Disclaimer: Okay, since I don't wanna go though those court cases again: It's been two full stories, with over 50 chapters of the same disclaimer; do I really need to say it again? I DON'T OWN IT!
If you have the time, PLEASE REVIEW!
A/N: This editing system bites. No more stars, slashes....all mindlinks are in italics and such....you know the drill...'sigh'
Chapter #29: Final Battle
-------In the Darkness—Reader's POV------
"So, are you ready to battle?!" Yami Bakura shouted. His eyes were fixed on the glowing Puzzle. It was shining a pure white; almost blinding him, but he didn't look away. [Time to fight the battle I wanted for over one thousand years!]
Yami Bakura held out the Rod in one hand, and the Eye in the other. The Key and Ring stayed at his neck, floating in mid-air, beginning to glow. [This is it! Be prepared to lose everything!]
Suddenly, with a bright flash, all four of his Items shone brightly; the Ring was glowing blue, the Rod purple, the Eye red and the Key yellow. All of the beams of the different coloured lights shot out directly towards Atemu's white light. Yami Bakura smiled as he saw the light from the Puzzle stream out to try to battle against his.
"This is insane!" Tristan shouted, holding on to Yami Marik. "It's unfair, too!"
"Who said we play by the rules, anyway, Taylor?!" Yami Marik shouted at him, still trying to get free.
"Shut up!" Joey tightens his grip on Yami Marik's arm. [Atemu's gonna win this thing! I know it!]
However, Pegasus was thinking otherwise. "Ishizu, how can he win against FOUR Items?!"
Ishizu looked back to Pegasus, eyes full of belief. "The Pharaoh will win this battle Pegasus. There was never a time in the scriptures where they say he has lost."
"Maybe this time, dear sister, we'll make history!" Yami Marik smiled and laughed as he turned his head towards her.
"My brother, you do not know what you are saying." Ishizu shook her head. When she reopened her eyes, and stared at the beams of light about to clash. "If he can unlock the powers within his Item, all is not lost."
[Come on Atemu! Don't let Yami Bakura beat you!] Yugi looked on with worried eyes. He knew his Yami was strong......but he was going up against, not one or two, but four Items......How much power would he need? [Please....don't give up!]
The five beams of light finally crashed into one another and they began a deadly push and shove. Yami Marik continued to laugh. "It's over!"
[No.....How could Yami Bakura's power...?] Atemu began to struggle. :::: I don't know how long I can hold on Yugi..... ::::
:: Atemu! You need to! Keep fighting! :: Yugi's voice flooded in his head. [He believes in me....I can't let him down. I can't let THEM down. It's because of me they're in here.] The white light from the Puzzle began to push back against the assault of four Items....But he noticed that Yami Bakura's Items were still very much in the lead.
[The Pharaoh needs to unlock the powers of his Puzzle. Only then will he succeed.] Shadi thought to himself. "Pharaoh! Unlock the Puzzle!"
Atemu looked back at Shadi, confusion written in his eyes. "What?!" His white light was growing smaller as Yami Bakura's power continued to push his back.
"Once you can unlock your true powers you will beat him!" Shadi shouted back.
[What?! How can I--? I don't understand!] Atemu's mind failed him to find the answer to Shadi's instructions. Instead, his eyes were focused on how bad his light was holding up against the other four.
Yami Bakura laughed. "Say goodbye! This game is mine!" He watched with earnest eyes as Atemu began to stumble backwards and use the walls to support himself. [My power is too much for him! He can't stand by himself! He's crumbling under my pressure! Once this game is over, I'll take that Puzzle and leave all of them to die! And then, when I'm back in the real world, the other Items are mine for the taking.....and the world as well....]
:: NO! Atemu! Keep fighting! :: Yugi shouted through their mind link. He looked on to see his Yami being practically forced to his knees under Yami Bakura's power. [He can't lose! Please! Stay strong!]
:::: Yugi...I... :::: Atemu could not say anything. He was losing. [No....Please Ra....I can't lose.....My friends....] His light from the Puzzle was fading. It wasn't holding up anymore.
::: Yugi...I'm sorry... ::::
:: NO! Atemu! Don't give up! PLEASE! ::
:::: Forgive me...Please...I'm so sorry...:::: Atemu's voice grew soft and tired. :::: I can't hold on much longer...Please forgive me...I have failed you......::::
The light from his Puzzle continued to grow smaller and smaller. "NO! ATEMU! NO!" Yugi shouted, releasing his hold on Yami Marik. He ran towards his fallen Yami, tears in his eyes. [I can't let you die! I can't let you lose!]. His hand was outstretched, reaching for him; wanting to help. Everything appeared in slow motion for him.
:::: Yugi...Ra...I'm sorry...:::: A single tear escaped from Atemu's eye. "I'm sorry!" He threw his head back and shouted for everyone to hear. His light was almost gone. Yami Bakura's powers were completely dominating.
"Oh God! No!" Téa's eyes were getting full of tears. [This can't be how it ends! It can't!]
Elaya stood motionless with a sad expression on her face. Justi was crying through their mind link. ((( ATEMU! Please Ra! Have mercy on him! )))
Pegasus and Ishizu were quiet and still, unsure what to say or think. Shadi had shut his eyes, not wanting to watch.
"How the mighty Pharaoh has fallen!" Yami Marik continued to laugh as Joey and Tristan kept him from running.
[God....Is this the end of us?] The two boys thought as Yami Marik laughed.
"ATEMU!" Yugi yelled, tears spilling. He reached for him and grabbed on to the Puzzle.
And everything went white.
------Elsewhere—Reader's POV-----
Time had stopped. Both Atemu and Yugi were floating in a white void. "Yugi?" Atemu's voice echoed. He moved towards his light. "What happened?" A conclusion dawned on him and he bowed his head. "I failed, didn't I?"
Yugi turned to him and smiled. "No. You didn't. You're still battling Ryou!"
"But how?"
The hikari laughed, in spite of the situation. "I don't know. Last thing I remember is that I touched the Puzzle while the battle went on because you were losing and needed help. Where are we?"
"I....I don't know." Atemu continued to look at his feet. He felt a feather light touch on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Yugi's hand there.
"We need to unlock the true powers of the Puzzle like Shadi said!" Yugi's determination was one Atemu had never seen before.
"I have lived within his Puzzle for three thousand years and have yet to discover any powers." Atemu admitted sadly. "Especially the ones that Yami Bakura desires--"
"—And the ones that'll save us!" Yugi said. "We need to work together and find them!"
"But where to start?" The yami asked. "We're just.....in here....No one is with us....No one to help....." He motioned his hand to show the plain white area. His voice was no longer the confident one Yugi remembered. It was sad; one that had given up all hope.
"You're wrong! Look! Everyone is here!" Yugi pointed to a piece of the whiteness. "See! It's Joey!"
But Atemu looked in the direct path of Yugi's finger and saw....just white. "Yugi. I don't see him there."
"Look closer!"
He stared at the same white spot. "I don't see—" Suddenly, he saw something. Grey and black dots came and warped the white into a face.....Joey's face! "He's.....He's here!"
Yugi nodded. "There's Tristan, Téa, Elaya and even Kaiba! They're all here Atemu! They're here to help! With our friends, nothing is impossible!"
[I see all of them!] Joy appeared on Atemu's face. "I need to win this! I need to win this for them! Come on Yugi! There isn't much time!"
Happy for his yami's new found confidence, they began to swim towards the direction of where the faces where.
Just as the faces appeared, a door did as well. The door resembled all the doors that Atemu had constantly walked in and out of from his mind: grey with silver bolts making a border around the door and a cross from top to bottom.
"What is behind this—?"
"—Open it and find out." Yugi finished. He watched Atemu reach for the doorknob and how the door's edges began to spit out a rainbow of colours. [All the colours of the Millennium Items!] Yugi's eyes brightened as he recognized the same colours that came out of the Items Yami Bakura had.....plus a green and an orange colour. [That must be the colours of the Scales and the Necklace.]
Atemu noticed all the colours as well and could not seem to grab the doorknob. "Yugi! I can't—I can't open the door!" [What's happening? Why can't I move towards it?]
At first, Yugi looked worried, but then, he smiled. "Don't worry Atemu, help is on the way!" Suddenly five bodies appeared. [It's our friends!] Atemu felt himself get closer to that mysterious door.
"Come on Atemu! You can do it!" Joey shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer.
"Yeah! We believe in ya!" Tristan smiled, grabbing his other hand.
"You've went up against tougher guys! You can beat him!" Téa and Elaya shouted, pushing him forward from behind him.
Kaiba, looked at him and nodded. "You know what to do."
Last, but not least, Yugi came up in front of him to lead the way. "We've been through a lot. We've bet every single person that came up in front of us. This should be no different."
"Yugi....Do you know what lies behind this door?" Atemu asked. He got no answer but a smile.
Instead of Atemu opening the door by turning the knob with his friends, the door opened by itself and soon, the once white world was adorned in colours, depicting scenes from his life in Ancient Egypt all the way to his current life with Yugi and the others.
"Yugi..." Atemu gasped, looking around him, trying to take in all the beauty that he was seeing, all the memories played before him. "....What is this?"
"Your life. Your powers." Yugi smiled at him. [How do I know this stuff?] His mouth had a mind of its own, spilling out information that he didn't understand or know at all. "This is the stuff THEY want." [Where IS this information coming from anyway?]
Looking around the room again, he saw scrolls and scriptures, all of which he could understand easily. He knew them all with just one glance. All of his questions of him being a Pharaoh were here! He learned of his past.....His father and mother.....His training....The Shadow Games....His wife....His battles......Everything was here, and his mind was being filled.
Countless memories of conversations between him and the previous Item holders played out, and Atemu remembered exactly what was said.......His Shadow Games; he watched these and remembered all the moves he made to win......He also watched that fateful day when the God Cards were used between Priest Seth—or Kaiba—and him to cause the world to be at the brink of destruction. At these memories, he almost cried. [Everything was here all this time! In order for me to find it, I needed my friends....and my other half, Yugi.....Oh Gods.....] The Pharaoh thought, strength renewing in his Puzzle. [This is so much.....]
"Come on Atemu, it's time to kick some ass!" Joey cried, throwing a fist in the air. The others followed with a unison, "YEAH!"
Looking back at one more memory, the one where the spirits and powers of the Items were getting sealed, he noticed something. And he smiled. "I know what I need to do. My true powers are unlocked. Thank you my friends, without you, I would never have opened that door."
"Don't mention it......Seriously, don't." Kaiba smirked.
"Was money-bags taking a crack at being funny?" Joey asked.
Atemu smiled. [Without them, that door would have never opened.....and I would never have seen what I needed.] "Yugi, I'm ready."
"Let's go!"
The memories got bright and went past him so fast, they became a blur. Both Yugi's and Atemu's tri-coloured hair swayed as they moved at speeds unheard of to get out of that once white room.
------In the Darkness—Reader's POV-----
Everyone who was watching the battle between Yami Bakura and Atemu saw a bright light for a brief illumination of the mind chamber. Everything appeared to stop within that one second the light came out when Yugi touched the battling Puzzle. As quickly as the light came, it was gone.
[What the hell was that?!] Yami Bakura sneered, but kept his mind on the task at hand. [It doesn't matter now, his Puzzle is almost mine!]
Yugi stepped back from the Puzzle and Atemu and watched his Yami stand up, still at battle. [Atemu...I hope you've found out what to do! We're counting on you!]
"Ryou!" The Pharaoh shouted, "This ends NOW!" Throwing his head back, a Millennium Symbol appeared on his forehead, full of all the colours of the rainbow—all the colours of the Millennium Items.
Suddenly, he was no longer wearing the simple T-Shirt and black shorts Yugi was wearing. He was without a shirt and wearing bluish grey pants that flared out at the ankle. His head, neck and body was adorned in gold jewellery.
"The Pharaoh has arrived!" Shadi proclaimed, opening his eyes. He was able to bring Atemu to that place where his memories were opened. [This battle is done.]
Yami Marik's eyes widened. "NO! This can't be!"
Everyone else, however, was smiling and cheering.
"Ryou. I am sorry for the pain my family has caused you......Believe me or not, that is the truth. This battle is finished." The Pharaoh said sadly. The rainbow coloured Millennium Symbol shone bright, and soon, the Rod and the Key stopped glowing.
"What are you doing?!" Yami Bakura shouted. [Why aren't the Rod and Key working for me? Why aren't they fighting?!]
"As a Pharaoh who made these Items, I am able to control them--partially. The ones that were not won fairly in a battle are still attached to their rightful owners. Shadi's Key now obeys him. And the Rod now obeys Kaiba." The Pharaoh explained. "I made this attachment return to them."
[But, how can Kaiba control the Rod if he's unconsci—WHOA!] Téa almost jumped a mile when she saw Kaiba's eyes open suddenly.....there was no blue iris this time, just white. On his forehead shone the Millennium Symbol.
Both the Key and the Rod shone their light into the Pharaoh's white light, easily pushing back on the Ring's and the Eye's. [NO!] Yami Bakura shouted in thought. Slowly, his two lights were being pushed towards him. [His powers are stronger now! But how?!] Yami Bakura looked at Atemu and saw that he WAS the Pharaoh he remembered. [Ra.....All his memories have returned to him! He knows everything now! He's in complete control! NO!]
Yami Marik began to scream. "Joey! The dude's fading away!" Tristan shouted, noticing that the arm Joey was holding on to was vanishing. Joey stepped back from the vanishing spirit as did Tristan.
"NO! AH!" Elaya noticed that as Yami Bakura began to lose, Yami Marik disappeared. [Yami Marik must of depended on Yami Bakura's power to stay alive......That's why he's disappearing when his 'partner's' power is cut in half!]
"I'm sorry Ryou." Atemu whispered as finally, the Rod, Key and his Puzzle disintegrated Yami Bakura's lights completely. The spirit of the Ring screamed as the white light consumed his Items and himself, and his partner disappeared entirely.
Ishizu was overjoyed. [The evil that enslaved my brother is gone! The battle is over; the Pharaoh was victorious!]
Yami Bakura lay up against the opposite wall; all of the Items but his Ring were on the floor. Atemu picked up the Eye, Rod and Key and returned them to their rightful owners. Kaiba had fallen back into unconsciousness after the battle was over, so instead, he gave the Rod to Ishizu. "Give it to your brother."
He returned to Ryou, who was now struggling to get up. "Ryou!"
"What?!" He barked.
"Your fate for your deeds....." Atemu muttered, "....Is to come into the afterlife with the rest of the Millennium Item holders who have deceased or who are sealed inside them as of now." Ryou growled, pushing at the scar tissue over his eye.
Atemu grabbed onto Ryou's wrist. The Items they all had began to glow and with a scream from Yami Bakura, beautiful white light filled all the dark areas in the Pharaoh's mind chamber, many of the doors were gone, all traps were destroyed.
All the memories were restored. There was no need for the confusing maze anymore. "Is that the exit?" Pegasus asked, just above a whisper. After the white light had settled, they all were standing in front of a large stone door.
Atemu nodded. "Come, let us go. The ritual is upon us."
Staring once more at his no longer complex and intricate mind, he smiled. [There are no more mysteries......]
The door opened and they were all greeted by white light.
--------------
Oh God....those last couple of lines were SO FREAKIN' corny..... 00 oh well.
Hope you enjoyed that 'lovely' battle between the psycho and the guy with spiky hair. (j/k j/k—I love both of them, I really do!). Goodness...That took me a while......Hope it was clear and 'enjoyable to read'!
On a total personal note: My 16 th birthday is in TWO DAYS! WOOHOO!
(stage curtains open to reveal Joey and Tristan on electric bass guitars, Yugi and Téa behind microphones, Kaiba behind a drum set and Elaya with an electric guitar)
Elaya: One. Two. Three. Four! (Everyone starts jamming/jumping) Happy Birthday to you!
Yugi and Téa: To you!
Joey and Tristan: Happy Birthday to you!
Yugi and Téa: To you!
Elaya: Happy Birthday, Evil StormSist-a! Happy Birthday to you!
Yugi and Téa: To you!
Joey and Tristan: To you! (jump up and down)
(Everyone plays last note. All look at Kaiba.) Kaiba: We need a ride home!
PLEASE REVIEW, and make my B-Day wish come true! (Someday, I want my fanfic to have 100 reviews!)
