Kinakao: Welcome back to Konnichiwa, Sayonara!

Daida: You left us in a tight spot last time!

Cleo: At least she didn't just stop...Imagine how much everyone would hate her?

Kinakao: Well then, so people can know what happened, let's move on! Oh, and this chapter was beta'd by the lovely Apherion.

Pegasus: Kinakao does not own YuGiOh, any of its places, people of things. She does own the Guardians, Shara, the dark tower, and Dardanos-boy.

Dardanos: I will eat your soul if you call me that again.

Please enjoy!

...

Chapter 21: True Forms

"No!"

The scream echoed through the room, silencing everyone else that watched. All eyes moved to the spot of origin: Shara. However, her normally blank, white eyes now had blazing blue hues shining through. The voice had also become stable, the brunette showing control of her own body. Her eyes stared down at Ryou, arms shaking as she tried to move the fire away from the intended target. Her face scrunched up, giving out a painful scream as she threw the ball of fire to the side, obliterating one of the walls. The night sky could be seen through the thick clouds. Joan was out of breath, falling to her knees as she looked to the white haired boy weakly, giving him a small smile. "Ryou…" She spoke softly, the tone contradicting her still transformed look.

Tears filled my eyes. "Joan…" I smiled at the name, never so happy to see her blue eyes before in my life. She was alive. She was still in her body. Suddenly, anger began to bubble inside me. I turned on Dardanos, struggling against his grip on me. "You lied to me." I growled with the tears in my eyes now fueled by rage. "You said she had been devoured!" My voice was rising in volume.

Dardanos showed nothing but murderous intent. "Stupid girl…" I could not tell if he meant me or Joan. "I'll have to feed her to the beasts of the Shadow Realm myself." He hauled me back towards the throne room chair, but Anzu stood in his way. She stood with arms outstretched, defying him with every inch. However, before she could even get a word out, with his free hand, Dardanos struck her down. The girl crumbled to the ground, letting her arm shield her injury from further harm.

Bree, who had managed to stand, saw the abuse. Her eyes widened, fury consuming her as she concentrated an orb of swirling wind in the palm of her hand. "Don't you dare touch Anzu or my cousin!" She shouted, her voice becoming shrill. She sent the ball forward, causing strong air currents to blow everything in front of it out of its way. This caused Joan to be forced up against the bars, between Ryou and Honda, and knocked Dardanos away from me. At my release, I held my ground, bending down to pick up Anzu, to help her get away.

Joan looked weakly at Ryou, the smile on her face fading. "Ryou…I love you." She confessed, holding her head to the bars. Ryou's stared at her, both overjoyed and surprised at her confession. He opened his mouth to respond, but her slender finger was faster. Firmly placing it upon him, she sealed his lips together to allow her more time. "Please…Kill me." Tears stained her grey cheeks as her begging voice weakened.

Ryou grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, pulling it away from his mouth. "I could never do that. Joan, you mean everything to me." He protested. His chocolate eyes were unwilling to let her go.

Joan shook her head softly, wincing a little as she restrained herself. "You have to, Shara…Shara is going to take control again…The only way to get rid of her…" She quickly sucked in breath. Just holding back the invading spirit was becoming painful. "Please, before it's too late."

Honda, whom had been staring at them the whole time, placed his hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Dude, maybe you can't, but your evil self can. Let him do the deed." He suggested, completely serious.

The remaining three boys turned to look at their so-called friend. "Honda! We need to be working together to save everyone." Yuugi scolded, completely surprised that the brunette would even suggest something of the sort.

Dardanos had managed to lift himself up as he seethed with anger. "Shara!" His voice boomed. Suddenly, the blue eyes of Joan were gone, and replaced by blank white slates. Shara ripped her hand away from Ryou before rising to her feet. Her head twisted to look at the captives. She ignored the pleading looks as she moved swiftly to her master's side. "Grab the Ultamaiden." He instructed.

I knew I only had a limited amount of time, so I had to speak quickly. "Anzu, get to the other Guardians. Get Bree to cause a distraction while Daida and Cleo get the guys out." I managed out before I let go of the dancer. I started running in a separate direction, back to the door that had once been open. I hoped that they would leave her alone and follow me. Arms wrapped around me from behind, telling me that I was correct. Shara was much stronger than Joan. She was able to pull me back to Dardanos. "Let me go!" I screamed, kicking and struggling against my former friend.

The dark haired man came within an inch of me, any humor or offers of a deal for my survival gone from his features. "If you will not give me your heart willingly, I will take it by force." My eyes shut tight as he dug his nails into my chest. Teeth clenched together as I held back from screaming. I would not give him that satisfaction. I tried to outthink the pain. What can I do…I can't use time…Only on myself… The searing pain shot through my body as he pierced through my skin.

Hope's voice rang in my head. "Please, let me take over…" I tried to resist. I truly did. The pain was blinding to me, and I did not even have a day of training with my powers. She was the other part of me, and I knew I could trust her. I just wished I never had to return to the darkness again.

To my surprise, I found myself floating right above Dardanos, looking down at the scene. Or I was, until the symbol underneath his hand began to glow brightly. Then, Hope was gone. Shara stood empty handed, while Dardanos stood stupidly as he took in the fact that my body vanished. I wondered if Hope had turned back time, and that this whole thing would start to disappear. "Rhea…?" Yuugi's voice spoke in confusion. I turned to him, wondering if he could see me in my ghostly form, but his eyes were glued to my body, which now stood panting in front of the hole in the wall.

As quickly as I could, I made my way to Hope's side. Her eyes flicked up to me, an excited smile on her lips. "I love that move…" She purred. "Speeding up time on the body…" I realized what had happened. She had made herself move so incredibly fast that none of us had even noticed her escape. "It's a toll for energy though…I can't move anymore." My eyes stared down at her, the smile fading as she saw Shara aiming straight at her.

"Now!" Shouted Anzu, who had managed to get to the other Guardians. Bree rose in the air, throwing gusts of wind at the two enemies. Shara evaded the attack, but Dardanos was thrown back into the throne, the blasting air keeping him immobilized. Cleo and Daida moved beyond the wall of fire, which had been reduced to nothing but embers during the fight. They reached the cage, and began to attack it mercilessly with what strength they had left.

As Shara rushed at full force at Hope, I floated down in front of her, arms spread out to defend my friend. The white eyes gave me no mind, passing through my ethereal body to get to Hope. It was at the moment when I went through her body, that I felt something strange. Being a spirit had perks. I could pass through walls and people with no hindrance. However, right above Joan's heart was something that resisted my transparency. The rest of her body had been easy to get through. I turned in time, my eyes widening in horror as I watched Shara tackle the weakened Hope through the wall, and began to plummet towards the ground. "Rhea!" I heard the voices of the residences of this world cry out.

My soul plunged after the fallen two, catching up to them with immense speed. I found Hope struggling against her captor. Golden sleeves wrapped around Shara. Nails dug in to each other, and Hope would not allow Shara's wings to come out. "If you even try, I'll rip one of them off." The Spirit of Time threatened with her eyes darker than I had ever seen.

Shara shook her head. "You would not kill us both." She spoke, taking Hope for all talk. "You don't even own that body." She fiddled with Hope in her arms, trying to get the girl into submission. Just a little space for her wings was all that was needed.

"No…But I do."

Hope's golden eyes narrowed as she saw me, opening her mouth to protest. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the impact as I thrust my spiritual body forward, taking back my spot inside my real one. Violet eyes opened to the snarl of Shara. The shock of accomplishment caused my struggles to be fruitless. My hands eased from the spot Hope dug into. Large translucent wings fluttered open, catching the wind to slow our fall. "Stupid girl…You're not fit to be the Spirit of Time." She mocked me as our fall began to slow.

I raised my hand up to her chest, a smile crawling across my face. Hope managed to read my mind, and began to shout at me in her floating form. "Rhea, no! If you do that—"

"I know." I said, resigned to my fate. My eyes sealed themselves calmly, the words I spoke given meaning by the rising power in my body. "Time, unravel yourself, turn back the clock," the symbol on my chest began to move rapidly, warming my entire body. "Show me what I seek, and let the future change." My eyes opened, glowing a brilliant gold. The symbol's arrows moved from my chest, down my arms. They moved off of my hands and rested over Shara's heart, where they began to spin backwards.

Shara let out a squeal of pain, her greytoned skin slowly fading back to the pinkish white it had once been. The dark marks on her face slowly ebbed away as her hair fluttered innocently about her face. Her eyes closed while her wings dissolved away, becoming nothing but glittering dust. The arrows slowly came to a halt before creeping back my arms back in place to the symbol. With their removal, a black shard pushed itself out of Joan's chest, floating towards me. I removed a hand from my friend, catching the shard with ease.

Joan's eyes opened with a groan, meeting with my golden ones. "Rh…Rhea?" She asked softly, confusion coating her worn features. As the glowing faded, my amethyst eyes welled with tears. I embraced my friend, who seemed astonished as she gently reached behind my back. "Rhea…you have…wings…" She spoke softly.

My attention drew away from her as I leaned my head back to inspect myself. There, on my back, were two bird sized wings. They had golden feathers that sparkled, even in the dim moonlight. Hope covered her mouth, watching my small wings flap to keep us from falling. "You really are the Ultamaiden now…" She bowed her head to me respectfully.

I blinked a few time before looking at Joan again. "Do you know what that's supposed to mean?" She gave me a shrug. My eyes lifted up back to the tower, hearing the roar of Dardanos. "Either way…We need to get back up there." I spoke, struggling to make my wings flap faster to get back to our friends.

…

Bree was beginning to struggle. She couldn't hold on for much longer, and she knew as soon as the wind stopped, Dardanos would be on her friends faster than she could stop him. Now, Rhea had been captured by that monster, and there was nothing she could do. Cleo and Daida were having no luck on the bars either. Her vision was getting fuzzy, and her mind was full of colorful language. It was then that she felt the gentle touch on her shoulder. A bright eyed girl smiled at her. "Mind if a real Guardian gives you a break?"

The winds died down for a moment, surprising Cleo and Daida. Dardanos let out a massive roar as he rose to his feet, incredibly angered. Anzu looked up at Bree, whom had now become Aria. "Wind Blades." She spoke softly, raising her hands up as two whirlwinds formed in her hands, concentrating to the point where they looked to be solid swords. She jumped up, the winds under her causing her to float quickly to the bars. She sliced at them, but nothing gave. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dardanos charging at them. One flick of her wrist sent a blade flying. It caught on his cloak, pinning him to the spot.

Daida looked down to Joey and beamed. "I'll be back…" She promised, winking at him as she gave in to her own alter ego. Dew rose up fully, gathering what water she had left around her. "Water Shield." Her velvet voice commanded. Water lifted from the battlefield, gathering between the cage and Dardanos. It hardened into ice.

Just as Cleo kneeled down to gently grasp Duke's hand; she knew she had to give in too. "I don't hate you." She spoke softly, giving him a reassuring smile. As soon as her eyes blinked, they were filled with power from Terra. Pulling her hands away, she spoke sternly. "Stone Claws." Pieces of shattered rock flew onto her hands, creating gauntlets.

"Quick now, before Shara returns!" Aria commanded, pointing Terra in the direction Dardanos.

"Before who returns, Aria?"

It seemed as if time had frozen all on its own for a moment. There, standing in front of the hole was both Joan and I. Dardanos' face twisted between shock and rage, unbelieving of the sight. "What did you do to Shara?" He demanded.

I stepped forward, wings gently fluttering. "You tried to hurt my friends, use my powers for evil, and take over the world." My voice rose with anger with each point. "You are going to see why we are the Guardians of the worlds!" My eyes shot to Joan, whom had already transformed into Ember. She looked ready for blood.

"No one takes over my host and gets away with it." Ember threatened, fire red eyes flashing with anger.

It was Terra who was on him first. She darted beside the cage, letting Dew lower the ice for her benefit. One swing of her fist made the bones in his cheek give a sickening crack. One of the bars on the cage disintegrated at the wound, astounding Aria. She aimed another, but his hand caught her fist mid-swing. Terra found herself flung from him, landing on her back.

Dardanos ripped his cloak to free himself, the wind blade fading away. He rushed toward Ember and me, roaring in rage and pain. Without warning, he was restrained. Dew melted her ice wall, using it as rope to bind him to the floor. Aria and Ember hovered over him, blade to his throat, red flames to his face. "Release our friends." Ember commanded, unwilling for compromise.

Dardanos weakly rose a hand, opening a hole below the cage. This one was different than before, making the boys cling for dear life on the bars as nighttime Domino laid beneath them. "Bree!" Anzu shouted as both she and I ran to the captives. We extended our arms to help keep them from falling, but we knew we did not have long.

Aria turned, eyes widening as she summoned up wind to push them upwards, acting a floor. While her concentration was away, Dardanos made his move. Dark tendrils ensnared Ember, locking her to the ground. Wrapping around her neck, they tightened, squeezing the life out of her. We all heard her scream; Daida acted by rising up Dardanos in his binds. He floated in the air, the bonds around him tightening as well. "You can't kill me…" He laughed darkly.

"We don't need to…" I spoke threateningly, my eyes glinting with gold. My hand was cutting into the dark shard. I removed myself from the cage, turning from them without remorse. I lifted the shard and with all my might, threw it into his heart. "Take this back, and never come back again!"

It pierced him, as if it had been the edge of a dagger. Slowly, it sunk into his body. "Shara…you're…with me…again." He spoke tenderly. His youthful looks faded, rapidly ageing into his older years, before turning to bones. His remains crumbled to the ground in a small pile. However, a black shadow still was being held in place by Dew's binds. There, in its chest, the dark shard turned white against the silhouette.

The scream that came from this creature was deafening. One could almost wonder if it was a scream. "I will have your powers!" It cried out. Horror seemed to cross all of our faces before it was engulfed in the white light. We winced away from it, but when it vanished, all we saw was a dark orb remaining on the ground, perfectly nestled in the dust of Dardanos.

All was quiet until Joey spoke up. "What exactly did you do to it, Rhea?" He asked, seeming slightly afraid of me.

I turned quickly, staring at him wide-eyed. "I…I…don't know." I confessed. I had not put any of my powers to use with it and I never had expected that outcome.

The bars on the cage disappeared, releasing the guys from their prison. Yuugi ran to me, embracing me. "It's okay, Rhea. I understand."He comforted me. I did not know what he meant until I noticed that his shoulder was damp and stained. Tears dripped down my face, both out of relief and fear. I buried my face in his neck, hugging him tightly.

Power drifted out of the Guardians as they were each given their own congratulatory hugs. Joey ran up to Daida, lifting the smaller girl into the air and hugging her. The blush on her face made her golden locks seem that much brighter. Joan and Ryou embraced sweetly, but Joan leaned in with more passion, kissing him with hunger. A red mark over her chest glowed softly, causing sparks around them to make Bree take a step back. "Guess Joan found her Chosen…" The Air Guardian murmured.

Otogi made his way over to Cleo, the brunette shooting him a wary look. "You don't hate me?" He asked, making sure it was not just her being nice because they might die. She nodded. A smile broke out onto his lips as he swept her up bridal style, embracing her tightly. She squirmed, but eventually sighed and shook her head.

"You still have a weird aura."

"As long as you like it."

As Honda and Anzu picked themselves up, Bree looked around her friends almost mournfully. Everyone seemed happy, even coupled. Yet, Bree knew she could not be that simple. It took her by surprise when two pairs of arms wrapped around her small frame. "You save us, Bree." Anzu and Honda spoke in unison. A red streak crossed her cheeks, matching her long mane. She smiled sheepishly at the two.

I lifted my head from Yuugi shoulder, wiping my tears away. He smiled at me, making sure I was better. I gave him a silent nod. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my beloved watch. "Bree found it after you had been kidnapped." He explained as he gently took my wrist and placed it securely back on. "She gave it to me to hold until we found you." He spoke softly, lifting one of his hands to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"You all must leave."

Our attention was brought to a figure floating just above the black sphere. Her body was pure white, except for her eyes and hair. Her long dark mane swirled around her, reaching near her feet. White robes covered most of her body, flowing about her without any wind to generate it. She had very feminine features, showing her to look about Ishizu's age. Her eyes were a bright golden color, identical to Hope's. The mentioned spirit appeared beside me, her eyes welling with tears. "Shara…" She whispered happily.

My eyes widened. "That's Shara?"

Everyone turned to me. "That's Shara?" They echoed my confusion.

The real Shara nodded slowly. "It is good to see you again, Hope." Her eyes were gentle as she looked on to the spirit, but became hard as she warned. "You need to leave. With that demon gone, this place will crumble." It was as soon as the words left her mouth that the tower began to shake. The candles were going out and the pillars began to deteriorate.

I pulled myself away from Yuugi, and rushed over to the sphere. "Then you're coming with us. You need to answer some questions!" I grabbed it up, and without a fight, Shara disappeared. I gripped onto the orb as I grabbed hold of Yuugi once more. A smile crossed my lips as I brushed them against his cheek. "Hold on to me." He willingly did so, and my small wings began to flutter rapidly, lifting us enough to allow us to slip through the hole in the center of the room.

"I always wondered if you were an angel."

Joan held on to Ryou tightly, swallowing harshly. "Hold on." She told him sweetly. He complied, and without any warning, Joan forced him to run with her, jumping down the hole after Yuugi and me. After freefalling for a moment, (Ryou shutting his eyes tightly out of fear), Joan let a stream of fire from her free and hand both her feet to slow their decent down to a nice pace. "Sorry for the scare," She apologized. "I didn't want to burn you."

Ryou looked up at her through his silken hair with a soft smile. "I appreciate it." He spoke in his accented voice.

Daida searched around for any remaining liquid, and managed to get enough to form the bubble around her and Joey. "It should be an easy ride down." She assured him, lifting them up before going down the hole after Joan. "Just don't try to pop it." She teased

"Nah, I won't." Joey shrugged, looking around at the thin lining. "But you think maybe you can teach me that whip thing?" He chuckled.

Cleo gathered what materials she had left and found that she could only take one passenger with her. Her eyes flicked to Bree who nodded in return. A sigh escaped Cleo's lips as she allowed Otogi to wrap his arm around her waist. They descended down the hole as well.

"So…are you going to fix that street?" Otogi teased her.

Bree floated up, raising her hands up to lift up Anzu and Honda beside her. "Let's go guys, before this whole place goes up in smoke." The roof was already gone, having disappeared into thin air. Following suit, Bree and her passengers passed through the hole.

"So…Was that Tower actually pretty cool before we were kicked out?"

…

Daida: We...won?

Bree: Heck yes we did!

Joan: It's good to be back...And I have my Chosen now. Unlimited power!

Cleo: Does this mean...It's over?

Kinakao: Not yet, my dear fans! There are still many answers that need to be answered. I hope to post the next chapter up soon!

Please review!