An Unknown Card
Chapter Twelve:
Through the Gate of Shadows
By: fairysphinxfairysphinx: Chapter twelve is well on its way. I've had a writer's block. Oh, well. On with the chapter…er, after the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, although I do own Ktara, Y. Ktara/Yata, and Harbinger.
/Yugi talking to Yami/
//Yami talking to Yugi//
!Bakura talking to Y. Bakura/Yaku!
!!Y. Bakura/Yaku talking to Bakura!!
{Ktara talking to Y. Ktara/Yata}
[Y. Ktara/Yata talking to Ktara]
+Malik talking to Y. Malik/Yaro+
=Y. Malik/Yaro talking to Malik=
* indicates action taking place *
indicates passage in time
"So, how are we going to get up Mount Everest…especially carrying Yaro? He isn't light!" Joey complained. (a/n: Yaro was being bad, so they tied him up, and Joey ended up carrying him)
"By helicopter. How else?"
"Um, how are we going to pay for it?"
"Heh, heh. Did I forget to tell you? I have Pegasus' credit card."
"So that way we can pay for the equipment and the ride?"
"What equipment would we need?"
"Wouldn't we need warmer clothes?"
"No. Do you know how warm it is at the top of Mount Everest? And why else do you think Mount Everest is so tall that no one can climb to the top of it? To keep people away from the Gate of Shadows." That actually made sense. The Gate of Shadows led into the Shadow Realm. A bridge suspended across it, to the platform, which held the Circle of Appurtenance. All of which can do very powerful things, and terrible things, too, if fallen into the wrong hands. "Just remember, when you go through the Gate of Shadows, you will see things that will make you want to curl into a ball and cry. Pay them no heed, though. They are just images of fear. They do not show the future, nor the past or present." Yata had been up all night researching the Gate of Shadows, the Circle of Appurtenance, and the Shadow Realm. She knew what to expect, and when.
"Um, what about the driver? He/she/it is bound to see something when we go through the gate." Yugi's concerns were normal.
"Not if the driver's possessed for the ride. Oh, don't worry, I won't hurt him. He will just automatically drive the helicopter, and when I take the spell off, he will just think he blacked out during the ride. People do that all of the time." Ktara's words didn't comfort the boy.
Just as Yami and Yata were getting used to being stuck together, they had found a guy who had a solution that dissolved honey. The only bad part was it left a life long scar. But they were still glad to be able to move freely again.
A sound was heard. It was the helicopter. "Where to, little missy?" Hillbillies (no offence)! Eh hem. Ktara stepped up to the driver, one hand behind her back.
"We would like to go to the top of Mount Everest."
"Whoa, Lady, you're craz-." But he didn't get to finish his sentence. Ktara jabbed her index finger right between his eyes. * driver's eyes go the way a possessed person's eyes do *. "I will obey."
"Good boy!" The flight took about two hours from their present location. But when they got to the top of Mount Everest, nothing could be seen.
"Hey, you didn't trick us into this, did you?"
"Of course not! Don't you trust me, Joey?"
"Umm…."
"Fine, I'll PROVE myself to you!" With that, Ktara jumped down from the helicopter onto the snow, which was warm, not cold. She opened her arms, eagle style, before saying this incantation. "Monstre mihi portam umbras!" (a/n: Heh, heh. That's Latin. It means 'Show me the Gate of Shadows!') And sure enough, there stood a gate. And it was open. "Come on, come on! No time for dawdling." The driver stayed in the helicopter, and the rest went into the gate. As they passed, more than one person started crying. It was worse than they ever could have imagined. They saw their friends, family, being beat up, and killed. The one they cared for most, turn on them. The most trusted of their friends, betray them. You read these words, and see pictures in your mind, but they weren't nearly as bad as what the Gate of Shadows showed them. Non would be the same again. But, all the same, they came to the end. It was a very small platform, no bigger than twelve people could fit, if you squashed them in. Connecting to the platform, was a very, very small bridge. Barely big enough for one person to cross at a time. And it could only support one body at a time (well two, in the exception of Mokuba and Yugi, no offence. (Both: Offence taken!!!!) Eh hem. Anyway, back to the story.)
"This," Yata explained, "is the Bridge of Sorrows. Nothing to worry about here…with the exception of falling off. If you do, you'll be lost forever in the Shadow Realm, and nothing can bring you back."
"So, is that the same rule for other ways to go into the Shadow Realm?" Mokuba asked, a bit nervously.
"Oh, no. Only if you fall off the bridge will this be true. Thanks to a magician, who put the spell over it. But it was for the best, I suppose." One at a time, they crossed. Many times, someone almost fell of. So many times, in fact, that Yata and Ktara put up a side guard. (Kaiba: And you couldn't of put that up before I crossed? fairysphinx: Nope.) In the end, they all safely, if not fully nerved, reached the platform, which had a water-like, multicolored ring in the very center (a/n: This platform is ginormous (the word 'ginormous' is a cross spelling of 'gigantic' and 'enormous'), and also the shape of a circle). There, they slept (in the real world, it would be about one in the morning). Well, most of them. * okay, we speed to a place, somewhat isolated from the others *
"What's up, Yata?" Ktara asked her yami, curiously, wondering why she had been called over here in the first place.
"We can't do it."
"Can't do what?"
"The spell. We can't do it."
"Why not? I mean, we have all of the Millennium items, and the incantation."
"Ktara…." Yata hesitated. "I…I didn't tell you everything that we would need…to fulfill the spell."
"So, you lied to me?"
"I didn't think we would be able to do it! I thought, maybe you'd forget about it, after you'd failed. I mean, life as a card really isn't that bad."
"I don't want to spend my whole life aiding people in battle, Yata! I want to be free to follow my dreams, and to be my own master! Um, what was it that we need, anyhow?"
"Not just anyone can read the incantation. It has to be someone that loves you. Not the love felt between friends, but the other kind."
"Oh." Both thought it was over.
"Eh hem!" Ktara and Yata jumped, as the sudden noise broke the silence. Both looked over to see Yami.
"Yes?" Ktara asked, with as much politeness as she could muster (a/n…again: Ktara hates it when somebody scares her)
"Could I possibly steal away your yami for a while?"
"Yeah. Take all the time you need!" Ktara was grinning from ear to ear. She knew-well knew somewhat-what was coming next. 'She is so ignorant at times. And I really hope she accepts. I mean, she has been softened a bit, now.'
Yami and Yata walked side by side in the darkness (a/n * sigh * I'm really beginning to hate these, aren't you?: The only light the platform emitted was from the ring it the middle of it; any other light was from flashlights, lanterns, etc.). For a while, neither spoke a word. But then….
"What were you two talking about?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Uh huh. It didn't sound like nothing."
"YOU WERE LISTENING IN ON OUR CONVERSATION?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
"Hey, Ktara gave me full leave to!"
"I AM GOING TO KILL HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Why can't you perform the spell?"
"Because we don't have everything we need!"
"Uh huh. And what would you be missing?"
"What is this? Ask Yata a thousand questions?"
"Hey, it's just a question!"
"Er! Fine! The person reading the incantation has to love the person in middle of the circle."
"Where's the problem in that?"
"Dummy! Not friendship love, love love!"
"Oh. I still see no problem in that."
"What are you-mmmppphhhh!" Yata would get no further on that sentence. Yami chose this moment to lower his lips to hers, in a long, passionate kiss.
'Oh, Ra, why do I feel like a ragdoll kitten (a/n, yet again: A ragdoll is a breed of cat, known mostly for its habit of going limp in a person's arms, when being held)? My legs are like jelly, I feel like I have no backbone, and why am I not resisting? You hate the Pharaoh, don't you remember, Yata? Of course I remember! It's just…oh, I don't know! There's just something about him…. I'd probably collapse if he wasn't holding me. WHAT?!?! HE'S HOLDING YOU?!?!?! TELL HIM TO GET OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!! I REFUSE!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! YOU REFUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES, I REFUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, AND I, YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE, ARE JUST TOO THICK HEADED TO KNOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' The arguing in Yata's head abruptly stopped, as Yami pulled back.
"I…I guess that you were right," Yata, still shaken, said, grateful of his supportive arms still around her.
"I usually am."
"You egotist!"
"Hey!"
"But I still love you the same! My Nightman!" Yami smiled. "Oh, no, wait! What about Kt-."
"Shush, shush," Yami ordered, placing his right index finger over her lips. "It's covered. I know for a fact that Yugi (Yugi x Tea fans, please don't kill me!) has a major crush on you latter. Like I said, or rather asked, before, where's the problem in that?"
"Well, I can't find any!" * as the scene fades out, the two are seen walking hand in hand back to the camp site *
the next morning…in the real world, that is
"Come on! Up and at um! The ring gets no brighter than this! We must work quickly, before it fades again!" A hyper Yata…something that you wish never to see! She had a good sleep the night before, and, for the first time in ages (a/n, nothing happened between Yami and Yata, except a few kisses, at the most; they both slept in their respective places, by their light), dreamless…which she wasn't so sure was good, now. Most of them were about the old days…and they mostly included Yami (^_^ a/n: at this very moment, it is 11:26, on June 14, 2002, and Yata isn't the only one that's hyper!)
"Not now, Mommy! I have to see if Lassie lives!" Joey murmured, before he was all the way awake, in which then he noticed everyone staring at him. "Heh, heh. Whoops."
"Come on, people!!!!!!!!! Let's go, let's go! Okay, Yugi, Yami, you two stand at the northernmost edge of the circle with the Millennium Puzzle. Shadi, you stand at the westernmost edge with the Millennium Scale. Bakura, at the southernmost edge with the Millennium Ring, and Malik and Yaro at the easternmost edge with the Millennium Rod. Yaku, you are to be stationed half way between the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Rod with the Millennium Eye. Do you see the point?" Yaku nodded. "Good. Now, Isis, you stand on the mark in between the Millennium Scale and the Millennium Ring, with the Millennium Tauk. Now, someone will have to stand with the Millennium Ankh, on the mark between the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod. Kaiba? How about you?"
"Me?"
"My suggestions are to accept. She gets evil on sugar highs," Ktara said, appearing out of thin air. "And she especially takes joy in bashing thing…namely people named Seto Kaiba."
"Okay!"
"Good boy!"
"Heh, heh! Now look who's being treated like a dog!"*A chair flies at Joey* "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Yata, where's the book with the incantation?"
"Right here!" * Yata takes out a HUGE book, and turns to page 109,445,546,562,545 *
"Oh, great. I didn't think that it was going to be so big! Oh, well. Here's the incantation. You two had better get into the middle, before we start." Poor Yugi. The book was almost as big as him. As Ktara and Yata took their respected place in the middle of the circle, Yami and Yugi read the incantation.
"In the north, the Puzzle lies.
It's holder brave,
And kind, and wise.
In the west, the Scale's at home,
Holding the truth,
In feather form.
In the south, the Ring points far.
Finding items,
Exceeding par.
In the east, the Rod there stands.
To take command,
Over it's lands.
To the northeast, is the Eye.
Loved by cheaters,
To win the prize.
The Ankh is Southeastern ways.
It reads your mind,
Your heart, it stays.
South west, the Tauk is at ease.
Future it is,
Future it sees.
Last, but not least is the Key.
North west it's home,
For eternity.
Millennium Key, Puzzle,
Eye, Rod, Ring,
Millennium
Tauk, Scale, listen to me!
Open the door,
Past and present,
Bring forth life, to my one love.
Give forth the gift,
From high above.
Form one, the Ultimate Piece!
Open the door!
Then, be at peace!"
The Millennium items glowed, flew out of the hand that held them. The Millennium Key, which was put there by Ktara right before the incantation began, was held by non, but was just resting on the mark on the floor. A multicolor, watery door appeared above Ktara and Yata. The items came together, in a very odd looking shape, which fit the door's lock perfectly. The door opened, and the Millennium items fell back to the way they were before. Except for the fact that they were brilliantly hot. A light engulfed the whole realm in which they stood. A blinding light, brighter than the sun. When it cleared, Yata and Ktara were shimmering with sparkles, that didn't quickly die away.
"Well, it's done. Let's see if it worked." At the cue, Joey slowly pulled the Harbinger card off of the holograph machine. And neither disappeared.
"Well, that was odd. I only thought that there were seven Millennium items."
"There are eight, Yugi. The Key was a secret one. Like its name says, it's a key. Any it can open many things."
"Like Pegasus' special cookie jar, if I remember correctly!" Yata gave a laugh. She still remembered her light breaking into it every night. Pegasus put a special lock on it, but that still wasn't enough for the power of the Millennium Key.
"Can we go back now? This place is getting creepy!" Mokuba said, speaking everyone's thought about the place.
"All right, let's go!" Yata, surprisingly, said.
About three (not including Ktara and Yata) people were left, when the platform started to shake.
"What's that?" Mokuba asked.
"I have no clue!"
{Liar! What's wrong?}
[We might have upset the balance. That spell was more along the lines for someone that was dead, although it can be used for this.]
{What happens when the balance is upset?}
[A monster comes to set the balance right…by killing those whom the spell was cast over.]
{Uh oh! We'd better get Mokuba, Yugi, and Yami out of here before it comes. Will it attack those who it isn't after?}
[I don't doubt it.]
{We'd better defiantly get the innocent bystanders out of the way!}
[Gottcha!]
"Okay, let's move a little faster…a lot faster!" A hole had just been ripped in the air. A big, black hole. With a giant monster coming out of it!
"What is that thing?" Yugi asked.
"Crossing the bridge now, questions later!" Yugi and Mokuba crossed at the same time. Being as light as they were, the bridge supported them both. As Yami leapt onto the bridge (rather forced by Yata. He had the 'ladies first' policy), he turned around and asked:
"What about you two?"
"Don't worry about us! I don't want to see you hurt! The monster is only after us! But it will hurt others to get us! So go!"
"I'm not leaving without you!"
"Remember that I'll always love you!" The monster was upon them, now. Yata put up a wall between them. And that was that. The monster sounded the sound of victory, before retreating back to the hole that he came from. Yami, blinded by tears, slowly stumble back across the bridge, through the gate, and onto the top of Mount Everest.
"It's time to go," Yami said in a flat voice, trying not to let his emotions blind him like his tears did.
"What do you mean? Yata and Ktara aren't here yet."
"You heard what I said. Go."
/Aibou, what's wrong? Why don't you want to wait for them?/
//They're not coming.//
/?????/
//They're dead! Gone! Forever! And there's no coming back for them this time! The spell can only be cast on the same person once!//
/I'm sorry./ Yugi left Yami to his misery, and broke the bad news to the rest of the group. As they lifted off, in body, they may have been at high heights, but their spirits were lower than that of the dirt on the ground below them.
END OF CHAPTER Twelve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fairysphinx: Heh, heh. I think I'll wait a while before posting chapter thirteen. I know, I know, I'm evil! I'm sorry, but cliffhangers are fun…well to the author, at least. Oh, well. I'm pondering whether to do a sequel or not. What do you, the readers think?
Tea: I personally think you shouldn't do any more! It's stupid!
fairysphinx: You only think that because one, you don't have a large part in it, and two, you don't get Yugi. All of which, you know, won't change in the sequel.
Tea: * offended *
fairysphinx: Tea, do you drink tea?
Tea: Yes, of course!
fairysphinx: I think you should stop.
Tea: Why?
fairysphinx: You're giving yourself an ego problem.
Tea: 0_0U
fairysphinx: Joey, say it.
Joey: Please review this fic!
fairysphinx: Good boy! * gives Joey a dog treat *
Joey: Ha, ha, very funny.
fairysphinx: See ya!