Kassidy's body trembled as she held to the post. Dizziness ran through her brain and played with her insides. She could feel a rush of insecurity fill her heart. She felt so vulnerable, so unsure. What was going on? All she could make out were the stars dancing around her head.
"Come hunter…awaken." The voice was deep and somewhat soothing, but she didn't trust it. She had to stay alert, even if she did feel only half of her senses working. Shaking her head, she tightened her grasp on the pole.
She felt a slight breeze dance over her legs. Looking down, she saw bright red lay over her skin. It was silk. Had she changed outfits? She was so confused. She felt a small slight pain shove into her hand. Splinter.
"Kassidy…" There was that voice again. It was almost to soft, yet masculine to be human.
She didn't know how, but she found herself saying, "Who's there…who are you?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she rubbed her forehead against the post. It was very warm right now, almost to warm.
"Why ask a question to which you already know the answer child?"
"What are you talking about? I can't even…what's wrong with me?" She asked hesitantly, trying to rise from her sunken position. Again the question arose in her mind, what was happening.
"You're just recovering from our brief…break." The voice assured. Kassidy's green eyes studied the blurry being before her. She couldn't quite make him out yet.
"Where am I?" She quickly asked. She thought she could detect slight laughter from the figure in front of her.
"Come now, you know where you are."
"No…I…I'm so…tired." She mumbled closing her eyes exhaustedly.
"Good…go to sleep. Rest your eyes hunter."
"No…I can't, I have…something I was…supposed to do. Something." She argued weakly.
"You have nothing to do but to be a care-free teenage girl. That is your job." The voice soothed. Kassidy tried fighting.
"But…I…there was…"
"There was what honey?" Kassidy's eyes opened slowly from the sound of the feminine voice.
"Mom?" She huskily managed to say. The woman before her beamed with pride. Kassidy found her hands were free and she was lying on a soft bed. Sitting up she came face to face with her mother and father's smiling faces.
Marik moved slowly in the brushes to get a closer look at the scene. Kassidy seemed to be smiling. Her eyes were closed and her head went back lazily. What was she doing?
His gaze moved to Halcyon. He noticed the demon smiling as he watched the young woman. Was he doing something to her? Marik had to get up to the hills quickly. But how? There was a huge wall of fire surrounding the grounds. Thinking about it, he sighed. He could jump through…then what? The fire wouldn't affect him too much. He could make it up the hill safe and sound.
Shaking his head, he growled to himself. "This is going to hurt like hell." And with that he ran swiftly to the blazing barrier and jumped through.
"Sweetie, time to get up." Kassidy yawned, stretching her arms in the air. "We have a big day planned for you."
"What? What kind of day?"
"Oh…a special one." Her mom said with a smile. Her father nodded agreeing.
"What are we doing?" She asked, not really expecting to get an answer.
"You'll see…it's going to be so wonderful!" Her mother laughed excitedly. Kassidy smiled too.
"Okay, just…let me get dressed." She told them, sitting up out of bed. The two left.
Wow…that was an interesting dream. Actually, she couldn't even remember what it was about. She only remembered little things about it. Faces. There were lots of faces. Unfamiliar ones.
Shrugging, she pulled on a shirt. It was comfortable and loose which was just the way she liked it. Smiling, she ran her hands through her hair softly. The fingers moved in such a familiar way…so recognizable. Again, she found her mind wandering back to the dream. She couldn't remember all of it, just bits…there was one face, however, that caught her attention over and over. One she remembered so distinctly. It was so…shaking her head; she stepped into a pair of jeans. What was she thinking? Dreams don't mean anything. Neither do strange faces.
Pulling the jeans up, she buttoned them. Her green eyes skimmed over her bare feet. Sandals. Slipping them on, she quickly ran down stares.
"So…where are we off to?" Kassidy asked. Her mother looked up.
"Oh…um, go get in the car honey. We'll be out in a minute."
"Fine…do you need any help?"
"NO! I …I mean no. We'll be out…in…in a minute." Her mother told her quickly. Kassidy furrowed her brows.
"Um…okay…"
Marik growled. His body stung horribly. He couldn't feel his hands and his hair was singed. Shaking it off, he looked towards the hills. He didn't have much time. He had to warn the others, or something could go wrong…
"Are you ready?" Kassidy looked to her mom.
"Yeah, lets go."
Her father got into the car and they moved out the driveway. It was a nice sunny day, not something, Kassidy supposed, should be wasted. Her hand ran over the window.
"Oh, hun, don't do that, it'll leave marks all over the window." Mrs. Henderson told her daughter with a somewhat delightful smile. Kassidy quickly dropped her hand to her lap.
"So…are you two gonna tell me where we're going?"
"To the bluff." Her dad piped. Mrs. Henderson gave her husband a glare.
"It was supposed to be a surprise dear." Mr. Henderson sent a warning glare of his own.
"Yes, well, it's just the bluff." He looked at his daughter through the rear-view mirror. "We're having a picnic." Kassidy furrowed her brows again.
"Don't you two have to work?" It was so unlike her parents to just pick up and go somewhere.
"Took the day off."
"Oh, where's Jess?"
"At your aunt's house." Her father said quickly. Why wasn't Jesse with them?
Kassidy thought about this. Why wasn't here sister joining them? It was just odd. Looking down at the seat, she found herself distracted by a string. It was red. It looked like yarn. Grabbing it, she started looking it over more closely.
Red. It was such a bold powerful color. Most called it evil, but over the years, she figured she could find something good in everything. Twisting the string around her finger, she watched as her skin turned purple. Purple was an interesting color.
It was a mix of red with blue. Blue she had learned was a deep color. Most of the girls she knew called it their favorite, like blue was some holy tint. A lot of the time, she saw it represented as angels.
So how could mixing some so-called "evil color" and some "holy color" make such a beautiful shade? Purple was an attractive hue. It related a lot to the real world. There is good and bad in everyone, some you just have to look a little deeper, like the Halligo Pekino. The Halligo Pekino? Where had she heard that before?
"Sweetie? Sweetheart?" Kassidy's thoughts were interrupted. She looked up at her mother. "We're here."
"Oh…" She mumbled to herself. Getting out of the car, Kassidy helped her father grab the food. Her mother settled at one of the community tables and they began to fill their paper plates.
Kassidy made a sandwich and took out an orange and some watermelon. It was very tasty and she enjoyed it very much, yet…she couldn't seem to feel her stomach filling. Taking another bite, she swallowed. She felt it slide through her throat…then, nothing.
"Sweetie…take some juice to wash that down." Kassidy looked to her mother's offering hand.
Marik crept up the hill quietly but quickly. Kassidy was in need of their help. He should have known better then to let her go up alone. He should have bared with the pain. Turning, he peered back down. The wall of fire met his gaze. It must have been at least a hundred feet high.
Before Marik had time to think another thought, something knocked him on his stomach. Grunting, Marik rolled down the hill with the object still attached to him. He rolled for quite some time before he could see the figure next to him. Reaching out his hands, he growled, pulling the thing toward him. Heaving himself on to it, he changed his shape in rage.
They had finally stopped rolling and skidded down a little. Now, Marik found himself at the very bottom of the hill once more where he had started. Making a sound of frustration, he turned back to the figure and grabbed the cloth it wore, pulling it toward him. The face appeared in the firelight, and he snarled at it.
"Oh my god!" It was Yugi. Marik quickly covered the boy's mouth before he could say anymore.
"Hush…we must not be heard." Marik silenced. Yugi nodded in agreement and Marik took his hand away.
"Marik? I thought you…uh…went with Kassidy…" Yugi said scratching his head. "I thought you were another demon."
"I was with her, but we got separated, and guess what?"
"She needs help?" Marik nodded to the tri haired boy's comment.
"Yeah, well…I don't think we have time to get back up the hill, so we're just going to have to do something now. How stealthy are you?"
"I can hold my own, but I'm not great…" Yugi told him. Marik went stock-still. He put up a hand to Yugi.
"Shhh…I feel a strong presence. I can't quite figure it out. I can tell it's here, but it is not."
"What do you mean?"
"It is here somewhere, but…" He turned to Yugi. His eyes quivered as he stared at the object around Yugi's neck. "I don't know how to say this, but there is a separate existence that is hovering around you. I don't know how I know, but I defiantly feel it. And…it's right there."
Yugi looked down at his millennium puzzle. Taking it in his hands, he felt the Yami in the back of his mind itching to be let out.
"I know. I've known for a long time…it…is a spirit." Yugi said looking up at Marik. Marik's eyes went wide.
"Why haven't I sensed it before?"
"He wasn't as desperate to be let out."
"Let out?"
"He wants out. He wants to battle."
"I know better then to question the unnatural…but why didn't you say anything?"
"Tea', Tristin, and Joey know. I didn't tell Kassidy though."
"Well…I don't really know what to say for one thing." Marik told him, running a hand through his hair. Yugi gave him a sour look. Marik looked at his hands, seeing the claws striking out of it. "Sorry…" Closing his eyes, his demon form quickly disappeared.
"I've been thinking…the Yami might be able to help…" Marik rubbed his chin.
"I don't know Yugi…"
"He would defiantly be more help then me."
"How?"
"He's had more experience with this sort of thing."
"You really think he can help…"
"Most defiantly." Yugi told him. Marik gave a look to the young man before him.
"If it will save Kassidy." Marik barely had time to finish his sentence when out of nowhere a bright light exploded from where Yugi stood. After unshielding his eyes, Marik saw a taller more built figure in front of him. It was a close match to Yugi. He figured it would be what Yugi looked like in a few years.
"Demon?" The man had a deep voice. It was strong and full of confidence, Marik could tell that. Nodding he glared. He hated being called that.
"You don't know me?"
"I don't normally associate with demons…they are very unpleasing and evil." Marik huffed.
"Yeah. Lets get the short version. You're a spirit Yugi's been hiding, I'm a demon that only cares about one thing, and you're going to help me get her back." The spirit gave a blank stare. Marik waited for some sort of a response.
"I have many questions for you."
"Not now…if we live through this, I'll answer anything you wish. But we have to go save Kassidy right now." Marik said quickly.
"Alright. For Yugi I shall help."
"Good…uh, is there any special name you want to be called?"
"Yugi…just call me Yugi." Weird. Shrugging, Marik looked to the wall.
"We need to get through that wall somehow. Now I've been thinking we could-"
The fire barrier seemed to grow a hole. Marik blinked once, then twice, making sure he wasn't seeing things. Looking to the spirit, he saw a glow coming from his forehead.
"Quickly, get through." The deep voice told him. Marik furrowed his eyebrows and stared at "Yugi". "Now!" The spirit snapped.
Marik turned quickly and ran to the hole in the barricade. Before he knew it, he was on the other side. He turned, breathing heavily, to see "Yugi" walking through the opening. As soon as the glow on his head disappeared, so did the hole. Marik stared for a moment at the spirit. Knowing this, the spirit turned to him.
"I know many things and possess a great deal of power. It would be best not to question what I do or how I do it." With that, the taller "twin" of Yugi proceeded.
Kassidy stared at the cup her mother had given her. It looked like normal fruit juice. Smelled like normal fruit juice. But what of the taste? Kassidy couldn't help but have a feeling of suspiciousness. Her mother practically shoved the drink in her face. Rolling her eyes, she smiled. Why was she being so paranoid? It was her mother here! The one she loved and trusted…
Shrugging, she downed the juice in one gulp. It did taste really good! Looking toward her mother she smiled. Her mother looked to her with sad eyes. Frowning in confusion, Kassidy put the cup down.
"Mom…what's wrong?" Kassidy reached her hand across the table to her mother. Mrs. Henderson just hung her head and shook it miserably. Kassidy felt a pain shoot in her stomach. Yanking her hand back she grabbed her middle section quickly. Looking up at her mom, she felt another pain. "Mom, what's…wrong?" The pain began again, this time, not stopping for a break. Kassidy let out a grunt and fell on the ground. What the hell was going on? Kassidy saw the world around her dissolve. Looking around, Kassidy noticed fire and horrific creatures walking around.
Squinting her eyes, she raised a hand to her head. The bluff seemed to have gone from bright and sunny to glum and dark. Sitting up, she noticed the pain gone in her stomach. How could that be? What in the world was going on?
She could see that she was in trouble. Her hands trailed to her neck then wrapped around her legs. She hugged them like a lifeline. She was cold and scared. Closing her eyes, she tried pulling herself together. She needed to think.
"Oh, your awake good. I see you drank the poison. How delightful, everything is on schedule." Kassidy looked up to see a man in front of her. He smiled at her and bent down. "Don't you recognize me? Hmm…well, maybe this will help." Before Kassidy could say anything, the man grew a shade of red and his nails grew long and sharp. His teeth grew longer too and the tips of his hair turned fiery red. Her green eyes grew wide, there was a demon standing right in front of her.
"Halcyon…" The words came to her mouth before her brain could process it. This was her reason for being here. This was why she was here, to kill this demon that so easily ruined her life. Him who so easily crumbled the world around her. Furrowing her brows, Kassidy sprang up and wrapped her hands around his thick neck. They tightened, her thumbs digging into his throat.
"Now, now." His voice swam in her mind, she watched him unclasp her hands. "You're going to have to calm down or else the poison might kill you, and I'll want you alive for this."
Marik saw Halcyon change to demon form and the look of horror on Kassidy's face. Gritting his teeth, he was ready to pounce.
"Not yet…" Marik turned his head to "Yugi". The spirit's plum eyes burned a hole into him. "It will not help you or her. Wait until the right moment to strike."
Marik turned back to the scene, annoyed and a little grateful.
"You see, I've never had a problem with hunters before, but you of all people seem to be the first. Of course I wasn't exactly prepared to see Marik when I met you, it was quite a surprise on my part. But, it worked out all for the best…or the worst in your case. I was going to do this ceremony quickly, but then what kind of host would I be? In all my years of bashes and parties, there is only one thing people really enjoy…a pre-show! So gentlemen, if you will?" Halcyon grinned at Kassidy.
The sight of struggling caught her eye. Tea' and Tristin! Kassidy's mouth fell open. Their hands were behind their backs, mouths covered. Tea' whimpered, and there were signs of crying. Tristin, on the other hand, thrashed about trying to get free from the demons that held him. He was trying to talk, but the tape on his mouth muffled him.
"We could have just molded their lips together, but we're trying to save our powers, you understand…" Halcyon slyly motioned to the pair and Kassidy's eyes glared daggers.
"Let them go!" Kassidy told him strictly through grit teeth. Halcyon stared at her a moment, teasing and taunting her with his evil smile.
"No, I don't think I will…" He snapped his fingers, his claws grinding together like nails on a chalkboard. The demons picked Tristin and Tea' up and began carrying them off. Kassidy growled, springing at him with hatred. She punched his face, causing him to stumble back. Lifting up her right leg, she directed it to his mid section, but he caught it and flung her to the ground. She felt a rock dig into her left cheek, making it bleed.
She heard footsteps coming to her, and found she couldn't move. Her muscles tensed. How could this be? She felt as if all the energy and strength were being sucked out of her.
Halcyon's hand wrapped around her bare arm and yanked her from the ground. She took another swing at him, but he blocked, slapping her across the face. He moved his hand to her neck nearly closing the breathing hole. He could hear her wheeze and it brought another smile to his face as the tried pulling his hand away.
Dragging her on to the edge of the bluff, he lifted her off the ground and hung her over the edge. Her feet dangled in the air as she kept trying to pry his hand off her air supply. She felt her stomach get queasy, and right away she felt as if she wanted to throw up. Swallowing it down, she stared into Halcyon blazing eyes.
"Do you really want me to let go?" Shaking her head, she felt red rush to her cheeks. She could feel her body burning up inside. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be safe and warm. Her body was ice cold on the outside, but scorched on the inside, and her heart was pounding faster and faster. Closing her eyes, she felt her feet dragging once more on the ground. "You are testing my patience."
With one quick yank, Kassidy was thrown against a pole. The hand tightened more around her throat. "You, young lady, had better watch yourself, if you want to possibly make it out of this alive!" Furrowing her brow, Kassidy kneed him in between the legs, but she wasn't able to do it hard enough. Where had all her strength gone? Halcyon growled and tossed her to the ground.
Marik could no longer contain himself, and without the spirit's word, he jumped out, growling fiercely at Halcyon. Halcyon only smirked turning away from him. "How nice of you to join us Marik, but please, don't be embarrassed to bring your other friends around…I just love meeting new people." Halcyon turned around and looked at where Marik had been hiding and watched as a man walked out. He was tall and strong looking, yes, but no match for Halcyon, or so he thought anyway. "Hello stranger…"
"So you are the demon they call Halcyon. I sense much evil in you…" The spirit said in a deep confident voice.
"That is not nice at all. Where did you learn such manners? Surely not your mother."
"My manners are not what you should be concerned about…" Halcyons eyes squinted at the man's cockiness.
"What is your name? I would like to know who I'm about to kill."
"You will not kill me, so there for you need not know my name." The spirit gave Halcyon a strict look.
"Just the same…" Halcyon watched as the fire from the barrier reflected to the man's face.
"I have been called many names, Yugioh, King Of Games, but mostly Yami." Marik looked to the spirit confused. Why ask Marik to call him Yugi and Halcyon to call him Yami?
"Yami it shall be then. You have great power, do you not?"
"I do." Yami nodded. Halcyon smiled.
"And you expect to kill me with it?"
"That's my job!" Marik said huskily. Halcyon turned his head quickly to his former partner.
"Fine, but I'm having trouble making a decision, and I think I'm going to need Kassidy's help." Halcyon reached for Kassidy, but Marik got to her first, pulling her from the ground into his arms as he growled a warning to Halcyon. "Okay, for my pre-show, I've decided to let someone go free. I've been thinking about it a lot and I've come down to two things. I just can't make a choice, so Kassidy I've decided to let you choose." Halcyon snapped his fingers once more.
Tea' and Tristin were shoved into the dirt. Two demons knelt down, putting claws to the human's necks. Tea' gasped and looked to Tristin, who was still struggling.
"So here is the final question…should I let your friends go or…" A wicked smile crossed Halcyon's face, "Should I let your child live?" Kassidy furrowed her brow. Her child? What child? She didn't have a kid…not unless he was talking about Jesse. No he wasn't talking about a baby. Was he? How could he be? Not unless Marik…but he can't, can he? It wasn't possible. Halcyons eyebrows rose. "You didn't know? Can't you tell Kassidy? Can't you feel it inside you? Can't you feel it draining you? Of coarse that might be the poison I gave you, but it's there, and it's strong…but it would be wouldn't it? Its father is a demon, and its mother is a hunter. It has no excuse to be weak." Kassidy stared at Halcyon in shock. She ran her hands through her hair, taking deep breaths. She looked to Halcyon, then to Marik and Yami, then to Halcyon.
"How is that possible?" Kassidy demanded. "It's to soon to even tell and demons can't have kids!"
"Where did you read that?"
"But your dead!"
"No, that's vampires…we may not have a heart, but everything else works."
"No!" Kassidy screamed. "You are a dead person! Everything can not work!"
"We are demons! True, to become a demon you must die, but you get all your plumbing back with you." Halcyon told her seriously.
"If that is true, it would be to soon to even tell!" Kassidy told him, considering her and Marik had been with each other only hours ago.
"They grow fast, quicker then human babies. Be prepared." He told her.
Marik stared at Halcyon with disgust. "You lie!"
"You cannot stand there and tell me you do not feel it too…" Marik looked down at Kassidy to see she was already staring at him. He could not read her expression at all. She had a blank look. He saw her go ghostly white.
"Kassidy-" Before he could finish his sentence, Kassidy turned from him and kneeled down, clutching her stomach. Yami watched as Marik knelt down and looked at her through worried eyes. She threw up everywhere. Marik jumped back and looked at Yami. The spirit glared at Halcyon. Kassidy threw up again. Halcyon stepped back as Kassidy stood with a shiver. She turned quickly to Marik, who looked confused on what to do.
"You knew didn't you?" Kassidy told him with a hoarse voice.
"What?"
"You knew that I could get pregnant…"
"Yes, but I didn't think…I didn't know it would happen to you."
"It only takes once." Halcyon commented. Marik growled. Quickly turning into demon form, he grabbed Halcyon's throat. Halcyon did the same.
"How dare you…" Marik glared daggers.
"How dare I? How dare I?" Halcyon laughed loudly, but was cut off by Marik tightening his hand. "You have impregnated a human woman with your child…how dare I? Your child will grow up and raise hell for all. It won't be able to help being who it is…half demon, half demon killer…all evil."
"I'm not pregnant!" Kassidy told him.
"You are! Saying it won't help it go away."
"Let my friends go." Kassidy told him. Marik's head turned to her quickly. His eyes grew wide.
"Very well." Halcyon snapped his fingers, the demons released their holds on Tea' and Tristin.
"Run!" Kassidy yelled. Tristin frowned, grabbing a dagger out of his jacket and stabbing a demon with it. The demon burst into flames. The other ran at him. He sliced its neck, digging the dagger in. The head fell to the ground, as did the body, and disappeared. Tristin looked up at Kassidy. "Go, tell the others to open fire!"
Tristin and Tea' ran quickly. "I always knew I couldn't rely on those two…so what now? More petty friends of yours?" Halcyon asked.
"Something like that."
"I have friends too, you know." He smiled. Kassidy glared.
"Good, I look forward to meeting them."
"Well, now that your friends are free, I'll be taking your child."
"I told you, I'm not-" Kassidy's eyes went big and a gasp escaped her lips. She grabbed Yami's arm and leaned into him. Marik let go of Halcyon and watched as Yami held her there steady.
"Are you alright?" Yami asked.
"I…I just felt like…the life was being sucked out of me." Kassidy said.
"It was, well not yours, but your son's. Be prepared to have a stillborn in a couple of months. Oh wait, that's right you can't, you'll be dead." Halcyon told her. She looked at him in disbelief. Marik growled and tackled Halcyon.
Kassidy saw at least two hundred demons rush out into the open, each of them growling with anger and insanity. They proceeded to move closer inch by inch. And so it had begun…the battle.
