Author's notes: Okay, to warn everyone, this is a very long chapter, probably longer than that one chapter in A Shadow Horse's Promise, and that is long. This is 15 pages and nearly 5,000 years- I mean words XD. Also, this chapter is mostly Hashira's memories and nightmares.
Nightmare Moon: My reign shall take over here, peasant.
Toshiro: OoO… I don't care if you are the queen of the night, or if Princess Luna is somewhere inside of you. I will take you down for saying that to my girl! -goes to dragon form and an epic battle ensues-
Princess Celestia: The noble author owns nothing but her OCs and ideas. Please enjoy while I try to get my sister back with bananas. XD
As soon as Hashira was laid down in her bed and her eyes closed, her body started twitching and she was whimpering. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and Luna had her horn glowed. A mist came from Hashira's horn and projected an image like a tv screen.
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Hashira was in human form: A young girl, about 14 years old, with flame colored hair that fell down to mid back, with little bang over her left eye, a simple red skirt held to the waste by a red sash trimmed in gold, a black tunic trimmed in gold, gold arm and leg bands so close together you would think it's armor, gold ankh earrings, a crimson cloak trimmed in gold, and simple red sandals trimmed in black.
She walked toward Atemu in pharaoh form, and Toshiro in human form: A young boy, about 14 years old, with ice colored hair that went to his shoulders, with a little bang over his left eye, a simple blue shendyt held to the waste by a blue sash trimmed in silver, a white tunic trimmed in silver, silver arm and leg bands so close you would think it's armor, silver ankh earrings, a blue cloak trimmed in silver, and simple blue sandals trimmed in white.
"Atemu, Toshiro, Mahad is dead, so I am going to seek out mother for assistance. Akefia is on the loose and I want to make sure my family is safe." Hashira says with seriousness in her voice.
"Hashira, I don't think you should go. I sense something bad about to happen." Toshiro pleads to her.
"Your mate is right, Hashira." Atemu says with his arms crossed.
"Atemu, you may be pharaoh now, but I need to see my mom. I too, sense something bad about to happen and I want to go see my mother, and hope that it isn't the last time." Hashira says, before she turns into her birth form and galloping away.
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Toshiro says, "I remember this. After she galloped away, Atemu told me that I should follow her and protect her if it's needed, and I nodded and turned into my shadow creature form and flew after her, sticking to the shadows so I won't be seen."
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Hashira galloped away from the palace at amazing speed and since the people of the town knew her, they didn't try to stop her thinking that she is a runaway horse, instead they let her pass knowing that she is the pharaoh's personal bodyguard and the beautiful filly that used to live at the ranch near the city. When she made it passed the city, her sensitive nose picked up smoke in the direction of her home, so she went to her Elemental Angel form and spread her wings. She flew a while longer until she saw what caused the smoke; Her home was on fire.
Hashira flew down since the fire can't harm her and smoke didn't hurt her breathing, she ran right in, her wings spread out behind her in panik. She saw dead and dying horses, and some where on fire. She could hear their screams and pleas to live, but she only had one on her mind. Her nose finally picked up her mother's scent and she ran. When she reached her destination, her eyes widened in shock. Her mother was right in front of her, the mane, tail, and some of the fur catching fire, but still breathing.
Hashira fell to her knees and pulled her mother's head onto her lap.
"Mom! Mom, wake up! Please don't die mom!" Hashira pleaded with tears falling down her eyes in a frenzy.
The mare opens her eyes a little, gasping in pain, her eyes meet her daughter's and she neighes, "Hashira… You need… to be… strong… never give up… I'm sorry my daughter… but my time has come."
"No mom, your time came too soon, it's not supposed to end like this!" Hashira cried, tears running down her face.
"Goodbye… my daughter… One day… we will meet again." and with that, the mare's head drops limp in Hashira's arms and lap.
Hashira's eyes widen and her tears momentarily stop, before she raises her head to the sky and lets out an agonizing scream of sadness and that of a broken soul.
Laughter comes out of nowhere causing Hashira to stop screaming and she sees, a man about as tall as Bakura in human form, and can be mistaken for him, but could also be differed from him, he was a tall man with a deep tan, shaggy and wild silvery/dirty grey hair, deep crimson eyes, and a double T scar under his right eye, Akefia.
The moment Hashira realized who stood there, she let out another scream, this time in pure hatred, anger, and the fury of a broken soul that wishes for vengeance. Akefia just laughed again, before he summoned his monster, Diabound, and disappeared. Hashira collapsed on the ground, next to her dead mother, sobbing and broken.
Toshiro flew above the ranch shocked, and then he spotted Hashira next to a mare he assumed was her mother. He flew down and picked her up bridal style, her wings drooping, and her shakes in fear and horror at her eyes, they were no longer a bright ruby red full of hope, but a deep blank pool of blood red, full of a broken soul that required the vengeance that she deserved. Toshiro held her close to his scalley chest, before roaring in anger at the night sky, before flying away with a broken Hashira in his arms.
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Hashira had actually screamed when at the same moment her 'past self' screamed in the nightmare, worrying Toshiro even more. Everyone looked at Toshiro whose eyes were starting to look as cold and rigid as Seto's eyes.
"I still want to end Akefia for putting Hashira through all of this. The only way I can describe the look in her eyes is, it was as if her very soul had died, like someone had mentally raped, like all innocence that she had was just ripped from her mind." Toshiro growled.
"We know Toshiro, and she has dealt with a him a few times since you weren't present." Seto says.
"What did she do?" Toshiro asks with a smirk.
"Here is the list: When Akefia tried to seal their souls, not mine as I wasn't there, into dolls, Hashira tried to strangle him with shadow magic while yelling curses, until she realized it was a shadow game and calmed down." Seto explained.
"Next, when he tried to seal their souls, I was in a coma at the time, blame Atemu, into duel monster cards, tell you later, when Bakura was sealed as a Change of Heart, he possessed one his monsters, made a joke since it was a girl monster, Atemu used the Millennium Puzzle to switch the souls, so when Akefia was on the game board in the body of the female monster, which had a lower attack power than Hashira, she charged at him with a fire ball forming above her wings, she pretty much incinerated him and sent him to the card graveyard."
"The last time was when we all faced him, we had gone into Atemu's memory world to retrieve his memories, though I came in later than them. Then, apparently they all figured out that it wasn't really his memory, but just another twisted shadow game of Akefia's. Hashira had sent a part of her into the game with Atemu, for he went in first, then she had apparently she had caught a whiff of Akefia, so when the others went into the game, she only sent another part of her into the game. It was enough to knock her unconscious for a little while. When she had woken up, everyone, including her, were in sarcofagi. She immediately got out of her's and walked up the stairs to see they were in the Shadow Realm. There in front of her, were Atemu and Akefia playing the game, which was pretty much a bigger and worse version of the first Shadow RPG that Akefia had played with them. She ran up next to Atemu and let out a few curses at Akefia, and then guided the parts of her spirit. The first part of her spirit, helped Atemu through the game, making sure he didn't embarrass himself in front of his priests and doing everything she had done 5,000 years ago, though it was hard to convince Yugi's past life. Her second part of her, gave advice to Yugi and others, trying not to break the rules of the game. And, the part of her that was outside the game world was the one overseeing everything and pretty much trying to do something similar to Akefia, but different, which is try to make the game go as it happened 5,000 years ago, though Akefia wanted his side to win. The object of the game was pretty much, if Atemu learns what his real name was, which is Atemu, but back then he didn't know so his name was Yami, hence why Yugi keeps calling him that. But, if Akefia learns it and he manages to defeat Atemu, he wins and the shadows will terrorize the world and Zork will return. As you can see, Atemu beat him. And as soon as the game was won, Hashira used her magic to make Akefia a separate body from Bakura and Ryou, that way she wouldn't hurt them, and as soon as Akefia was in his own body, clueless as to why and was about to lunge at Atemu, Hashira tackled him and pretty much beat him up with shadows. I was watching the fight, and… I do not want to get on her bad side." Seto explains and Toshiro's and all the ponies' jaws drop.
"The only problem would be, Akefia managed to get away from her with the shadows, and vowed revenge on everyone. The shadows feed on anger and hatred, so when Hashira calmed down, the shadows calmed down, but left her unconscious. When she woke up, we went to Atemu's tomb and he and Yugi had to duel, to see if Atemu would be set free from the puzzle. Atemu lost, which meant he had to go to the afterlife, but he told the gods that he would rather be in our world with Yugi, than go to the afterlife which can only be described as stay in paradise for eternity. The gods thought about it, and all the while, Hashira looked broken, as she was his personal bodyguard, and if Atemu left, Marik and Bakura would also leave, and if he left, that Hashira would be relieved of her duties, which she didn't want to be relieved of. The gods, of course, let Atemu stay and Hashira was happy, though at a cost." Seto said and looked at Toshiro.
"... Of Course! The curse we placed on ourselves stopped." Toshiro said in realization.
"What curse?" Twilight asked.
"The one I mentioned when they saw each other and disappeared, and we were explaining things." Seto says.
"It's alright Seto, I will explain it." Toshiro says. "Anyway, 5,000 years ago, right after Prince Yugi declared that Hashira shall guard their tomb, Hashira and I were both heartbroken. We turned to each other, and Hashira pretty much broke down, hugged me, cried her eyes out, which led to a rant about all her friends being gone and that she didn't want to lose me. When she finally got it out of her system, we faced each other and since we didn't know how long the wait would be, we placed a curse on ourselves. It was a curse that, we shall not age a day or die at all and shall live for eternity until the King is no longer bound to the puzzle. The moment that Atemu was free from the puzzle, we begun to age again, and by free from the puzzle, we don't mean the moment the puzzle is solved, we mean when he is no longer bound to the puzzle. A while back while I was just eating my food, I did feel a change and found myself shocked that I was aging again. I then smiled and realized that Atemu was free. Though, then I realized something, once soul mates meet and mate, every moment if they are separated for long periods of time, the grow weaker in energy, till one day, they both die for not being there for each other. Since we were immortal, we didn't really feel our energies dropping, but now that we are mortal, it is like every day you end up even more tired than you were the day before. Also, being in separate worlds, we couldn't even sense each other's energy to see if the other was even alive or not, the moment that she came to this world, we were able to feel something different, which is each others energy which we hadn't felt for a long time. The moment we saw each other, our energies immediately went to full again." Toshiro explained.
They nod and notice that Hashira's dream had changed.
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Atemu was riding on Hashira's back as she was in shadow creature form, though there was a bridle and saddle so he wouldn't fall off. They were riding through the city at a very fast pace chasing Akefia on horseback, a giant red leviathan/dragon with wings, and two mouths called Slifer the Sky Dragon, was flying above them chasing around Diabound, and Toshiro was flying after them, helping Slifer in attacking Diabound and protecting the city.
They made it to a cliff and they started fighting like crazy. Atemu conjured up a plan on how to defeat Diabound, and even though he was already too injured, he used Slifer for bait. They managed to get Diabound right where they want it, when all of a sudden, Slifer looks paralyzed and in pain, and then Diabound obliterates Slifer's upper body. When they're all distracted, and Atemu falls off Hashira coughing up blood, Akefia takes out a knife, and coats it with magic from the Millennium Ring he stole from Mahad. He smiled cruelly, before throwing the knife dead center straight into Bakura's back.
Bakura cried out in pain, "Damn you Thief! You're no brother of mine!"
"Kura!" Ryou exclaimed as they ran over to him.
"I… Love… You… my… little… bunny." Bakura said, before he passed out.
Hashira and Toshiro, who were able to see souls as they were half animal, half shadow creature, saw the light and shadows of Bakura's soul escape his body and flow straight into the ring. Hashira's eyes glazed over and a look of indifference formed on her face, until Toshiro rubbed her shoulders and calmed her down.
Hashira and Atemu looked at each other and nodded, before Hashira went back to shadow creature form, the tack appeared on her, and Atemu climbed onto her… like a king on his horse. They charged at Diabound, when it strikes the ground below them. Hashira goes to Elemental Angel form and while they're falling, she catches him, but they are both too tired so they both fall, while Toshiro screams Hashira's name as she screams in pain.
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Hashira screamed again in her dream and Toshiro was getting really worried. All of a sudden, she was coughing in her sleep and blood was coming out. Toshiro started freaking out, but Yugi stopped him.
"No, Toshiro. What happens in her dream happens outside the dream. So, we can't interfere." Princess Luna says as Yugi tries to calm down Toshiro.
"Alright, thankfully Hashira never died. Though, this isn't even the full nightmare, even though this is my first time witnessing her like this, I can tell full and well that this is not the actual nightmare. Right now she is just going through painful memories." Toshiro says as Bakura is slightly shaky from the nightmare.
"I remember that time, I could feel a great pain in my spine and could feel the blood trickle down my back as I began to feel dizzy and a strong pull on my very being. I passed out, yet could feel myself getting drawn from my body. Then waking up in darkness, before passing out again, and when I woke up, I could hear crying and saw that Akefia had Ryou trapped in his soul room, while he possessed Ryou's body for a shadow game versus Atemu." Bakura says and Ryou leans on him to show that he knows.
"Guys, the scenery of the nightmare is changing." Rainbow Dash says, and they see the change.
Ryou, Malik, and even Marik begin to shake violently, which causes alarm, until Atemu, Duke, Yugi, Toshiro, and Seto realize what is wrong. It is the nightmare where the three of them die.
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Atemu rode on Hashira's back along the Nile, his guards, Marik, Ryou, Malik, Mana, Shada, and Toshiro following. They rode for a while before they see an abandoned village. Hashira and Toshiro stop dead in their tracks as they gaze upon the village, for they can see people hiding in their houses and some warriors outside sending death glares at Atemu.
"So, this is Kul Elna. The village of thieves." Shada, a bald priest with tattoos says as they all see some ghostly like things flying around
"What's wrong Hashira, Toshiro?" Atemu asks as all the horses also start acting up.
/My King. Toshiro and I see dead people over there. It has long been thought by humans that animals can see spirits, well we see 99 souls looking angrily at you. I think the dirty good for nothing self proclaimed Thief King Akefia was telling the truth… about how his village was killed for the Millennium items, but I don't think that your father was the one who did it, he would never have approved of this./ Hashira says and Atemu nods as they enter the village.
Some of the guards went down a trapdoor to find Akefia, and ended up dying from ghosts. Atemu, Marik, Ryou, Malik, and Hashira went down the trapdoor, while Shada, Mana, and Toshiro fought off skeletons.
When they end up in there, Akefia tells them about how the Millennium items were forged; Shadow alchemy and 99 souls. Hashira narrowed her eyes as the fallen souls of animals come to her and tell her everything that had happened, and that they all want revenge. What amazes her is that she can see the spirits of her family appear next to her, and she nearly cries when she see her mom. The spirits of Kul Elna surround them and then proceed to try to take their lives, but the animal spirits come to Hashira and free her, fighting on Hashira's side while Hashira's mother stands next to her. Then Mahad, who had died by fusing himself with his Ka, forming the Dark Magician, comes to Atemu and the others, while Hashira and the animals are glaring at Akefia and the ghosts of Kul Elna.
It was then that the battle commenced. It was an even battle, and when Diabound hid himself in the shadows, Shada summoned his Ka, Two-Headed Jackal Warrior, and while Jackal Warrior gets defeated while trying to protect Atemu, Hashira heard the voices of the spirits telling her what to do. She nodded and told Atemu that he should have Mahad target the ceiling, and it allowed them to see him. Mahad attacked again, but then the ghosts of Kul Elna entered Akefia's body, which doubled Diabound's power. Mahad attacked Diabound, only to find that his attack didn't land as Diabound had an aura shield of souls.
The spirit creatures with Hashira, all complained about how it was unfair and Hashira agreed. She stepped forward, causing Akefia to raise an eyebrow.
"Akefia, I will not allow you to use others or destroy others for your own personal goal. I shall end you now." Hashira said as Toshiro came into the cellar.
Akefia laughed and said, "What can a freak of a girl do to me?! The Thief King!"
Hashira growled and Toshiro nodded as they transformed to shadow creature form. Hashira galloped forward and shot a blast of fire straight at Akefia, while Toshiro used his ice breath. The ice completely froze the spirit barrier and Diabound's arm as the fire blast connected with Akefia, though he looked unfazed as more ghosts came to protect him. Hashira growled and went to Elemental Angel form. She summoned her sais of fire as Toshiro did the same and summoned his sais of ice.
Hashira sprinted forward and practically flew at Akefia and managed to have her sais connect to his stomach. Akefia coughed up blood, but then smirked as the ghosts attacked her, but the spirit animals helped in getting her to safety. Diabound attacked Mahad, but then Dark Magician Girl and Mana came to help. All of a sudden, Diabound let out an attack, which Ryou and Malik used Mystical Elf and Revival Jam to defend, but both got destroyed causing them both to fall to their deaths, much to Marik's horror.
"No! Ryou! I promised Bakura I would take care of you, and now I've failed! Malik! Wake up! Please don't die! I won't be able to live without you!" Marik cried in agony and Hashira felt a sense of both pity, balance, sadness, and anger.
Hashira looked at Akefia and as she was about to charge, time stood still, only Akefia was able to move. They all heard clapping and could see Aknaudin walking in. He then started spouting nonsense and said that he was the one who slaughtered Kul Elna to make the Millennium items. He then took Seto's Millennium Rod and stabbed Marik, and Hashira and Toshiro could see Marik collapse and have his soul get sucked in.
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"I vaguely remember it. All I remember is one moment grieving over Ryou and Malik, then the next is a searing pain that only lasts a moment before I am pretty much thrown into perpetual darkness and could feel my insanity begin to take over." Marik says and Malik leans on him for reassurance. "I didn't wake up until Malik was a kid, somehow getting to tomb keeper's initiation caused a small portion of my soul to be drawn to him, and the moment I could feel some energy waking me up, I was suddenly hit by some sort of magic forcing me to be trapped. I woke up again some time later and saw Malik's father whipping Malik's adopted older brother Odion, who when conscious was able to seal me away. It was only a fraction of my soul, so I immediately went and grabbed the Millennium Rod, which allowed the rest of my spirit to flow into Malik. I pinned his sister to the wall using magic, so that she wouldn't interfere of course, then I proceeded to pin his father to the wall and stab him to death while sending his soul to the shadow realm for what he had done to Malik. Then, in order for myself to not be sealed away again, I went over to Odion, to make sure I couldn't be sealed again, but he woke up and Malik gained back control. I ended up trying to gain strength, which was easy with the amount of rage and anger Malik was growing over the years, until Odion gets struck by lightning and I finally wake up, then I pretty much send a bunch a bunch of people to the shadow realm, before getting defeated by Atemu."
"Well, since you three have died, all that is left is how the the two of us died and the separation of the two of them." Atemu says puts wing over Yugi.
"Um… I see a giant monster." Fluttershy says and they look and see Zork the Dark One attacking the city.
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Zork sent out a powerful blast, having Hashira and Toshiro in complete fear, almost making them bow to the god of the shadows and darkness.
The gods had been turned to stone, Exodia had been defeated, killing Simon, the only priests left alive were Seto and Isis, the only ones left alive of the one great friendship Hashira and Toshiro had, were Atemu, Seto, Honda, Yugi, Joey, and Otogi, everyone else had died, and Hashira was going to make sure no one else died.
All of a sudden, Atemu ran at the Dark Lord.
Hashira grabbed his arm and asked, "Atemu, what are you doing?! You can get killed! Think of Yugi!"
"I know, I am going to save Egypt and Yugi. Though it will cost me greatly, I must protect my kingdom." Atemu says as he yanks his arm from his personal bodyguard's grip and runs at the giant demon. (Outside of the dream, Princess Celestia and Luna are in awe of Atemu's bravery toward his kingdom)
All of a sudden, Atemu mutters in an ancient language that not even Hashira can understand, and a bright light shines on him and the dark lord as he shouts, "I am the son of King Aknamkanon, my name is… ATEMU!"
Atemu then grabs him Millennium Puzzle and stabs his own chest with the puzzle, horrifying Yugi and Hashira. The dark lord screams as shadows begin to envelop him, but only work half way as the fallen king loses his soul to the puzzle, and when the soul gets sucked into the puzzle, it shatters itself, leaving the king in a shattered puzzle.(Outside of the dream, Atemu says, "When I did that seal, I sacrificed three things, my life, my memories, and my name became to key, the key to unleashing the shadows and sealing them. I was alone for so long a time, that when Yugi released me, I was half mad. He had been bullied at the time, so I disposed of the bully, unfortunately, whenever I took over Yugi around that time, when he woke up, he would have no memory of what happened while I was in control. It was Hashira who helped the both of us during that time.")
Hashira and Yugi scream, "Ate-Pharaoh!"
They look at each other and Hashira says, "Yugi, he sacrificed his name, now his name is the only thing that can unleash or seal away the shadows, we both know his name, but we are completely forbidden from saying the name outloud. The dark lord though, hasn't been fully sealed away, maybe if Seto can-"
Hashira and Toshiro looked horrified as Yugi ran at Zork and chanted something in japanese.
"Yugi, don't do it!" Toshiro yelled, but then a brighter light surrounded Zork and Yugi, before Yugi stabbed his stomach and Zork completely disappeared.
They all ran at Yugi to see the japanese prince was slowly dying.
Yugi looked at them and said, "You all gave me a good life -cough- I hereby declare, that Seto become the new pharaoh, as he was my husband's cousin. I also declare that the shattered Millennium Puzzle be placed in our tomb -cough- and that Hashira become the guardian of our tomb, until my husband's soul is free. This is my final order." and with that, Yugi went limp, next to the fallen body of the person who would come to be named as The Nameless Pharaoh.
Hashira and Toshiro stood up and turned to each other. Hashira tackled Toshiro and cried in his shoulder, mumbling incoherent phrases, but still upset.
"Shh, I know, I know. But, do not fret we will see each other again, some day." Toshiro says to reassure her.
"Lady Hashira, Lord Toshiro, High Priest- I mean Pharaoh Seto and I can perform our magic so that the souls of Yugi, Ryou, Malik, and others who will or have died and not lost their soul in our lifetime, can be reincarnated into the future, that way, the pharaoh, Bakura, and Marik shall have their lovers back." Isis says.
"Okay, Hashira will probably need them in the future. Hashira, we must perform a ritual. It will ensure that we will live long enough to see the pharaoh and the others to be reunited, and for us to be able to find each other again when the time comes." Toshiro says and Hashira looks up at him and nods.
They face each other and stare into each other's eyes, not blinking for a single moment as they speak in a language that no one, but half shadow creatures know, and a glowing light surrounds them. When the light stops, the two of them have become immortal.
A few months later, Hashira and Toshiro are in the Valley of the Kings. They are getting everything needed in the pharaoh's tomb.
When they are finished, Seto says, "Hashira, it is time."
Hashira gives Toshiro one final glance, before walking into the tomb. Toshiro gives her one final look, before going into shadow creature form, roaring and flying away.
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Toshiro and everyone looked at Hashira sadly, as tears began to fall down her face in her sleep.
"The dark memories have ended, the real nightmare is about to begin." Princess Luna says darkly and sadly.
Author's notes: As Luna just said, the nightmares will come next chapter, and then everyone will feel even more pity for Hashira and just review out of heartbreaking sadness.
Toshiro: You are one evil author.
Akefia: Why do you think I want her to join my side even though she wants to rip me to shreds?
Shining Armor: Halt! You are under arrest! -chases a laughing Akefia around till they leave-
Toshiro: Please review if you pity Hashira.