Hey guys, here's the long awaited chapter 8 for the Black Cauldron story. I am sorry to say that there is a character death in this chapter. Now I wonder how many of you will be surprised with my twist to the story. But there are two more twists that will happen in the next couple of chapters and I promise you guys will enjoy them. For now, enjoy!


Chapter 8

Sacrifice

Everyone are all down spirited since night has taken over the sky after the witches vanished, Seto and Ziegfried have set up a bonfire with everyone now sitting around the dancing flames, not saying a single word as they are all in each of their own world. After watching the older teens for a few more irritating seconds, Noah finally bursts.

"I've had it with all of you. You may have been able to get the Black Cauldron, but you did not think through this problem of how to stop this war, this madness. You're all nothing but failures and I've had enough! Come on, Chris, we're heading home!" With that, Noah begins the trek back to the caverns the Atlantean race resides.

"But Noah, if we just abandon them now, mother and grandfather won't be pleased to hear that you refuse to help them anymore." Chris calls after her friend as she stands from where she once sat beside Anzu who had let her rest her head in her lap.

"I don't care, they are nothing but a group of failures, nothings. Just forget about them and let's go!" Noah calls back without stopping or looking back. Clearly he never wanted anything to do with Yami, Bakura, Marik and the others to begin with.

Seeing as she can't convince him to stay, Chris faces her friends and says rather sadly, "I'm sorry, everyone." and she quickly runs to catch up to Noah before the two vanish.

The two Atlantean children now gone, Yami, Bakura and Marik let out a low sigh, causing the others to face them in confusion. "He is right, you know." Yami says as the three kept their gazes away from their friends.

"It is our fault." Bakura agrees.

"Without our weapons, we're nothing but mere weaponless protectors to Yugi, Ryou and Malik." Marik adds.

Then Anzu gently shakes her head before giving the three warm smiles. "You guys are wrong. You have proven yourselves to be someone when you remained strong and determined to make sure Yugi and the others are safe. And not just because it's your duty, it's because you three love them dearly and deeply that you would keep them safe the way you have.

"When I met you three after I had escaped those men who have abused me behind Honda's back, I could sense strong determination to protect what is most important to you. Knowing that feeling still lingers, I know that you shouldn't give up so easily."

"Do you really think so, Anzu?" Yami asks as he, Bakura and Marik stare at her in confusion only to see her smile sweetly as a friend to them. Seeing that her words are sincere, the three glance over to Seto, Jonouchi and Ziegfried to see that they agree with her. "Thanks Anzu, you really are a great friend, all of you actually."

Before anymore could be said, the group hear a long roar from in the sky. Looking up to where the roar came from, the group gasp at the sight of Leviathan flying over the Black Cauldron. This is not good! "Quick! We can't have the Leviathan and Dartz's men find the Cauldron!"

However before they could make a move to prevent anyone from finding the Black Cauldron, many of Dartz's henchmen appear out of nowhere, surrounding the friends to prevent them from escaping as they lead them and took the Cauldron back to the castle.

Back at the dreadful castle, Dartz's courtroom is now full of dead bodies of countless soldiers. A few henchmen had been ordered by Rex and Weevil to tie the group to a scaffolding that lead to a balcony overlooking the Black Cauldron with the obnoxious duo hanging out right by it. Glancing at Yami and the others, the two simply smirk. "Sorry that we're ignoring you all. After all, you came for the Black Cauldron." said Weevil in that annoying voice of his.

"Why not climb in then? It'll only cost you, say, YOUR LIFE!" Rex adds as he and his partner laugh at how unfortunate they are.

Hearing footsteps, Rex and Weevil cease their laughing and immediately bow low on the ground and the tied up group watches as Dartz appears in the courtroom. "Everything is set, sire!" both Rex and Weevil proudly announce.

In the courtroom, after checking to see that everything is indeed ready, Dartz smirks evilly towards Yami, Bakura, Marik, Anzu, Jonouchi, Seto and Ziegfried. "My, quite a brave and handsome crew! Three guardians, a whore, a lost puppy, a failed dog trainer, and a broken-down minstrel!" With each insult, the group glare at the man.

"Perhaps you all may be interested to see what fate has in store for you." Turning away from them, Dartz picks up a skeleton soldier and carries the body to the Cauldron. "Now I call upon my army of the dead! The Cauldron Born!" Placing the body inside the Cauldron, Dartz calls out to all those dead soldiers in the courtroom. "Arise my immortal messengers of death! Our time has finally arrived!"

The magic cast and the body sacrificed, with the power of the Orichalcos stone from around his neck, the Black Cauldron releases a great fire wall that created an ominous green mist that had cover every single skeleton in the courtroom. As the mist settles on the skeletons, the eye sockets began to glow red and a mark of the Orichalcos seal appears on their foreheads.

Watching the dead soldiers stand on their own, the group could feel their stomachs churning. "It's horrid!" Anzu says as she has to look away.

"My phantom warriors have come to life. All dead from centuries past. With the Black Cauldron and the Orichalcos powers together, this army is unstoppable! Now go my soldiers and destroy everything in your path!"

Getting really excited, Rex and Weevil start to usher their king to a higher balcony. Watching the soldiers slowly leave the castle as zombies, Anzu faces Yami with fear in her eyes, "Yami, I'm afraid it'll be over for us and everyone."

Clearly she is afraid of no longer seeing her fiancé ever again. Well he is afraid that even Yugi and the others don't stand a chance against an army that can never die. "I never thought things would turn out this way, Anzu."

"There has to be a way for us to stop this." Bakura whispers as the group attempt to figure out what they can do to stop that undead army.

On a much higher balcony that overlooked the drawbridge to see the Cauldron Born cross over to land and slaughter everything in their path. "Just moments away from victory. My greatest triumph!"

Somehow being able to get his hidden dagger, Bakura gets to work on slicing the ropes tied around his wrists. Now freed from his bounds, the others watch to see Bakura freeing Marik, who in turn helped to free everyone else. "Thanks guys. Alright, all of you go with Bakura and Marik." Yami says to Anzu and the others after they had been freed before climbing up the scaffolding to the balcony above them.

"Yami, where are you going?" Ziegfried asks, however, everyone were getting a terrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

"I must stop the Cauldron."

"But Yams, don't you remember what those witches said?" Bakura calls out.

Seeing the determined look on his face had confirmed everyone's fears; he's going to sacrifice himself to stop the Black Cauldron. "No, you can't go through with this!" Marik exclaims.

"My mind's made up!" Yami then starts to approach the end of the balcony.

Quickly coming up with something that will convince her friend not to go through this terrible idea, Anzu quickly climbs up the scaffolding, screaming, "Yami no!" Now standing behind him on the balcony as he is looking over the edge and down at the Black Cauldron, Anzu says with tears streaming down her cheeks, "Please Yami, don't go into the Cauldron."

"If I don't do this, we all lose and this world will come to an end." Yami doesn't turn away from what he has decided in order to protect Yugi and countless others that won't stand a chance against the Cauldron Born, especially when they have the power of the Orichalcos coursing through their dead veins.

Maybe these last words should be enough to change his mind about sacrificing himself. "How do you think Yugi will feel when he finds out you sacrificed yourself to stop the Cauldron? Don't you realize this could crush him when you promised to come back to him alive?"

This did cause Yami to flinch as the image of Yugi appears in his mind. The thought of Yugi badly hurt about losing him did stab his heart. "I am aware that this will hurt him, Anzu. However…" Yami finally turns to face her, tears in his eyes and a gentle smile on his face, "he'll know I died as a hero. Yugi means more than the entire universe to me, so take good care of him for me."

Facing the edge one last time, his last word is enough to crush everyone's heart; "Farewell."

Watching him getting ready to jump, Anzu is just about to run forward when Bakura and Marik, who had climbed up the scaffolding, held her back as she struggle to get out of their strong arms. Closing his eyes with the tears flowing down his cheeks and Yugi being the only one on his mind, Yami jumps off the edge and into the Black Cauldron. Once his body had touched the flames inside, a great explosion blinded the group briefly.

Grieving over Yami's sacrifice, the friends could see that the fire and mist that had spewed out of the Black Cauldron is being drawn back to it since one soul had willingly went in the Cauldron to stop it's powers.