So not the actual last chapter. The next chapter will definitely be the end of this story. It should be up either the end of this week or next week sometime. There will be an epilogue, but I'm not sure if it will get its own chapter or be tagged onto the last chapter. It depends on how lengthy it ends up being.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Inuyasha.

Enjoy!

Updated 12/17/2014

Chapter Twenty Five

As they entered the dueling arena, they noticed some of the crowd had filed back in, but the bulk of the crowd had decided to watch the remainder of the duels in the safety of their homes. Kaiba stood with his arms crossed next to a grinning Mokuba. Finally, the last person, Marick, stepped forwards.

Aisha stood with her chin held high as he approached her. Beside her, the Pharaoh stiffened.

"Said your goodbyes yet, my queen?" Marick questioned his sarcasm evident in his last two words.

"You will not win, Marick, even if you defeat me," Aisha replied determinedly.

Marick laughed, "We shall see," he countered confidently as he strode to his side of the arena.

Aisha sighed and turned to Yami. They held each other's gaze for a moment before she threw her arms around his neck crushing herself against him. He gave a gasp and held her equally as tight. She let him go and chuckled slightly when he didn't loosen his hold.

"My pharaoh, we have a world to save," she muttered in his ear.

He let loose an anguished sigh, "I know," he answered and let her go slowly.

"Here," Aisha stated reaching her arms behind her head and unclasping the necklace from her neck.

Aisha held the necklace out to him as his eyes filled with tears the significance of her giving him the necklace heavy. It made the fact that this was going to be the last time he saw her real and his heart felt as if it were breaking. He looked up from the necklace in pain. Her eyes softened at the pain in his.

"I love you," she told him as she stepped back from him.

"And I you," he replied as he watched her go grasping the necklace hard in his palm.

Ishizu was waiting to wish her luck at her end of the dueling arena.

"I wish you luck, my queen," Ishizu said, "Save my brother."

"Thank you, all I ask is that you watch over our Pharaoh in my absence. He will save your brother and fulfill his destiny," Aisha responded as Ishizu gave a sharp nod.

"Of course," Ishizu replied as Aisha finally stepped onto her side and the arena lit up preparing for the duel.

'Ready Kagome?' Aisha asked her host.

'Ready!' Kagome answered enthusiastically.

'Good, because this will not be easy or painless,' Aisha warned with a grin.

The ghost of Kagome next to her grinned as well, 'Wouldn't expect it otherwise. You know, this isn't my first time saving the world,' Kagome winked as Aisha's smile widened.

"Well, well, Aisha, I finally get to enact my revenge," Marick stated with his usual smirk.

"You have become misguided and let the darkness take over your soul, and darkness never wins," Aisha responded losing her smile.

Marick chortled, "Unfortunately for you, you will not get to see me win and prove you wrong. Pity," he replied.

"I have already seen what I need to know," Aisha countered.

"Then I suppose you already saw this happening," he replied as a dark cloud engulfed the area.

Aisha instantly felt the weight of the shadow duel on her shoulders and knew that this was only the beginning. By the end of this duel, death would be a kind friend. She steeled her nerves holding her tongue as she drew her first hand of cards.

Yami listened to his friends cheer on Aisha. He wanted to participate, but his entire body was filled with dread as he watched the shroud of darkness engulf them. He could instantly see the pressure on Aisha's body in the way her legs parted to balance her weight more easily. He watched as the duel started out simply enough with trap and magic cards turning into strategies being completed and the opponents having to outmaneuver each other. He was relieved that so far Aisha seemed to be winning.

'Cheer her on,' Yugi appeared next to him.

'But, Yugi,' Yami started but Yugi interrupted him.

'We know she isn't going to make it, but staying silent isn't going to comfort her. She needs to hear your voice,' Yugi said with a smile.

'You're right, Yugi,' Yami replied, just as Aisha took a nasty attack on her life points.

She stumbled as she went to her knees and her head bowed. Marick taunted her, but Yami blocked him out.

"Aisha!" he shouted gaining her attention.

Her head shot up and looked at him desperately as he continued, "Remember what you're fighting for! Believe in the Heart of the Cards!" he encouraged her.

Her face changed to a look of determination as she nodded and forced her tiring body up. Marick looked at her intrigued as she drew another card starting her turn. She smiled as she rubbed her thumb fondly over the monster she had drawn.

'This is it Kagome,' Aisha told her counterpart, 'Be ready to take over.'

'Right,' Kagome replied.

"I sacrifice my Fairy Archer to summon my Chaos Command Magician to the field, and now I attack your Helpoemer sending it to the graveyard," Aisha announced as Marick's life points went down.

He faltered for a moment, the shadow duel affecting him, before replying, "Activating its special ability, you now have to discard one card from your hand at the end of every one of your turns," he explained with a large grin.

"That activates my trap card!" she exclaimed as Forced Requisition revealed itself, "Forcing you to discard every time I discard!"

Marick kept his smile, "Clever," he said sarcastically as he discarded his card.

Aisha knew he was putting on a show. He had just sent his god card to the grave yard. In his next turn, he would draw his Monster Reborn and special summon Ra to the field effectively winning the duel. Kagome was waiting to take over her body when Aisha's soul was removed from it.

He drew his card and his eyes revealed his excitement, "And now my queen! It is time you met my Egyptian god! I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Winged Dragon of Ra that I sent to the graveyard last turn!" he announced laughing manically.

"And now I activate my monster's ability turning it into its Phoenix form!" he shouted as the group watching all gasped including Kaiba.

Aisha stood her ground the only one refusing to show her fear of the beast. Marick shook his head at her.

"It's alright to be afraid, after all, you are facing death," he taunted her.

"I do not fear you Marick for I know the outcome of this tournament," Aisha replied as Marick frowned and growled at her.

"Enough of your lies, Phoenix attack!" Marick pointed at her as the Phoenix screeched and let loose a powerful beam that shook the entire coliseum.

Aisha screamed as the beam hit her monster, then continued on to herself as the monster was expelled, her life points hitting zero. The queen gritted her teeth and forced her soul from Kagome's body. She continued to scream even as Kagome took control of the body to take the remainder of the pain. Now Aisha would complete her destiny.

Kagome fell to the ground and felt empty. Aisha was gone and Marick was laughing in the background. Kagome didn't care enough to let his taunts over his victory get to her. She was grieving over the loss of her friend. She knew it would happen of course, but to finally be alone in her body unnerved her and made her miss the ancient soul. She had been strong for Aisha's last moments and now she could finally let go.

"NO!" the shout came automatically from Yami's mouth.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. Yami felt his heart constrict as he attempted to run and step in between the beam and Aisha, but Tea held his arm back as he watched her scream. That scream would haunt him. Finally, the screaming stopped and she fell onto the ground. Yami knew Aisha was no longer present inside Kagome's body, but it didn't stop him from running to her side.

"Kagome," he called as her eyes opened and focused on him.

"She's gone," Kagome whispered, tears starting to fall.

"I know," Yami replied softly, comforting, "I know."

Tea and Tristan watched sadly as Yami helped Kagome up. As they were headed to the infirmary, Marick intercepted them.

"Isn't it tragic," he began with a grin.

Yami glared, "Mark my words, Marick, you will pay for this, I swear it," he said, his tone dangerous.

Marick frowned slightly at his tone, "Seems I hit a nerve. Don't worry, I'll make sure to reunite you with her," he grinned again.

"No, Marick, we will be together again, but it will be on our terms," Yami shouted emotionally.

Marick scoffed and turned and with a wave replied, "Of course, Pharaoh, we'll see about that in the final duel where I destroy you," he said getting the last word.

Kagome was set next to Inuyasha in the infirmary and she reached out to grasp his hand. Somehow, even though he was currently in the Shadow Realm it made her feel better. She looked at its other occupants in sadness. Aisha had sacrificed herself to save them, to save the pharaoh and Yugi, to save the world. Kagome looked over at Yami.

"Make sure he pays for all of this," she told him flatly.

Yami's unfocused gaze suddenly was on her fully aware. She watched him squeeze the necklace.

"You can rest assured I will put a stop to this madness, and I will do everything within my power to fix everything Marick has done," Yami replied with conviction.

Kagome smiled, "I never realized how lucky I was to keep Inuyasha after we mated until I shared my body with Aisha. It's about time the two of you finally got to be together," Kagome said.

Yami stared at her for a moment the words hitting a button, but finally he smiled back, "Yes, it has been a long journey, one that I will soon complete," Yami responded.

Yami looked at Joey, Mia and Serenity both sitting with him, then to Inuyasha, who's hand was currently in Kagome's grasp, and lastly to Odion, who tried to protect the very one who they were trying to defeat. And then Yami thought about Aisha. He would save them all and return to his queen.

He would save the world.

And there we have it. Only one more duel left! Thanks again for reading/following/favoriting. You guys are all fabulous.