Disclaimer: Nope, no ownership here.
Anya: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I got hit with a case of writers block and a whole lot of homework.
Kris: Speaking of, don't you have an exam to study for?
Anya: Everyone needs a break. Anyway, the verse in this chapter is from a poem I wrote a while ago, so it is mine. And I promise, I will try to update faster than I have been! Thanks everyone for the reviews and patience.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Time stopped. Everyone moved in slow motion. Yugi screaming to stop. Mokuba covering his eyes in horror and disbelief. Seto holding his brother tightly, at knowing what was to come. Joey begging for Raya to stop, as Yami cheered her on from across the room. Bakura and Tristan, mouths open, no sound coming from anyone.
But the sensation was there. Everyone knew that this was the end of the future.
Tea ran towards Raya, desperate to stop the teen. 'This is just like the battle between Yugi and Seto at Pegasus' castle. I know I won't reach them in time. And this time, the stakes are higher. Everyone is going to be affected by this. Us and the world. And it isn't going to be good.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya grinned smugly. "Say goodnight bitch."
She brought the sword crashing down towards Satire. She was lucky that Tristan had dropped his nearby. It had given her the edge she needed.
Satire gave no scream, she wouldn't give Raya that satisfaction. She waited to feel the cold blade on her skin. Vaguely, she wonder if it would hurt any.
And then, the scream came. It took Satire about a millisecond to realize that it wasn't her screaming, but rather, Raya. She turned to see her enemy about 50 feet away, tossed aside into some debris as if she was a piece of crumpled paper. She turned to see what had saved her life. Unconsciously, a hand rose to her mouth. 'No way.'
Yugi stood, a mere twenty feet from Satire. Hand still out in attack mode. He was shaking in disbelief at what he just did. 'I…I…I attacked Raya. I assaulted my own mother.'
The temple was eerily silent. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Son attacking his own mother and defending the ones who had hurt him. But at the same time, it felt, well right.
Raya shook her hand to regain her senses. Gingerly she stood and stared at her son in rage. "YUGI! WHY?"
Yugi gulped. Never had Raya used such a tone with him. 'This isn't Raya. Remember that. Remember what you saw.' Despite the confident thoughts, Yugi still shook as his family, friends, and enemies stared down at him. Finally, the words came to him. He took a deep breath, then spoke, without a hint of nervousness or tremble. "Because mother, this isn't the way. Darkness is not the way to save the future."
Raya tossed her brown locks behind her shoulder. "I am not the darkness Yugi, they are." She pointed her sword at Satire, then at Jarha. "They turned you against us, killed our people, made our friends suffer. They need to be taught a lesson."
"Not this way Raya. You've changed. Yami's changed." Yugi accused. He wanted nothing more to shake Yami and Raya back into their senses, but yet he frozen to the ground in fear, as well as shock.
Yami left go of Jarha's shirt when he heard Yugi's accusation. Jarha fell to ground and quickly scurried to his sister's side.
"Aibou, we haven't changed. We're still the same people you've come to know and love. Don't let Satire's and Jarha's manipulations fool you." Yami stated, turning to Yugi, sword resting at his side.
Yugi gulped. Not only was he under suspicion from his friends and enemies, but his own parents as well. 'No one ever said that beating the darkness would be easy. In fact it never is, how many battles with good and evil going head to head been simple? None, and this one won't be the exception. Only this time, the stakes are higher. If light falls, it can never recover and the world as I, my family, once knew will be shattered, a distant dream. No, I refuse to let that happen.'
"No Yami. You're not the same person. The darkness has claimed you and Raya as pawns in its quest to destroy the light. I have seen first hand what will happen if you two openly embrace the darkness as well."
"Yugi, Yami and I haven't embraced anything but the light. Why would you believe differently." Raya relied. "It isn't possible. No."
"But it is mother. Look in your hearts. It will show you the truth, of what you have become."
Raya closed her eyes. 'This is stupid. It is leaving Yami and I open for an easy attack from the siblings. And I will not let that happen. The siblings need to pay, die for what they have done to my family. Nothing else is expectable.'
She opened her eyes once again. A faint dark glow echoed off Raya. "This is silly Yugi. Let's finish off these troublemakers, save the future, and get on with our lives." She raised her sword once again.
"I'm sorry mother, but I can't you do that." Yugi shot a golden ball at Raya's sword causing it to fly from her hand.
Raya whipped around. "YUGI! Don't you want to save the future? Don't you care about it at all?"
"No, Raya, you don't understand." All the coolness Yugi had, was lost. If rationality wasn't going to work on his parents, then maybe a bit of irrationality would. "I care more about the future than anyone. I have seen what the future is like if the siblings die at yours and Yami's hands. It isn't pretty. It's not the same world we knew. It is different. You're different. I don't want that."
Yami glanced across to Raya. For the first time, the two had mixed feelings about what they were doing. Maybe, just maybe this wasn't the best course of action.
"Don't you understand? All those years ago, we were sent to the future so that we could return to Egypt as a family to protect the very future we lived in. We were the only people capable of handling such a task. It wasn't just because of our powers, but because of the bond the three of us. That was the key. That is why the darkness could not consume me whole. The bond the three of us had is something that no amount of darkness can destroy. It is too pure, too strong. Basically, it is pure light. That is why the job of the future went to the Divine family. We were divine because our trinity had that seed of goodness that no one else posed. We are the core of the light. Not representations, we are just the light.
And even though Satire and Jarha can't destroy what we have, it can become corrupt. Clouded by our own misbelieves and misjudgments, like I was. But that doesn't mean the light dies. We still have it within us. It is up to us to decide what we do with that light. Use it and protect the future or ignore it and let the darkness win. And if the darkness wins, the light will never recover. After all, if the core of lightness fails, what is there left? Nothing but darkness. This why Yami, Raya, everyone, you have to understand why it is so pivotal that you remember our mission.
No, not to get revenge on the ones who destroyed our people so long ago and trying to now. Our mission was to protect past, the present, and the future. And by killing Satire in rage Raya, is not doing that. It goes against everything we ever stood for. You said it yourself, you're powers can not kill. You can not kill. But yet, there you stand, sword raise, ready to serve the final blow.
Yami, you too are ready to end the reign of the siblings. Sure, your powers are darker, but that doesn't mean you are darkness. In fact, you are the extreme opposite. Why throw everything that we had away over all this. Why should we stoup to Jarha's and Satire's level? We do not use pain, suffering, and death to get want we want. We used the heart, the soul, and the mind to. When did everything change? When did you embrace what we once loathed?
It's not too late. Raya don't pick up the sword. Please. If you strike down the siblings in rage, in anger, then we have failed our mission of saving the future. In fact, we will have done the opposite. We will have destroyed it. Can you really have that on your conscious? Knowing that you have ruined so many innocent lives? How about you Yami? Could you really handle another incident like the Shadow Games? I promise you, if the future changes to what I have seen, the Shadow Games will look like a wonderful celebration compared to the pain and suffering I have seen.
So I ask you mom and dad. What is your course of action?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami stared at Yugi in disbelief. 'Am I approaching the darkness? No, that isn't impossible. I know what my mission is. I never lost sight of that, or did I? Was I so wrapped up in making Jarha pay for what he did to everyone that I lost sight of what I was sent here to do really? To protect the future at all costs? But in order to protect the future, did I have to lose my son? My only son? No, I would never let that happen. This is the correct course of action. The siblings, they must pay for what they have bestowed upon my family. No other punishment is suitable.'
"Yami, no. Yugi is right." Raya stated, raising a hand to her head. No one was really sure how she knew what Yami had thought, but at the moment, no one really cared much. In the next moment, Raya collapsed to the ground, body racking in tears.
"RAYA!" Joey and Seto shouted. The two rushed over to their fallen friend. It would just be like Satire and Jarha to attack when Raya and Yami were down and out, but yet, never were doing anything. They stood in the middle of the triangle, deep in thought. It was as if, they too were considering Yugi's words.
"Oh Ra, what have we done?" Raya could feel Joey and Seto shaking her gently, but nothing but her son's words were making any sense to her. "Yami look at us! We were about to kill our enemies…KILL! We never stood for that. Yugi, I'm sorry. You were right. The darkness has consumed me. I can feel it. Hiding deep in my heart, causing me to doubt not only myself, but others as well. Doubt my actions, options and choice. I let the darkness rule me instead of the light. I almost let evil reign. Yami, don't you understand what we've done? We've destroyed the very thing we swore to protect and uphold. We almost eliminated our future. Everything that we would have come to know, would have been gone, because we lost sight of our goals. Oh Ra, I hope it isn't too late."
Raya moved over to where Yugi had knocked the sword out of her hand. She picked it up with the very tips of her fingers. Before anyone could stop her, she clenched the sword in her hand and hurled it out of the temple. She watched the metal glisten in the starry night, and then nothing as it fell to the ground, sinking into the sand. With a satisfied nod, Raya turned back to her friends and family.
"No more. I refuse to let the darkness control my mind."
Across the room, Yami stared at his sword. 'I'm so confused. Everything Raya and Yugi say is very true, but yet I can't let go of my anger. Why!' He rotated the blade of his weapon, watching as the light cascaded off of it. Images appeared in the sword, his wife, his friends, temple walls. Finally it rest on him. But yet it wasn't. It couldn't. Yami raised the sword to his eye level. The image staring back at him, wasn't his own reflection. It was Jarha's.
'How can that be? It must be a trick, over the mind. There is no way I can be seeing Jarha, when I should see myself…unless. Unless what Yugi is saying is true. That I have become the darkness. And by becoming part of that darkness, I have turned into my enemies. Sure, we maybe be fighting for two very different things, but if we use the darkness to our advantage, then I am no better than Jarha himself.'
He turned to face Yugi. Yugi's face was exploding with grief. Something had happened to Yugi, something awful. But it was not the doings of Jarha and Satire. It was if he and Raya had done something so horrible, that nothing would ever be the same again. 'Yugi said the future was changing, the more I fought Jarha. Is that what scared aibou so bad? The future? What is happening at home? Could it be? No, home can not be total darkness. But if it has Yugi this alarmed, this concerned, then it must. And if I am really changing into Jarha, then it is my fault. Mine and Raya's alike. We were weak. We forgot our true mission and because of it, darkness is gaining the upper hand. I refuse to let that happen. I understand now what I must do. I must fight with a pure heart, not a corrupt one.'
Yami looked back down into the blade of his sword. This time, he saw his own reflection smiling back, with the image of the Dark Magician right behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi's faith began to flicker with each passing moment. Yami had made no move. It was as if he was trapped in time, pondering Yugi's words, as well as what his corrupted powers were hinting at him to do. 'If it is taking this long for Yami to decide, it must be a good thing. He's at least considering my words, but is it enough?' Yugi thought desperately. If Yami refused to believe what he had said, then what would happen to the past, as well at the future? Could he and Raya really defeat Yami? Could they even battle him to begin with?
Finally, Yami responded to Yugi's words. He leveled the sword at the siblings. 'You were correct before Jarha, that I was becoming like you and your sister. I didn't want to believe that, but now I see that you were correct. But luckily and thankfully, that is one way I don't have to accept. If there is to be any killings today, it will not come from my hands." Yami tossed the sword back down the path of power. It clattered deep down the hall.
From her position in the center of the room, Satire stood, laughing. "I don't believe it. The three of you voluntarily gave up enormous amount of power and you still have the notion that you can defeat my brother and me? Please. You should have embraced the darkness when you had the chance. Maybe then, I won't have killed you. But now, well, staying alive is no longer an option."
"Aren't you forgetting something Satire?" Raya asked, crossing her arms across her chest, a smug tight smile on her lips.
"And what is that?"
Raya waved her hand around the room. "Not only is the Royal Family here, but the divine family as well. The so called people who have more power than anyone. Not to mention all of our friends, who I may add, have not only defended themselves against you with near perfection, but have almost beaten you too. And you have the nerve to say that you'll win? I think you must be the delusional one."
"You don't have the nerve to kill us Raya. You had your change to eliminate my brother and me with the darkness, but now your window of opportunity has passed. Evil shall reign" Satire raised her hands high into the sky. Beside her, Jarha had done the same.
Subconsciously, Yami, Raya, and even Yugi took a step backwards. Raya glanced at Seto who was leaning against the pillar beside her for support. His normally cold eyes were wide in fear. He knew, as well as Raya, that this was it. It was up to the Divine Family to pull through, no one else. 'You can do it Raya, just believe.'
Joey placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. She tore her gaze from Seto and rested them on Joey's face. He grinned mischievously and whispered the words that Ruia could recall Jou telling her all the time. "To the end of our days, we will stand behind you. Fighting till we are no longer capable. Together, we will overcome whatever stands in our way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'What do I do know?' Yugi thought desperately. Satire was in the middle of the room, preparing for something awful and Yugi was standing here just letting it happen. 'I can't attack though. No one can. If we do, then the future changes. What can I do? I can't let the siblings win, but if we attack…'
///We fight with light.///
/Raya?/ Yugi head snapped in his mother's direction. She had moved back in front of Seto and Joey. In her hands, the light flickered. She was willing to battle, again.
//It's okay aibou. Before we were fighting with the darkness. Now that we are prepared to battle with the light, the future can not change.//
/I don't think it is that simple Yami./
///Nothing ever is, Yugi. But Yami is right. We just can stand by and let them attack the past like this. We have to stop them, no matter what the costs or risks.///
/Then what do we do?/
No one answered Yugi's question, for there was no clear answer. If the family couldn't use their powers, then there was no way to prevent the siblings from taking over the past. Nothing at all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I will not lose, not now, not when am I am so close to winning. Soon, my brother and I will have ultimate power and no one will dare challenge us. Though, I wish things could be different. That Yugioh and I…no, that will never be. I see this now. Even though it hurts me so, I will destroy my beloved and his family.' Grasping her brothers hand tightly into her own, the two began to chant a spell, one they had learned long ago.
"Black as the night,
Evil as a demon,
We summon you
Oh wicked power
Hear your followers
In this time of need
The light is strong
Threatening to destroy
Protect us, darkness
Grant us your powers
Allow us to defeat
The light once
And for all"
A thick, black mist rose around the siblings, spreading out from them. It moved into every crack and crevasse. Lighting crackle from some unknown location in the cloud. Howls, echoed off the walls, screams from the souls beaten and trapped by the mist. It weaved its way around Yami, limiting his view greatly. Soon, he couldn't even see it front of his face.
'Well, this isn't good.'
Diagonally, Joey was having similar thoughts, only his was coming from a distant memory. 'This fog, it seems familiar, but why?' Joey closed his eyes and thought. 'Black as night, Evil as a demon. That sounds so memorable. Of course, the last time I battled Satire. She had just begun to conjure up this spell! But I defeated her before she could! Is this what would have had if she had beaten me? Darkness? That has to be what mist is, pure darkness. But, how do we go about beating it? How do you beat pure darkness?'
Joey reopened his eyes and blinked. The fog had cleared a bit in front of him, revealing for a millisecond the outline of his best friend. And then, the answer came to him. 'Duh. To beat pure darkness, you would have to counter with the opposite, pure light. And who here is the purest light? The Divine Family.'
"Raya! Yami! Yugi!" Joey shouted. "Where ever you are, l hope you can hear me. Satire and Jarha have called up pure darkness, you three have to beat it with the light you posse. I know all of you are hesitate to battle after what has happened, but it must be done. This is why the three of you were saved. This is your duty. You can't let evil reign!"
"It's a good thought Joey, but I don't think we could even break through that wall the siblings have in front of them!" He heard someone yell back.
"Of course you three can. The light is always stronger than the dark. You just have to believe. Please, before they have enough strength to beat us. Use the trinity."
From his position, Yugi stood dumbfound. 'I thought the trinity was just a metaphor for our powers, that it really didn't exist, but if what Joey says is true, then it is a real attack. A three in one. Of course.' Recognition ran through Yugi's body. 'That is why Yami, Raya, and I were so protected. We were the only three who could control such an attack. An all out light attack. But will our powers be enough?'
A hand rested on Yugi's shoulder, causing him to jump. He turned to see Tea, standing there, smiling. "You need help, you got Mokuba and I." Mokuba grinned and placed his tiny hand on Yugi's other shoulder. As soon as it made contact with the soft material, something amazing happened.
The eye of Horus appeared.
On the ground, beneath the three friends. A beam of golden light shot around them, chasing away the darkness, protecting them from what ever the siblings could throw.
Yugi turned back to the battle, searching his parents out. He know understood what had to be done, he just hoped Raya and Yami figured it out in time too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami gasped as a beam shot through the darkness, like a beacon of hope. 'Alright aibou!' Somehow, his son had managed to find a way to beat back the darkness. Now, he only he could do the same. Then maybe just maybe, the siblings would finally be defeated.
"YAMI!"
"Bakura? Where are you?"
Bakura and Tristan came stumbling out of the mist, almost tackling the once Pharaoh to the ground. Yami had appeared suddenly in front of them, as they did to Yami.
"What are you doing here?" Yami asked. He knew that his friends were more injured than letting on. There was no sense in making them fight. They would be injured more so, or worse, killed.
"What else?" Tristan replied. "To protect you." He clasped Yami's shoulder. "You need to fight, we need to fight. We're not going to leave you to battle on your own. No matter what you say."
"Tristan…"
Bakura stepped forward. "Yami, there is no time for argument. We are helping, end of story."
Yami mouth dropped open at the tone in his friend's voice. Never had Bakura sounded so commanding. It made Yami hesitate before answering and he hardly ever did that.
"Alright."
Bakura let out the breath he was holding. "Good. I was hoping I won't have to yell." He placed a hand on Yami's forearm.
All three jumped when a golden - bronze light materialized around them. The eye of Horus glowed brightly below them, casting away any shadows.
"Yami, what is going on?"
"It's simple Bakura, it's pure and golden light."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya watched as the second beam of light shot up from the ground. 'Well, I guess I am the only one left. But…' Raya's thoughts trailed off. She was terrified to fight, mainly because of what the outcomes could possibly be. There was a strong chance the damage that had already been done to the future was irreversible. Or that something worse could happen. Or one of her friends could die right here and nothing, not even she or Yugi could bring them back Or…. 'There is no point in playing this game. There is no reason to ponder what may be when I have the most important job of my life to accomplish, but…this feelings of doubt, they are hard to let go.'
As she though these very words, a song, rather a verse since it wasn't complete yet, came to mind.
'These times are changing,
The future unknown
So much around us
That we don't know
How can we survive
What we do not see?
Well don't you worry
We will be alright
With you by my side
I have nothing to fear'
Raya took a deep breathe. 'Nothing to fear. With friends by my side, there is no reason why we can't win.'
She watched as Joey helped Seto moved over towards her. Even injured, the two were willing to battle, as in the name of friendship.
Joey spoke no words as he stood beside his friend, his confident smile said enough. He believed in her and that was that was important. No words had to be exchanged between body guard and charge. A soft small smile said everything.
"I'm counting on you Raya." Seto wheezed out. "And I don't mean in beating the siblings. Everyone knows that you can handle that. No, I am counting on you to be the same loving person you are forever, so that if another threat like Satire and Jarha rises again, we will not feel threatened by them. I have no doubts that you can protect all of us. You just have to believe it yourself. I know you can do it little sister."
Raya blinked once, not believing what she had just heard. Seto had paid her the ultimate compliment, by calling her a little sister. He had made her a part of his family, showing her and Joey a side to him rarely seen by others. A single tear cascaded down her check as she replied, "I won't fail you big brother." She fell into Seto's embrace and hugged him tight.
Joey shrugged and joined in the hug.
Neither member of the trio was startled by the silver - golden beam that shot up around them. They all understood what it represented, the trinity and everlasting friendship.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'It's time.' Yugi thought as he saw the third beam join his and Yami's. He watched as Raya broke away from the hug and turned to the center of the room. Joey and Seto however, moved up behind her, still offering support.
The purple mist still moved around them, but still posed no immediate threat, which confused Yugi greatly. Something wasn't right with all of this. But maybe this was the break the Divine Family desperately needed. The trinity was now formed, the three beams of light acted like one point in a triangle, leaving Satire and Jarha vulnerable in the center. That had to be the key.
///The time to act is now. The trinity has been formed.///
//Right. But….//
/How do we go about this. If we proceed wrong Raya, then the whole future./
///Look in your heart Yugi. There you will find the answers we need.///
//Raya's right Yugi. When everything around us is nothing but a mess, then we must turn to our hearts for the answers.//
/Your right, so what do we do?/
///Watch and learn boys.///
Raya cut off the mental link and shot out her hand in front of her. "SOUL MYSTICFICATION."
The magic weaved itself around the darkness, head for the siblings. Luckily, neither Satire nor Jarha had seen the attack coming and when the beam of light hit both, they stumbled forward, shocked that such a weaker attack could penetrate and break their concentration.
'Please, let this work.' Raya thought desperately. Her whole battle plan revolved around her abilities working.
Satire turned to her brother, a dazed look on her face. "What were we doing brother?"
"I am not sure sister, I can't remember." Jarha replied, just as confused.
Raya inward rejoiced. However, now wasn't the time to celebrate. Satire and Jarha would soon remember what their soul willed them to do. This power was temporarily at best. "YAMI! YUGI! We have to attack now, before they remember what their mission is! Use the trinity!"
Yami and Yugi snapped to attention. Simultaneously, the divine family went into their guardians attack poses. The light around them intensified, chasing away all the dark mist. The three closed their eyes, each searching their hearts for the attack that would end all of this and save the correct future.
Raya opened her eyes first. Her eyes now held a touch of amber to them, much like the Mystic Elf. Spreading her arms out, one facing Yami, the other Yugi, she spoke her words gently, yet commanding, just like her realm protector.
"Satire and Jarha. You're souls are nothing but blacken voids. You know nothing of what it means to love and be loved. But instead of destroying what ever evils has posed your bodies, I will heal your soul, instead of killing. As the bearer of the bottom part of the trinity, I call upon my healing powers to expel the darkness from your souls."
Wind shot through the beam, causing Raya to float into the air, hair high in the air.
"SOUL PURIFICATION!"
The light shot thorough her fingertips, but did not strike the siblings, rather moved around them, heading towards father and son. Neither beam struck Yami and Yugi, rather stopped well before them, waiting as if.
Yami then opened his eyes, a trace of blue surrounding his purple eyes. His voice was commanding, yet had a hint of wisdom to them. "The mind is a precious thing to waste, especially when darkness takes it over. It becomes clouded and poisoned. It can't not reach the full potential that the light had had planned for it. But no more, Satire and Jarha. Like my wife, I will cleanse the darkness from your minds. No longer will you be corrupted by misbelieves. As the controller of the top of the triad, the mind, I will beat the darkness once more."
Another gust of wind entered the temple, this time causing Yami to levitate to the same height as Raya. He stretched out his arms, similar to Raya's. He tilted his head back and shout the words that he had come to know and had used before to protect the ones he loved.
"MIND BREAKER!"
And then, something strange happened. One of his bronze beams connected with one of Raya's, the one had shot towards him. But the other had stopped well short of Yugi. Waiting for the third part to join them.
Finally, Yugi opened his eyes, his too changed by his guardian. "The body can represent several things on many different levels. Physically and Mentally. And both elements are corrupt for you two. But it does not have to end like that for you Satire and Jarha, for I control the final part of the trinity, the body. And with my help, you can chase away the darkness forever and embrace the light!"
A powerful gust lift Yugi into the air, stopping at the same height as his parents. The three of them were well over 10 feet into the air, but none noticed what was going on, all were embracing the light around them.
Yugi curled his arms from his body and aimed them at the two beams his parents had created. Taking a deep breathe, Yugi called out his most powerful attack,
"BODY CLEASING! "
The beams all joined together, creating a triangle, the symbol of the Divine Family.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From the center of the circle, Satire clung to her brother and he to her. This was it for them, they both could sense it. The Royals had destroyed their most powerful spell like it was nothing. Satire tried to think of any spell that could save her and her brother, but nothing was coming to mind. They could even escape, they were trapped in the center of the trinity. There was nothing left to do, but to die.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From their positions in the air, Yami, Raya, and Yugi suddenly moved back into their attack positions, still managing to stay levitated. And then, in one clear unification, they called out the light itself.
"DIVINE LIGHT!"
The beams of light moved forward, narrowing the gap between them and the siblings. Time seemed to slow as the light approached the darkness, but as soon as it hit the siblings, time speed up again.
The darkness that was trapped for so long in the siblings, exited their bodies, shattering into thousand of tiny specks, that dissipated into the night's air, caused by the wind. The light grew brighter as it destroyed more and more of the darkness, finally annihilating the darkness totally.
And as suddenly as the light came, it disappeared. The Royal Family floated softly to the ground, where all three collapsed to their knees in total exhaustion. All three smiled at one another as the sweat glisten down their faces.
Their friends ran towards them, making sure they were alright. However, Yami waved everyone back. It was still unclear if the light had totally succeed. The siblings laid in the center of the temple, neither moving.
'We couldn't have killed them, if we did , then the future….' Yugi thought hard.
As if to answer the question on everyone's mind, a groan escaped Satire's lips. She lifted herself from the ground and looked around her surroundings. She gently nudged her brother, who had just woken up. Together, they stared at their Pharaoh. "What happened?"
Yami gulped, not sure how to answer the question. Thankfully, Yugi jumped in.
"The darkness took over your brother's and yours bodies. Don't worry, it is gone now. The Divine Family took care of it."
Satire raised a slender hand to her head. It was then that everyone noticed what was different about her. Her clothes were no longer black and red, but rather white and yellow. "I don't remember much about the past few months, but I have the sense of relief though." she smiled softly. "What of you brother?"
"Ai, sister. I have that very same feeling. Like I am finally back in control of my own emotions and thoughts." Jarha gave a small laugh. "We're free Satire!" He picked her up and swung his baby sister around.
"Yes brother, free."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Is anyone else finding it difficult to believe this?" Seto whispered to Joey and Raya.
Joey nodded in agreement while Raya shot Seto a glance. "Of course it is hard to comprehend Seto, after all they did to us it is hard to believe that they would suddenly chance. But can we really doubt the light like that?"
"After all that has happened Raya, yes I can."
Still panting from the ground, Raya only shook her head in response. All the energy was gone from her body, she physically felt weak, but emotionally, she was elated. 'The nightmare, it is finally over.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi gulped in breath after breath of fresh air. Raising his face, he let out a small sigh of relief. The siblings were still alive, which meant the future would be saved, correctly. He could feel it, deep down in his soul. And best of all everyone was still alive. 'We did it, we actually did it. And everyone is still alive.'
As if to ruin Yugi's good fortune, a small piece of rock bounce off his head. Snapping his head to the ceiling, Yugi's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. The ceiling was cracking. A loud creak followed. Jumping to his feet he screamed. "CAVE IN"
Raya and Joey shot to their feet dragging a rasping Seto between them, heading for the path out. Across the hall, Yami and Bakura where doing the same with Tristan. Tea and Mokuba started for the closet path to them. Yugi started to follow, then noticed a horrifying scenario. The siblings were frozen to their spots. If they didn't move soon, they would surely be crushed by the cave in.
Yugi took a step away from them, after all they had done to his family, it would serve them right, but in the back of his mind, he recalled something Ruia had told him in a vision. Everyone deserves a chance my son, even if their past actions are questionable. Don't judge or act until all the facts have been presented. Because sometimes, that one missing fact, can sway a whole opinion.'
'Satire and Jarha were being controlled by the darkness, just like Seto. I can't let them die for actions they had no control over. I just can't. They might have done a lot of things to my family and friends, but I all that time I felt that I hated them, I was forgetting one simple fact, the darkness was controlling them. They don't deserve to die.' Yugi ran for the center of the room, dodging rocks left and right. A huge piece of temple cracked above him and the siblings, then started to fall. He pushed himself to run harder, managing to reach his enemies in time. Not wanting to waste the precious seconds he had, he shoved Jarha and Satire well out of harms way. He braced himself for the rocks to crush him. 'I guess we all don't get out alive.'
The suddenly, he felt the sensation of falling, only to be caught by something else. Something warm and soft, not hard and cold like the ceiling should have been. He cringed when he heard the rocks hit the ground behind him. The sound echoed in his ears. 'What? How did I get over here?' He looked up to see Raya holding him, but tears streaming down her face. She was barely able to choke out the words.
"Oh dear Ra, no. YAMI!"
Yugi tore his face back to where the temple had collapsed. And it only took a millisecond to release what had happened. Yami had pushed him out of harms way. Frantically, Yugi looked around for his father. Then came to the same conclusion Raya had. Horror gripped at his heart and rivulets ran down his face.
That massive pile of rocks in the center of the room was where Yami now laid…trapped beneath there bone crushing weight.
Anya: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I got hit with a case of writers block and a whole lot of homework.
Kris: Speaking of, don't you have an exam to study for?
Anya: Everyone needs a break. Anyway, the verse in this chapter is from a poem I wrote a while ago, so it is mine. And I promise, I will try to update faster than I have been! Thanks everyone for the reviews and patience.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Time stopped. Everyone moved in slow motion. Yugi screaming to stop. Mokuba covering his eyes in horror and disbelief. Seto holding his brother tightly, at knowing what was to come. Joey begging for Raya to stop, as Yami cheered her on from across the room. Bakura and Tristan, mouths open, no sound coming from anyone.
But the sensation was there. Everyone knew that this was the end of the future.
Tea ran towards Raya, desperate to stop the teen. 'This is just like the battle between Yugi and Seto at Pegasus' castle. I know I won't reach them in time. And this time, the stakes are higher. Everyone is going to be affected by this. Us and the world. And it isn't going to be good.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya grinned smugly. "Say goodnight bitch."
She brought the sword crashing down towards Satire. She was lucky that Tristan had dropped his nearby. It had given her the edge she needed.
Satire gave no scream, she wouldn't give Raya that satisfaction. She waited to feel the cold blade on her skin. Vaguely, she wonder if it would hurt any.
And then, the scream came. It took Satire about a millisecond to realize that it wasn't her screaming, but rather, Raya. She turned to see her enemy about 50 feet away, tossed aside into some debris as if she was a piece of crumpled paper. She turned to see what had saved her life. Unconsciously, a hand rose to her mouth. 'No way.'
Yugi stood, a mere twenty feet from Satire. Hand still out in attack mode. He was shaking in disbelief at what he just did. 'I…I…I attacked Raya. I assaulted my own mother.'
The temple was eerily silent. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Son attacking his own mother and defending the ones who had hurt him. But at the same time, it felt, well right.
Raya shook her hand to regain her senses. Gingerly she stood and stared at her son in rage. "YUGI! WHY?"
Yugi gulped. Never had Raya used such a tone with him. 'This isn't Raya. Remember that. Remember what you saw.' Despite the confident thoughts, Yugi still shook as his family, friends, and enemies stared down at him. Finally, the words came to him. He took a deep breath, then spoke, without a hint of nervousness or tremble. "Because mother, this isn't the way. Darkness is not the way to save the future."
Raya tossed her brown locks behind her shoulder. "I am not the darkness Yugi, they are." She pointed her sword at Satire, then at Jarha. "They turned you against us, killed our people, made our friends suffer. They need to be taught a lesson."
"Not this way Raya. You've changed. Yami's changed." Yugi accused. He wanted nothing more to shake Yami and Raya back into their senses, but yet he frozen to the ground in fear, as well as shock.
Yami left go of Jarha's shirt when he heard Yugi's accusation. Jarha fell to ground and quickly scurried to his sister's side.
"Aibou, we haven't changed. We're still the same people you've come to know and love. Don't let Satire's and Jarha's manipulations fool you." Yami stated, turning to Yugi, sword resting at his side.
Yugi gulped. Not only was he under suspicion from his friends and enemies, but his own parents as well. 'No one ever said that beating the darkness would be easy. In fact it never is, how many battles with good and evil going head to head been simple? None, and this one won't be the exception. Only this time, the stakes are higher. If light falls, it can never recover and the world as I, my family, once knew will be shattered, a distant dream. No, I refuse to let that happen.'
"No Yami. You're not the same person. The darkness has claimed you and Raya as pawns in its quest to destroy the light. I have seen first hand what will happen if you two openly embrace the darkness as well."
"Yugi, Yami and I haven't embraced anything but the light. Why would you believe differently." Raya relied. "It isn't possible. No."
"But it is mother. Look in your hearts. It will show you the truth, of what you have become."
Raya closed her eyes. 'This is stupid. It is leaving Yami and I open for an easy attack from the siblings. And I will not let that happen. The siblings need to pay, die for what they have done to my family. Nothing else is expectable.'
She opened her eyes once again. A faint dark glow echoed off Raya. "This is silly Yugi. Let's finish off these troublemakers, save the future, and get on with our lives." She raised her sword once again.
"I'm sorry mother, but I can't you do that." Yugi shot a golden ball at Raya's sword causing it to fly from her hand.
Raya whipped around. "YUGI! Don't you want to save the future? Don't you care about it at all?"
"No, Raya, you don't understand." All the coolness Yugi had, was lost. If rationality wasn't going to work on his parents, then maybe a bit of irrationality would. "I care more about the future than anyone. I have seen what the future is like if the siblings die at yours and Yami's hands. It isn't pretty. It's not the same world we knew. It is different. You're different. I don't want that."
Yami glanced across to Raya. For the first time, the two had mixed feelings about what they were doing. Maybe, just maybe this wasn't the best course of action.
"Don't you understand? All those years ago, we were sent to the future so that we could return to Egypt as a family to protect the very future we lived in. We were the only people capable of handling such a task. It wasn't just because of our powers, but because of the bond the three of us. That was the key. That is why the darkness could not consume me whole. The bond the three of us had is something that no amount of darkness can destroy. It is too pure, too strong. Basically, it is pure light. That is why the job of the future went to the Divine family. We were divine because our trinity had that seed of goodness that no one else posed. We are the core of the light. Not representations, we are just the light.
And even though Satire and Jarha can't destroy what we have, it can become corrupt. Clouded by our own misbelieves and misjudgments, like I was. But that doesn't mean the light dies. We still have it within us. It is up to us to decide what we do with that light. Use it and protect the future or ignore it and let the darkness win. And if the darkness wins, the light will never recover. After all, if the core of lightness fails, what is there left? Nothing but darkness. This why Yami, Raya, everyone, you have to understand why it is so pivotal that you remember our mission.
No, not to get revenge on the ones who destroyed our people so long ago and trying to now. Our mission was to protect past, the present, and the future. And by killing Satire in rage Raya, is not doing that. It goes against everything we ever stood for. You said it yourself, you're powers can not kill. You can not kill. But yet, there you stand, sword raise, ready to serve the final blow.
Yami, you too are ready to end the reign of the siblings. Sure, your powers are darker, but that doesn't mean you are darkness. In fact, you are the extreme opposite. Why throw everything that we had away over all this. Why should we stoup to Jarha's and Satire's level? We do not use pain, suffering, and death to get want we want. We used the heart, the soul, and the mind to. When did everything change? When did you embrace what we once loathed?
It's not too late. Raya don't pick up the sword. Please. If you strike down the siblings in rage, in anger, then we have failed our mission of saving the future. In fact, we will have done the opposite. We will have destroyed it. Can you really have that on your conscious? Knowing that you have ruined so many innocent lives? How about you Yami? Could you really handle another incident like the Shadow Games? I promise you, if the future changes to what I have seen, the Shadow Games will look like a wonderful celebration compared to the pain and suffering I have seen.
So I ask you mom and dad. What is your course of action?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami stared at Yugi in disbelief. 'Am I approaching the darkness? No, that isn't impossible. I know what my mission is. I never lost sight of that, or did I? Was I so wrapped up in making Jarha pay for what he did to everyone that I lost sight of what I was sent here to do really? To protect the future at all costs? But in order to protect the future, did I have to lose my son? My only son? No, I would never let that happen. This is the correct course of action. The siblings, they must pay for what they have bestowed upon my family. No other punishment is suitable.'
"Yami, no. Yugi is right." Raya stated, raising a hand to her head. No one was really sure how she knew what Yami had thought, but at the moment, no one really cared much. In the next moment, Raya collapsed to the ground, body racking in tears.
"RAYA!" Joey and Seto shouted. The two rushed over to their fallen friend. It would just be like Satire and Jarha to attack when Raya and Yami were down and out, but yet, never were doing anything. They stood in the middle of the triangle, deep in thought. It was as if, they too were considering Yugi's words.
"Oh Ra, what have we done?" Raya could feel Joey and Seto shaking her gently, but nothing but her son's words were making any sense to her. "Yami look at us! We were about to kill our enemies…KILL! We never stood for that. Yugi, I'm sorry. You were right. The darkness has consumed me. I can feel it. Hiding deep in my heart, causing me to doubt not only myself, but others as well. Doubt my actions, options and choice. I let the darkness rule me instead of the light. I almost let evil reign. Yami, don't you understand what we've done? We've destroyed the very thing we swore to protect and uphold. We almost eliminated our future. Everything that we would have come to know, would have been gone, because we lost sight of our goals. Oh Ra, I hope it isn't too late."
Raya moved over to where Yugi had knocked the sword out of her hand. She picked it up with the very tips of her fingers. Before anyone could stop her, she clenched the sword in her hand and hurled it out of the temple. She watched the metal glisten in the starry night, and then nothing as it fell to the ground, sinking into the sand. With a satisfied nod, Raya turned back to her friends and family.
"No more. I refuse to let the darkness control my mind."
Across the room, Yami stared at his sword. 'I'm so confused. Everything Raya and Yugi say is very true, but yet I can't let go of my anger. Why!' He rotated the blade of his weapon, watching as the light cascaded off of it. Images appeared in the sword, his wife, his friends, temple walls. Finally it rest on him. But yet it wasn't. It couldn't. Yami raised the sword to his eye level. The image staring back at him, wasn't his own reflection. It was Jarha's.
'How can that be? It must be a trick, over the mind. There is no way I can be seeing Jarha, when I should see myself…unless. Unless what Yugi is saying is true. That I have become the darkness. And by becoming part of that darkness, I have turned into my enemies. Sure, we maybe be fighting for two very different things, but if we use the darkness to our advantage, then I am no better than Jarha himself.'
He turned to face Yugi. Yugi's face was exploding with grief. Something had happened to Yugi, something awful. But it was not the doings of Jarha and Satire. It was if he and Raya had done something so horrible, that nothing would ever be the same again. 'Yugi said the future was changing, the more I fought Jarha. Is that what scared aibou so bad? The future? What is happening at home? Could it be? No, home can not be total darkness. But if it has Yugi this alarmed, this concerned, then it must. And if I am really changing into Jarha, then it is my fault. Mine and Raya's alike. We were weak. We forgot our true mission and because of it, darkness is gaining the upper hand. I refuse to let that happen. I understand now what I must do. I must fight with a pure heart, not a corrupt one.'
Yami looked back down into the blade of his sword. This time, he saw his own reflection smiling back, with the image of the Dark Magician right behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi's faith began to flicker with each passing moment. Yami had made no move. It was as if he was trapped in time, pondering Yugi's words, as well as what his corrupted powers were hinting at him to do. 'If it is taking this long for Yami to decide, it must be a good thing. He's at least considering my words, but is it enough?' Yugi thought desperately. If Yami refused to believe what he had said, then what would happen to the past, as well at the future? Could he and Raya really defeat Yami? Could they even battle him to begin with?
Finally, Yami responded to Yugi's words. He leveled the sword at the siblings. 'You were correct before Jarha, that I was becoming like you and your sister. I didn't want to believe that, but now I see that you were correct. But luckily and thankfully, that is one way I don't have to accept. If there is to be any killings today, it will not come from my hands." Yami tossed the sword back down the path of power. It clattered deep down the hall.
From her position in the center of the room, Satire stood, laughing. "I don't believe it. The three of you voluntarily gave up enormous amount of power and you still have the notion that you can defeat my brother and me? Please. You should have embraced the darkness when you had the chance. Maybe then, I won't have killed you. But now, well, staying alive is no longer an option."
"Aren't you forgetting something Satire?" Raya asked, crossing her arms across her chest, a smug tight smile on her lips.
"And what is that?"
Raya waved her hand around the room. "Not only is the Royal Family here, but the divine family as well. The so called people who have more power than anyone. Not to mention all of our friends, who I may add, have not only defended themselves against you with near perfection, but have almost beaten you too. And you have the nerve to say that you'll win? I think you must be the delusional one."
"You don't have the nerve to kill us Raya. You had your change to eliminate my brother and me with the darkness, but now your window of opportunity has passed. Evil shall reign" Satire raised her hands high into the sky. Beside her, Jarha had done the same.
Subconsciously, Yami, Raya, and even Yugi took a step backwards. Raya glanced at Seto who was leaning against the pillar beside her for support. His normally cold eyes were wide in fear. He knew, as well as Raya, that this was it. It was up to the Divine Family to pull through, no one else. 'You can do it Raya, just believe.'
Joey placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. She tore her gaze from Seto and rested them on Joey's face. He grinned mischievously and whispered the words that Ruia could recall Jou telling her all the time. "To the end of our days, we will stand behind you. Fighting till we are no longer capable. Together, we will overcome whatever stands in our way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'What do I do know?' Yugi thought desperately. Satire was in the middle of the room, preparing for something awful and Yugi was standing here just letting it happen. 'I can't attack though. No one can. If we do, then the future changes. What can I do? I can't let the siblings win, but if we attack…'
///We fight with light.///
/Raya?/ Yugi head snapped in his mother's direction. She had moved back in front of Seto and Joey. In her hands, the light flickered. She was willing to battle, again.
//It's okay aibou. Before we were fighting with the darkness. Now that we are prepared to battle with the light, the future can not change.//
/I don't think it is that simple Yami./
///Nothing ever is, Yugi. But Yami is right. We just can stand by and let them attack the past like this. We have to stop them, no matter what the costs or risks.///
/Then what do we do?/
No one answered Yugi's question, for there was no clear answer. If the family couldn't use their powers, then there was no way to prevent the siblings from taking over the past. Nothing at all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I will not lose, not now, not when am I am so close to winning. Soon, my brother and I will have ultimate power and no one will dare challenge us. Though, I wish things could be different. That Yugioh and I…no, that will never be. I see this now. Even though it hurts me so, I will destroy my beloved and his family.' Grasping her brothers hand tightly into her own, the two began to chant a spell, one they had learned long ago.
"Black as the night,
Evil as a demon,
We summon you
Oh wicked power
Hear your followers
In this time of need
The light is strong
Threatening to destroy
Protect us, darkness
Grant us your powers
Allow us to defeat
The light once
And for all"
A thick, black mist rose around the siblings, spreading out from them. It moved into every crack and crevasse. Lighting crackle from some unknown location in the cloud. Howls, echoed off the walls, screams from the souls beaten and trapped by the mist. It weaved its way around Yami, limiting his view greatly. Soon, he couldn't even see it front of his face.
'Well, this isn't good.'
Diagonally, Joey was having similar thoughts, only his was coming from a distant memory. 'This fog, it seems familiar, but why?' Joey closed his eyes and thought. 'Black as night, Evil as a demon. That sounds so memorable. Of course, the last time I battled Satire. She had just begun to conjure up this spell! But I defeated her before she could! Is this what would have had if she had beaten me? Darkness? That has to be what mist is, pure darkness. But, how do we go about beating it? How do you beat pure darkness?'
Joey reopened his eyes and blinked. The fog had cleared a bit in front of him, revealing for a millisecond the outline of his best friend. And then, the answer came to him. 'Duh. To beat pure darkness, you would have to counter with the opposite, pure light. And who here is the purest light? The Divine Family.'
"Raya! Yami! Yugi!" Joey shouted. "Where ever you are, l hope you can hear me. Satire and Jarha have called up pure darkness, you three have to beat it with the light you posse. I know all of you are hesitate to battle after what has happened, but it must be done. This is why the three of you were saved. This is your duty. You can't let evil reign!"
"It's a good thought Joey, but I don't think we could even break through that wall the siblings have in front of them!" He heard someone yell back.
"Of course you three can. The light is always stronger than the dark. You just have to believe. Please, before they have enough strength to beat us. Use the trinity."
From his position, Yugi stood dumbfound. 'I thought the trinity was just a metaphor for our powers, that it really didn't exist, but if what Joey says is true, then it is a real attack. A three in one. Of course.' Recognition ran through Yugi's body. 'That is why Yami, Raya, and I were so protected. We were the only three who could control such an attack. An all out light attack. But will our powers be enough?'
A hand rested on Yugi's shoulder, causing him to jump. He turned to see Tea, standing there, smiling. "You need help, you got Mokuba and I." Mokuba grinned and placed his tiny hand on Yugi's other shoulder. As soon as it made contact with the soft material, something amazing happened.
The eye of Horus appeared.
On the ground, beneath the three friends. A beam of golden light shot around them, chasing away the darkness, protecting them from what ever the siblings could throw.
Yugi turned back to the battle, searching his parents out. He know understood what had to be done, he just hoped Raya and Yami figured it out in time too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami gasped as a beam shot through the darkness, like a beacon of hope. 'Alright aibou!' Somehow, his son had managed to find a way to beat back the darkness. Now, he only he could do the same. Then maybe just maybe, the siblings would finally be defeated.
"YAMI!"
"Bakura? Where are you?"
Bakura and Tristan came stumbling out of the mist, almost tackling the once Pharaoh to the ground. Yami had appeared suddenly in front of them, as they did to Yami.
"What are you doing here?" Yami asked. He knew that his friends were more injured than letting on. There was no sense in making them fight. They would be injured more so, or worse, killed.
"What else?" Tristan replied. "To protect you." He clasped Yami's shoulder. "You need to fight, we need to fight. We're not going to leave you to battle on your own. No matter what you say."
"Tristan…"
Bakura stepped forward. "Yami, there is no time for argument. We are helping, end of story."
Yami mouth dropped open at the tone in his friend's voice. Never had Bakura sounded so commanding. It made Yami hesitate before answering and he hardly ever did that.
"Alright."
Bakura let out the breath he was holding. "Good. I was hoping I won't have to yell." He placed a hand on Yami's forearm.
All three jumped when a golden - bronze light materialized around them. The eye of Horus glowed brightly below them, casting away any shadows.
"Yami, what is going on?"
"It's simple Bakura, it's pure and golden light."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Raya watched as the second beam of light shot up from the ground. 'Well, I guess I am the only one left. But…' Raya's thoughts trailed off. She was terrified to fight, mainly because of what the outcomes could possibly be. There was a strong chance the damage that had already been done to the future was irreversible. Or that something worse could happen. Or one of her friends could die right here and nothing, not even she or Yugi could bring them back Or…. 'There is no point in playing this game. There is no reason to ponder what may be when I have the most important job of my life to accomplish, but…this feelings of doubt, they are hard to let go.'
As she though these very words, a song, rather a verse since it wasn't complete yet, came to mind.
'These times are changing,
The future unknown
So much around us
That we don't know
How can we survive
What we do not see?
Well don't you worry
We will be alright
With you by my side
I have nothing to fear'
Raya took a deep breathe. 'Nothing to fear. With friends by my side, there is no reason why we can't win.'
She watched as Joey helped Seto moved over towards her. Even injured, the two were willing to battle, as in the name of friendship.
Joey spoke no words as he stood beside his friend, his confident smile said enough. He believed in her and that was that was important. No words had to be exchanged between body guard and charge. A soft small smile said everything.
"I'm counting on you Raya." Seto wheezed out. "And I don't mean in beating the siblings. Everyone knows that you can handle that. No, I am counting on you to be the same loving person you are forever, so that if another threat like Satire and Jarha rises again, we will not feel threatened by them. I have no doubts that you can protect all of us. You just have to believe it yourself. I know you can do it little sister."
Raya blinked once, not believing what she had just heard. Seto had paid her the ultimate compliment, by calling her a little sister. He had made her a part of his family, showing her and Joey a side to him rarely seen by others. A single tear cascaded down her check as she replied, "I won't fail you big brother." She fell into Seto's embrace and hugged him tight.
Joey shrugged and joined in the hug.
Neither member of the trio was startled by the silver - golden beam that shot up around them. They all understood what it represented, the trinity and everlasting friendship.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'It's time.' Yugi thought as he saw the third beam join his and Yami's. He watched as Raya broke away from the hug and turned to the center of the room. Joey and Seto however, moved up behind her, still offering support.
The purple mist still moved around them, but still posed no immediate threat, which confused Yugi greatly. Something wasn't right with all of this. But maybe this was the break the Divine Family desperately needed. The trinity was now formed, the three beams of light acted like one point in a triangle, leaving Satire and Jarha vulnerable in the center. That had to be the key.
///The time to act is now. The trinity has been formed.///
//Right. But….//
/How do we go about this. If we proceed wrong Raya, then the whole future./
///Look in your heart Yugi. There you will find the answers we need.///
//Raya's right Yugi. When everything around us is nothing but a mess, then we must turn to our hearts for the answers.//
/Your right, so what do we do?/
///Watch and learn boys.///
Raya cut off the mental link and shot out her hand in front of her. "SOUL MYSTICFICATION."
The magic weaved itself around the darkness, head for the siblings. Luckily, neither Satire nor Jarha had seen the attack coming and when the beam of light hit both, they stumbled forward, shocked that such a weaker attack could penetrate and break their concentration.
'Please, let this work.' Raya thought desperately. Her whole battle plan revolved around her abilities working.
Satire turned to her brother, a dazed look on her face. "What were we doing brother?"
"I am not sure sister, I can't remember." Jarha replied, just as confused.
Raya inward rejoiced. However, now wasn't the time to celebrate. Satire and Jarha would soon remember what their soul willed them to do. This power was temporarily at best. "YAMI! YUGI! We have to attack now, before they remember what their mission is! Use the trinity!"
Yami and Yugi snapped to attention. Simultaneously, the divine family went into their guardians attack poses. The light around them intensified, chasing away all the dark mist. The three closed their eyes, each searching their hearts for the attack that would end all of this and save the correct future.
Raya opened her eyes first. Her eyes now held a touch of amber to them, much like the Mystic Elf. Spreading her arms out, one facing Yami, the other Yugi, she spoke her words gently, yet commanding, just like her realm protector.
"Satire and Jarha. You're souls are nothing but blacken voids. You know nothing of what it means to love and be loved. But instead of destroying what ever evils has posed your bodies, I will heal your soul, instead of killing. As the bearer of the bottom part of the trinity, I call upon my healing powers to expel the darkness from your souls."
Wind shot through the beam, causing Raya to float into the air, hair high in the air.
"SOUL PURIFICATION!"
The light shot thorough her fingertips, but did not strike the siblings, rather moved around them, heading towards father and son. Neither beam struck Yami and Yugi, rather stopped well before them, waiting as if.
Yami then opened his eyes, a trace of blue surrounding his purple eyes. His voice was commanding, yet had a hint of wisdom to them. "The mind is a precious thing to waste, especially when darkness takes it over. It becomes clouded and poisoned. It can't not reach the full potential that the light had had planned for it. But no more, Satire and Jarha. Like my wife, I will cleanse the darkness from your minds. No longer will you be corrupted by misbelieves. As the controller of the top of the triad, the mind, I will beat the darkness once more."
Another gust of wind entered the temple, this time causing Yami to levitate to the same height as Raya. He stretched out his arms, similar to Raya's. He tilted his head back and shout the words that he had come to know and had used before to protect the ones he loved.
"MIND BREAKER!"
And then, something strange happened. One of his bronze beams connected with one of Raya's, the one had shot towards him. But the other had stopped well short of Yugi. Waiting for the third part to join them.
Finally, Yugi opened his eyes, his too changed by his guardian. "The body can represent several things on many different levels. Physically and Mentally. And both elements are corrupt for you two. But it does not have to end like that for you Satire and Jarha, for I control the final part of the trinity, the body. And with my help, you can chase away the darkness forever and embrace the light!"
A powerful gust lift Yugi into the air, stopping at the same height as his parents. The three of them were well over 10 feet into the air, but none noticed what was going on, all were embracing the light around them.
Yugi curled his arms from his body and aimed them at the two beams his parents had created. Taking a deep breathe, Yugi called out his most powerful attack,
"BODY CLEASING! "
The beams all joined together, creating a triangle, the symbol of the Divine Family.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From the center of the circle, Satire clung to her brother and he to her. This was it for them, they both could sense it. The Royals had destroyed their most powerful spell like it was nothing. Satire tried to think of any spell that could save her and her brother, but nothing was coming to mind. They could even escape, they were trapped in the center of the trinity. There was nothing left to do, but to die.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From their positions in the air, Yami, Raya, and Yugi suddenly moved back into their attack positions, still managing to stay levitated. And then, in one clear unification, they called out the light itself.
"DIVINE LIGHT!"
The beams of light moved forward, narrowing the gap between them and the siblings. Time seemed to slow as the light approached the darkness, but as soon as it hit the siblings, time speed up again.
The darkness that was trapped for so long in the siblings, exited their bodies, shattering into thousand of tiny specks, that dissipated into the night's air, caused by the wind. The light grew brighter as it destroyed more and more of the darkness, finally annihilating the darkness totally.
And as suddenly as the light came, it disappeared. The Royal Family floated softly to the ground, where all three collapsed to their knees in total exhaustion. All three smiled at one another as the sweat glisten down their faces.
Their friends ran towards them, making sure they were alright. However, Yami waved everyone back. It was still unclear if the light had totally succeed. The siblings laid in the center of the temple, neither moving.
'We couldn't have killed them, if we did , then the future….' Yugi thought hard.
As if to answer the question on everyone's mind, a groan escaped Satire's lips. She lifted herself from the ground and looked around her surroundings. She gently nudged her brother, who had just woken up. Together, they stared at their Pharaoh. "What happened?"
Yami gulped, not sure how to answer the question. Thankfully, Yugi jumped in.
"The darkness took over your brother's and yours bodies. Don't worry, it is gone now. The Divine Family took care of it."
Satire raised a slender hand to her head. It was then that everyone noticed what was different about her. Her clothes were no longer black and red, but rather white and yellow. "I don't remember much about the past few months, but I have the sense of relief though." she smiled softly. "What of you brother?"
"Ai, sister. I have that very same feeling. Like I am finally back in control of my own emotions and thoughts." Jarha gave a small laugh. "We're free Satire!" He picked her up and swung his baby sister around.
"Yes brother, free."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Is anyone else finding it difficult to believe this?" Seto whispered to Joey and Raya.
Joey nodded in agreement while Raya shot Seto a glance. "Of course it is hard to comprehend Seto, after all they did to us it is hard to believe that they would suddenly chance. But can we really doubt the light like that?"
"After all that has happened Raya, yes I can."
Still panting from the ground, Raya only shook her head in response. All the energy was gone from her body, she physically felt weak, but emotionally, she was elated. 'The nightmare, it is finally over.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yugi gulped in breath after breath of fresh air. Raising his face, he let out a small sigh of relief. The siblings were still alive, which meant the future would be saved, correctly. He could feel it, deep down in his soul. And best of all everyone was still alive. 'We did it, we actually did it. And everyone is still alive.'
As if to ruin Yugi's good fortune, a small piece of rock bounce off his head. Snapping his head to the ceiling, Yugi's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. The ceiling was cracking. A loud creak followed. Jumping to his feet he screamed. "CAVE IN"
Raya and Joey shot to their feet dragging a rasping Seto between them, heading for the path out. Across the hall, Yami and Bakura where doing the same with Tristan. Tea and Mokuba started for the closet path to them. Yugi started to follow, then noticed a horrifying scenario. The siblings were frozen to their spots. If they didn't move soon, they would surely be crushed by the cave in.
Yugi took a step away from them, after all they had done to his family, it would serve them right, but in the back of his mind, he recalled something Ruia had told him in a vision. Everyone deserves a chance my son, even if their past actions are questionable. Don't judge or act until all the facts have been presented. Because sometimes, that one missing fact, can sway a whole opinion.'
'Satire and Jarha were being controlled by the darkness, just like Seto. I can't let them die for actions they had no control over. I just can't. They might have done a lot of things to my family and friends, but I all that time I felt that I hated them, I was forgetting one simple fact, the darkness was controlling them. They don't deserve to die.' Yugi ran for the center of the room, dodging rocks left and right. A huge piece of temple cracked above him and the siblings, then started to fall. He pushed himself to run harder, managing to reach his enemies in time. Not wanting to waste the precious seconds he had, he shoved Jarha and Satire well out of harms way. He braced himself for the rocks to crush him. 'I guess we all don't get out alive.'
The suddenly, he felt the sensation of falling, only to be caught by something else. Something warm and soft, not hard and cold like the ceiling should have been. He cringed when he heard the rocks hit the ground behind him. The sound echoed in his ears. 'What? How did I get over here?' He looked up to see Raya holding him, but tears streaming down her face. She was barely able to choke out the words.
"Oh dear Ra, no. YAMI!"
Yugi tore his face back to where the temple had collapsed. And it only took a millisecond to release what had happened. Yami had pushed him out of harms way. Frantically, Yugi looked around for his father. Then came to the same conclusion Raya had. Horror gripped at his heart and rivulets ran down his face.
That massive pile of rocks in the center of the room was where Yami now laid…trapped beneath there bone crushing weight.