The Magicians' Realm Chapter 113: Sigils of Ill Tidings, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Chapter 113, everybody! Feels lucky….

SO. THIS is the chapter that I tried to hunt down ages ago because I swore up and down I had written it already, until I finally threw my hands up and went forget it, I'm just doomed to rewrite it. So now here we are. Isn't quite how I remembered it, but then again when I wrote it originally I wasn't entirely certain of the path we'd be taking to get here, so honestly I probably would have ended up rewriting it anyway.

Those of you familiar with the Skulduggery Pleasant series might recognize the use of sigils and Skulduggery and China's semi-antagonistic relationship with each other—and yes, they have been down this road before. It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you is something I read in the novelization for the first Spider-Man movie, oddly enough.

In other news…yeah I realize I've probably said this multiple times over the course of this fic but literature being banned or edited is unfortunately nothing new in real life. Matter of fact, when I first started writing this fic, I was attending a college that really went to a lot of trouble to edit out any 'dirty bits' like a slightly-low collar or swear words from any book on their campus—honestly this fic started out as me processing the sort of hypocrisy that went on there and then has kind of progressed to me processing politics (on that happy note: yay, politics in the fic!). :\ Also do you know what the most frequently-banned book in the world is? The Bible.

Also yes historically the places most concerned with controlling literature are also those that don't want the public educated against the central power. The saying "great minds think alike" does indeed continue as "fools rarely differ," and honestly looking at any mob cements that. And yes, everything cycles—weather, history, styles….Also China and Skul are quoting Benjamin Franklin, while Skul paraphrases Nathan Hale.

In other news, theoretically we're within a few years of being able to pull a Jurassic Park and revive dinosaurs from their DNA and I don't care if it does end up like those movies I want to see dinosaurs dangit.

On the kids' side of things…I designed Heller back in '08 or '09, I believe—one of these days I'll have to dig up that art piece I started and finish it, Mom really liked it which surprised me considering it's a dragon made of muscle and bone and not a whole lot else. Also Kineil is quoting Eggman from Sonic Adventure DX.

Angiembabe, thanks for the review! I know, right? It's like they're punishing us for using their product. :\ And at this point it's hard to tell with those guys….

References:

Original characters, + setting © Kineil D. Wicks (myself, not the girl in the story)

The first thing Skulduggery noticed when he stepped into China Sorrow's office was the sigils activating.

"This is doing nothing to convince me that this is a well-meaning cup of tea between friends," he pointed out, glancing up at the carvings in the ceiling emanating magic. There were probably more hidden elsewhere, he was certain. Disguised as the décor in the furniture or the patterns in the rug, even.

"Now, Skul," China said, sitting down behind her ornate desk as she waved a hand at her tea set—sigils carved into the delicate porcelain started glowing, probably heating the tea up. "I'm hurt that you think I'm actively plotting against you still."

"Well you've never given me any indication that you stopped."

"I take it sitting down is out of the question."

"Accepting the tea is honestly iffy at this point."

She sighed, finally nodded to acknowledge this point. "Okay fair. But you should know as well as anyone that it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you."

"If this is a commentary on our relationship, or of anything that happened back in the old country, I'm not particularly interested. Now, as to why I'm here—I know you and your library. That can't be all you have on divination."

"I see I'm going to have to be blunt," she sighed. "Skul, there is no more."

He blinked, thrown by this statement. "What?"

"Officially, there is no more. Unofficially, I've run the rest to my hiding place until this all blows over—I've been having to prioritize certain books, unfortunately."

"All blows over—until what blows over?"

"Orders from the Administration Building—there's been concerns about what information the Commoners have access to. All literature is to be reevaluated and anything deemed potentially hazardous to the public is to be removed from their reach."

"What?"

"Oh it's couched innocuously enough—the sort of stuff that, if misused, could cause much damage, or could offend someone's little old grandmother. But I see the writing on the wall. I've studied the histories—controlling the literature, what people have access to, what they think...well that's one of the first steps towards controlling everything, now isn't it? Free-thinking people are hard to control—and while great minds think alike—"

"Fools rarely differ," he said, finishing the statement. Think, figure out how this slotted into what he knew. "What have you heard about Magicians being tried and sentenced to being stripped of their magic?"

She looked at him, stunned. "Right now? From you. But…." Drum her fingers on her desk, looking pensive. "I've heard rumors—people being stolen from their houses, ripped from their beds, no trial. Hangings, even—I heard of a doctor who didn't agree with the Administrators who was tricked into killing a man so they could justify killing him. And then what they do with the remains—"

"They don't give them a proper burial, I'll wager."

"Banishment doesn't count as proper, I'll give you that."

What?

He sat down, finally, scootched closer even as she checked her sigils, couldn't help but glance around himself, like there would be Administrative agents lurking behind the chairs. "I was just up at the Capitol—one of the G-Men handed me a box full of under-the-table trials where Magicians were targeted and stripped of their magic. All of it hush-hush, all of it targeting those who might pose a threat to the Administrators, whether they voiced opposition or no. Theoretically, the Head Mage has been informed of all this."

"And yet you and I both know better."

"We do," he confirmed. "And we've been down this road before. Now, going off on a tangent, recently two local doctors have published a treatise theorizing that our magic comes from the Chaos of old."

"And you think the Administrators believe this?"

"I think they're using it as an excuse."

She sat back, considering. "I've seen the paper," she said. "They do make a solid argument."

He sat back himself, coughing out a laugh at her despite himself. "Now, China, don't tell me you buy into that bunk. The Chaos died out years ago. Even if their power did distill itself into magic…."

"It's too cold for them to come back," she said. "But everything cycles—history, weather—and it's starting to trend towards warm again."

"Idgy came to the same conclusion," he pointed out, hoping to derail her.

"So she's smarter than she looks. Oh don't give me that look," she snapped at him. "She's made at least one smart decision. Or smart-ish—I'm still debating on whether I dodged a bullet with you."

"Har har," he snapped back. "But still—the Chaos aren't coming back. They can't come back—they had their shot at this world and now they're gone."

"So did the dinosaurs, and yet the Ancients brought them back," China pointed out. "And the Head Mage's beau—she said she saw one, one of the old ones, the Chaos Kings—and the Head Mage is aware of him too."

That….

That was problematic, if one considered it seriously. Giving it the full undivided attention a detective should, it suggested that they were looking at a complete collapse in society. Yes, they would recover, history cycled after all…but the rise and fall of nations was a cycle too. And did it not always result from rotting from within, rather than destruction from without?

The Chaos might be the wrong monsters to be worrying about here.

"Okay, say we are looking at the inevitable collapse of civilization," he said. "Say we are looking at the Chaos coming back. Does that necessarily mean we give up our freedoms for a theoretically safer future?"

"You already know the answer to that," she said. "'He who gives up his freedom for safety deserves neither.'"

"And will lose both," he agreed. "Which now leaves us with the immediate problem. The Administrators are overstepping their bounds. What we have right now is grounds for treason."

She sighed and leaned back. "Bold of you to assume they'll ever face the consequences for it."

"And now it becomes ever so clear to me why they detested the concept of Yami being Head Mage," Skulduggery said, standing. "Thanks for the tea, but I have a hornet's nest to kick."

"Skul, don't," she counseled. "At least wait—"

"For it to blow over, or for you to be in a position that most benefits you?"

"Now what do you think?"

"I think that waiting and seeing got us into this mess, and that in waiting for it to blow over we doom many people into thinking that that's the way it has to be. Fighting for freedom is never an easy or popular thing to do, you know that."

"I do," she said, eyeing him. "I also know that patriots often become martyrs as well."

He put his hat back on, tipped it. "Well then. I do agree that it's a shame I have but one life to give."

"No you don't," she said as he reached for the door. "You have your wife and child to think about too. Or do you think they'll stop at you?" She gave him an intense look when he turned back to her. "Think this through, because I know Skellington won't when you tell him. These people won't stop at just you. They'll need everyone involved dead, and they won't balk at the concept of children being involved. And now, you and I both know what punishments await. Death—a proper death—would be a release."

Yes, yes he did. And it would be irresponsible to endanger his family like that.

And yet doing nothing would also endanger them.

"I'm sorry, China," he said. "But seeing as how we're between a rock and a hard place, any direction would end in tragedy. The only recourse now is doing the right thing and hoping we get ahead of it."

"I was afraid of that," she sighed. "Farewell then, Skulduggery Pleasant—you won't be seeing me again."

"You promise?"

"There's no point in me staying where I'd be lynched for sharing 'forbidden knowledge.'"

He tipped his hat at her. "See you later, China Sorrows—I look forward to making you eat those words."

"I wish you would," she sighed as he stepped through the door.

*/*\*

They bolted down the other hall, trying to avoid careening off of the slimy pipes, all too mindful of the heavy footfalls rapidly gaining on them—Yami jinked down the left turning, hoping against all hope that Jonouchi and Honda were right behind—spotted a dim light above another metal door—

Yami wasn't sure if it was desperation or the dead men's magic that probably made the pipes, but he managed to blast the door off its hinges, ran out into the murky light, Jonouchi and Honda right behind—

And the thing behind them roared.

Yami risked glancing behind—

Oh boy.

The thing from the warrens easily stood taller than any of them, maybe as tall as Skellington, and was nothing but muscle from head to toe—glistening black exposed muscle, except for the ebony skull and the dangerous looking claws….

It was a dragon, a wingless one, made of nothing but muscle and sinew.

And it was coming right for them.

"Scatter!" Yami ordered, as they rapidly came up on an intersection—Jonouchi went one way, Honda went the other, and Yami went straight.

Going straight probably wasn't the smartest of moves.

Because going straight meant that the thing had the time to build up a head of steam—jink down a side turning—it skidded down the main road before barreling after him—Yami risked glancing behind—

Realized he had made a wrong turn when he looked forward and saw that the narrow alley ended in a steep cliff.

Hit the brakes, spin around—if it was taking him down, he'd take it with him. Somehow.

Except with all that weight and power barreling right towards him, it occurred to him that there was no way he'd be able to stop it.

Which left the only sensible option as try to dodge it. Force air down—

But he had only gotten about a foot up, and it was jumping to compensate—

And then something else big and black swooped down, flung him away to land on something that might have been a fire escape in a previous life—

Look just in time to see the thing catch Yami Skellington full in the chest and send them both over.

He stared, not able to comprehend—

Was startled into movement when he heard a pained holler.

Drop down to the pavement, roll a little when the impact shocked him from his feet to his hips—

And then he heard someone hollering, something he couldn't make out….

"Heller!"

Kineil had said that earlier. Like it was a name for something.

And then he saw her running down the alley, saw her running for him—

Past him—

Skid to a halt next to the cliff and drop to her knees, looking over the lip—

Before striking the ground next to her and bowing her head.

Yami stared, unsure of what to do, wondering what prompted that reaction—

That thing had taken Skellington over the edge.

Which was about the time Kineil turned her full Hawk's-Eye glare on him.

"Get out of my sight," she growled. "Before I make mincemeat out of you."

Yami wasted no time in following that advice.