DARK HIGHWAY
Chapter 12/light

Power.
The only thing she felt was power, flowing through her veins. Her skin was being cleansed, bruises and wounds – already gone. Her body felt as light as a feather. She opened her eyes, seeing streams of light around her, spinning, like it was a ritual of healing. She grasped the staff tighter as she felt the healing coming to and end. With this item she felt strong. It was meant for her, it was made for her. She took another deep breath as the staff's power eased off. She was standing on the ground in perfect shape. All of the pain from the tortures was gone.
But Akane knew it wasn't over yet.
"Put that staff down, dear. You don't even know what it is or how to use it… You might hurt yourself. We wouldn't want that to happen, now, would we?" Yami's snake-like voice traveled up to her ear from behind.
"I may not know what it is…" she simply said, slowly turning around, "But I know exactly how to use it."
If Yami could go crazier than he already was, he did. Glaring at her, he released Marik from the rod's control and pointed the golden item at Akane. "Nobody likes a liar." He threatened her by taking a step closer, his rod still pointing at her.
"Look who's talking." Unlike her last encounter with Yami, this time Aka didn't have to tell herself to hide fear. She didn't have to hide it, because there was no fear. For some reason she knew that this staff would be her escape, the item giving her power to stand up to this monstrosity in front of her. This abomination. This…darkness.
Yami's patience was done for. The eye on his millennium rod glowed, meaning a moment later Akane should be held by a force.
But she was prepared. She closed her eyes and swiped the staff in front of herself. There was pain in her chest for a second.
As Aka heard a crash, she opened her eyes.
Yami's spell had backfired. Aka looked around in disbelief – a transparent, yet slightly visible force field was around her. It was like a shield, which bounced off Yami's attack, directing it back at him, making him fly all the way across the room Marik was in.
She came back to her senses, loosening her grip on the staff and the force field disappeared. Akane ran out of the secret room and rushed to Marik, who was on the floor, still trying to understand what just happened. He glanced at her, then the staff, then his yami, then all around the room.
"Marik, I'll explain later." she said, offering him a hand and helping him up, "I'm sorry I hid this from you, it's just…"
He cut her off by putting his fingers to her lips. "No time." he said, glancing at Yami, who had passed out, making her take it as a hint. "We'll be fine. Now let's get out of here."
Akane nodded and they both started running, but after just a few steps Marik flinched. His leg was badly hurt after Yami flung him to the nearby wall.
"Stay still." Akane said, confident. Marik narrowed his eyes, having a questioning look on his face, but didn't say anything – it wasn't an approval or disapproval. It was neither, yet he stood still.
The girl grasped her staff tightly, letting her energy flow through it, becoming one with the power she held in her hands. Aka heard Marik gasp as dim lights started swirling around his injured leg.
"What in the name of-… That's how you recovered…" he realized as she was performing this magic on him. True, Marik didn't see just how she recovered; he was in the other room, pinned to the wall…
The healing was over in a few seconds. As Marik stretched out his leg, everything seemed to be in place. He nodded and ran, right after he grabbed Aka's free hand and pulled her along, guiding her through the corridors, towards the exit.
"Just how in the world are you capable of these things..?" he asked as they were running.
"I honestly have no idea… I just… I know how to use it. I don't even know what it is, but I know how to use this staff. Being around you taught me some things about destiny and fate, Marik. Well, I think I was bound to find this staff." she answered, with random breathing intervals. They were close to the exit.
"Believe it or not, I know that feeling. The same happened to me with the millennium rod, I didn't exactly need instructions to find out what it does and how to do it…" he took a deep breath as they had a quick rest from running. "And from the looks of it… I think you've found the 8th millennium item…"
Aka face-palmed: "F*ck! We forgot to take the millennium rod! We just left it there!" She wanted to run back, but Marik stopped her.
"No way! He might be awake by now! We'll figure something out, but for now, believe me, I want to get us both out of this Ra-damned tomb!"
He was right. Some reinforcements would be quite handy when facing someone like Yami. They both started walking up the stairs in front of them.
The feeling of wind brushing against her skin made her feel like the happiest person on the planet. Soon they were out of the tomb, standing in the desert as the sun was near setting. We're out of the darkness…
Something inside her snapped as soon as she saw a light source in the desert.
The ruins.
"Marik." she said, demandingly, catching his attention, "This isn't the entrance that I used. See that light over there, a bit further away? Take me there. Your motorbike is at that location and there's something I need to do."
It was as if he heard the snap too. Marik didn't even argue with the confident woman standing in front of him. "Hop on."
Akane got on an unknown motorcycle behind him, one arm around his waist for safety, the other – holding the staff.
The millennium staff.

Her hair was just as messed up as her face, or at least she thought so, so the wind didn't matter. Marik stopped by the ruins, eyeing his motorbike. "I didn't do anything to it. You said it yourself once – I'm a good driver." she said.
But the awkward silences were common at the time. They would continue like this until she explained everything, and now was not the time. Akane stood in front of the entrance. "Stay here."
"No."
"What..?" she looked back at Marik.
"No," he repeated himself, "I will not stay by the entrance like some dog. I'd rather follow you around like one… Really, Akane, after all we've been through, you keep leaving me behind, hiding things from me, things in which I could actually help! I know you're going after Bakura, but all you have is some magic stick, while he still has 6 millennium items!"
"Stored in a bag!" she protested.
"Not the point! What I was trying to say was… just start trusting me already. I'm not the psycho who we just left behind anymore."
Akane was staring at him, starting to feel guilty. I've left him in obscurity for so long… Hell, I might make things even worse…
She closed her eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry, Marik… I just didn't want to cause you trouble…"
He smiled and came closer to her, lifting her chin up, making her look at him. He was smiling. "You're one big trouble anyway, you know that?"
Aka chuckled. "Come on. I still have something to settle with Bakura. Just promise me you won't interfere unless I'm in trouble. This time I actually have a plan." she gazed to the sun what was near setting.
"Right." Marik said and followed Aka into the ruins, after she bolted in first. "What's your plan?"
"You'll see. Just keep it down for now, we're close." she said as she saw the blue light at the end of the corridor. Akane slowed down and quietly approached the entrance. Then she turned back to Marik and whispered: "This time I really need you to stay here. As soon as Bakura is on the platform, grab the bag with the millennium items over there," she pointed at the bag, not far from the pedestal, "and run back here. Then wait for me. I'll take care of the rest."
"Just how are you planning on getting him on the platform? And why?" he whispered back.
"Trust me." she glanced at the staff she was still holding. "I can do this."
Marik nodded and she entered the room. Bakura had his back turned to the entrance, so he did not see her. She moved as quietly as she could, hiding the staff behind her back.
*crack* F*ck, not yet!
The cracking of the stone floor immediately caught Bakura's attention. "What the-? You?! How did you escape?!"
I need some more time. "Well…" Akane started walking slightly to the left. "Yami isn't as smart as you think he is…" Slowly she placed herself in front of Bakura, in a way that the sun platform was right behind him. She was still hiding the staff.
Bakura didn't take his eyes off her. "And yet you were foolish enough to come back here. For what? The millennium items? Or maybe it's just because you couldn't resist me?"
"Oh please!" she chuckled, "I'd rather be banished to the Shadow Realm than that."
"Be careful what you wish for, girl…"
Bakura's eyes narrowed and his millennium ring started to glow.
It worked!
Akane grasped her staff and created another shield, revealing it to the very surprised Bakura. It was too late for him to call off his spell. Just like what happened to Yami, Bakura's spell backfired too, only not as strongly. He was only pushed back a little, then tripped over the edge of the sun platform behind him and was laying right in the middle of it.
Shortly he jerked up, glaring at her, not realizing where he is sitting. "What in the name of Ra is that?!"
But soon his attention was turned to the sprinting Marik, grabbing the bag with the millennium items. He stood up and the millennium ring was glowing again, now directing its' power towards Marik. But it was too late… The blue flames ignited around Bakura, not letting the spell pass. He glanced at Akane, who was smirking just like he was before.
"Time to finish what I came here for." she said, watching Bakura as he was lifted up in the air, groaning. Soon Marik was by her side, instead of running back to the entrance.
"What's happening to him?"
"Same thing that happened to me…" she slowly started walking towards the moon platform, still glancing at Bakura, who was now screaming. His voice filled the room.
"Sounds painful…"
"It is." She stopped in front of the moon platform, waiting for the ritual to end. "And as far as I remember, only the person on the sun platform feels pain. Unless your yami feels nothing at all in general…"
"You're separating him from Ryou…"
She nodded. After all, this is what I was hoping for from the start of this journey.
Bakura's screams stopped and the blinding green light was here yet again. They both covered their eyes with their arms. As soon as it was gone, Akane opened her eyes and saw Bakura collapsed on the sun platform…and a very confused Ryou, on his feet, unharmed, standing on the moon platform.
"Ryou!"
"A-..Akane? What… Where am I?" he looked around noticing the spirit of the ring, "How is he there, and I'm..? Marik, is that you? Are we still in Domino...?"
She grabbed his hand and started running, Marik right behind them both, bag with the millennium items on his shoulder. "No time! I'll explain everything later! Now run before he wakes up! We have to get as far as we can!"
The British boy, still very confused, only nodded. The three soon got out of the ruins and saw the moonlight shining on the desert. "Mind if I ride your motorbike one more time?" she asked Marik.
He smiled, "Be my guest! Ryou, get on the bike behind me."
He did as told, and soon both engines roared simultaneously.

AN: well this seems to be the longest chapter so far. I should do that more.
And hey, seeing my traffic stats, I know there are at least 7+ people reading my story… And only 3 of them reviewed, 2 of them still doing so on every chapter… Guys, come on, your opinion really matters to me! :c