Alright so taking that two week break helped, but it didn't at the same time sadly. I got severely distracted by a contest that I entered on deviantart, and of course work squeezed itself in as well. But I was able to finish one chapter and get maybe half way through the next so it wasn't a total lost cause. So we'll go ahead with a every other week posting, and I'm happy that it seems like everyone is being patient with me. Thanks so much it makes me so happy!
I do apologize if I missed a lot of mistakes or sentences sound weird I reviewed it rather late, and was reading fairly fast. Okay so this chapter I've been super excited about posting it since the idea originally came to me. We have a kind of short introduction of someone, and I can't wait until their full appearance. *happy squeal* Alright I'll leave you alone to read this chapter!
Kiyomi: Feriua does not own any Yu-Gi-Oh characters. All rights belong to their rightful owners. Feriua does own her original characters and plot.
~Chapter 51: The Real Possibility~
Alara threw the three shopping bags on her bed before digging through the closet to pull out her duffel bag. She pulled out the things from the shopping bags, and organized everything to fit snuggly. She looked over everything quickly, and decided that she had basically everything she needed, but she felt like she needed just one more thing. She looked through her closet and her eyes landed on one thing. It didn't seem right to take it with her, but something told her to take it. Once she packed the last item she returned the duffel bag to its place in the back of the closet.
"Alright I feel like that's all set to go," Alara nodded before hearing the front door open and shut.
"Alara are you here?"
"The door wouldn't be unlocked if I wasn't here." She rounded the corner to see Yugi standing there waiting for her.
"Wait it's usually Atem that comes and gets me. Is something wrong?"
"No I headed out ahead of him, and after you said that you had gotten back home. I just came straight up since I didn't think it would be a big deal if I came in."
"Oh no it's fine let me just grab my keys, and I'll be ready to go." As they headed back outside Atem was walking up to them.
"Ready?" he asked looking between them.
"Yep let's go." They made their way towards the park since they had decided that morning to do some training, and then headed towards the back where no ever really went. Once they were happy with where they were at they stopped to make a plan on how they would train.
"Why don't we do like a one on one kind of thing?" Yugi suggested.
"That could work or if we're comfortable enough we could do a two on one," Atem nodded thoughtfully. Alara listened as she directed her attention towards the distant dark clouds that had appeared a little more than a week ago. They had grown wary of the clouds and started to think they weren't normal since they had only grown in size, but hadn't moved anywhere closer to the city. Her eyes narrowed as she watched faint lightning flash through the clouds briefly lighting them up. Something caught her eye though as she could have sworn she saw something actually move through clouds.
"Alara what do you want to do?" Yugi asked pulling her attention back to them.
"Well I wouldn't mind the two on one."
"So like you and me against Atem?"
"Nope, me against the both of you."
"Are you sure?" Atem questioned.
"Yea I think it would make it interesting plus it gives me more practice working with more than one enemy compared to our usual one." Atem and Yugi looked at each other a shrug of their shoulders before heading off, and began planning their attack against her.
Alara stretched out a little bit as she moved to a fairly close spot that gave her a lot of open ground, and less areas for them to hide. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she cleared her mind, and opened all of her senses to the fullest. The only sound that could be heard was the chirping of nearby birds, but all too soon a louder noise could be heard. Just behind her the soft and barely audible footsteps could be heard approaching. A smirk spread across her face as she waited for the person to move closer, and let them believe that they were going to catch her off guard.
The footsteps stopped before rushing forward, and Alara whipped around as her spear sprang to life. She pulled it up just in time to stop the sword made of ice stop its descent, and she saw the slightly surprised look on Yugi's face. She gave it a shove backwards as he took a step back before starting to circle her.
"You weren't very quiet," she said.
"I wasn't trying to be perfect," he smirked and his eyes flickered to her right. The small movement barely gave her the warning as a small whistle filled the air. She stepped back towards her left barely dodging the sword flying down, and catching Atem giving her a scowl that she had evaded his attack.
"Almost, but his little diversion wasn't quite there."
"If he hadn't looked at me it would be been successful," Atem said as the boys began to circle her again. She watched them carefully to see which one would attack first, and she was both surprised and not that they rushed her at the same time from opposite sides. It did help that Atem was just a tad bit faster as he struck out first so she blocked him before turning around, and knocking Yugi back with a swift kick.
"I thought we agreed to no hard damage," he said pushing himself back up.
"We agreed with weapons that would cause worse damage than a kick or punch. Bruises can be healed in seconds while the others can take up to a few minutes with a lot more energy use," Alara smiled. Her smiled disappeared the next second as she felt the wind being knocked out of her, and found herself staring up at the sky.
"Don't let your guard down," Atem smirked down at her before helping her back up to her feet.
"Sneaky"
"How about we reset since that wasn't the best round," Yugi suggested.
"I agree." They took off as Alara moved around the open area a bit to try to catch them before their attack this time. A cold gust of wind blew through the area as she began to have the feeling like she was being watched. She turned in all directions, but couldn't find any sign of the boys or maybe even a random person that may be watching. A small whistle barely caught her attention in time as she whipped around to barely catching Atem's blade just a few inches from her face.
"Distracted much?" he questioned as he pushed against her.
"Not at all," she answered as she tried to push against him, but knew he wasn't putting too much power into it because he could have easily overpowered her by now. She gave a hard push against him as she tried to put some distant between the two of them. A bright light out of the corner of her eye and a whooshing sound alerted her to the oncoming attack, and she ducked just in time as Yugi's flaming sword soared over her head.
This time they did let up their attacks as they kept pushing against her, and she was able to hold her ground most of the time. She started to grow tired quickly defending against both of them compared to them taking turns throwing attacks at her. In attempts to finally get some space between them she released a flash of light that temporarily blinded them as she ran a few feet away. When she turned back around she could tell their vision was starting to clear as they looked around for her before locking onto her. With a deep breath she prepared herself for what they were going to throw at her, but was distracted as she felt something wrap around her ankle as a hissing filled the air.
Alara looked down to see something dark wrapping around her entire leg before it gave a harsh tug sending her flying to the ground. The next second it pulled again as she felt herself being quickly dragged across the ground. She kicked out trying to hit whatever had a hold of her, but she kept hitting nothing but empty air.
"Okay Atem enough!" Alara shouted trying to reach out at the thing around her leg to pull it off, but it kept squirming just out of her grasp.
"It's not me!" Atem shouted back as him and Yugi gave chase after her. A high pitched scream filled the air as all three of them figured out immediately what it was. Alara looked up to see herself being dragged towards a young child.
"It's a Daemonia," Yugi yelled.
"I think it's the one from last time finally showing back up." The darkness wrapped around Alara's leg began to climb up her entire body the closer she got to the child. She kept tearing at it, but it kept reappearing and moving further up.
"Atem, Yugi some help would be appreciated," Alara called out as she began to charge energy into her hands. She went to grab the dark mass, but the magic in her hands released in a shower of sparks. She kept trying to channel the light again, but every time it keep releasing on its own out of her control. "What the hell why isn't it listening to me? Why can't I control it?"
"Damn it," Atem cursed as he noticed that it had almost completely wrapped around her. He began to make a portal to jump him right next to the Daemonia, but he wasn't able to finish as an attack landed in front of them. A large explosion rocked the earth as it sent them flying backwards, and crashing to the ground. A scream filled the air before it grew quiet as they pushed themselves back up. They looked around noticing there were no signs of either the Daemonia or Alara.
"Damn it their both gone, but it doesn't make any sense," Yugi said as he threw his fist against the ground. "I thought when those things show up everyone gets taken to the Astralux."
"That could still be true, but like I said earlier I think that was the mirror Daemonia that we ran into last time. They didn't get to finish their fight so it's possible that it only took her in so that we couldn't interfere this time."
Alara's eyes narrowed as the mirror image of herself copied her motions. Once the Astralux had appeared around them the dark mass that had been wrapped around her body had disappeared instantly. Since then her and the other woman had been staring each other down waiting for the other to make the first move. She wanted to look around to see if Atem and Yugi had also been pulled it, but by how quiet it has been and the distorted connection to Atem she was assuming they weren't there.
"So you finally show up after running from our last fight," Alara finally broke the silence. "Why the sudden return?"
"Your reflection is not blurry anymore," the woman replied with Alara's own voice. "I can see it clearly now."
"What in the world are you talking about?" Alara watched as the woman flashed a bright shade of pink, and as the light died away a different girl was revealed. It took her a few seconds, but she was finally able to recognize the most recent past life before her. Before she could say anything the light flashed again as another girl appeared within a few seconds. This kept continuing until she stopped on the very last girl, and Lanea was staring back at her.
"Come on," the Daemonia teased. "Fight me"
"No I won't."
"What?"
"I won't fight a face that is friendly, and that doesn't cause me to fear for my life or the life of my friends. Not Lanea, Rhoslyn, Eliana, Meili, or anybody else."
"But you fought yourself and Hotaru."
"I fought them because they intended harm on me and the others around me. Plus I wouldn't let such a horrible person like that opposite of mine run free in this world, because she doesn't exist since I'll never be like her."
"Fine then I shall just fight you for real face to face," the woman said as her appearance changed one last time with a flash of light.
"There will be no fight for your fight was over the moment we arrived in the Astralux," Alara said as her spear appeared and she quickly drove it into the creature's heart.
"No this was supposed to be much easier fight for me than before. You wouldn't fight against the ones you love because you didn't want to hurt them," she whispered as she collapsed to the ground.
"Again you are not the same as them so I can't hurt them, and besides I just protected them instead. I won't let anybody get hurt for I made a promise to them that I intend to keep. Thus you let your guard down making the fight easier for me instead." With choked gasp the woman began to fade away as the Astralux began to flicker itself. Once it fully faded away and Alara had returned to the park she let out deep sigh as she felt a small amount of relief wash over her.
'It's time' a voice rang in her head as she looked off to her left to see the cloaked person had returned once again.
'Time for what exactly?' Alara questioned, but she received no response. The sound of footsteps drew her attention to behind her to see the boys running up to her.
"Is everything okay?" Atem asked. "It didn't even seem like you were really gone that long."
"Yea everything's fine," Alara smiled before taking a quick second to tell them what happened.
"Well I'm glad to have her gone so we don't have to worry about her running around free anymore," Yugi nodded before glancing past Alara. "So should be worried about that person over there?"
"You can see them now?" Atem asked.
"Yea plain as day. Wait is that the cloaked person that's been following you around Alara?"
"Yea it is, but I still don't know what they want. When I returned from the Astralux they said it's time. I asked what they meant, but didn't get any kind of response."
"Weird"
"Well we've had a fairly productive day even if some of it was unintentional and it has been rather short, but why don't we call it day," Atem suggested.
"I like that," Alara sighed suddenly feeling rather drained. She had barely used a lot of magic and energy between everything so it didn't really make sense. She brushed it off with a shrug of her shoulders as the three of them headed towards home.
The next day Alara sat staring at the cackling energy in her hand that she couldn't seem to get under control at all. Every time she kept trying to pull in the energy under control so the ball was smooth and perfect it would start to arc and spark wildly. With a frustrated sigh she released the energy still not understanding why all of a sudden she was apparently unable to control her magic.
"Any ideas?" Alara whispered.
"None at all," Lanea replied sadly.
"I thought opening the chakra gates was supposed to bring my physical and magical energy into balance so I didn't have these uncontrollable outbursts anymore."
"It is for even I can sense that they've grown closer."
"Then why is this happening then?"
"I don't know. Maybe ask Moru about it?"
"We're always asking questions and the deeper we get with everything the less answers they have. I just feel like this is something I need to figure out for myself, but I just don't know what to do."
"Well why don't you try working on the next gate. Even after we finally met with all the past lives you couldn't open it, but now that you've faced them with the Daemonia maybe you can."
"It's worth the shot since I'm not really getting anything else done right now," Alara sighed before closing her eyes, and taking a deep relaxing breath. A cold feeling washed over her as she shivered, and opened her eyes to see a chakra pool in front of her. A smile spread across face that she was actually able to find it this time. But her smile quickly dropped away as she noticed that the water didn't seem to be moving, and she couldn't hear the trickle of water like before. She reached out and tried to dip her fingers into the water, but they were stopped instantly.
"Why is this frozen?" she whispered as her breath clouded out, and another shiver racked her body. She rubbed her arms trying to warm herself as she looked around for some clue to what she needed to do for this one. She didn't see anything or anyone and she felt a sense of loneliness wash over her.
"Death unchanging…..always the same…..it steals those whom we love the most…..it leaves us alone and wondering….wondering could we have done something to change it," said a soft whisper. "Could we have saved them…tried offering ourselves in exchange so that they may live happily…..will we actually see them again like they always say….or not…"
"Death is this what it feels like," Alara whispered as the pool of water came to life below her. It's surface raced by with images of every girl's life and death. "This cold and lonely feeling is how they've been feeling as the years go by and they can't leave the bracelet to be with their loved ones again. I wish they didn't have to sacrifice their lives, because of the curse and be separated from their families. Even though I can't change the fate that has been bestowed on our line I will set everyone free. I accept what can't be changed of all the girls that died, but I know that until the end they shall stand by my side until this fight has been won. I accept the sacrifice of every girl that has preceded me to Lanea."
The ice on top of the water shattered as the light shot up into the air once again. Alara shielded her eyes from the light as it pulsed brightly, and something seem just a little different from the previous ones. With a slight feeling of uncertainty she pushed herself to step into the light. The air immediately began to feel much warmer, and sound of clicking pots and pans filled the air.
"No one should be in the apartment," Alara whispered as her guard went up, and she prepared to jump whomever was there. When she opened her eyes she immediately grew confused to what she was looking at. She wasn't sitting in her apartment anymore, but almost seemed to be standing in a house. Even though she didn't really know where she was at or whose house this was she felt comfortable and a small sense of familiarity. She looked at the decorations around her and recognized some of the same things in her apartment only making her more confused. A picture only a few steps away grabbed her attention as she moved to closer to take in the details.
Alara covered her mouth as she let out a gasp and her eyes grew wide. She stood there shaking her head as she kept staring at the picture taking in the details over and over.
"There's no way…unless this is absolutely a chance…..." Alara whispered as she couldn't tear her eyes away from hers and Atem's wedding picture. Atem was wearing a black suit with a pale blue tie and vest. She was wearing a white form fitting dress, with a sweetheart neckline, a pale blue sash tied around her waist, and a bouquet full of various shades of blue lilies. She finally tore her eyes away from the image to others that surrounded it to see more pictures of her and Atem at their wedding along with all of their friends. Tea and Yugi smiled brightly while Joey stood with a blonde woman she hadn't met, and Tristan had his arm around Serenity's waist.
A small child-like laughter filled the air pulling Alara's attention away from the pictures. Soft chatter could be heard after that, but she couldn't make out the words. She took a few steps forward towards an open doorway to see to whom this voice belonged to. She didn't get too far as a voice came from what seemed to be the kitchen, by the sounds, made her stop in her tracks.
"Come on my chiisana hime time for lunch."
"That sounded just like me," Alara whispered.
"Okay mama come on kuri let's go eat!" said a small girl's voice as a chirping noise sounded. Alara watched as a small girl rush out of the room she was moving towards followed by a kuriboh floating through the air.
"No way," Alara whispered again as she took in the details of the small girl. She was just barely able to catch the big, bright blue eyes that faded to a violet. Gently kinking blonde bangs framed her face as her lightly spiking black hair fell to her shoulders with an outline of violet. Just that brief sight of the young girl made a loving feeling fill her, and she pushed herself to follow where she had gone.
"Alright kuri needs to go home so you can eat."
"But mama he wants to eat with us too."
"I'm sure he does, but I don't have anything he can eat. So why don't we let him go home so he can eat, and then when you're both done eating he can come back to play. Is that okay?"
"I guess so." Alara saw a small flash of light as a small click signaled a plate being sat down. She peeked around the corner to see the young girl sitting at the table eating happily, and she was able to get the first view of herself even if her back was to her. She cautiously took a few steps into the room to get a better view of things knowing that neither of them would be able to see her. She watched her older self look up at the clock before letting out a sigh with a smile, and then returned to cleaning the sink of dishes in front of her.
Alara took a step further into the room, and looked around taking in the details of everything. The only thing that she didn't really notice was the young girl that set her fork down, and was now staring at her with wide eyes. While the new person scared the young child she grew confused as to why this lady looked kind of like her mother.
"Mama?" the girl questioned as her eyes never left the other woman.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Who's that lady that looks like you?" Alara froze as the words hit her ears, and she slowly looked to see the child staring right at her. The older Alara froze before whipping around ready to defend both herself and her child in an instant. She felt her heart began to race as she looked at a younger version of herself.
"I knew this would eventually come," she whispered before taking a breath to calm herself.
"How can you see me? I've never been seen before during any of my visions or viewing memories."
"This is no vision or memory like you've seen before. I know you've seen many different versions of what is to come, but you can speak with us because this is what the true future holds for us. I know because some years ago I went through the same thing."
"But I've had the visions lately that are showing scenes that have given me that different feeling of almost certainty, but this so different from those."
"I know everything that you're dealing with right now is hard and truly unexplainable. I'll tell you like I was told when I walked that path is to be strong, trust in yourself, and the others around you and you'll make it. This doesn't seem possible with the grim outlook right now, but I promise everything will work out in the end."
"I feel like I can truly trust your words," Alara nodded as she looked down at the confused girl between them. She couldn't help, but smile seeing the girl. "You look an awful lot like your daddy."
"I know uncle Yugi and grandpa says the same thing all the time," she smiled happily.
"Grandpa?"
"Solomon and my, well our dad and mom, have also visited a couple times to see her," the other Alara spoke up.
"What about Lanea?"
"I haven't spoken to her and the others for quite a few months now. Although within a few months I think they'll end up making a return visit," she smiled down as she rubbed the small bump pressed against her shirt. Alara's eyes widened as she actually noticed it before a smile spread across her lips.
"Another?" she questioned as her older self nodded happily.
"We don't know just yet."
"So she can see spirits?"
"Yes and at times when someone visits they sit and play with her for a little bit." Their attention was drawn away as they heard a door open and close before a familiar voice rang out.
"My two beautiful women I'm home early!"
"DADA!" the young girl screamed as she jumped out of her chair and ran from the room.
"Atem," Alara whispered turning around only to be blinded by light that appeared.
"It's time for you to return back to your time for you have so much to do with so little time. The end is drawing near as the dark lord's return comes closer."
"But I can't leave just yet," Alara said as she felt herself being pulled towards the light. "I have so many questions that you could answer."
"I can't for those are things that you must find and figure out for yourself. Just remember I what said earlier. Stand strong and trust in yourself and the others, and everything shall work out like it should I promise." The woman waved with a smile before the light wrapped around Alara cutting her out of her sight. "I'm sorry that I can't tell or help you anymore. You're as smart as I am, and I know you've already begun to figure out the end of your fight." The woman's attention was drawn back to her family as her loving husband walked through the door carrying their daughter. He sat her down back in her seat before greeting her with a kiss as he rested a hand against her growing stomach.
"Is everything okay my love?" he asked with concern when he noticed the distant look in her eyes.
"Yes everything is fine," she smiled. "Just like it happened before we had a visitor from the past." His eyes widened as he glanced around looking for the other person, but surprised when he didn't see anyone.
"Where is she? I know you mentioned this would be happening soon."
"Yes she was pulled back when you were walking through the door."
"Did you tell her?"
"No I couldn't like I know what happened with me. Nothing can be fully revealed or it will throw the correct balance and path of everything towards the wrong direction. I know we most definitely don't want that."
"No it was hard enough to go through that time, and now that she's seen this happiness she'll strive to make sure it happens. I just wish we could have done something to warn her for not only her sake, but my own at that time."
"I know, but we know that you would've done anything to stop what's going to happen. But for it to work out according to plan the darkness and the light must perish together." A grim expression fell over both of their faces as their past played through their mind.
"Dada? Mama? Is everything okay?" the young child asked tugging at her father's pants.
"Yes everything is okay," Atem smiled pushing his dark thoughts and memories away. "Why don't we go and play since we didn't get to yesterday?"
"YES! Oh dada can you ask Mana to come and play too! I miss her so much!" Atem mentally groaned and cursed the day that he let her come over to play with his daughter for the first time. New paint and carpet could only cover up the mess that had been left behind, but didn't bury the memories.
"Sure princess anything for you," he sighed already knowing he may regret something from this.
Alara's eyes snapped open as she quickly looked around to see she was back home. She noticed some things had been knocked over around her, and she assumed that something must have happened when she had opened that chakra gate. She took a second to collect her thoughts as this vision played through again, and she couldn't help the tears of happiness that began to gather in her eyes. Lanea appeared next her as she watched everything happen for the first time.
"Even with such a bleak outlook it seems like we'll be okay," Alara smiled as the tears ran down her face. "We're going to make it through just fine." Lanea could only stare at her as she processed everything she saw. Even though yes everything would be fine, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be like how Alara was thinking it was going to be. There was a hidden distress in her future self's face and she could tell something most definitely horrible was going to happen for certain. She wasn't going to deny that fact any longer.
*squeal* Now you see my excitement! So what the future Alara calls out to her daughter is just a nickname not an actual name. Just saying nothing more on that note...
But such a fairly happy scene but such a dark and grim outlook at the end of the chapter...saddness. So like I said earlier the next chapter won't be posted for two weeks, and hopefully I'll actually kick myself in the butt to write even more this time. We've got to get this ball on a roll!
Kiyomi: So please until we see you next time review/favorite/follow!
