Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Nick who belongs to Linkin-Phoenix.
Chapter 21: The Road Back
Cars packed the highways of Los Angeles as the sun rose high during the afternoon. The city itself appeared peaceful, though no mere mortal knew the dangers of its darker side. In the day, one might see normal people, but the night revealed its guise, an evil force was at work, determined to destroy the world of light.
A small spark cracked in the air, elevating up on an apartment building. Four figures appeared through a portal and stumbled to the floor. They looked around for any signs of being seen, and the close seemed clear.
"Why would two Trinity members be across this country from where the Guardians live?" Selene asked.
"You don't seem to make a fuss about where Yugi and his friends are living." Horus replied, glancing over the view from the rooftop.
"That's because I'm not familiar with this country. Or anything else on this planet."
"How are we going to find Kimberly and Rosemary in this city?" Yugi questioned. "Who knows where they could be."
"We have to start somewhere." Serenity responded. She headed towards a fire escape and went down.
Yugi, Selene and Horus followed her and took the fire escape to reach the ground level. A shadow began to move from its hiding spot, already on the move to trail them. It blended with the other shadows to conceal its true form.
Meanwhile two women were walking around an Hispanic neighborhood, the scent of spicy food wafted in the air. Fortunately they had eaten before crossing over to the community.
One of the women gazed up at the sky, noticing dark clouds hovering above them. "Did the forecast say we were expecting rain?"
"Of course not." Her friend said.
"Rosemary, this could be serious. I don't like the looks of this." The woman named Kimberly stated.
The two gaped their mouths in shock to see that the black clouds were a bad sign. They exchanged glances with each other, confirming what they had to do.
Kimberly faced Rosemary as they scanned their surroundings. "I doubt this is more than a little thunderstorm," Kimberly replied. "But I sense an even greater power approaching."
"It has to be those Guardians! They have control over natural occurrences," Rosemary wrapped her fingers around her hair in frustration. "They can never give us Trinity members a break!"
The sudden rupture of the earth created a huge crevice where the women were nearly standing. Cries echoed and car alarms blared, making for a maddening noise in the once peaceful neighborhood. With the sun blocked by the clouds, it was very dark to see where one stood.
The streetlights turned on, but their luminance was limited due to low circulation from the power source. It would be not long until the lights went off completely.
"Now what are we going to do?" Kimberly queried.
Rosemary looked around to make sure everything looked all right. She sighed in relief when she found they were out of harm's way. Her breathing became ragged as she sensed a presence nearby.
They realized the force seemed to surround them, the darkness shrouding them in its grip. Light was unable to penetrate the veil, and now they couldn't escape, knowing they were trapped. The inside grew colder and colder with each passing moment, the women's lives slowly being drained from them.
Suddenly something ripped through the barrier and released them. The shadows twisted about, rippling in agony and then disappeared. The basis of their rescue was unknown, but metal reflected in their eyes, barely allowing them to see.
"Are you okay?" Yugi's voice echoed in the distance. He withdrew his sword into the sheath that Horus had given him before departing.
Kimberly blinked a couple of times and stared directly at violet eyes belonging to Yugi. She nearly freaked out when Serenity, Selene and Horus appeared out of nowhere.
Rosemary took extra precaution as she looked at Yugi. She almost mistook him as some tri-colored beast that was sent to kill them.
"Are any of you either Rosemary or Kimberly?" Selene asked, approaching the women. She noticed the two were still somewhat shocked to move.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing." Kimberly interrupted, looking at the Holy Guardians. She and Rosemary stood up.
Rosemary and Kimberly slowly backed away from Selene and Horus. They recalled them to be Holy Guardians, more powerful than the Titans and Genesis put together, and they were also considered sacred figures. It was hard to believe at first, but they didn't imagine them to return to the world of the living.
"So, you two are the Trinity members we're looking for," Horus said, his eyes turned to both Rosemary and Kimberly. "Do you know the whereabouts of your leader?"
"We don't know!" Rosemary and Kimberly answered together. Both were shaking in fear.
"There's no need to be frightened of us," Selene assured. "We only came to get some answers before the Beasts of Chaos strike again. They must be here since this entire city is covered in their unbreakable shield." She saw the two women gasp when she mentioned the Beasts of Chaos.
"You do know something about them!" Yugi yelled. He walked over to them. "This is very important and we don't have any time to lose before they arrive."
"What? They were supposed to…" Kimberly blurted, but Rosemary covered her mouth.
"Tell us what you know!" Yugi demanded. He saw them eying him suspiciously and he turned around.
Long, sharp fangs protruded from the creature's snout, its claws ready to plunge themselves into Yugi. Sekhmet peered out from the shadows and she began to strike down Yugi with her claws. Her task was stopped as her deadly weapon clashed with Yugi's sword.
"Your attempts to thwart our plans are becoming tiresome and distracting," Sekhmet said, removing herself from Yugi. She stood on all fours, twirling her tail. "You have not won yet, Ra, and now one of your own has come to work with us." The look on her face became devious. "I sense a darker form present in your heart and soon the shadows will consume you."
"Sekhmet, as long as I defend this universe, you, Anhur and Shesmu won't be able to succeed." Yugi replied.
Sekhmet shifted her eyes to the others that were accompanying Kimberly and Rosemary. Her stoic gaze caught their attention, and Selene took note of the creature's behavior.
The wind picked up gradually as Sekhmet drifted back into the shadows. The dim light of the streetlamps was the only thing that Sekhmet avoided. Her movements were fast, even from within the darkness, and then a powerful gust blew.
The attack was meant for Rosemary and Kimberly and they were unable to move from where they stood. The winds swirled around them and enveloped them to dodge the blows.
Yugi, in a panic, looked around for the women, but he wasn't sure if the force that took them was on their side.
"They just disappeared." Serenity said.
"Horus has saved them." Selene replied. She frantically searched every corner and she discovered that the gust of wind had transported them to a safer location, away from Sekhmet.
Yugi stared at her in astonishment. "Good, they weren't harmed." He then turned his attention towards Sekhmet who also disappeared.
"She'll be back." Horus stated darkly. He appeared behind Yugi, his hands had a fading glow from when he activated his move.
The mid-afternoon sun began to descend high atop the serene sky. The weather was still quite cold so not many people were outdoors. Most of the town residents, especially certain Guardians, impatiently awaited for spring to arrive.
Sephora sat in a chair facing the window of the living room, lost in her thoughts. Her eyes looked weary as if she hadn't slept for days. The sun reflected her red hair, which was no longer tied as a ponytail but was now straight and long.
She enjoyed the gentle warmth of the sun and she wrapped her arms around herself as she brought her legs upright from her seat. The rays of light reminded Sephora of how Yukai embraced her, kind and lovingly. If only she knew where he was.
"Hey, Seph," Jupiter said to her, a smile beaming on her face. The South Guardian shook her head. "You miss him, don't you?"
Sephora sighed. "I don't understand…" Tears fell from her eyes. "Yukai shouldn't have left! I love him and he loves me. Why does he not return?"
"Isn't another thing bothering you… like a particular mortal?" Jupiter queried. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Sephora's response. "Come on. Perhaps Yukai will come back. I doubt he will ever forget his fiancée."
Sephora stared out the window. "Jupiter, who was that mortal that came here with Yugi called?"
"Oh, right, you two didn't get to know each other," Jupiter replied. "His name is Nick."
Sephora nearly toppled off her chair. "Would his last name by any chance be King?" Jupiter nodded as her answer. "Well, um, Jupiter, I'm going to the Pokemon World and tell the others where I am!" With that, Sephora stood up and hurried towards the front door where she exited.
Jupiter simply watched as Sephora left, then crossed her arms. "I wonder what's up with her."
"Jupiter, is Sephora here?" Venus rushed into the room.
"You just missed her."
Venus groaned. "Joey and Kaiba have returned, but they brought back Kenji." She said, sounding annoyed.
"God, anyone but him…" Jupiter closed her eyes, mimicking Venus' displeasure.
"What do you mean he left!" Joey yelled at both Miho and Hanasaki. He, Kaiba and Kenji were outside where they encountered the two addressed people. "Wait, why are you two here?" Joey blinked in confusion.
"Uh, you're not the only one." Miho replied, staring somewhat frightful while pointing behind him.
A hand grabbed Joey's shoulder and he turned his back to find Mai. The blonde-haired woman grinned at him, taking her hand away from him.
"Joseph, I see you came back in one piece," Mai said. She noticed the book he was holding. "Is that all you brought with you?"
Kaiba walked by and tossed Mai the Soul Sphere. "Does that answer your question?" He said groggily.
Mai glared back at the CEO. Then she caught sight of Kisara trailing behind him. "I guess he also brought a girlfriend." She remarked. "Careful, hon, that dragon's claws are sharp."
Kisara paused to look at Mai. "I do know that Seto's dragons are dangerous," she said. "I will tread cautiously, though."
"That girl is strange." Joey said. He returned his attention back to his friends. "Mai, are Serenity and Tristan here?"
Mai diverted his gaze. "Serenity went with Yugi, but Tristan…" She moved closer to him, trying hard to fight back tears. Suddenly she embraced herself on him. "Joey, he's dead!"
"No!" Joey shouted in disbelief, his eyes quivering. "Who killed him?"
"One of the Beasts of Chaos…" Mai bit the bottom of her lip upon recalling another detail. "And Téa…"
Joey took a glimpse from over her shoulder and he saw Nick standing by the back door. "What's he doin' here?"
Kenji came by Mai and Joey, staring at Nick harshly. "Isn't it obvious?" he said with a sly smile. "Téa is now with the Beasts of Chaos."
"How do you know?" Mai asked shockingly.
"News like this spreads quickly to the Guardians," Kenji explained. "I think that girl was better off without that mortal. He failed to protect her and now look at the consequences it caused."
Nick overheard every word Kenji spoke and he was not pleased about it. He walked over to them and glowered at the Guardian. "I couldn't help but hear all this nonsense that was coming out from your foul mouth," Nick said angrily. "I don't care about what you say and I don't need to be reminded of what happened to Téa!"
"King, you're an idiot. Accept it. If Gardner doesn't love you, then forget about her." Kaiba replied, approaching Nick. "You're too blind to see that the both of you are not meant to be together. Get on with your life, unless you prefer to die like you're supposed to be!"
Nick clenched his fist and swung his arm at Kaiba. His fist made contact with the CEO's face, and he collapsed to the ground. A furious look came upon Kaiba and he stood up, only to be held back by Saturn who appeared to stop the commotion.
Kaiba struggled, but the Guardian's strength proved too strong. He whipped around and tried to throw a punch at Saturn, and the Guardian stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Chill! You're only making matters worse for yourself." Saturn said.
Kaiba was breathing heavily, his eyes, a dark hue. He tried to calm down, but he couldn't resist glaring at Nick. He touched his face to find that his nose was bleeding. "Bastard." Kaiba muttered, and he walked away, entering the house along the way.
Saturn faced Nick, staring furiously at him. "Mortal, I insist you avoid Kaiba at any cost," he advised. "It's the only method I know to quell him since we used it with Pluto and Uranus. Those two had the bad habit of arguing and then fighting it out."
"But he should have never stepped in and said those things," Kenji interjected. "The worst that could happen is if another mortal perished."
"Maybe Kaiba was right. I was better off dead." Nick said, heading indoors.
"Nick!" Mai called, but Joey stopped her and shook his head in disagreement.
As Nick entered the house, he found Hathor standing beside him, looking worried. He noticed the girl seemed lost in her thoughts until her violet eyes met his.
"The one responsible for your rebirth will soon open the path to your demise," Hathor stated. "Misery consumes your heart but you can't keep your hidden feelings bottled up. A True Duelist would let nothing keep him down." Hathor proceeded to the hallway to whence she disappeared.
That girl has some good vocabulary to say that much for a six year old, Nick thought. Must be a Guardian thing considering she is Yugi's daughter. He heard the sound of a door slamming and footsteps coming from the hall. Nick was certain it had to be Kaiba so he went in a different direction to evade him.
Kaiba had cleaned himself of the blood that covered his face and he kept his stark gaze as he walked. He gritted his teeth, still seething mad for what Nick did to him. His white trench coat billowed with each step he took and he stepped back outside, but Kaiba glanced over his shoulder to see if someone was spying on him. There was no one watching him and he went out.
Hathor took a deep breath after she discovered that Kaiba left. She didn't like his behavior.
"Overwhelmed with darkness in his heart so his fate be that of his black soul," Hathor whispered to herself. "Only a loved one can break him of his ice mask that he hides behind."
Hathor then went straight to the living room, welcoming the warm light of the sun from the windows. The shadows in the corners gave her an uncomfortable feeling. She lifted her hand over her eyes to shield them from the bright rays as she neared the window.
"Ra's light is slowly weakening; the deeper he seeks for answers, the more questions shall come," Hathor continued. "The truth is hidden by the moon's shadow mask."
Rebecca emerged from the hallway and found Hathor by the window. She narrowed her eyes audaciously and strolled to her.
"You shouldn't get too attached to your father's friends," Rebecca suggested. "Some just don't have manners."
"Maybe you're the one who should take that advice," Hathor said back. "After all, you're living in a façade."
Taken aback by her words, Rebecca could only wonder whether Hathor was good at knowing someone just by looking at them. Still she tried not letting it bother her as she had her own mission to fulfill and promptly put aside what Hathor said.
Kaiba met up with the others in the same spot they were after he headed inside. He almost fell back when Kisara popped up in front of him, smiling.
"Why are all of you still outside?" The CEO asked.
"Saturn just told us Sephora went off on her own," Mai explained. "She was the one who sent you and Joey to Elysium."
"Mai, where's Atem?" Joey questioned, noticing the Pharaoh was not around.
"Well, your Highness has been locked away in his room for nearly the entire morning after Yugi left." Mai had intended the touch of malice in her sentence. She wasn't very comfortable being around Atem's presence.
"That doesn't seem like him." Joey replied. He looked up at one of the second floor windows and for a moment thought he saw Atem, glaring viciously at him. "Mai, is he feeling all right?"
Mai glimpsed at the window, but found no one there. "Joey, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing." Joey dismissed as he realized that Atem was gone. He turned to Kenji, and the Guardian nodded. "Can you take us to where Yugi went?"
"I could but…" Kenji stared at the ground. He was ordered to keep Joey and Kaiba here and he had to follow it.
Joey gazed at him in disbelief. "Kenji, Yugi and my sister are in danger, and that thing," He pointed to the Soul Sphere Mai was holding. "is the only way to fight the Beasts of Chaos."
Kenji sighed in defeat. "Fine." The Guardian shuddered, thinking over the consequence of this action. "We must move quickly then."
Joey took the Soul Sphere from Mai and alerted Kaiba's attention. He hoped that the very item in his hands could assist them, perhaps the reason Khepri sent them to the past.
The group of mortals and Guardians paced down the empty streets, searching for Sekhmet. They were practically going on a wild goose chase, carefully examining the shadows.
"This is ridiculous!" Serenity uttered. She fell to her knees with exhaustion. "That monster could be anywhere!"
Yugi stopped and ran back to her. "Serenity, we have to keep moving!" He urged, helping his friend get to her feet, and then he heard laughter from behind them. "Someone followed us!"
"Well, I didn't expect to see you so soon, Yugi," Téa's voice came from the shadows. She appeared, grinning maliciously at everyone. "You really think Sekhmet was escaping from you? I think not."
"Téa, you know where she is, tell us!" Yugi spat. He placed his hand around the hilt of the sword, preparing for the likelihood of an ambush.
Téa continued to laugh evilly.
The ground shook and peering from the shadows was Sekhmet. The asphalt began to crack from underneath everyone and suddenly split in half, causing a huge quake. Everyone tried to move to safer ground, but Yugi and Serenity were less unfortunate as they fell down the chasm.
"Sekhmet!" Selene yelled intensely. A white aura shrouded her body as the creature stood a bit back, sensing the immense power Selene held within her. "You have just crossed the line with me, and now, you and I will finish what we haven't finished centuries ago."
Sekhmet snarled at the Guardian, showing no fear of her. "Fool, even in that pathetic state you can't defeat me, nonetheless have Ra help you." Sekhmet taunted.
Below the ground, Yugi was slightly awakening from his unconscious state and he tried to stand up. He felt pain shoot from his left arm, but he still stood up. He looked around and found Serenity lying beside him, her eyes closed.
"Serenity." He whispered to her feebly.
Serenity slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head up. Her body was bruised by the fall, but she had the strength to get up. She smiled happily when she saw Yugi.
"Where are we?" She asked, unfamiliar with their new surroundings.
"These must be the sewers." Yugi confirmed. "But how do we get out?"
Author's Notes: I haven't much to say about this chapter so I'll just close this with a preview of the next chapter.
Joey and Kaiba are on their way to L.A. where Selene has challenged Sekhmet to fight her in place of Yugi. The Holy Guardian has tricks of her own as the battle rages against two opposing forces. With the Soul Sphere in Joey's possession, what could it possibly reveal about the Beasts of Chaos, and where could Matt have gone? On the next Struggle of Chaos - Chapter 22: Revelation: The True Identities of the Beasts of Chaos!