Disclaimer:
As with all fanfictions I do not own Yugioh, though I wish that I did. . I claim Ariona.
This was a chaptered fic, but I lost drive for it. So I've alterred it a bit. There will NOT be future chapters.
Just hurry back
To the land of the living
Things have changed
Since you've been gone
The world is turning
In the land of the living
Take a deep breath
Life goes on...life goes on
"Land of the Living" Pam Tillis
Brown eyes shot open, gazing through the darkness. Something was changing. A feral grin spread across a pale face and an innocent boy sighed in his sleep, unease coursing through his veins. Laughter escaped from another and shadows danced around their master. It begin, it begins
Their warning resounded in his mind, and he stood in his soul room. Why the Realm swarmed him as it did, he did not know, but their message was clear. Change was coming. As his Ring glowed in response to his emotions, his eyes glittered.
He couldn't wait.
A scream erupted from the depths of a young girl, her hands gripping her head. She backed away from a ancient looking dagger lying upon the floor of her home.
"Not again, please not again!"
She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, her body shaking with convulsions. "What are these?" She continued to shake, closing her eyes, trying to block out the images that played in front of her.
It did no good.
-X-X-
There is sorrow and death and pain. There is blood and tears and flames. There are traders.
Traders in the lives of humankind and she can do nothing as they slay her family and taint her mind. She swings a sword trying hard to keep them at bay, but like the father who lies before her, she loses. Laughter she will remember for her life envelops her form as blood pours from wound after wound. She cries and struggles, but it is too late. Blue eyes full of innocence close and fade into black.
They decide to keep her. Decide she will be useful when she has grown. Laughter again. She will be their new toy, their new slave.
Thus life ends, and a living death begins...
-X-X-
The girl yelled again and opened her eyes, the screams of the dying still echoing in her ears. "Please stop. Leave me alone!" She whimpered, hating to see this again, hating to feel the pain. Deep within a voice whispered to her.
Stop resisting, and you will no longer see. These are not for your eyes...
The voice was calm yet demanding and slowly the teen relaxed. The visions stopped, though the pain did not. A sigh escaped her lips though, for it was better than watching that destruction. As she drifted into the darkness one final vision came. Her green eyes grew wide.
-X-X-
The girl stands in the darkness of the night, a gentle breeze wafting the sands around her feet. She stares into the sky, and slowly her hands wrap around her sides. Her clothes are covered in sand as is her hair and body.
She doesn't notice.
She is too intent on the sky above. Her blue eyes stare at the heavens, reflecting the heaven's mystery, as well as her pain.
They are no longer innocent.
There is silence, the only sounds coming from two horses tied behind her, searching the sands for shrubs. It stays like this as she stares into the crystal air, until a mumble comes from the direction of the horses. She chuckles lightly as she turns to stare at a rock formation. Beneath the overhang of the rocks, head leaning against it, is another.
She tilts her head and walks towards him, stopping a few feet from his restless form. His body is sprawled out against the cool sand, and his cloak is open revealing tan skin and a dagger at his side. She leans down and stares at his sleeping form.
Her hand moves forward as if to touch him, but stops inches from his face. To be this close was dangerous enough, for he was a light sleeper, the smallest contact would awaken him, and all his wrath would be upon her. This was not something she wished for.
Slowly her hand retreats and she sits on the ground facing him. She snaps her fingers, waiting. He doesn't respond, besides turning slightly. She sighs and scoots next to him, leaning against wall. Shivers run down her spine at the touch of its cold exterior and a frown forms. Her hand moves up, and the shadowy form of a bird appears over the dying fire. Suddenly they erupt into blue flame, and the creature is gone as fast as it came.
She smiles the heat of the fire warming her and she lies down as close to him as she dares. Her eyes close and she sleeps.
Next to her a pair of lavender orbs open, eyeing the renewed flames. He tilts his head towards the girl at his side. He chuckles darkly and a sinister smirk contorts his features.
"Pathetic. You're getting weak." He tells the sleeping form next to him. "But that makes it easier to control you, doesn't it?" There is more to the meaning of his words, but it is well hidden. Against what he says, a hand moves to stroke the girl's hair, and she sighs as his fingers make contact. With a chuckle he turns, falling back into his dreams.
-X-X-
The vison faded. The teen sighed in relief as she fell into the darkness. Her eyes closed and she no longer saw. Slowly the pain lifted as well, and she was left with a sense a calm. And than..
Nothing.
Eyes opened and stared into the room around them.Her blue-green orbs stopped on the discarded weapon that lay on the floor, examining. A chuckle escaped her thin lips as she picked it up, spinning the dagger in her hand.
"You no longer see."
Standing, she cracked her neck. "My memories are for me alone. Sleep child, sleep. I will carry the pain as I always have."
It was time...
She walked to the front door, sticking the dagger in a sheath at her side. The eyes of the cobra hilt glowed brightly as she walked out the door, it quietly closing behind her as she ventured into the darkness of the night.
He growled in annoyance, sounding like a predator tired of an insistent prey. It's exactly what he is. The shadows grabbed at his legs, drifting to and fro. His aggravation and anger did not deter them. The feelings of weeks before which had awoken him had only grown stronger. He was restless. The Realm did not halt its odd behavior, gates opening at random times, nor did its shadows leave him be. He licked his lips as he activited his item yet again. The air crackled with power that was not his own and a shiver ran down his spine. Curiousity was building.
A shadowed figure rubbed her temples as she looked onto the horizon. Her thoughts were on things from way back when, though she appeared to be no more that eighteen. Like many things her looks were deceiving. She sighed as she stared into the sky, mind wandering to him. She knew that somewhere in this place, he was alive.
Somewhere..
She was here as well. How and why, she knew nought. It didn't matter though. The only thing that did was that she had a promise to keep.
A promise to her master.
She would use all of her skills to find him, but she had her doubts. They would not stop her though. Yes, this world was different, and she barely understood any of it. Still, she would find him, follow him as she always had. She could not return to where she came, so all she could do was press on. She knew that well, but still. Without him life was meaningless.
She had lost him once, but not now...
It seemed she really had another chance. Of course, some things would never change. It was obvious the world wasn't one of those things. She sighed as she looked into the brightening sky.
The sun that rose now was the one in the same as that of long ago, as were the feelings that it stirred within her. The world around them though was not. Skyscrapers blocked the giant orb from hitting her face and instead she was cast into shadow.
The echo of shoes sounded in the air as they hit the paved ground. Cars sped by at a speed that even the fastest of horses could not maintain. People no longer relied on the word of one man nor did they know the ways of spells. Their idea of magic was cheap tricks such as a man sawing his female assistant in half.
Now the world was ruled by technology, but technology could fail. One must study to learn to control it, but any pathetic person could harness it.
No, life was different now, and those who walked upon the streets would never be able to comprehend the massive change, for this way of life is all they had ever known. Yes, it was true that remnants of those long ago places were found and they had heard of them, but these things were just memories to this world.
Unless they made it their life work to find the mysteries of those times they did not give it a second mind. The past no one cared for, at least, unless it was their own.
Had they given it any thought they would have noticed how blind they really were.
The population of mortals ignored him. He was another, insignificant human in there world. His head rose as he walked forward, eyes dancing side to side in search. He was close to that which called him. Closer than he had been in weeks.
The shadows lay silent in the Realm, seemingly ignorant. He wasn't fooled. It was there. How he knew?
The air was metallic.
He could taste the blood on his lips.
She frowned as she stared at those who walked by her, so caught up in their lives the knew not of the hidden world that moved around them. If they weren't they might have noticed that the way she moved was different from theirs, and the gold cobra head that stuck from a sheath tucked away at her side. If they had seen, would they have even known it was a dagger?
Most likely not.
They had forgotten, nor would they recall anytime soon.
The powers that many studied of the ancient world had been lost to them and they would never know of the magic that they no longer had. They were simply mortal beings who would, themselves be lost in time, just as those before them had.
Like she had done.
Let them continue to try to search out the mysteries of the ancient times. No matter how hard or how long they searched they would never find it. Only those who recalled would have the power.
Her frown turned to that of an evil grin as she thought this. She did not have to search for she knew the ways by heart. She had been raised by it in her struggle for life and death. It would be these ways that would lead her to him. She was sure of it, after all he was the one who had taught her.
The sun continued to rise and as it did she moved towards it ignoring those who walked past her in their hurry. None of them were him, for none held that air of power. A man shoved her backwards as he continued on and she chuckled. They were pathetic.
She too was focused on life, but not that like their own. Her life was not here in this place, even though she was. Her life was over, even though she was not.
Laughing slightly to herself she let the sun hit her as it finally reached above the buildings, than backed into the shadows of an alley. This was where she was at peace and she leaned against the wall to think.
Pulling a card from her pocket she studied the beast. The All Seeing White Tiger, though weak, was a loyal companion.
She muttered something and in an instant a darkness surrounded her. The card glowed and the beast sat by her its eyes filled with knowing. It knew the past, for it had seen this world change from the shadows of the realm. It had been there all those years ago, just like the sun. They knew how much the world had changed, as did the girl.
The sands of time always ticked.
Three thousands years past the world had changed. Though those around may not remember and may not care, she did. Just as she stood here now, she had than.
She had been there.
She sighed again as she continued to lean against the wall. This was a world she knew, here in the darkness, but that still didn't quiet the nagging thoughts plaguing her mind. She clenched her fist, the other hand gripping the dagger at her side. The golden cobra's eyes seemed to glow.
She chuckled lightly as she stroked the creature, staring into the darkness of the shadows. She was a shadow, in life, and of her former self.
That was to never change.
The tiger snorted as if reading her thoughts and she looked at him, agreeing that she couldn't change the past. He leaned into her and she laid her other hand on his back, a rare feeling of tranquility washing over her. The thoughts of the outside world drifted away as well did as her doubts.
Silence broke and his body froze. The sun continued overhead and the people moved around him. A growl echoed in his mind and a door within his item opened. A kaa lived.
For a long time she sat in the darkness, thinking. The monster nudged her and she looked down at the watch on her arm. She sighed as she stood. For months now she had searched, but she was no closer to finding him. Maybe the place she was to attend now would aid her, but she was not sure.
She tapped the weapon at her side and slowly the darkness faded. The tiger bowed his head anddisappered as well. As she walked from the alley she touched her weapon yet again. In a matter of seconds it vanished from sight, though it still sat there.
Once again, mortals would never know how blind they were.
She shivered suddenly, the feeling of eyes boring into her became apparent. She looked around, but found no one. Shaking her head she put her deck into her pocket. Slowly she seemed to change personalities as her eyes softened, and the blue in them faded.
The girl blinked a few times, gaining her bearings. Within a voice grunted and told her to hurry up. The teen frowned, but turned and began to run in the direction of her school.
Looks are deceiving...
-X-X-
A pair of chocolate brown eyes followed the receding form of the girl. Metal and pain seemed to ring in their owners ears, and flood his senses. His prey lay before him, and he cracked his fingers as he smiled. The ring vanished as he walked from the shadows, and his features softened, though his eyes still stayed harsh and cold. He turned in the direction the girl had gone. She had been in one of his Ryou's school uniforms.
His Ring did not point to a Sennen Item, yet the Realm responded to the girl's call. Their promise was here and now.
"It begins, it begins..."
He chuckled as he walked in the direction of Domino High.
-X-X-
Months later as Pegasus called a tournament, and duelists abound gathered on his island, none paid any mind to a paled skinned boy who walked with an authority no teen should have. Nor did they lay eyes on the shadow of a girl with orbs too full of knowledge, that seemed to follow in his wake.
When his plans would fail and he vanished, none noticed how he always knew what happened even when he was not around.
None ever stopped to think. He was well capable of carrying out his plans and his goals on his own as he always had. But with the return of a shadow unlike any from the Realm he controlled, his mind changed.
Years later, when the tomb of the Ancients fell to the ground burrying the Sennen Ring beneath thousands of stone, the ones he wanted so much destroy, left it there. Left him there. Even the ultimate Kaa, whom he served for life, abandoned him there to waste away in the prison he had created. None saw the green eyes which gazed steadily as the ruins fell, and in the night began to chip away at the rubble, golden dagger her only tool, with a spell unheard of for centuries passing through chapped lips.
The Book of the Dead told many secrets, and the Gods gave a demon another chance at life by the way of an imprisoned soul with no Sennen item. Ring in hand and a body of his own, the Darkness returned yet again. But he did not conquer, because that dream had died with the Yami he sought. And as many tried to befriend him, he usually ignored. As did the female who finally caught they eyes of Atem's followers. But it was too late for them to accept her.
Because the girl which had remained hidden was something he did not plan to share. She was his, in life than and now. His Shadow who had given herself to him long long ago, and brought him back when he was alone.
Mihae Ariona had always loved Bakura.
And maybe, though never did he voice it, he might have always loved her.
The world is turning
In the land of the living
Life goes on
Yes, life goes on...
So I completely changed alot of this around, and no one would really get it unless they read Wrath of the Raiders, which is no longer in existance. Ariona is a girl who joined Bakura in Egypt as a partner in raiding. She swore loyalty to him, and in Raiders was by his side as he tried to take revenge on Atem. I altered the story for him to follow Bakura in present day times. It served its purpose, and though others may not be happy with it, I am glad I can put this story to rest.
Thanks for reading.
Yoru