Disclaimer: I don't own YUGIOH
End of an Era
Everyone in the room turned around at the noise. Raphael flew into the room his bike landing heavy on the ground, he circled the duel before pulling up. He removed his helmet and for the first time Téa saw true anger in Raphael's eyes. She took a step warily towards the large blonde almost afraid of what he was going to do.
"Raphael?" Téa said timidly.
"Stop this," Raphael demanded completely ignoring Téa, his eyes focusing entirely on Dartz. "It's not worth it, the Pharaoh showed me this, and he helped me see that the light and the darkness in my heart has gone.
Dartz chuckled at Raphael's words.
"I missed the joke," he said his frown deepening.
"You're the joke Raphael, the darkness in your heart can never be lifted it settles deep in your heart and rots it. The same is said for all human beings, for years you've delved on the darkness and it's sickening. You've poisoned the earth with your greed and destruction.
"And what you're doing it helping?" Shouted Téa? "How?"
"By ridding the world of the darkness it can slowly begin to rebuild and purify. The Great Leviathan showed me the light, all those who are pure and have light in their hearts will remain, those who have darkness will falter."
"This guy's crazy," Téa heard Mokuba mutter and silently she agreed.
"You've been brainwashed, what you are doing is the one thing you want to remove. It's people like you that's indulging the darkness, you take the weak and fill their minds with nonsense. Look what you did to Raphael, Alister and Valon can you truly tell me it was all a coincidence." Téa now refused to meet Raphael's eyes. "Admit it Dartz you had a hand in it all!"
"What is she talking about?" Raphael snapped turning back to Dartz. "A hand in what?"
Dartz chuckled and looked back to Téa "how long have you had these suspicions Miss Gardner!"
"Upon hearing Alister's story, when his family died, Gozaburo was in the process of adopting Seto and Mokuba." Dartz chuckled and looked up at the wall.
"Young Alister filled with hatred and desperate desire for revenge, his family slaughtered by war…" as Dartz talked a clouded vision appeared, Gozaburo Kaiba was seen shaking hands with a man, the conversation unknown but weapons were being unloaded from the plane behind him. As Gozaburo turned and walked away Dartz spoke. "What Alister was never told, it wasn't Gozaburo selling weapons to both sides… it was me." The image of Gozaburo faded and in his place was Dartz!"
"Why you…" started Kaiba his rage over coming his ability to speak. Téa stood numb she'd had her suspicions about the events but to be told she was right was harrowing.
"Valon was a different story, no family around him. An orphan, a street rat, he was perfect for my scheme filled with distrust and hate for the world. The only weakness the boy had was the nun that worked in the local church. It was an awful accident, the fire that destroyed the church and killed the inhabitants inside."
Téa watched the vision in front of her, the oranges and reds of the fire drowned the city, she could see the fire in Valon's eyes, but what Valon had never seen was the aquamarine that snuck from the church. The image focused on Dartz as he watched Valon hunt down the men he believed responsible."
"Do you get pleasure out of destroying other people's lives?" Téa yelled! Tears escaping from her eyes.
"And then Raphael…" The vain on the blondes head was bulging out, his fists clenching tightly.
"What did you do?" Raphael spat slowly.
"The boy that had everything, the perfect life but that all crumbled away when the storm arrived, you were the only survivor on that boat." A shiver ran down Téa's body at Dartz's words. The entire room watched the scene, the luxury cruise boat battling heavily against the storm, for the boat to fade away and for Dartz to be seen chanting in the very room they were in now, the image split and the waves battled against the boat more ferociously, a large wave crashed and the boat sunk, a single body was seen floating away from the wreckage, and Dartz stopped chanting."
"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Bellowed Raphael! His entire body was shaking and the seal of Orichalcos appeared on his head. "WHAT IS THIS? THE PHAROAH REMOVED THE DARKNESS! DARTZ!"
"The darkness is still in your heart Raphael you can't escape it." The seal appeared from the sky and Raphael screamed. Téa ran towards him just in time for the seal to disappear and for Raphael's large frame to fall. She grabbed hold of his arm and she was pulled to the ground with the weight. His soul had been taken.
"You're a monster!" the Pharaoh said shaking his head. "The duel continues, and I believe it's your move!"
Dartz drew his card, "Mirror Knight Yugi attack the Pharaoh's Big Shield Gardner!" But nothing happened, it appeared Yugi was still inside somewhere and Dartz face darkened.
"Guess it's my turn," chuckled Kaiba and he drew. The duel continues back and forth for a few more turns, The Pharaoh refuses to attack his friends angering Kaiba more and more, the luck appears to be on Dartz's side as he continues to grow in life points. All four mirrored knights remained standing. Valon and Mai were the weakest two another attack on them and their souls would be lost for good!
It was Dartz's turn and as he drew his card his face lit into a grin. "I activate Orichalcos Tritos!"
"Orichalcos what?"
"No idea Mokuba," Téa muttered watching as a third circle started to appear around the seal, "But this isn't good!"
"The Orichalcos Tritos negates all spell and trap cards when directed to my monsters."
Kaiba and the Pharaoh glance at each other before nodding. They prepare for their next moves.
Tristan, Mokuba and Téa watch in horror after Dartz's latest attack. The Pharaoh attacked by his own friends and defenceless to do anything. The duel continues on Pharaoh and Kaiba's attacks on Dartz are less effective and Dartz continues to grow stronger with each passing turn. Until finally Dartz plays Martyr Curse, Kaiba's Mirror Force Dragons is destroyed as well as the rest of his life points. In his final moment he plays the trap card Wish of Final Effort enforcing his dragons attack points to the Pharaoh's life points.
"Seto!" Mokuba cries as the seal begins to roam in around Seto, he looks up to his little brother and smiles before the Seal take his soul. Kaiba is flung out of the duel and across the room. Mokuba and Tristan run towards his fallen body while Téa stays besides Raphael. She stares at Dartz in disgust, this man got a kick out of the ruining lives and each soul that was taken he grew in power, a third eye appeared on his forehead and she wondered how involved was Dartz physically in all of this.
It was the last thing she thought before everything went black.
She wasn't sure what had happened, but as she slowly started to wake everything was different, she was still in the same room but the duel had ended and all the tablets once filled with carvings were now empty. She slowly pushed herself up and glanced around the room. Mokuba and Tristan were equally wakening and Kaiba's body had disappeared. She glanced down to Raphael to see even he was twitching.
"What's going on?" Tristan asked as he pushed himself up on to his feet. One minute we are watching the Pharaoh and Dartz duel and now we are waking up? What did I miss?"
"I'm not sure, did the Pharaoh win?
"It looks like it." All three looked down at Raphael who was looking at his hands. "If I have my soul it means Dartz lost and Great Leviathan is no more." He pushes himself up and slowly makes his way towards the door. His footsteps are shaky, but he pushes on. The others follow behind him.
"Kaiba's body is missing and so is Joey's where could they be?"
"Those two each had claims to one of the legendary dragons, maybe it has something to do with… What was that?" The ground below them shifted, once and then again. "We've got to move. Follow me!" Raphael shouted and quickly all four of them ran, the more they ran the more unstable the ground became.
"The island is going to go down!"
"Go down where?" yelled Tristan and Téa turned to face him.
"Where do you think Tristan? In to the sea! Dartz's defeated must have caused the island to drop. It's supposed to be a part of Atlantis that's what Valon said to me!"
Raphael nodded. "The island is under Dartz control with him gone this place is soon to follow!"
As they exited the building up ahead they saw a familiar and friendly site."
"Seto!" Mokuba shouted and the group ran towards them, Seto, Joey, the Pharaoh where running towards the plane. "Seto you're back!"
"What's happening to the island?" Joey asked as drops of land fell into the ocean. "The entire thing is falling apart."
"Is Dartz gone?" Téa asked and the three men nodded. "Then we have to get out of here!"
"Why what's going on Téa?" Joey asked.
"The island is under Dartz control, it's not supposed to be here, with Dartz gone the Island is going to follow we have to get out of here now!" Explained Raphael. He jumped on to the plane and held out his hand to Téa who he pulled on. Quickly the others boarded the plane and Kaiba demanded take off.
The plane took off just in time as more and more of the island fell into the sea. The plane battled against the wind but as it lifted higher and higher the ride became smoother. They all watched out of the window as the island finally submerged under water. As everyone started to sit down Téa silently watched Raphael, he hadn't moved from his spot on the window. She cautiously walked towards him and rested a hand on his shoulder, he jumped ever so slightly and turned to look at her.
"How you doing?"
He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, Téa nodded her head and rested her hand on his shoulder.
"That building had been my life, I had spent so much time in there. I thought I was doing the right thing, thought I was making the world a better place, but I wasn't. He lied to me, killed my family to get to me, destroyed my life and now everything is just gone like it meant nothing!" He blinked away the tears and Téa had to bite her own lip to stop hers from falling.
"Where do I go now? I have nowhere to go, I gave up everything for that cause, so what do I do now. How can I move on from all of this? How do I tell Alister and Valon the truth."
"I wish I knew the answers Raphael but I don't because I don't know what you should do, but what I do know is I'm here for all of three of you!"
Raphael looked down at her with a sad smile. "You're a good girl you know. Valon is a lucky boy!" Téa smiled shyly.
"You are away that there is someone who does have the hots for you right?" Raphael frowned and Téa grinned.
"Little Miss Mai Valentine." She said and he stared at her in shock. "You'll probably find that Mai isn't quite as bad now the Orichalcos isn't clouding her mind. Give it a chance you never know what could happen!"
"Raphael, do you know the whereabouts of Valon and Mai?" Joey interrupted and Raphael nodded.
"They are at the beach house!" he said and he walked over to the pilot.
Téa sat next to the Pharaoh, "you think he'll be alright?" he asked and Téa shrugged.
"Who knows, it's a lot to take in, his life has been thrown upside down again. Is Yugi back?" she asked and the Pharaoh nodded. And in a blink of an eye the Pharaoh disappeared and there was Yugi. Tears sprung to her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her dearest friend. It was so good to feel his comfort. She had missed him!"
"I'm glad you're back!" she said and Yugi smiled. "It's great to be back."
"Hey Téa is the beach house where you lived?" Téa nodded it wasn't long until the plane started to land. They all left the plane. And Téa ran towards the house, she threw open the door and stopped, two faces looked back at her.
"Téa what's going on?" Mai asked, "why you here, why are we here?"
"Go outside Mai, everything will be explained to you!" Téa said and her eyes fell back on to Valon. Mai looked between the two and smiled, she slipped past Téa, squeezing her arm as she left. Shouts were heard as the door closed behind her but all Téa cared about was the boy in front of her.
"I have something that belongs to you," she said quietly removing the goggles from off her head. "I was saving them for you,"
Valon smiled and took a step closer towards her. "You and Wheeler?"
"There has never been anything between Joey and I. He's like a brother to me."
"Yeah I learnt that fact too late. I wasn' thinkin' and well he's been the toughest opponent of my life, it was a worthy fight." He chuckled and Téa shook her head.
"You're a fool," she said and walked towards him, she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down so their lips met. His arms instantly wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close. Their lips danced passionately, and she was forced to pull away.
"Guess I talk too much," he laughed and she laughed with him.
"I missed you!" she said and he rubbed his nose against hers.
"I've missed you too!"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving, I wasn't allowed too but Dartz is gone now, and all the souls have been restored and you're free and you're safe and everything is going to be alright I promise.
Valon nodded. "What about Alister and Raph?"
"Well Alister is in the hospital and has probably woken up by now and wondering what the hell is going on, and Raphael is outside!"
"No he isn't," said a voice behind them and they turned to face him.
"'Ow long you been stood their pal?"
"Long enough love birds." He said and the two blushed. "Valon we have to talk."
"I know what Dartz did. I heard everythin' when he was try'na use me as puppet. He set the church on fire and killed Mother Mary, he ruined my life. I know!" Téa squeezed his hand and he looked down at her with a strained smile.
"But I aint gonna let 'im continue doin' that. I win not Dartz!" Raphael nodded and walked towards him, the two men shared a short hug before pulling apart.
"I've already spoken to Alister told him not to leave where he is and that I'll come and get him. We'll be leaving soon, so come on."
Valon shrugged and he pulled Téa along with him, Raphael watched them leave with a shake of his head. Valon could be annoying and easily test his patience but he wished he was more like the plucky Australian, he knew for Valon the future was just starting and he knew it was going to be bright. As he stared at Téa he smiled. She had touched his heart in many ways and he would never regret the day he kidnapped her because it was her that showed him that darkness could truly be overthrown, you just needed a bit of light.
The End
Oh my word and that is this story complete! This chapter literally had a bit of everything, love, grief, duelling and a happy ending. It wasn't how I was planning on ending this story but I decided that I'm quite happy with it overall. At least Téa and Valon finally have their happy ending! Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed this story over the many many many years I've been writing it. It really is The End of an Era. Thank you and please just one last time, review and let me know what you think!
Thank you, Lottie!