An Empty Shell
L: *whining* Why is it that a girl writes a fic for once where Yami acts all mean and nasty and people start biting her head off??
K: I mean, come on, people, that angle is probably never going to be attempted (at least by us) again. Neuways, enough whining, Laura, let's finish this irritating story so we can start TTORZ. This is the last chapter. There might be an epilogue, but we don't know yet.
L: We've already started.
K: So that the other faithful readers can read it?
L: Oooooooooooooooh… heh heh heh. ^_^*
YAMI: Yeah, finish the story, so I can go back to being a good guy again!
BAKURA: I know the end of the story. You're not appearing in TTORZ.
YAMI: What?!
K: You don't want the story to end, Yami dearest.
YAMI: *suspiciously* Why not?
L: Because you don't…
ISHIZU (As they say in the English version, any way. I keep mixing it up with Shizuku/Shizuka (whichever one it actually is) /Serenity now): I've foreseen it… with the help of my Millennium Necklace…
SETO: *growls* Ah, shut up.
L: Hey, I just realized I never said how old Itari is! Itari is 12.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi.
LEGEND OF VOICES
"spoken"
'thoughts'
Trapped hikaris Ryou, William, Caryn, Awan and Paz speaking
Yugi speaking
YAMIS (BLAKE, SON, BAKURA, REVA, LOELLA, KALI) SPEAKING
Chapter 8: The End
(what an original title! 9-9)
"What is going on here?" A surprised voice came.
Yami, Kali and the four guards accompanying Yami whirled around to find Bakura, Son, Blake, Reva and Loella standing there. The dark glare on Bakura looked enough to brutally stab the offending person to death.
In the stunned silence, Itari and Anais tried to creep away quietly, but Yami didn't let this escape his notice and threw out a barrier, prohibiting any possibility of escape for Kali, Itari and Anais.
And stopping the others from entering.
"Um, my Pharaoh?" one guard spoke tentatively. Yami turned around, then did something quite un-Yami-like: he blasted all the guards to the Shadow Realm.
"There we go," Yami said calmly. "No interference." He turned back around to face Kali, who was shielding her sisters protectively. Cyrus was peacefully sleeping, amazingly enough, hidden and hopefully forgotten (to Yami), in the folds of Kali's cloak. "Step aside, girl."
"Never," Kali hissed. "You leave them alone."
KALI, WHAT'S GOING ON?? Son called urgently.
Yeah… going… ? Yugi's inquisitive voice came floating through.
Kali was trapped and her mind was racing, searching for any possible solution to this problem. She knew if she didn't have to worry about Itari, Anais and Cyrus, and Yugi being used as a shield, she could battle with Yami. Her mind already had a plan for Yami's demise, but first she had to isolate him.
SON, BAKURA. Kali ordered.
YES? Bakura and Son answered in unison.
I NEED YOU BOTH TO THROW AS MUCH MAGIC AS YOU CAN AT THE BARRIER. LOELLA, REVA, BLAKE?
YES? The other three chorused.
BE READY.
FOR WHAT? Reva asked interestedly.
TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T BLAST MY BROTHER AND SISTERS AND YUGI TO BITS. THROW THE MAGIC ONLY AT THE BARRIER, SON. THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, BAKURA. IF EITHER OF YOU KILL ANY OF THEM, I WILL KILL YOU.
*Bakura's POV*
It was crazy. It was insane. There was no chance of it working. She wouldn't dare…
*Son's POV*
She did it.
*Loella's POV*
Before we even registered Kali's comment, there was a flash of violet light. As the light subsided once again, Son and Bakura let their hands fall to their sides as Yugi, Itari and Anais, looking slightly woozy, appeared.
Yugi, rubbing at an amethyst eye, asked "What happened?"
"Dunno." I said, about to shrug, when I realized my arms were no longer empty. Looking down, I found one of the sweetest little babies you've ever seen, lying in my arms.
"Cyrus!" Itari cried, dashing over and gently taking the infant out of my arms. Cuddling the baby close, she looked up and an almost caged look appeared in her eyes.
*Blake's POV*
I didn't blame the kid. The only person even near her height was Yugi, and he was still taller than her. (A/N: never thought you would see the day, huh?)
Her eyes scanned the group, most likely looking for an ally. The little one –Anais?, hid herself behind her sister's leg.
Can I come out now? William whined. It's BORING in here. It sounds exciting out there. What's going on?
I'm not quite sure, myself. Ryou said. The other hikaris agreed there.
I hate sitting in here by myself while everybody else gets to have fun. Awan grumbled.
I WOULDN'T CALL THIS FUN, AWAN. Son growled. I'D MUCH RATHER BE IN THERE THAN OUT HERE RIGHT NOW.
*Third Person POV*
As the hikaris and yamis continued to argue amongst themselves, Yugi was still watching the barrier with a sort of lost and dazed look on his face. He was sitting on the cool sand in the dark of night, but it wasn't until he started to sway dizzily that anybody figured out what was going on with him.
"That conniving little sneak of a ruler!" Son muttered. "He's still bound to Yugi. He's stealing his energy!"
Bakura swore in every language he had ever learned while in slavery. KALI!
I KNOW THAT, BAKURA, Kali answered tiredly. DON'T WORRY. I GOT IT COVERED.
"'Don't worry, I got it covered.' I hate it when she says that." Son muttered. "It usually leads to enormous pain. And stupid crazy stunts that only Kali would try."
As if to affirm Son's prediction, there was a tug at the yamis' bodies and within the blink of an eye, the trapped hikaris were sprawled on the sand, looking stunned.
"Hey, what the— Hey, I'm out!" William crowed.
The glee at being released didn't last long though. Within the next ten seconds, each of them felt enormous pulls at their hearts. The Silver Bearers knew what it was; that was the feeling you got when you and your counterpart were too far separated. This was "the stretch thing", as Blake called it.
"Oooooooooow…" Paz wailed, hugging herself tightly as if to block the pain.
KALI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING????? Son yelled.
DON'T WORRY. I GOT IT COVERED. IT SHOULD END SHORTLY. Kali answered again.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING???!!! Blake howled, face white with pain. Ryou and Yugi were shaking; Bakura was biting his lip so hard, a bright spot of red began to trickle down his chin: he had bitten right through his lip.
A blast of violet light erupted from the barrier and Anais screamed in terror. As suddenly as it had started, the pain ended.
"W—w—what was that?" Ryou asked shakily.
*Caryn's POV*
It took me a second to realize why I had trouble balancing as I stood up.
*Paz's POV*
It was impossible.
*William's POV*
But she did it.
*Son's POV*
What an idiot! I don't know who was more stupid: Yami, for provoking Kali, or Kali for doing what she did.
*Blake's POV*
She took the energy that bound everybody to their counterparts, including Yugi's, and severed the binds. Now we're all separate people. We're no longer bound together. And now Yami can't draw on Yugi's powers.
I pity the poor fool. He has the receiving end of Kali's wrath.
*Third Person POV*
While the group outside was in stunned silence, Kali was already at phase 3 of her plan. Gathering all the energy she had severed, which had taken a great deal of her own energy, but who cared?; she literally molded it into a great ball of shining light. Raising it high above her head, she threw it at Yami in desperation.
Raising a hand carelessly, Yami dissipated the great energy. Then he spoke in a strange ancient language, calling the Dark Magician to his aid.
'Oh yeah?' Kali thought. 'Well, two can play this game.' She sighed. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this.
Outside, while the group waited anxiously to find who emerged from the deadly duel, powerful magical beings were stirring within their souls…
"Does anybody else feel… weird?" Caryn asked uncertainly.
"Come to think of it, yeah," Yugi agreed distantly.
Suddenly, a third pull came from inside. The light surrounding the group was so bright, they were all blinded for a moment, but when sight returned, it was the most amazing thing they'd ever see in the remainder of their lives:
Duel Monsters were emerging from within!
*Son's POV*
"Dude! She didn't!" I yelped. "Kali, you're a crazy girl, you know that, right?"
"He's surprised," Awan noted. "He actually started a sentence with Dude. Son, you know she can't hear you."
"I don't care!"
*Third Person POV*
Kali watched as Duel Monsters came to her side.
Ai, the Change of Heart. She came from within Ryou.
Obayana, the Fire Kraken. Bakura.
Sabrina, the Invader of the Throne. Reva.
Aurelia, the Dark Witch. Caryn.
Azura, the Red Archery Girl. Loella.
Angelo, the Banisher of the Light. Paz.
Vachel, the Ancient One of the Deep Forest. Awan.
Uriel, the Shining Angel. Son.
Kane, the Ryu-Ran. William.
Blanche, the Hyozanryu. Blake.
And Yugi's spirit within: Cain, the Dark Magician. He was the gamble: would this Dark Magician still be faithful to Yami, or to her?
"Dark Magician, you defend the wrong human," Yami said simply. "Come join Pharaoh."
Cain hesitated. His personal alliances were with the one who called him. His kind's alliances were with the Pharaoh. One of his own had already come to the Pharaoh's aid. If he stayed with this girl, chances were if he didn't die in combat, he would die a dishonourable death. If he joined Pharaoh, he would hate himself forevermore… IF he didn't die in combat.
Why, oh why, couldn't he just die in combat?
"Cain… I'll understand if you choose to side with your kind on this battle," Kali said softly.
That decided it for Cain. Remaining where he was, he ignored the disgusted and disbelieving look his kin was giving him.
Yami sighed and shook his head.
Outside, the group awaited anxiously to see who would be the only one coming out from this deadly duel…
Suddenly, the sky lit up with the amazing light of a little-acknowledged being…
"Yeshua…" Bakura whispered, eyes wide. "No way…"
"Ohhh, yes way," Son muttered. "This is not good."
Yeshua disappeared into the barrier, and a mere five seconds later, the fate was decided.
Nobody came out. The space where the barrier once stood was empty. The only thing left of either Yami, or Kali's, existence was a metal chain link, and a silver locket.
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A/N: And thus ends An Empty Shell. Stay tuned, for the first chapter of TTORZ (The Trials of Rebeckah Zion) will be up soon!