to Twilight Hunter ( I wouldn't have gotten this done without you ^^ ), who knows what it's like to have a great idea one minute, then, ten minutes later, think it's the stupidest thing you ever came up with ^_~

Then again...... *looks over story* That MIGHT not be an exaggeration on my part......^^;;;; I can only claim complete and total lack of ideas for the.... oddness of this chapter. Please don't murder me; I'm not very good at actual plots that revolve outside the bedroom ^^;;;;;;;;;;

Anyways, on with the story!

 

 

 

Eclipse

By Dai-Onna

 

 

 

Yugi shivered deeply as he watched the older man step up to the dueling platform, resisting the urge to gulp. He was more than a little intimidated by the man's ability to read his mind. He couldn't think of a way to win with such a handicap, but he knew that he had to somehow; otherwise he would lose his Yami forever. The panic that filled him at thought nearly had him turning tail and running. He couldn't do this. He wasn't as strong as his Yami, or as smart. How on earth would he be able to outwit someone who could read his every thought?

He looked up at the balcony where Seto was watching him intently, locking eyes with his lover, taking support from his presence. He swallowed down the traitorous panic he felt, trying to be brave for his lover. He knew that her couldn't back down now. He wasn't just fighting to get his Yami back, but also to save Mokuba and his Jii-chan. He had to win. There was no other option. Taking a steadying breath, he gave Seto a slight smile. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have him there with him. As it was, without his Yami, Seto was the only thing keeping him going. He gave the brunette a nod and looked back to the older man, unnerved by the easygoing smirk on his face. He hated how Pegasus could be so calm and composed and he was sure that the silver-haired American knew it, too. He clenched his fists a little, drawing on every ounce of strength he possibly possessed, every drop of courage he had ever felt, and mentally prepared himself for what he had to do.

Bracing himself, he shuffled his deck deftly, then set it down on the playing field, trying to calm his pulse, though he knew there was no backing out now. He bit the inside of his cheek to suppress a cry of surprise when the older man activated his Millennium eye, sending them to the shadow realm.

Yugi gasped when the world went dark around them; not out of surprise, but because he could hardly breathe in this horrifying realm and the air seemed to pass around him in sharp currents, cutting at his skin. He was almost surprised to find that there weren't bleeding gashes on his arms, the way that the atmosphere seemed to attack him. His Yami had told him before about how strenuous the shadow realm could be on a normal human, but he had never imagined that it was like this. He shuddered to think how horrible it would be for him if he didn't have his puzzle to give him strength.

He forced his expression into a firm one, not wanting Pegasus to see how affected he was, though he was sure the other knew anyway. Still, he wouldn't give the silver haired man the satisfaction of letting on.

"Alright Pegasus; let's duel."

 

Seto's eyes widened and panic seeped into him as the two duelists were drawn into the dark realm and he could no longer see or hear what was happening between them. He had no idea how Yugi was faring and what his chances were. He didn't even know if his smaller lover was alright.

It ate away at him and he clawed the rail of the balcony in nervousness, waiting for some sort of sign that his love was alright. He couldn't bear it if anything ever happened to the smaller boy.  At the moment, Yugi was all he had left in the world and, if anything happened to him, he wouldn't hesitate to throw himself from the balcony he was on. He cursed Pegasus for doing this to Yugi; for involving an innocent boy in his twisted plots to accomplish god knows what. Though he did have some idea, it didn't seem the slightest bit plausible. He had read up on Pegasus' past, learned about what had happened to his wife, and the eccentric man's travels and research to try and bring her back from the dead. Had the man somehow found a way? It didn't seem very possible, but with what he'd seen in the past few days, he wasn't about to deny the possibility of anything where those Sennen items were concerned.

He looked back down to the dark void that had only moments ago been the dueling field, wishing that there was something, anything, he could do to protect his small love.

 

Jou's eyes narrowed as he looked over at Seto, practically able to feel the anxiousness radiating from him. If the situation weren't so critical, he would have been pleased to see the brunette so humbled; so concerned for one he had considered his only rival. But as it was, he was just as concerned for the smaller mortal. He knew full well the effect the shadow realm had on humans and that Yugi was having a hard time. He could feel the battle raging between them, as well as the use of Pegasus' Sennen item. With the combination of the shadow realm's atmosphere, as well as the older duelist's cheating, there was no way that Yugi could win on his own.

Pensive, he scoured his mind for anyway that he could help his smaller friend without directly interfering with the duel. His eyes fell on Seto and he grinned lightly before his amber eyes shone yellow. Perhaps the rich boy could be of some use to him after all....

 

Yugi could feel the sweat trickle down the back of his neck as he watched yet another of his monsters fall prey to Pegasus' onslaught. It seemed no matter what play he try, the older duelist was ready for it and had a way to counter. Over half his life points had already been decimated and he didn't know how much longer his meager defenses were going to hold out. Was this is? Had he come this far, tried so hard, only to be defeated now and let down the two people who meant more to him than anything? Is emotions screamed in protest, calling out for him to do something, anything, to turn this duel around. God, he wished Seto was here. He had no doubt that his blue-eyed lover would be able to think his way out of this. As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely nothing that Seto couldn't do.

But Seto wasn't here. He was completely and utterly alone, missing the better half of his soul; missing his Yami. The hollow ache inside of him was just as strong as it had been when his Yami was taken from him and, he half expected to see a gaping hole in his chest whenever he looked down. He just had to get his Yami back; he would never be complete without him... He didn't want to.

But he had nothing. No strength, no massive intelligence, no edge to use over the silver haired man who was blatantly cheating to win this duel. Was he only kidding himself? Was there anyway to win?
His mind was screaming at him to do something, to find someway out of this, but he was drawing a total blank. What on earth could he possibly think up, that the other man wouldn't see coming and counter?

Swallowing deeply, he drew his next card, though had to blink rapidly to see it, his vision suddenly blurring for a moment as an odd sensation came over him. A sense of strength and determination. He masked his expression, playing his card as his free hand toyed with his puzzle, trying to think of some way he could get the other upper hand here. He paused a little for a moment, then resisted the urge to smirk.

"You know," He said finally, his voice almost amiable, except for a slight edge to it that he previously lacked. "You're probably lucky she's gone." He said, not really even knowing where the words were coming from, but not trying to stop them, either. He really didn't even know what he was talking about. It was as if someone was speaking through him. It was much like it was when his Yami influenced him during duels. Though the feeling, the other presence in his mind, wasn't the same. It was strong, and determined, and slightly ruthless, kind of like.....

'It feels like Seto...' He thought  with a start, not letting that little revelation show in his expression, though he felt warm because of it. He grinned up at the older man, delighting in the look of shock on his face, seeing that the American wasn't even paying attention as he made his move.

"What on earth are you talking about, Yugi-boy?" The older man drawled, apparently trying not to let on to the fact that he was startled. Yugi gave the man a bland look, feigning innocence. It was a good feeling for someone else to be shaken up for once.

"Oh, nothing really. Just that girl, you know. It's probably better that she's gone anyways, so that she couldn't see the real you." He chirped, his voice it's usually cheerful tone, despite the hard glint in his large eyes that he kept hidden from view as he made his play. The older man seemed very put on edge, something that pleased him to no end.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said, his voice a lot less jovial than usual. It had Yugi smirking slightly to himself, noticing by Pegasus' moves that he was hardly paying attention anymore, much less reading his mind.

"Of course you don't" He affirmed cheerfully, then went on as if he hadn't said a thing. "But that's why you're doing all this, right? To get her back?" He inquired, watching the older man's face, almost crowing when he saw the visible flinch.

'Bingo.' In truth, he didn't even have any idea who this 'her' was, but he wasn't about to stop now. This was his chance to at least start a comeback, if not gain the upper hand.

"It's just as well for you she doesn't come back." He offered, destroying the other's monster without him even really noticing it. He chuckled internally, not letting on to his intentions. "I mean really. She must be one hell of a bitch." He said lightly, as if discussing the weather.

He wanted to laugh when it looked as though all the color drained out of the older man's face. At any other time, he might have been disturbed at the delight he was taking in the man's distress, but at the moment, he figured he had the right.

The older man glared at him slightly, trying not to show how bothered he was.

"Explain." He said curtly, causing Yugi to raise an eyebrow. He did so with a shrug, making his next move as he spoke.

"I just mean that she has to be pretty cold-hearted if she's just gonna be okay with everything you're doing to get her back. I mean really." He drawled, laying a trap card down on the field. He could see the American was really bothered now and hoped he could keep this up long enough to turn the duel around.

"You're wrong." Pegasus inserted. "Cyndia is the sweetest, kindest girl there is." He said, his voice going almost dreamy for a moment. A part of Yugi felt a little bad for the older man, hearing he genuine love in his voice, but he suppressed it, his face growing incredulous at the man's words.

"And you really think she's gonna run into your arms when you tell that you've been stealing the souls of old men and children and trapping them in cards?" He asked, his tone clearly skeptical. He wasn't sure if he was surprised or not at the stricken look on Pegasus' face. Had the man really not thought this through?

"She never has to know." He said tersely, his gaze frosting over as he played yet another card, barely even looking at it. Yugi raised an eyebrow at that, shaking his head lightly.

"Riiight... So, what, you're going to just bring her back and then lie to her the whole time? Oh yeah, you're a real prince. She's going to love you for that. Unless she's a complete idiot." He said flippantly, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I mean, it's not as if no one's gonna say anything after this tournament is over; or, are you just planning to steal all of our souls?" When it looked like the older man might say something to that, Yugi interrupted him. "Cause that would look real good, you know. Host a tournament, then have several kids just disappear? No, no one will suspect anything about that." He drawled, rolling his eyes. "Come on. Plenty of people probably know we were the finalists, and Seto has his cell phone with him. He could probably be calling the police right now. What do you think will happen when they come here looking for us and the only one here is you and several comatose bodies?" He continued to ramble, noting the increasing uncertainty on the man's face. It was almost amusing.

"Shut up!!" Pegasus exclaimed, shaking his head, obviously trying to push his doubts aside. "What do you know?! You've never lost someone who meant more to you than your whole life!" He yelled, forgetting about the game for the moment. Hearing his words, Yugi's expression hardened, his gaze freezing over.

"You're wrong. You stole my Yami; my other half. Do you have any idea what it's like, having half of your soul ripped away?" He demanded, his voice hard and dangerously low. The older man gave pause at that, obvious caught of guard by the answer, as if it had never occurred to him that the spirit of the Sennen puzzle was anything more than a tool that Yugi used to win duels. Shaking his head once again, the young American regained his composure, his normal, disturbing persona falling into place, much to Yugi's dismay.

During his distraction, he had managed to even out their life points, neither of them having very many left, and they each had a couple inconsequential monsters on the field, though, Yugi was afraid that he hadn't yet seen the worst of Pegasus' arsenal.

'I have my Dark Magician, and Seto's Blue Eyes. I can handle whatever he sends out.' He thought to himself, hoping to any god watching that he was right. But there was still the nagging doubt that, once Pegasus started reading his mind again, then he would be able to prepare for anything Yugi tried and he would lose. It was something that he couldn't let happen. There was too much riding on this duel.

The duel continued on, and, sure enough, Yugi fell into a slump once again, Pegasus predicting all of his moves. Icy panic seeped down his spine but he tried not to let it show. That, or the fact that the shadow realm was taking its toll on him. As it was, his vision was burred at the edges and it was hard to get his mind to focus on... well, on anything. If he didn't come up with something soon, he would be defeated; whether by his opponent, or by their surroundings.  He was hanging on by a thread, desperation seeping into his veins when Pegasus pulled out the sacrifice ritual. His entire body went tense, as if ever nerve within him was screaming 'Oh fuck'. His mind raced as the monster appeared on the field, making the duel completely once sided, trying to think of anything he even knew of, much less possessed, that could destroy the menace on the field. Short of a few trap and magic cards that he would love to see about now, he couldn't think of a single thing.

'Damn... what I wouldn't give for Magic Cylinders right about now..... or Ryou’s Change of Heart... ' He thought to himself tersely, cursing the fates for the lack of usable cards in his hand.

He looked at his deck, swallowing hard, almost afraid to draw. If he didn't get something anything to defeat Sacrifice, then he was screwed; he wouldn't get another turn. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to fight back tears of frustration, refusing to believe that this could all come to an end like this. He could still feel Seto's presence lingering at the back of his mind, giving him strength, and urging him onward. He just prayed that it was enough.

Holding his breath, he drew his card.....

 

Seto wasn't sure what was happening to him. One minute he'd been leaning against the rail of the balcony, wishing to god that he knew if Yugi was safe or not, then, it was like he wasn't even in his own body anymore. Well, that wasn't quite right. The only thing he could think of that even seemed vaguely similar to what he was experiencing was that his spirit had gone for a walk on it's own, though, far away, his body was still holding the leash. It was an odd analogy, but he couldn't really think of anything better, and, at the moment, he didn't really care. All he cared about was the duel that he was watching being played out through someone else’s eyes, Yugi's eyes, and his little lover's wavering confidence. Even he had to admit that the situation was grim and Yugi's chances of drawing a card that could win this for him was slim to none. But, that was usually when Yugi pulled through, so he refused to let go of his faith, or let Yugi do so either. He offered him what strength and resolve he had, trying to bolster his spirits and support him in what he was doing, hoping that it would be enough to get them all through this and bring Yami back to him. He refused to lose them both. Not after everything they'd been through. Not when he hadn't even had more than a few minutes with Yami, someone he was sure he could love as much as Yugi, if he didn't already.

 

From his place next to Seto against the railings, Jou was also watching the duel, his face an expressionless mask as he kept up the link between Yugi and Seto, knowing that the smaller duelist needed all the support he could get, and, despite his own lack of affection for the guy, he knew Kaiba was the best person for the job. The love shining between them was almost as clear and visible to him as the red thread of fate that bound the two of them together. If anyone could help Yugi win this duel, it was Kaiba. Plus, Yugi still had a trump card, even if he didn't know it himself, and he had faith in his friend that he would be able to pull through in the end, which he had a feeling they all knew was near. He just hoped, for his own existence, that he didn't have to throw his hand in anymore than he already had.

 

Yugi's heart was pounding mercilessly in his chest, sweat trickling down the back of his neck as he pulled the card from the top of his deck with a shaky hand, swallowing hard, afraid to see what it was.

'I swear, if this is a Kuriboh, I'm burning my deck' He thought frantically, his nerves threatening to overwhelm him. Time seemed to slow down as he turned the card over, like in one of those action movies where the hero is losing a life or death battle and everything was coming to a close. He swallowed hard, praying that real life could be just as clichéd as the movies, and looked at the card, blinking rapidly as he tried to figure out what it was. He stared at it dumbly for what seemed like several minutes, certain that he'd never even heard of such a card, much less seen it.

It was beautiful. A young man with long golden hair that eerily resembled his dark magician wearing a piercing white armor that was accented with gold trim and deep crimson jewels. In his hand he held a wicked looking staff that looked almost more suited to physical attack than magic, with six prongs on the end, three on each side, that got smaller as they reached the top. For some reason, they reminded him of dragon talons. He ran his gaze over every feature, almost forgetting about the duel at hand, just holding the card seeming to put him at ease.

Holy Dragon Mage

Attack: 5000

Defense: 5000

Effect: Voids effects of all monster, magic, and trap cards currently in play.

 

Yugi could only stare at the description, dumbfounded, and certain that the stress of the duel was causing him to hallucinate. There was no way that he owned such a powerful card. And surely, he would have at least heard of it before, wouldn't he? Still.... he could almost swear he could hear the voices of his Dark Magician and Seto's blue eyes, putting their faith in him, giving him their strength so that he could win.

He didn't know how it was possible, wasn't entirely sure it was possible, but tears of relief sprang to his eyes as he placed the monster on the field, watching it form. Bright light filled the dueling area and Yugi could almost swear that he could feel the effects of the shadow realm lift from him, as the young mage appeared on field, his gaze impassive and his staff gleaming from the light that shone off his armor, looking read to inflict serious harm, should it be necessary. At the moment, Yugi felt it was very necessary.

Pegasus' lone eye widened in shock as he stared at the monster on the field, seeming to pale under the force that seemed to exude from the mage.

"What is that??! I never made that card!!" He exclaimed, panic having seeped into his voice.  To both their surprise, it was the mage himself who spoke, looking up at them both with a sort of detachment.

"The rules of the game changed the moment you set foot in the shadow realm. This is our world and we make the rules ourselves. My very existence is proof of that. I am as real as any other monster in this realm and will be played as such." He spoke, his icy hard voice clear and calm, as if the battle between them was of no concern to him. Lack of enthusiasm aside, Yugi was more than grateful for the mage's presence and didn't hesitate to call the attack, watching in fascination as the young man effortlessly bound the horrific monster with his magic before using the lethal end of his staff to sever it's head from it's body. Gruesome, but definitely effective; the move destroyed the monster who no longer had it's effects to shield it, obliterating what remained of Pegasus' life points.

The older man cried out in shock and disbelief, even as the realm around them began to flicker back and forth with the real world until finally, they were standing back on the dueling platform in the castle, a  captive audience watching over them.

"I won, Pegasus, now keep your promise." He demanded, his voice filled with conviction and renewed confidence. The defeated man looked up at him, his expression grim, and pulled the cards from his jacket, looking at them detachedly for a moment before placing them on a panel of the platform that opened up. Only seconds later, an identical panel opened on Yugi's side of the field, the three soul-bearing cards gleaming up at him. He hesitantly took them, holding them close to his chest as he sprinted up to the balcony where his friends and lover were waiting, not paying attention to the older man as he staggered away, broken by his defeat, his Millennium eye gleaming for a moment in the darkened hallway.

 

Yugi panted heavily as he rushed up onto the balcony, greeted instantly by the congratulatory cheers of his friends, but bypassed them a moment, rushing into Seto's arms, clinging to the taller boy as heavy waves of relief threatened to topple him. He sighed softly, burying his face in Seto's chest, his small shoulders trembling as his lover held him close, sharing in the relief he felt before he finally pulled back a little, though not leaving the safety of his arms.

He jolted a little when the cards in his hands started to glow, and, one by one, the images faded from them, leaving only blank cards. Yugi's relief was short-lived, however, since, as the image from his Yami's card faded away, he didn't feel that familiar presence return to him.

"Uso...." The strangled word was the only thing to escape his throat as he stared down at the now blank card in dismay, tears welling in his eyes. It just couldn't be, not after everything that he had went through. It just couldn't be true.

With a strangled sob, he turned in Seto's arms, crying hard into his chest, unable to believe that he would never see his Yami again. It was just too much. He couldn't take it.

He was too deep in his own sorrow to notice Seto's body tensing against his own, or to hear the padded footfalls of bare feet walking across the tiled floor. It wasn't until strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist from behind that he gasped, freezing completely.

"I would not cry just yet, my Hikari." Came a wonderfully familiar voice from behind him, causing him to  turn in the duel embrace to stare up at the face of his Yami, the once that so closely resembled his own, and threw himself at the taller boy, wrapping his arms around him tightly and nuzzling his cheek against the pharaoh's bared chest, barely taking note of the fact that a thin strip of cloth wrapped around his Yami's hips, aside from some arm and wrist bands, and the crown he wore beneath his bangs, was the only thing that his dark half was wearing. He'd have to ask about that later, but the only thing he cared about right now was that his Yami was back and that he was here with him. He felt Seto's arms envelop the both of them and his relief finally became too much for him. Worn out from his emotional and physical fatigue, he fell asleep, nestled between the arms of his loves.

 

Jou watched the happy reunion with one of his trademark grins, though was scowling internally as he saw 'Ryou' slink of when no one was looking. He could practically feel the dark energy radiating from the boy and it wasn't hard to tell just where he was going. The thought irked him, but there was little he could do about it right now without calling undue attention to himself; which was the last thing he needed.

Nevertheless, he would take care of Ryou and his dark other later.

 

~Owari~~

YAY!!!!!!!! It’s finally done! OMG, that took forever X_x;;;;  I've been working on so many different ideas, not to mention my drawings, and it's hard as hell to force yourself to write something when you're not sure it's even any good.

Oh well, I'll let you guys be the judge of it. Be sure to review and bolster my confidence so I can get to work on the sequel ^_~

 

Ja matte!