Angel: One week of Christmas break is nearly over. Darn.
On a happier note, Digimon 04 rocks my world! I'm not sure what I'm more obsessed with, YGO or D04. Kouji is so cute! GIVE US A NEW EPISODE, PLEEEEEEASE!!! WE WANT TO SEE KOUICHI-CHAN!!!!! The Minamoto twins rock! Kouji is cooler than Kouichi though. *dodges tomatoes from Kouichi fans*
Mwahaha, in this chapter... "The return of Jyor-lang!" BWAHAHAHA! Who agrees with me that he has a stupid name? Him and Iakara and Kutu-shui and Zhong-wan... ::Readers: We do!:: Oh be quiet. Um, BE WARNED! A certain part with Kerihk is quite gruesome, and there is a lot of character death in this... except they all come back to life, no duh, in the 20th century. So don't be surprised by lotsa gore!!!
OK, about my fanfic about Yami's past... It is lamely entitled "Yu-Gi-Oh - King of Games - Egypt's Pride" so if anyone has a better title they wouldn't mind me using, feel free to share it with me. I dunno if I'm gonna post it. Considering all my OYs (Original Yamis, lol) are in it, I probably won't get many reviews because people don't seem to really care for OCs. (Which is why I'm at chapter 9 with only 17 reviews. *pouts*) If I get enough requests (like 10) then I may post it. SO KEEP SENDING IN REVIEWS! ... Um, please?
I'm going to be 14!!!! 14 on the 14th of February. 14 on Valentine's Day! Happy birthday to we, happy birthday to we! Happy birthday dear Angel, Casia, and Kit, happy birthday to we!
To Archangel Elf: You rock! Thanks for all your great reviews! I think you're my most faithful reviewer! ^-^
Did everyone get great things for Christmas? Tell me what your favorite Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza (do you get gifts on Kwanza?), or any other holiday gift was! We got a YuGiOh board game, and Kit took out the figures of Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and Mai and their card holders and put them on the laptop desk, which is where I am now, writing this. So I get to look at them while I type. The Millennium Puzzle is there too. I beat my bro Danny and my cousin at the game last night! 'Course my cousin quit when I won one of his puzzle pieces, and Danny just never had any trap tiles to play Ikusa with... but still! I BEAT THEM ALL! MWAHAHA! Lol. I also got CDs and books! We got Boggle too, and money, and candy, and YGO cards! I only got one pack though, but Danny (whose almost as into the game as me) got like 5. I was a teensy bit jealous when he got three whole packs from my aunt and uncle and all I got was clothes. Heck, it's the thought that counts. How do you tell your aunt and uncle that the last thing you're interested in are navy sweaters (other than the fact that everyone in my intimate family knows I'm sick of blue) and purple velvet pants?
Am I boring or what? I'm rambling because I always write my author's note first and I don't feel like going into the story the night before Christmas (cuz that's when I'm writing this) so I'm just going on and on and on... Kit says to tell you she'll put Got a Question? Kit has an Answer! up on a different fanfiction site. Casia says Legendary Warriors chapter 3 really stinks because it's just a lot of Yugi-torture. Suuuuure. Why do we all love to torture our favorite characters? Is it like some rabid fangirl disease? It must be contagious.
Heh heh... I whipped Danny when we dueled last night. HE MAY HAVE BEATEN MY BLUE EYES WITH HIS STUPID DARK HOLE TRAP CARD, BUT MY DARK MAGICIAN IS MY FAITHFUL SERVANT! *wipes away tears* I'm so proud of him...
Disclaimer: I don't own Jake's song, "The One," which is a "song special" in this fanfic. It's kind of a song I think they would play at the end of this if it were a TV show episode. I don't own YGO. I guess I own my OCs but they're not really mine... *glares at Takehiko and Dajan who are fighting with pencils twice their size* ... and don't even listen to me... *stares at Hikaru and Ai who are listening to Setsuna tell about the festivals in Midian and completely ignoring the fact that they're delaying Setsuna from getting ready for the fic* Need I go on?
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam and something I haven't named, mwahaha 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray
Hikari No Yuugi
Play of Light
by Angel
Chapter Nine: Sennen Sugiru
Millenniums Passed
"This is your fault you know. If you hadn't been so eager to jump into the water just like that..."
"MY fault? I wasn't the one that just HAD to go check out the inscriptions on that ring! I was like, Oh gee, it might be SAFER to stay AWAY from glowing red objects emitting dark vibes in the water, but did anyone listen to ME?"
"Oh, please!"
The hushed but angry voices echoed through the underground tunnel, scaling the ceiling and bouncing off stalactites back down to the wandering group of yamis below.
Kiara was in the lead, the great black book Hikaru had found tucked under her arm. Her long, pink jacket brushed the stalagmites growing out of the floor, sometimes getting caught. Her braided, rich brown hair blew gently in the breeze coming from the end of the cave where they were heading, looking for an exit. Her feet were numbing even inside of her tall black shoes from the cold of the puddles the group often had to wade in, but she made no complaint. Soft lavender eyes absorbed the glow coming from the Millennium Pendant, which was casting a light to lead the way.
"Who knows where our hikaris are now, and why in Ra's name did Yami and Taidu end up somewhere else? IF they ended up anywhere at all!"
"Hush, you two!"
The princess winced at Ay's acrimonious remark about Yami, and at Setsuna's attempt to keep him quiet so as not to worry Kiara about her brother. It was in vain, though; Kiara's mind hadn't left the fact that both Yami and Taidu weren't with them. She wasn't that much worried about her hikari, although she couldn't help feeling anxious that none of Pegasus's minions had found her, but at least she had seen Hikaru and Yugi make it ashore. Taidu, she knew, probably managed to escape with her immense priestess power, and was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Yami didn't have the kind of power, though, and he had been in the river with them, but he wasn't here now...
Ay and Kerihk had been fighting for nearly twenty minutes over whose fault it was that Chahahka had been released. Obviously this was their way of venting their worry for their own hikaris, but it wasn't helping and just made the rest of the group miserable. Setsuna had taken it upon herself to keep them separate, by use of begging, threatening, scolding, or fists.
"We shouldn't worry about them, they've proved they can take care of themselves, and besides, taking a break from the little bakas is actually quite a relief!" Kerihk spat, not entirely being truthful.
"You shouldn't say that! Bakura's your hikari and he loves you, even though you don't deserve to be loved by anyone!" was Ay's heated counter.
"Boys!" shouted Setsuna. "Stop putting each other down! You're only making things worse!"
"Who asked you, Midianite?"
"No one, but -"
"Then shut up!"
Ahmose rolled his eyes from his place at the rear. Using his fire powers, he was creating a flame to light the area in the back, just as Kiara was doing in the front. He was in a terrible mood because he was dripping with water and was having trouble keeping the flame going. He leaned over to Himoko and remarked about Ay and Kerihk.
"Isn't there any way we can push them into a push them into a deep pool and leave them there?" he whispered caustically.
Himoko sighed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better," she mumbled, shaking her head. She squeezed her bushy, black ponytail to get all the droplets of water out of it.
"We should just keeping walking and focus on not stepping in more sulfur," Kerihk said irritably, trying to stifle a cough that was developing in his throat from the damp air.
"Yeah, and make sure a certain SOMEONE doesn't hit their head on a stalactite again!" Ay reminded him none-too-nicely.
Kerihk rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. "It could happen to anyone!" he protested. "Besides, don't I recall it was your plan to use the fish as distractions so we could get to the ring?"
"So what?"
"So you're just as responsible as I am!"
"I wasn't the one who read the hieroglyphics!"
"You were too chicken to do it!"
"No, I was too smart!"
"SHUT IT!" Setsuna yelled. Her voice echoed loudly many times throughout the cavern, giving the yamis the eerie feeling that some unknown watcher was falling them in the deep flow below them. They all stopped in their tracks as a mystic fear entered their souls and then fled back out. Once the echo had died away Kiara reversed her stance to face the group, and her eyes blazed with a strange fire. The whole group stayed quiet, recognizing that look all too well. It was the look she had given the evil priestess Suzuka right before her death. It was the look she had given Kerihk after Setsuna's death. It was the contemptuous look that had caused the high priest Semaret's heart to waver.
She surveyed each of the yamis in turn with a piercing glare. Only Yami would have been able to remain steady when he received this look; the others were all forced to turn away.
Slowly she opened her mouth. "I don't want to see any more fighting," she said, choosing her words carefully. "There's already enough going on without petty arguments. I don't care what your differences are. We're all friends here. Understand?"
Stiff nods from her companions met her inquiry. She didn't miss the heated glower Kerihk shot at her, but when her lavender eyes met his deep amber ones, he sighed and pulled out of her gaze.
"Now let's get the heck out of here," she murmured. She took a step.
At the same time she stepped, someone else did too. She walked on, and the mysterious foot steps followed her. Kiara stopped and turned around, and as she did the footsteps ceased as well.
"Which of you was walking with me?" she asked as her heart began to pound. None of her friends appeared to have moved an inch. She took a breath and began to walk again, and the footsteps began again. She stopped, only to hear the footsteps stop again.
"M... maybe it's an echo," Setsuna suggested. "L... like before."
Then, the footsteps sounded through the cave all on their own.
Himoko gasped as a shadow became visible just ahead of Kiara. A human's shadow. Kerihk, Ay, and Ahmose ran in front of Kiara, preparing their attacks. Setsuna and Himoko tried to get Kiara to fall back with them, but she put out a hand.
"Don't attack," she commanded. The group knew she was searching for the aura of the newcomer. "I know this aura."
The shadow came closer; the footsteps, louder. A pair of shoes splashed through a puddle directly in front of them. Shoes belonging to the tall, skinny body of the red-haired priestess, Taidu.
"Taidu!" Himoko cried with a smile, running up to her friend. They embraced.
The boys looked at each other and began to laugh. Kiara smiled, confident in her skills.
'I knew I recognized that aura,' she thought.
Presently Himoko and Taidu released each other and returned to the relaxed group. Taidu was asked a lot of questions about how she had managed to escape, and she answered them all, though quite appalled at the curiosity of the 5000 year old Egyptians.
Kiara's question put an end to the merrymaking. "Taidu, how come you came in the cave instead of waiting outside of it? Isn't it dangerous?" she asked, an innocent smile across her face.
Taidu's bright, dark brown eyes narrowed. She stepped back from the group, and an air of mystery hung like a dark cloud above them.
"I came..." she began, "... for one purpose. To restore!"
With that, she threw her hands high into the air, her hair billowing in a magical spiral of wind encircling her body. Each of the yamis' Millennium Items snapped from their cord or chain and flew up above her twirling speedily, the Millennium Broach in the center. At last the Broach emitted gold and green light that hit each of the other items and caused them to begin glowing as well. The yamis could only gape, frozen in time, as the light became so bright that it blinded them, and the next thing they knew...
***
Makimura tugged on her big brother's coat. "Ro! Ro!" she whispered louder than normal, tugging harder.
Suppressing the urge to look painstakingly annoyed, Ro glanced down at his ten-year-old sister. "Nan desu ka, imouto?" he answered without expression.
"Ro, I think the magic hot dog worked. We're still together."
Ro couldn't help but smile at that.
At that moment, Seto Kaiba returned with Mokuba on his back, both carrying a glowing torches which illuminated the stone hallway in which they were traveling. Trench coat blowing behind him, Kaiba put Mokuba down and raced up to Ro, handing him the torch. Then he bent over, put his hands on his knees, and panted heavily.
Ro's brow furrowed, worried. "Daijobu desu ka?" he asked anxiously.
"Daijobu desu," Kaiba wheezed. He managed to grin at his best friend. "I'm fine, really. Just got the wind knocked out of me."
"Are you sure?" Ro inquired, doubtful of Kaiba's answer.
Kaiba smiled and nodded, taking the other torch from Mokuba.
(A/N: Oh no!!! Kaiba's almost acting like Yugi would!!! Must go over my list of reasons to despise and loathe S. Kaiba IMMEDIATELY!!!)
Mokuba joined Makimura standing next to Ro. "What now, nii-sama?" he asked.
Kaiba ran his fingers through his perfectly-parted brown hair. "I'm not sure, Mokuba. We'll think of something."
"At least we have some light now," Ro added.
Kaiba sighed. "But we don't even know where we are."
"Or where those girls have gotten to."
Makimura's eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Misaki-san and Tali-san said they found something down that other hall -" she pointed down a dark hallway opposite to the one Kaiba and Mokuba had gone down "- and said for us to wait right here for them."
Kaiba and Ro exchanged a look of annoyance and slumped against the cold stone wall. "I guess that's what is to be expected with girls like Misaki," Kaiba grumbled. "They never think ahead -"
"SETO!"
Kaiba sweatdropped as Misaki and Tali came running up to them, looking positively ecstatic. A breathless Misaki threw herself around Kaiba, took a moment to catch her breath (in which Kaiba stood awkwardly, hoping she'd let go of him soon), and said, "We found them! Yugi's friends! They're here, in this castle we're stranded in!"
"The make inu and his friends are here?!" Kaiba cried, astonished.
"Doshite?" Ro shook his head in disbelief.
Mokuba and Makimura gaped in amazement.
Misaki and Tali looked extremely pleased with themselves. "This way!" Tali instructed, pointing down a narrow hall. Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Misaki's hand and pulled her down the corridor. Mokuba and Makimura also grabbed hands and dashed after them, much to the dismay of their big brothers.
Kaiba and Ro looked at each other once more. Ro shrugged. "Let's go, Seto," he said. "We were defeated once more by the female species. 'Homo feminus' or whatever."
Grinning, Kaiba clapped Ro on the shoulder. "Race you to wherever they stop."
"You're on!"
The two boys laughed and raced after their friends. Unbeknownst to them, a dark enemy was lurking in shadows nearby.
***
'It's a dream. It has to be. That's the only plausible explanation. How else would I get here? Here, of all places... here! With him! Watching my - myself and him settle our differences! It's got to be a dream!'
These were the confused thoughts running across Kiara's mind as she stood on the sand outside an old Egyptian village. The red sun was setting in the distance, and nearby adobe buildings loomed overhead. Men lay under the awning getting a pre-dinner nap, women were making beer on the porch of one woman and chatting quietly. The village was sleepy, and it was beginning to cool off.
None of this, however, was what had Kiara so stupefied.
'This is crazy,' she thought. 'I'm looking at myself!'
Indeed, she was. A ways ahead of her, standing along the shore and silhouetted against the setting sun, she saw herself - around sixteen, the same age she had been when she had died, so in reality she looked no different than the present-day Kiara. To Kiara's eyes, though, she looked extremely different, as she was dressed in the garm of an Egyptian princess. The young Kiara was talking with a boy a bit taller than her, with shoulder-length white hair and sharp auburn eyes dressed in the clothes of a servant. It was undoubtedly a seventeen-year-old Kerihk.
Kiara moved closer to her past self and Kerihk. Neither of them acknowledged her presence as she came behind Kerihk. She poked him, but he didn't make any effort to show he felt her touch. Rather, he began talking in a low voice to the past Kiara.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" he said slowly. "For Ryúnade?"
The other Kiara looked at the ground. "Yes."
"When?"
"Tomorrow. The girls, Ay, Ahmose, and I will ride out at dawn."
"That's awfully soon."
"No, we actually made the decision a week ago."
There was a moment's silence. Then Kerihk spoke again.
"Why must you go?"
The young Kiara threw her arms down helplessly as she fought back tears. "Oh Kerihk, we've been through this, I have to go to Ryúnade, it's my duty as Priestess of the Shadow Gamers of Light! My brother, Yami, might be there, and if he isn't... well, the people of Ryúnade will need me even more. Please don't discourage me from going, it's something I must do, and I must feel sure of it."
"I'm not going to discourage you. But why will you only take those few?"
The past Kiara closed her eyes. "Rise and Setsuna were my dearest friends," she answered. "Setsuna is gone now, and I didn't want to risk Rise's safety, but she insisted on coming. Ahmose wishes to come as my bodyguard, and Ay is his best friend." She laughed. "One may be a sailor and the other, a warrior, but they still find they have a lot in common." Her face grew serious again, and she continued. "Jono and Tyren will stay here to lead the troop of warriors under Ahmose's command. As Ahmose will be with us, he knew he'd need someone to take his place, and much as they wanted to come, Jono and Tyren know better than to object to Ahmose's decisions. Himoko, Osona, and Taidu will come as well, Himoko to heal any wounds we should receive and Osona and Taidu to fulfill their duties as priestesses. It's almost as if they're sure someone will be dying in Ryúnade." She laughed again, but Kerihk noticed she didn't meet his gaze. It was like she knew it would be her who would pass away in Ryúnade's lush green hills.
"Yet I..." Kerihk's voice trailed off, and he looked into the sky. "I will be with Sahure, on a quest to find the new pharaoh... your brother. Shaadi will remain in Thebes to watch over the kingdom as we can no longer trust High Priest Semaret. And your brother, Yami... he will be dealing with Semaret, wherever he is now..."
The past Kiara gave a choking sob. "M-my brother," she said as the tears began to flow. "He might not be all - all right... there with S-Semaret... the traitor," she added bitterly. She looked past Kerihk as the last of the azure sky was overtaken by pinks, reds, and yellows.
"He'll be fine," Kerihk reassured her. "Semaret may be working for Zhur now, but you need to have faith in Yami. I'm sure he'll find a way to change Semaret's mind. Plus, Sahure and I are going to him. I promise he will be all right. I'll make sure of it."
Kerihk tilted her head to face his. The present-day Kiara strained to hear his words.
"Aishiteru, Kiara," he said softly in her ear. "But don't dwell on me. I know I will think of you every day from the cold of tomorrow's dawn till the pale end of my life. It is all right for me, but you... You are taking a great step, going into Ryúnade. You must set your sites on your goal for Ryúnade, not on me. Forget me. Promise me you'll forget me, Kiara."
Tear-filled lavender eyes met deep amber ones as Kiara struggled to answer. "How can I promise that which you ask of me? My love is not mine to give. It was stolen away by you, stolen away and I can't claim it back, ever. I'm in love with you."
The present-day Kiara clamped a hand over her mouth. She felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She had been in love, in love with Kerihk? The tomb robber? Her attention was diverted back to the young couple when Kiara found the courage to continue.
"I won't concern myself with romance," she said in a broken voice. "I promise not to worry about it. With all my heart I'll try not to worry, and with everything that will be going on, how can I do otherwise? But Kerihk... I will never forget you. No matter what happens, that I cannot do."
"Nor I." Kerihk bent down and put his hands on her shoulders, a soft look upon his face, his eyes boring through her. She stared back at him, gently caressing his gaze. Lips already slightly opened, he breathed in lightly and they both began to close their eyes.
He cupped his hands around her face and brought it to meet his. Then their lips locked together, and the she wrapped her arms around him. Both breathing heavily, they stayed that way until it at last became painful and they were forced to break away. Even then, they did not stop smiling at each other. Then Kiara's smile grew bigger and they kissed again.
The present-day Kiara looked on with mixed feelings. She had realized from the start that she liked Kerihk, even with his attitude. She hadn't realized it had ever been THAT kind of like.
The scene in front of her suddenly froze, Kerihk and Kiara still holding together. Then it fell away all together in pieces, leaving present-day Kiara stranded in blackness. She searched around, feeling very faint-hearted after what she'd just witnessed. She was not all that surprised when another memory from the past surfaced, one she had hoped never to think on again.
It was her own death.
The past Kiara stood before her friends, short brown-haired Rise and dark-haired Osona, tattered and beaten from her battle. Rise and Osona looked terrified, but the past Kiara looked just as determined as ever. She was dressed in her light white and pink tunic with her brother's thin, baggy, white pants. Her sandals had fallen off during the fight, her jewelry dangled pitifully from her body. Her braid had come untied and her long hair had fallen against her shoulders, tangled and matted. She was covered in dirt and blood, yet she still looked beautiful.
It became too much for Rise. "Kiara!" she exclaimed.
Kiara looked at her and smiled sorrowfully as she collapsed to the ground. She took a deep breath. "My body is too weak to continue," she said. "In a few moments, I won't need it anyway. I only need to keep Suzuka busy for a few... minutes longer..."
Zhur's Priestess of Darkness, Suzuka, was advancing forward. She was at least as battered as Kiara, but she was taller than the princess too and her rang was longer. Much of Kiara's attacks hadn't gotten through because of her size. Suzuka's long blonde hair framed her face, and her face was cold as a pale winter morning. Kiara's face retained the glow of her youth, when she had been innocent and pure and hadn't gone through any tragedies.
The two girls faced each other for what seemed forever. Ahmose, Ay, Himoko, and Taidu were trying desperately to press through the crowd to get to the site of the battle, the very heart of Ryúnade. Between the two opponents was a tall structure of crystal pointing to the sky. It was from this Chalice of Life that the power of Ryúnade flowed. Kiara was now staring at it, realizing her path. She turned back to Suzuka, and smiled.
Suzuka was confused at the look on the young princess' face. What was she hiding?
A leaf blew from the nearest green tree. Both girls watched it, and both had the same plan. As soon as the leaf met the ground, the attacked one another.
"EEEEEAAAAUUUGGHH!!!"
Swords crossed, fists pounded, blood poured. The two priestesses would fight to the end. One would fall and one would leave victorious.
Light verses Dark.
Good verses Evil.
Kiara verses Suzuka.
Suzuka caught Kiara's punch and rebounded it on her, flipping Kiara over and throwing her weakened frame against the Chalice of Life. Kiara groaned as she fell to the floor, but quickly recovered her stance. She picked up a rock and tossed it at Suzuka, hitting her head square-on.
Now Suzuka knew she was not going to survive this battle, but she refused to be the only one lost in this battle. She summoned everything in her and used the spell that would come to be known as the magic card "Sparks."
"THIS ENDS NOW, PRINCESS! LIGHTNING SHOCK OF DEATH!"
Kiara was blown back and crushed against the rock cliff-side. She yelled in pain, too weak to make a comeback. She heard Suzuka's triumphant laughter and the mourning of the people of Ryúnade. Only guardian Duel Monster, Relena the Dark Magician Girl, remained hopeful and knowing of Kiara's plan. Still, in her jade green eyes, you could see Relena also knew what the fulfillment of her plan would mean to Kiara.
The defeated princess closed her eyes and willed her amazing sixth sense to detect the aura of the Chalice of Life. It was so warm and familiar, like a friend she had been waiting to meet for ever so long. She willed it to come to her, to become one with her.
She heard Suzuka scream in pain. The Priestess of Darkness suddenly evaporated, and only her scream remained as an echo. The great light from the Chalice of Life had been too much for her as it bonded with Kiara, and she had vanished, defeated, deceased. Kiara somehow found the strength to rise to her feet and walk out to meet the light. As soon as she crossed it, it filled her system and entered her heart.
From then on, Kiara would be the living Chalice of Life.
The light that had blazed from the Chalice was now extinguished, but it ignited again inside of Kiara. She glowed bright, as if it were all stemming from her heart. It took all of her energy, though, and the pain she felt trying to sustain it was unimaginable. The light burned inside, then reached out and touched all of Ryúnade, bringing back its lost goodness.
Finally, the light came to reside inside of Kiara, and she collapsed to the ground, all but spent.
"Kiara!"
Vaguely she could hear Rise call her name and come running to her side. The blue-eyed girl lifted the princess from the floor and held her to her bosom, softly crying her name. She yelled at Osona to find Taidu, who could heal her wounds. Rise didn't realize Kiara's main wound was fatigue and a weakened heart, which not even Himoko's magic could heal.
"Kiara! Kiara!"
"D-Don't cry... Rise..."
Wearily Kiara lifted a finger to brush away Rise's tears, and was almost startled to see just by looking at her hand how much blood she had lost.
"Rise... this is just right. Don't worry about me... this is how... it... was meant to be..."
"Don't say that!" pleaded the girl. "You're going to be fine, Kiara, you're the princess of Egypt! No, you're the queen now! You have to go home, your people still love you, I still love you..."
Kiara smiled. "Y... You all... were so brave... so strong for me... thank you..."
She slipped into unconsciousness as Ahmose, Taidu, Himoko, and Osona joined Rise.
Rise's face was stricken with anxiety. "Himoko! Quick, heal her! Before it's too late!"
Sadly Himoko shook her head. "There is nothing I can do," she whispered painfully. "She used too much of herself to become one with the Chalice of Life. No healing spell can help her now."
Tears dripped down their faces as they watched their beloved princess die.
Kiara took a shuddering breath and woke for the last time. "My brother!" she gasped. "Yami... my brother! Tell him... I love him! Tell him I still love him... I love you, Yami..." Once more she fell asleep, curled up in Rise's arms. Tears pricked her eyes. Suddenly she gave one last cry in her unconscious state.
"Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."
Then her spirit dispersed.
A great wail came like a wave through the grieving people of Ryúnade for the most beloved daughter of Egypt, right up to the small group huddled around the lifeless form of the princess. Rise kept calling for Kiara to come back, not to leave her. Himoko had healed Kiara's wounds and was now cradling the distressed Rise, trying to comfort her when she herself couldn't stop the flow of tears. Ay was standing in solemn respect, head bowed, but he found himself unable even to cry, the sorrow was so great. Taidu and Osona, priestesses of mourning, fell into their ritual with unusual drama, for this time the pain was real.
In anguish Ahmose dropped to his knees. "I made a promise," he cried. His warrior's body shook and his face was wet with tears like a river. "I promised I'd take care of her, and keep her out of harm! I promised she'd come out unscathed... but I broke it... I broke my promise... Oh Queen Kiara, forgive me! Forgive me, Kiara!" He fell on his face in sobs.
The present-day Kiara watched her friends grieve for her, and felt a droplet fall from her eye. They had all loved her so much, and she had had to say good-bye. These people. These places.
These memories.
"Kiara."
A new voice spoke, and it was one from the present-day Kiara's time, not her past. Kiara slowly turned around and saw the present-day Taidu sadly awaiting her response.
At first Kiara couldn't think of anything to say. Then, "Why?"
"Because you have to know," Taidu replied, her voice full of remorse and guilt. "I know it seems cruel, but you've got to know. I'm sorry. In order to defeat Pegasus, you need to know your past. Kiara, you only had to relive the most crucial times in your life, but all your other memories that you had lost have also been restored. I'm so sorry you had to relive... this."
"Suzuka was a monster," Kiara spat bitterly.
"Yes. And you saved us all. You paved the way for your brother to seal away the magic."
Kiara's last words rang across her mind. "Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."
"What about Yami?" she said shakily. "He isn't with us. How will he get his memories back?"
Taidu gave a small smile. "He is discovering them in his dreams," she explained. "At the moment he is unconscious and is being looked after by your hikaris. He just had a duel, and collapsed afterwards. I'm afraid he won't find any rest in sleep today... not while he relives his past."
"Are we all...?"
"Yes. Kerihk, Setsuna, Ahmose, Himoko, and Ay are also experiencing this. Their own memories. I'm so sorry..." She noticed the pained look of Kiara's. "What ails you now, Princess? Have you realized what they are going through?"
Kiara's lower lip trembled as she played with her braid. "Yes," she staid, trembling. "I'm so worried. So worried about Kerihk!"
"Kerihk! Why?"
Kiara slowly turned to look Taidu in the eye. Her lips parted, and she answered.
"Because I remember what he will be seeing, and - and - I would hate to have to go through what he will see even once!"
***
(A/N: *sobs* *sniff* Wasn't that just so sad? I started to cry when I wrote about Kiara's last words... lol! I had a visual in my mind and it was pretty sad... I hope I transferred it right on this paper. Okies, now we switch back to Kaiba-tachi before you guys get to find out what's so terrible about what happened to Kerihk!)
"Misaki, we've been walking for twenty minutes and there's still no sign of... whatever it is you're looking for," a disdainful Kaiba grumbled.
"Hush, Seto," Misaki shot back, her short black hair bobbing. She pushed her glasses further up her nose and headed onwards. Kaiba sighed, exasperated.
The two youngest members of the group were playing a game. They were pretending to be checker pieces, and trying to jump over each other. There were no real rules to the game, but every time Mokuba reached the wall he would say, "King me!" Makimura refused to say such a masculine thing and would cry out, "Queen me!"
Kaiba snorted as Mokuba said, "King me!" for the fifth time. "Anarchism," Kaiba said to Ro. "That's what anti-royalists like me want. 'Pharoah,' pffui!"
Ro rolled his eyes. "Obviously your grudge against Yami has only grown," he stated. "I don't get you. He's a nice guy."
"He isn't a nice guy."
"Just because he created a strategy good enough to take down your Ultimate Dragon and you had to cheat by forcing his hand to beat him in Duelist Kingdom does not make him a bad person."
"It does in my book. That and his attitude. His ego is bigger than his hair."
Ro decided now was not the time to put Kaiba in his place.
Misaki and Tali were conversing in low whispers up ahead. Ro decided once more to make conversation with his antisocial friend.
He smirked. "You like her, don't you. Misaki-kun."
Kaiba blushed. "Yeah, right.
"You do."
"In your dreams."
"And for real."
"Urusei!"
Ro was still chuckling as he promenaded up to the girls.
"Look," Tali instructed, pointing through a stone window. "We're in a high turret. Down there, that's where Tetsuya and the others are."
Kaiba and Ro leaned over and saw she was right. Jonouchi, Tetsuya, Anzu, Naoko, Honda, and Ryoku were chained to the cold, stone floor, seemingly unguarded. They looked unconscious.
The girls waited for he boys' responses. Kaiba was the first to speak, still leaning forward but turning his head to face Tali's. "But how do we get down to them?"
No sooner had he said this than Mokuba hopped on another stone near the wall and cried, "King me!" The floor began to collapse, and the group found themselves falling through a hole in the floor.
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"
"Mokuba, what did you do?"
"I must've stepped on a trap door or something!"
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"
"Shut UP, Misaki!"
They pummeled down, falling, falling... falling to what? Their doom? Or something else?
***
The room was extremely dark where Kerihk was standing. It was adobe, and the only light came from the glass-lacking window. A vat lay overturned on the floor, its innards spilling out upon the colorful mat.
Kerihk was confused, and more than a little annoyed. 'Where am I?' he wondered. 'That Taidu... when I get my hands on her, I'll...!" He shook a fist.
Someone was coming. Through the draped door, Kerihk could hear quiet voices talking just outside. Then another loud, teasing girl's voice joined them, and Kerihk could tell it was Kiara and Setsuna outside. He started towards the door.
Then he stopped when the third voice joined back in. A boy's voice. His voice.
"Would you two knock it off?" Kerihk's voice said. The present-day Kerihk shook his head in disbelief. "I can hardly hear myself think."
Kiara spoke next. "Isn't it great that you get to see your little brothers and sisters before chasing after Zhur with us, Kerihk?"
"Yeah, I've really missed them, especially Ismose," Kerihk agreed. (A/n: Ismose was mentioned in chapter 6, part one.)
Setsuna's voice rang out shrilly, louder than the others. "Well, what are you waiting for, moron? Go on! I'm sure they're dying to see you."
The present-day Kerihk backed away as the past Kerihk, Kiara, and Setsuna walked into the home.
His foot stumbled upon something soft. The present-day Kerihk winced and shut his eyes tight, wishing - no, praying that when he opened them he wouldn't see what he thought he was going to see. Praying that his past self and friends wouldn't say what he thought they would say. Praying everything would be all right and he wasn't where he thought he was.
"Dad? Thutmose, Lena, Naila, Ismose? It's me, I'm home! Hey, isn't anybody there -"
Kerihk moaned when he heard the abrupt end to the past Kerihk's statement. Tears welled up his eyes and a deep hatred stirred in his heart.
The past Kerihk was staring, wide-eyed, around his house. "Wh-what the heck... what in Egypt is - is this...?"
Setsuna and Kiara were fighting playfully outside. Still giggling, they joined the past Kerihk in his house, stumbling in and laughing. The laugh soon subsided however, when they noticed their surroundings.
"Omigosh, Kerihk," Setsuna said, unbelieving. "What h-happened?"
Kiara's hands covered her mouth, and she couldn't say anything but, "Oh no..."
The present-day Kerihk decided to take a chance and opened his eyes. The first thing he looked for was what he had stepped on. He bent down.
It was a badly-sewn doll, covered in a child's blood.
The past Kerihk began to sob angrily, shaking with fury. "Who did this?!" he demanded to know. "Who would DO such a thing?!"
"Kerihk!" cried Kiara, tears falling down her face. The others, including the present-day Kerihk, began to do likewise.
Kerihk's family, from his father, Hotep, to his youngest sister, Ismose, were all dead. His mother, Teti, had died when he was around twelve, so they were all that was left. Hotep was lying on his back, covered with slash marks from a sword. The oldest of Kerihk's younger siblings, Thutmose, was draped over a chair, bright red blood flowing freely from his neck. Lena was on his side, a deep gash in his legs and chest. Naila's stomach had been ripped open, and she had died long ago. It looked as if the only one still alive was the youngest, Ismose.
Tears sprang from the past Kerihk's eyes. "Why? WHY?!" he shrieked, falling to his knees. "Why would anyone DO something like this? WHO would DO this?!"
Kiara burst out in heavier sobs. Setsuna grabbed her and pressed her to herself, instructing, "Don't look!"
"K... Keri... hk..."
The past Kerihk jolted to his senses when toddler Ismose's pitiful but sweet voice somehow found the strength to call out to him. "Ismose!" he cried, running to her side and picking up her bloodied body. She was limp and pale in his arms, but she smiled warmly as he cradled her.
'Ismose,' thought the present-day Kerihk. 'I remember now. Mother died just after she was born, so I did my best to raise her... With Dad gone on tomb raids most of the time, I was all she had..."
"Ismose! Hold on!" pleaded the past Kerihk.
"Kerihk... I'm so glad... you're home," Ismose struggled to speak.
"Shh! Quiet now. I'm going to take care of you," Kerihk whispered. It was painful just for Kiara and Setsuna to watch, for they knew there was no way Ismose would survive. "Who did this, little sister? Who was it?"
Ismose couldn't make sense of his words. "I missed you... big brother. I had a present for you..."
The present day Kerihk looked down at the clumsily sewn doll he had stepped on. That was all it took for the tears to fall unceasingly.
"Izzy! Just hang in there, you'll be all right! Ismose!"
The young girl, who, like her siblings, shared the family's soft, silver hair, spoke again. "I'm so happy you're back... we'll be together now, won't we?"
The past Kerihk was trembling with grief. "Yes... Yes! We'll always be together! I'll never leave you, Ismose, never! I promise! Just please, stay alive! Ismose, please!"
"Kerihk!" Kiara begged, bursting with pain, trying to tear him from his sorrow.
Ismose's smile never left her face. "That's good," she said. "Now we can be together... you, me, Mom, Dad, my brothers and sister..." She lifted her hand to Kerihk's tear-streaked face. "Together... Ker... ihk..."
Her hand fell limp to the ground.
Kiara and Setsuna rushed to the stunned Kerihk's side. He let out a loud wail that pierced the air. Doubled over with pain and sorrow, the girls could do nothing to comfort him.
The present-day Kerihk picked up the doll Ismose had sewn for him and pressed it to his chest. He could feel the love the toddler had put in to make it for him. "Why?" he asked the wind. "Why?! Why did it have to end that way? She was only three, much too young to die! Why, Kutu-shui, did you do this?"
For now he found he could remember what had happened. He had fought a battle against one of Zhur's Shadow Gamers, Kutu-shui, and won. Kutu-shui had been searching for revenge, and he destroyed Kerihk's entire family.
He cried as he remembered Kutu-shui showing up in his house after he'd discovered the tragedy. He cried as he thought of the reckless, angry battle he had fought with Kutu-shui for his own revenge. He cried as he remembered, having cornered Kutu-shui, sword in hand, being stopped from killing him.
Yami and the others had shown up, and now Yami had come to his side and grabbed the sword, keeping Kerihk from killing Kutu-shui. Yami begged Kerihk not to sink to Kutu-shui's level as a murderer. He told him he knew it was hard, but killing Kutu-shui wouldn't solve anything. Yami's face had been just as wet as his as he tried to reason with the injured boy.
All at once, the scene around him faded, as did the doll in his hand. He watched it go, suddenly realizing how much he and his hikari really did relate. Both of them had lost their mother at a young age, and their little sisters; in Kerihk's case, brothers also. Both of them had a father who was always away after the mother's death and hardly seemed to want to have anything to do with the kids.
Bakura sometimes reminded him of Ismose. He was always smiling and never complained. Maybe it had been because Bakura had seemed so much like Ismose and reminded him so much of the one he missed most that Kerihk had treated the boy so badly. Something in his past drove him to hurt the one who loved him, because he was afraid to love again.
A new scene was unfolding before him. Kerihk looked around the new landscape. 'This must be Algeria, where Zhur's base was,' he thought. Zhur himself, with his long silver hair folding over his shoulders and one eye replaced with the Millennium Eye, looked tall and menacing in the gloom. His followers, including the High Priest Semaret and a treacherous Shadow Gamer of Light, Sahure, stood by his side, all smirking confidently. Kerihk peered through them and saw himself and a seventeen-year-old Yami on the ground before them.
Kerihk's eyes traveled to Sahure, whose spiky blonde hair and sharp azure eyes had always caused the ladies to flirt consistently with, and whose tall, broad figure made him seem a protective figure who would always fight for his friends. Sahure and Semaret had posed a Shadow Game to decide who would get the Millennium Rod, and Semaret had won, so he carried it now. Kerihk knew that eventually Semaret would return to Yami's side and the Millennium Rod would be handed over to Sahure. The blonde Shadow Gamer of Light, though he had previously told the past Kerihk that he was sorry he had betrayed them and wished it had never happened, would never return to Yami's side out of fear that the others wouldn't accept him. It was that fear that drove him to his end.
Now, Zhur was speaking to Yami. "Your little sister destroyed my Priestess, Suzuka," he said haughtily. "However, she destroyed herself in the process."
Yami looked at the ground, thinking of Kiara, and how he had buried the Millennium Pendant after meeting up with Ahmose and the others.
"Isn't it convenient that you and I, the Priest of Darkness and the Priest of Light, should be here now, ready to fight each other?" Zhur laughed as if it was amusing. "But I assure you, little prince, I will come out of this alive and unhurt, and you shall die."
"Yami isn't a prince!" the past Kerihk hissed. "He's a pharaoh. Your pharaoh. You should be bowing to him, not threatening him!"
Yami put out a hand to silence Kerihk. He tried to stand, but there was a deep gash in his leg and he wobbled uncertainly.
"Zhur," he said virulently. "My father trusted you as his grand vizier, and you betrayed that trust. But if you would turn from your evil ways and promise allegiance to Egypt, I will forgive you and give you back your post."
Zhur laughed and threw back his head. His followers also laughed as if Yami had asked the most hilarious thing in the world.
"Forgive me?" Zhur chuckled. "You will be the one begging ME for forgiveness before this is over! But I have toyed with you long enough. I hope you're prepared enough for the Afterlife, Yami. We won't pay for your embalming."
Yami clenched his teeth. "We Shadow Gamers of Light gave up the superstition of the Afterlife and the gods long ago," he stated.
"Rebellious, eh? Ahh, little prince. So courageous, so defiant. Is there anything that can dampen your spirits? Oh... I suppose there is."
He had been handed a bow and quiver of arrows by one of his supporters. He notched an arrow to the bow and drew back his hand, obviously taking his time. "Say good-bye to your little friend, Pharaoh," he mocked. "But I'm sure you'll be meeting each other soon... in death!"
He let go of the arrow and it flew towards its mark.
Yami was too weak to move out of the way, but the past Kerihk had spent the battle between Zhur and Yami hiding in the bushes, as he had been instructed. Now, he dove out and jumped in front of Zhur's aim, taking the arrow in the chest. He cried out as grueling pain shot to his heart.
"Kerihk!" Yami shouted, catching the boy as he fell to the ground. He began to yank the arrow out of Kerihk's chest.
"Leave it!" Kerihk demanded. His auburn eyes met Yami's amethyst ones. Yami cried for his closest friend as he held him. "I am dying. I don't have a purpose in this life any more. I will go and see who was right... our people, about their gods and the Afterlife, or Setsuna and her belief in the One God above all, or Sahure's belief that their is no God, and we all turn to dust when we die... If that is the case then let no one plant crops in the dust of my body or it will be cursed!"
Yami was shocked and afraid by Kerihk's deathbed wish. He opened his mouth to speak. "You shouldn't have jumped in the way! I would have been -"
"Hit," Kerihk finished, and Yami clamped his mouth shut. Kerihk tried to smile while reaching up and touching Yami's face. "I'm just glad you're okay. Yami - you have to save this world. I always encouraged you to become pharaoh one day. I always believed... you would be the one to do it. I still believe in you. Go, Yami. Save the world."
"I will," Yami promised. "I will!"
The memory faded as the past Kerihk took his last breath. The present-day Kerihk couldn't remember if he'd ever discovered what really happens after death. Probably his soul had immediately been sealed in the Millennium Ring. Kerihk remembered how he and Yami had been so close, almost like brothers. They had first met when they were six, and had bonded from that day forward.
So many things had changed. Thanks to his loss of memory, Kerihk had convinced himself he needed to collect all the Millennium Items to be truly happy, and that everyone, especially Yami, were his enemies. Now he realized how wrong he had been.
"Oh my gosh..." he sobbed. "Is it too late to start again? I - I really want to... Bakura, aibyou... give me a second chance, please! I'm sorry... I had forgotten..." His memory spun back to the day his family had been killed by Kutu-shui, and he fell on his face, crying.
It was pathetic, and as Taidu came towards him, her heart melted at the sight. She reached down and put a hand on his head. He looked up at her, tears dripping off his sharp chin.
"Stand up, Kerihk, son of Hotep and Teti," she said, sympathy in her voice. "Don't be grieved. These are things of the past that you needed to know. Do not dwell on them, do not be troubled by them. There are better things waiting for you if you could only grasp them."
Kerihk stood up and stared into her dark brown eyes. "Taidu, is it too late for me to begin again?" he croaked. "With Bakura, I mean. I haven't treated him the way he deserves... please tell me there is still time."
Taidu smiled. "There is always time," she said, running her fingers through his snowy hair. "He loves you, and only wants to be shown love back. I'm glad you've come to realize this."
Kerihk nodded, and looked at the sky, praying his hikari was all right, and would forgive him if he asked.
On a happier note, Digimon 04 rocks my world! I'm not sure what I'm more obsessed with, YGO or D04. Kouji is so cute! GIVE US A NEW EPISODE, PLEEEEEEASE!!! WE WANT TO SEE KOUICHI-CHAN!!!!! The Minamoto twins rock! Kouji is cooler than Kouichi though. *dodges tomatoes from Kouichi fans*
Mwahaha, in this chapter... "The return of Jyor-lang!" BWAHAHAHA! Who agrees with me that he has a stupid name? Him and Iakara and Kutu-shui and Zhong-wan... ::Readers: We do!:: Oh be quiet. Um, BE WARNED! A certain part with Kerihk is quite gruesome, and there is a lot of character death in this... except they all come back to life, no duh, in the 20th century. So don't be surprised by lotsa gore!!!
OK, about my fanfic about Yami's past... It is lamely entitled "Yu-Gi-Oh - King of Games - Egypt's Pride" so if anyone has a better title they wouldn't mind me using, feel free to share it with me. I dunno if I'm gonna post it. Considering all my OYs (Original Yamis, lol) are in it, I probably won't get many reviews because people don't seem to really care for OCs. (Which is why I'm at chapter 9 with only 17 reviews. *pouts*) If I get enough requests (like 10) then I may post it. SO KEEP SENDING IN REVIEWS! ... Um, please?
I'm going to be 14!!!! 14 on the 14th of February. 14 on Valentine's Day! Happy birthday to we, happy birthday to we! Happy birthday dear Angel, Casia, and Kit, happy birthday to we!
To Archangel Elf: You rock! Thanks for all your great reviews! I think you're my most faithful reviewer! ^-^
Did everyone get great things for Christmas? Tell me what your favorite Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza (do you get gifts on Kwanza?), or any other holiday gift was! We got a YuGiOh board game, and Kit took out the figures of Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and Mai and their card holders and put them on the laptop desk, which is where I am now, writing this. So I get to look at them while I type. The Millennium Puzzle is there too. I beat my bro Danny and my cousin at the game last night! 'Course my cousin quit when I won one of his puzzle pieces, and Danny just never had any trap tiles to play Ikusa with... but still! I BEAT THEM ALL! MWAHAHA! Lol. I also got CDs and books! We got Boggle too, and money, and candy, and YGO cards! I only got one pack though, but Danny (whose almost as into the game as me) got like 5. I was a teensy bit jealous when he got three whole packs from my aunt and uncle and all I got was clothes. Heck, it's the thought that counts. How do you tell your aunt and uncle that the last thing you're interested in are navy sweaters (other than the fact that everyone in my intimate family knows I'm sick of blue) and purple velvet pants?
Am I boring or what? I'm rambling because I always write my author's note first and I don't feel like going into the story the night before Christmas (cuz that's when I'm writing this) so I'm just going on and on and on... Kit says to tell you she'll put Got a Question? Kit has an Answer! up on a different fanfiction site. Casia says Legendary Warriors chapter 3 really stinks because it's just a lot of Yugi-torture. Suuuuure. Why do we all love to torture our favorite characters? Is it like some rabid fangirl disease? It must be contagious.
Heh heh... I whipped Danny when we dueled last night. HE MAY HAVE BEATEN MY BLUE EYES WITH HIS STUPID DARK HOLE TRAP CARD, BUT MY DARK MAGICIAN IS MY FAITHFUL SERVANT! *wipes away tears* I'm so proud of him...
Disclaimer: I don't own Jake's song, "The One," which is a "song special" in this fanfic. It's kind of a song I think they would play at the end of this if it were a TV show episode. I don't own YGO. I guess I own my OCs but they're not really mine... *glares at Takehiko and Dajan who are fighting with pencils twice their size* ... and don't even listen to me... *stares at Hikaru and Ai who are listening to Setsuna tell about the festivals in Midian and completely ignoring the fact that they're delaying Setsuna from getting ready for the fic* Need I go on?
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam and something I haven't named, mwahaha 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray
Hikari No Yuugi
Play of Light
by Angel
Chapter Nine: Sennen Sugiru
Millenniums Passed
"This is your fault you know. If you hadn't been so eager to jump into the water just like that..."
"MY fault? I wasn't the one that just HAD to go check out the inscriptions on that ring! I was like, Oh gee, it might be SAFER to stay AWAY from glowing red objects emitting dark vibes in the water, but did anyone listen to ME?"
"Oh, please!"
The hushed but angry voices echoed through the underground tunnel, scaling the ceiling and bouncing off stalactites back down to the wandering group of yamis below.
Kiara was in the lead, the great black book Hikaru had found tucked under her arm. Her long, pink jacket brushed the stalagmites growing out of the floor, sometimes getting caught. Her braided, rich brown hair blew gently in the breeze coming from the end of the cave where they were heading, looking for an exit. Her feet were numbing even inside of her tall black shoes from the cold of the puddles the group often had to wade in, but she made no complaint. Soft lavender eyes absorbed the glow coming from the Millennium Pendant, which was casting a light to lead the way.
"Who knows where our hikaris are now, and why in Ra's name did Yami and Taidu end up somewhere else? IF they ended up anywhere at all!"
"Hush, you two!"
The princess winced at Ay's acrimonious remark about Yami, and at Setsuna's attempt to keep him quiet so as not to worry Kiara about her brother. It was in vain, though; Kiara's mind hadn't left the fact that both Yami and Taidu weren't with them. She wasn't that much worried about her hikari, although she couldn't help feeling anxious that none of Pegasus's minions had found her, but at least she had seen Hikaru and Yugi make it ashore. Taidu, she knew, probably managed to escape with her immense priestess power, and was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Yami didn't have the kind of power, though, and he had been in the river with them, but he wasn't here now...
Ay and Kerihk had been fighting for nearly twenty minutes over whose fault it was that Chahahka had been released. Obviously this was their way of venting their worry for their own hikaris, but it wasn't helping and just made the rest of the group miserable. Setsuna had taken it upon herself to keep them separate, by use of begging, threatening, scolding, or fists.
"We shouldn't worry about them, they've proved they can take care of themselves, and besides, taking a break from the little bakas is actually quite a relief!" Kerihk spat, not entirely being truthful.
"You shouldn't say that! Bakura's your hikari and he loves you, even though you don't deserve to be loved by anyone!" was Ay's heated counter.
"Boys!" shouted Setsuna. "Stop putting each other down! You're only making things worse!"
"Who asked you, Midianite?"
"No one, but -"
"Then shut up!"
Ahmose rolled his eyes from his place at the rear. Using his fire powers, he was creating a flame to light the area in the back, just as Kiara was doing in the front. He was in a terrible mood because he was dripping with water and was having trouble keeping the flame going. He leaned over to Himoko and remarked about Ay and Kerihk.
"Isn't there any way we can push them into a push them into a deep pool and leave them there?" he whispered caustically.
Himoko sighed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better," she mumbled, shaking her head. She squeezed her bushy, black ponytail to get all the droplets of water out of it.
"We should just keeping walking and focus on not stepping in more sulfur," Kerihk said irritably, trying to stifle a cough that was developing in his throat from the damp air.
"Yeah, and make sure a certain SOMEONE doesn't hit their head on a stalactite again!" Ay reminded him none-too-nicely.
Kerihk rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. "It could happen to anyone!" he protested. "Besides, don't I recall it was your plan to use the fish as distractions so we could get to the ring?"
"So what?"
"So you're just as responsible as I am!"
"I wasn't the one who read the hieroglyphics!"
"You were too chicken to do it!"
"No, I was too smart!"
"SHUT IT!" Setsuna yelled. Her voice echoed loudly many times throughout the cavern, giving the yamis the eerie feeling that some unknown watcher was falling them in the deep flow below them. They all stopped in their tracks as a mystic fear entered their souls and then fled back out. Once the echo had died away Kiara reversed her stance to face the group, and her eyes blazed with a strange fire. The whole group stayed quiet, recognizing that look all too well. It was the look she had given the evil priestess Suzuka right before her death. It was the look she had given Kerihk after Setsuna's death. It was the contemptuous look that had caused the high priest Semaret's heart to waver.
She surveyed each of the yamis in turn with a piercing glare. Only Yami would have been able to remain steady when he received this look; the others were all forced to turn away.
Slowly she opened her mouth. "I don't want to see any more fighting," she said, choosing her words carefully. "There's already enough going on without petty arguments. I don't care what your differences are. We're all friends here. Understand?"
Stiff nods from her companions met her inquiry. She didn't miss the heated glower Kerihk shot at her, but when her lavender eyes met his deep amber ones, he sighed and pulled out of her gaze.
"Now let's get the heck out of here," she murmured. She took a step.
At the same time she stepped, someone else did too. She walked on, and the mysterious foot steps followed her. Kiara stopped and turned around, and as she did the footsteps ceased as well.
"Which of you was walking with me?" she asked as her heart began to pound. None of her friends appeared to have moved an inch. She took a breath and began to walk again, and the footsteps began again. She stopped, only to hear the footsteps stop again.
"M... maybe it's an echo," Setsuna suggested. "L... like before."
Then, the footsteps sounded through the cave all on their own.
Himoko gasped as a shadow became visible just ahead of Kiara. A human's shadow. Kerihk, Ay, and Ahmose ran in front of Kiara, preparing their attacks. Setsuna and Himoko tried to get Kiara to fall back with them, but she put out a hand.
"Don't attack," she commanded. The group knew she was searching for the aura of the newcomer. "I know this aura."
The shadow came closer; the footsteps, louder. A pair of shoes splashed through a puddle directly in front of them. Shoes belonging to the tall, skinny body of the red-haired priestess, Taidu.
"Taidu!" Himoko cried with a smile, running up to her friend. They embraced.
The boys looked at each other and began to laugh. Kiara smiled, confident in her skills.
'I knew I recognized that aura,' she thought.
Presently Himoko and Taidu released each other and returned to the relaxed group. Taidu was asked a lot of questions about how she had managed to escape, and she answered them all, though quite appalled at the curiosity of the 5000 year old Egyptians.
Kiara's question put an end to the merrymaking. "Taidu, how come you came in the cave instead of waiting outside of it? Isn't it dangerous?" she asked, an innocent smile across her face.
Taidu's bright, dark brown eyes narrowed. She stepped back from the group, and an air of mystery hung like a dark cloud above them.
"I came..." she began, "... for one purpose. To restore!"
With that, she threw her hands high into the air, her hair billowing in a magical spiral of wind encircling her body. Each of the yamis' Millennium Items snapped from their cord or chain and flew up above her twirling speedily, the Millennium Broach in the center. At last the Broach emitted gold and green light that hit each of the other items and caused them to begin glowing as well. The yamis could only gape, frozen in time, as the light became so bright that it blinded them, and the next thing they knew...
***
Makimura tugged on her big brother's coat. "Ro! Ro!" she whispered louder than normal, tugging harder.
Suppressing the urge to look painstakingly annoyed, Ro glanced down at his ten-year-old sister. "Nan desu ka, imouto?" he answered without expression.
"Ro, I think the magic hot dog worked. We're still together."
Ro couldn't help but smile at that.
At that moment, Seto Kaiba returned with Mokuba on his back, both carrying a glowing torches which illuminated the stone hallway in which they were traveling. Trench coat blowing behind him, Kaiba put Mokuba down and raced up to Ro, handing him the torch. Then he bent over, put his hands on his knees, and panted heavily.
Ro's brow furrowed, worried. "Daijobu desu ka?" he asked anxiously.
"Daijobu desu," Kaiba wheezed. He managed to grin at his best friend. "I'm fine, really. Just got the wind knocked out of me."
"Are you sure?" Ro inquired, doubtful of Kaiba's answer.
Kaiba smiled and nodded, taking the other torch from Mokuba.
(A/N: Oh no!!! Kaiba's almost acting like Yugi would!!! Must go over my list of reasons to despise and loathe S. Kaiba IMMEDIATELY!!!)
Mokuba joined Makimura standing next to Ro. "What now, nii-sama?" he asked.
Kaiba ran his fingers through his perfectly-parted brown hair. "I'm not sure, Mokuba. We'll think of something."
"At least we have some light now," Ro added.
Kaiba sighed. "But we don't even know where we are."
"Or where those girls have gotten to."
Makimura's eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Misaki-san and Tali-san said they found something down that other hall -" she pointed down a dark hallway opposite to the one Kaiba and Mokuba had gone down "- and said for us to wait right here for them."
Kaiba and Ro exchanged a look of annoyance and slumped against the cold stone wall. "I guess that's what is to be expected with girls like Misaki," Kaiba grumbled. "They never think ahead -"
"SETO!"
Kaiba sweatdropped as Misaki and Tali came running up to them, looking positively ecstatic. A breathless Misaki threw herself around Kaiba, took a moment to catch her breath (in which Kaiba stood awkwardly, hoping she'd let go of him soon), and said, "We found them! Yugi's friends! They're here, in this castle we're stranded in!"
"The make inu and his friends are here?!" Kaiba cried, astonished.
"Doshite?" Ro shook his head in disbelief.
Mokuba and Makimura gaped in amazement.
Misaki and Tali looked extremely pleased with themselves. "This way!" Tali instructed, pointing down a narrow hall. Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Misaki's hand and pulled her down the corridor. Mokuba and Makimura also grabbed hands and dashed after them, much to the dismay of their big brothers.
Kaiba and Ro looked at each other once more. Ro shrugged. "Let's go, Seto," he said. "We were defeated once more by the female species. 'Homo feminus' or whatever."
Grinning, Kaiba clapped Ro on the shoulder. "Race you to wherever they stop."
"You're on!"
The two boys laughed and raced after their friends. Unbeknownst to them, a dark enemy was lurking in shadows nearby.
***
'It's a dream. It has to be. That's the only plausible explanation. How else would I get here? Here, of all places... here! With him! Watching my - myself and him settle our differences! It's got to be a dream!'
These were the confused thoughts running across Kiara's mind as she stood on the sand outside an old Egyptian village. The red sun was setting in the distance, and nearby adobe buildings loomed overhead. Men lay under the awning getting a pre-dinner nap, women were making beer on the porch of one woman and chatting quietly. The village was sleepy, and it was beginning to cool off.
None of this, however, was what had Kiara so stupefied.
'This is crazy,' she thought. 'I'm looking at myself!'
Indeed, she was. A ways ahead of her, standing along the shore and silhouetted against the setting sun, she saw herself - around sixteen, the same age she had been when she had died, so in reality she looked no different than the present-day Kiara. To Kiara's eyes, though, she looked extremely different, as she was dressed in the garm of an Egyptian princess. The young Kiara was talking with a boy a bit taller than her, with shoulder-length white hair and sharp auburn eyes dressed in the clothes of a servant. It was undoubtedly a seventeen-year-old Kerihk.
Kiara moved closer to her past self and Kerihk. Neither of them acknowledged her presence as she came behind Kerihk. She poked him, but he didn't make any effort to show he felt her touch. Rather, he began talking in a low voice to the past Kiara.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" he said slowly. "For Ryúnade?"
The other Kiara looked at the ground. "Yes."
"When?"
"Tomorrow. The girls, Ay, Ahmose, and I will ride out at dawn."
"That's awfully soon."
"No, we actually made the decision a week ago."
There was a moment's silence. Then Kerihk spoke again.
"Why must you go?"
The young Kiara threw her arms down helplessly as she fought back tears. "Oh Kerihk, we've been through this, I have to go to Ryúnade, it's my duty as Priestess of the Shadow Gamers of Light! My brother, Yami, might be there, and if he isn't... well, the people of Ryúnade will need me even more. Please don't discourage me from going, it's something I must do, and I must feel sure of it."
"I'm not going to discourage you. But why will you only take those few?"
The past Kiara closed her eyes. "Rise and Setsuna were my dearest friends," she answered. "Setsuna is gone now, and I didn't want to risk Rise's safety, but she insisted on coming. Ahmose wishes to come as my bodyguard, and Ay is his best friend." She laughed. "One may be a sailor and the other, a warrior, but they still find they have a lot in common." Her face grew serious again, and she continued. "Jono and Tyren will stay here to lead the troop of warriors under Ahmose's command. As Ahmose will be with us, he knew he'd need someone to take his place, and much as they wanted to come, Jono and Tyren know better than to object to Ahmose's decisions. Himoko, Osona, and Taidu will come as well, Himoko to heal any wounds we should receive and Osona and Taidu to fulfill their duties as priestesses. It's almost as if they're sure someone will be dying in Ryúnade." She laughed again, but Kerihk noticed she didn't meet his gaze. It was like she knew it would be her who would pass away in Ryúnade's lush green hills.
"Yet I..." Kerihk's voice trailed off, and he looked into the sky. "I will be with Sahure, on a quest to find the new pharaoh... your brother. Shaadi will remain in Thebes to watch over the kingdom as we can no longer trust High Priest Semaret. And your brother, Yami... he will be dealing with Semaret, wherever he is now..."
The past Kiara gave a choking sob. "M-my brother," she said as the tears began to flow. "He might not be all - all right... there with S-Semaret... the traitor," she added bitterly. She looked past Kerihk as the last of the azure sky was overtaken by pinks, reds, and yellows.
"He'll be fine," Kerihk reassured her. "Semaret may be working for Zhur now, but you need to have faith in Yami. I'm sure he'll find a way to change Semaret's mind. Plus, Sahure and I are going to him. I promise he will be all right. I'll make sure of it."
Kerihk tilted her head to face his. The present-day Kiara strained to hear his words.
"Aishiteru, Kiara," he said softly in her ear. "But don't dwell on me. I know I will think of you every day from the cold of tomorrow's dawn till the pale end of my life. It is all right for me, but you... You are taking a great step, going into Ryúnade. You must set your sites on your goal for Ryúnade, not on me. Forget me. Promise me you'll forget me, Kiara."
Tear-filled lavender eyes met deep amber ones as Kiara struggled to answer. "How can I promise that which you ask of me? My love is not mine to give. It was stolen away by you, stolen away and I can't claim it back, ever. I'm in love with you."
The present-day Kiara clamped a hand over her mouth. She felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She had been in love, in love with Kerihk? The tomb robber? Her attention was diverted back to the young couple when Kiara found the courage to continue.
"I won't concern myself with romance," she said in a broken voice. "I promise not to worry about it. With all my heart I'll try not to worry, and with everything that will be going on, how can I do otherwise? But Kerihk... I will never forget you. No matter what happens, that I cannot do."
"Nor I." Kerihk bent down and put his hands on her shoulders, a soft look upon his face, his eyes boring through her. She stared back at him, gently caressing his gaze. Lips already slightly opened, he breathed in lightly and they both began to close their eyes.
He cupped his hands around her face and brought it to meet his. Then their lips locked together, and the she wrapped her arms around him. Both breathing heavily, they stayed that way until it at last became painful and they were forced to break away. Even then, they did not stop smiling at each other. Then Kiara's smile grew bigger and they kissed again.
The present-day Kiara looked on with mixed feelings. She had realized from the start that she liked Kerihk, even with his attitude. She hadn't realized it had ever been THAT kind of like.
The scene in front of her suddenly froze, Kerihk and Kiara still holding together. Then it fell away all together in pieces, leaving present-day Kiara stranded in blackness. She searched around, feeling very faint-hearted after what she'd just witnessed. She was not all that surprised when another memory from the past surfaced, one she had hoped never to think on again.
It was her own death.
The past Kiara stood before her friends, short brown-haired Rise and dark-haired Osona, tattered and beaten from her battle. Rise and Osona looked terrified, but the past Kiara looked just as determined as ever. She was dressed in her light white and pink tunic with her brother's thin, baggy, white pants. Her sandals had fallen off during the fight, her jewelry dangled pitifully from her body. Her braid had come untied and her long hair had fallen against her shoulders, tangled and matted. She was covered in dirt and blood, yet she still looked beautiful.
It became too much for Rise. "Kiara!" she exclaimed.
Kiara looked at her and smiled sorrowfully as she collapsed to the ground. She took a deep breath. "My body is too weak to continue," she said. "In a few moments, I won't need it anyway. I only need to keep Suzuka busy for a few... minutes longer..."
Zhur's Priestess of Darkness, Suzuka, was advancing forward. She was at least as battered as Kiara, but she was taller than the princess too and her rang was longer. Much of Kiara's attacks hadn't gotten through because of her size. Suzuka's long blonde hair framed her face, and her face was cold as a pale winter morning. Kiara's face retained the glow of her youth, when she had been innocent and pure and hadn't gone through any tragedies.
The two girls faced each other for what seemed forever. Ahmose, Ay, Himoko, and Taidu were trying desperately to press through the crowd to get to the site of the battle, the very heart of Ryúnade. Between the two opponents was a tall structure of crystal pointing to the sky. It was from this Chalice of Life that the power of Ryúnade flowed. Kiara was now staring at it, realizing her path. She turned back to Suzuka, and smiled.
Suzuka was confused at the look on the young princess' face. What was she hiding?
A leaf blew from the nearest green tree. Both girls watched it, and both had the same plan. As soon as the leaf met the ground, the attacked one another.
"EEEEEAAAAUUUGGHH!!!"
Swords crossed, fists pounded, blood poured. The two priestesses would fight to the end. One would fall and one would leave victorious.
Light verses Dark.
Good verses Evil.
Kiara verses Suzuka.
Suzuka caught Kiara's punch and rebounded it on her, flipping Kiara over and throwing her weakened frame against the Chalice of Life. Kiara groaned as she fell to the floor, but quickly recovered her stance. She picked up a rock and tossed it at Suzuka, hitting her head square-on.
Now Suzuka knew she was not going to survive this battle, but she refused to be the only one lost in this battle. She summoned everything in her and used the spell that would come to be known as the magic card "Sparks."
"THIS ENDS NOW, PRINCESS! LIGHTNING SHOCK OF DEATH!"
Kiara was blown back and crushed against the rock cliff-side. She yelled in pain, too weak to make a comeback. She heard Suzuka's triumphant laughter and the mourning of the people of Ryúnade. Only guardian Duel Monster, Relena the Dark Magician Girl, remained hopeful and knowing of Kiara's plan. Still, in her jade green eyes, you could see Relena also knew what the fulfillment of her plan would mean to Kiara.
The defeated princess closed her eyes and willed her amazing sixth sense to detect the aura of the Chalice of Life. It was so warm and familiar, like a friend she had been waiting to meet for ever so long. She willed it to come to her, to become one with her.
She heard Suzuka scream in pain. The Priestess of Darkness suddenly evaporated, and only her scream remained as an echo. The great light from the Chalice of Life had been too much for her as it bonded with Kiara, and she had vanished, defeated, deceased. Kiara somehow found the strength to rise to her feet and walk out to meet the light. As soon as she crossed it, it filled her system and entered her heart.
From then on, Kiara would be the living Chalice of Life.
The light that had blazed from the Chalice was now extinguished, but it ignited again inside of Kiara. She glowed bright, as if it were all stemming from her heart. It took all of her energy, though, and the pain she felt trying to sustain it was unimaginable. The light burned inside, then reached out and touched all of Ryúnade, bringing back its lost goodness.
Finally, the light came to reside inside of Kiara, and she collapsed to the ground, all but spent.
"Kiara!"
Vaguely she could hear Rise call her name and come running to her side. The blue-eyed girl lifted the princess from the floor and held her to her bosom, softly crying her name. She yelled at Osona to find Taidu, who could heal her wounds. Rise didn't realize Kiara's main wound was fatigue and a weakened heart, which not even Himoko's magic could heal.
"Kiara! Kiara!"
"D-Don't cry... Rise..."
Wearily Kiara lifted a finger to brush away Rise's tears, and was almost startled to see just by looking at her hand how much blood she had lost.
"Rise... this is just right. Don't worry about me... this is how... it... was meant to be..."
"Don't say that!" pleaded the girl. "You're going to be fine, Kiara, you're the princess of Egypt! No, you're the queen now! You have to go home, your people still love you, I still love you..."
Kiara smiled. "Y... You all... were so brave... so strong for me... thank you..."
She slipped into unconsciousness as Ahmose, Taidu, Himoko, and Osona joined Rise.
Rise's face was stricken with anxiety. "Himoko! Quick, heal her! Before it's too late!"
Sadly Himoko shook her head. "There is nothing I can do," she whispered painfully. "She used too much of herself to become one with the Chalice of Life. No healing spell can help her now."
Tears dripped down their faces as they watched their beloved princess die.
Kiara took a shuddering breath and woke for the last time. "My brother!" she gasped. "Yami... my brother! Tell him... I love him! Tell him I still love him... I love you, Yami..." Once more she fell asleep, curled up in Rise's arms. Tears pricked her eyes. Suddenly she gave one last cry in her unconscious state.
"Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."
Then her spirit dispersed.
A great wail came like a wave through the grieving people of Ryúnade for the most beloved daughter of Egypt, right up to the small group huddled around the lifeless form of the princess. Rise kept calling for Kiara to come back, not to leave her. Himoko had healed Kiara's wounds and was now cradling the distressed Rise, trying to comfort her when she herself couldn't stop the flow of tears. Ay was standing in solemn respect, head bowed, but he found himself unable even to cry, the sorrow was so great. Taidu and Osona, priestesses of mourning, fell into their ritual with unusual drama, for this time the pain was real.
In anguish Ahmose dropped to his knees. "I made a promise," he cried. His warrior's body shook and his face was wet with tears like a river. "I promised I'd take care of her, and keep her out of harm! I promised she'd come out unscathed... but I broke it... I broke my promise... Oh Queen Kiara, forgive me! Forgive me, Kiara!" He fell on his face in sobs.
The present-day Kiara watched her friends grieve for her, and felt a droplet fall from her eye. They had all loved her so much, and she had had to say good-bye. These people. These places.
These memories.
"Kiara."
A new voice spoke, and it was one from the present-day Kiara's time, not her past. Kiara slowly turned around and saw the present-day Taidu sadly awaiting her response.
At first Kiara couldn't think of anything to say. Then, "Why?"
"Because you have to know," Taidu replied, her voice full of remorse and guilt. "I know it seems cruel, but you've got to know. I'm sorry. In order to defeat Pegasus, you need to know your past. Kiara, you only had to relive the most crucial times in your life, but all your other memories that you had lost have also been restored. I'm so sorry you had to relive... this."
"Suzuka was a monster," Kiara spat bitterly.
"Yes. And you saved us all. You paved the way for your brother to seal away the magic."
Kiara's last words rang across her mind. "Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."
"What about Yami?" she said shakily. "He isn't with us. How will he get his memories back?"
Taidu gave a small smile. "He is discovering them in his dreams," she explained. "At the moment he is unconscious and is being looked after by your hikaris. He just had a duel, and collapsed afterwards. I'm afraid he won't find any rest in sleep today... not while he relives his past."
"Are we all...?"
"Yes. Kerihk, Setsuna, Ahmose, Himoko, and Ay are also experiencing this. Their own memories. I'm so sorry..." She noticed the pained look of Kiara's. "What ails you now, Princess? Have you realized what they are going through?"
Kiara's lower lip trembled as she played with her braid. "Yes," she staid, trembling. "I'm so worried. So worried about Kerihk!"
"Kerihk! Why?"
Kiara slowly turned to look Taidu in the eye. Her lips parted, and she answered.
"Because I remember what he will be seeing, and - and - I would hate to have to go through what he will see even once!"
***
(A/N: *sobs* *sniff* Wasn't that just so sad? I started to cry when I wrote about Kiara's last words... lol! I had a visual in my mind and it was pretty sad... I hope I transferred it right on this paper. Okies, now we switch back to Kaiba-tachi before you guys get to find out what's so terrible about what happened to Kerihk!)
"Misaki, we've been walking for twenty minutes and there's still no sign of... whatever it is you're looking for," a disdainful Kaiba grumbled.
"Hush, Seto," Misaki shot back, her short black hair bobbing. She pushed her glasses further up her nose and headed onwards. Kaiba sighed, exasperated.
The two youngest members of the group were playing a game. They were pretending to be checker pieces, and trying to jump over each other. There were no real rules to the game, but every time Mokuba reached the wall he would say, "King me!" Makimura refused to say such a masculine thing and would cry out, "Queen me!"
Kaiba snorted as Mokuba said, "King me!" for the fifth time. "Anarchism," Kaiba said to Ro. "That's what anti-royalists like me want. 'Pharoah,' pffui!"
Ro rolled his eyes. "Obviously your grudge against Yami has only grown," he stated. "I don't get you. He's a nice guy."
"He isn't a nice guy."
"Just because he created a strategy good enough to take down your Ultimate Dragon and you had to cheat by forcing his hand to beat him in Duelist Kingdom does not make him a bad person."
"It does in my book. That and his attitude. His ego is bigger than his hair."
Ro decided now was not the time to put Kaiba in his place.
Misaki and Tali were conversing in low whispers up ahead. Ro decided once more to make conversation with his antisocial friend.
He smirked. "You like her, don't you. Misaki-kun."
Kaiba blushed. "Yeah, right.
"You do."
"In your dreams."
"And for real."
"Urusei!"
Ro was still chuckling as he promenaded up to the girls.
"Look," Tali instructed, pointing through a stone window. "We're in a high turret. Down there, that's where Tetsuya and the others are."
Kaiba and Ro leaned over and saw she was right. Jonouchi, Tetsuya, Anzu, Naoko, Honda, and Ryoku were chained to the cold, stone floor, seemingly unguarded. They looked unconscious.
The girls waited for he boys' responses. Kaiba was the first to speak, still leaning forward but turning his head to face Tali's. "But how do we get down to them?"
No sooner had he said this than Mokuba hopped on another stone near the wall and cried, "King me!" The floor began to collapse, and the group found themselves falling through a hole in the floor.
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"
"Mokuba, what did you do?"
"I must've stepped on a trap door or something!"
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"
"Shut UP, Misaki!"
They pummeled down, falling, falling... falling to what? Their doom? Or something else?
***
The room was extremely dark where Kerihk was standing. It was adobe, and the only light came from the glass-lacking window. A vat lay overturned on the floor, its innards spilling out upon the colorful mat.
Kerihk was confused, and more than a little annoyed. 'Where am I?' he wondered. 'That Taidu... when I get my hands on her, I'll...!" He shook a fist.
Someone was coming. Through the draped door, Kerihk could hear quiet voices talking just outside. Then another loud, teasing girl's voice joined them, and Kerihk could tell it was Kiara and Setsuna outside. He started towards the door.
Then he stopped when the third voice joined back in. A boy's voice. His voice.
"Would you two knock it off?" Kerihk's voice said. The present-day Kerihk shook his head in disbelief. "I can hardly hear myself think."
Kiara spoke next. "Isn't it great that you get to see your little brothers and sisters before chasing after Zhur with us, Kerihk?"
"Yeah, I've really missed them, especially Ismose," Kerihk agreed. (A/n: Ismose was mentioned in chapter 6, part one.)
Setsuna's voice rang out shrilly, louder than the others. "Well, what are you waiting for, moron? Go on! I'm sure they're dying to see you."
The present-day Kerihk backed away as the past Kerihk, Kiara, and Setsuna walked into the home.
His foot stumbled upon something soft. The present-day Kerihk winced and shut his eyes tight, wishing - no, praying that when he opened them he wouldn't see what he thought he was going to see. Praying that his past self and friends wouldn't say what he thought they would say. Praying everything would be all right and he wasn't where he thought he was.
"Dad? Thutmose, Lena, Naila, Ismose? It's me, I'm home! Hey, isn't anybody there -"
Kerihk moaned when he heard the abrupt end to the past Kerihk's statement. Tears welled up his eyes and a deep hatred stirred in his heart.
The past Kerihk was staring, wide-eyed, around his house. "Wh-what the heck... what in Egypt is - is this...?"
Setsuna and Kiara were fighting playfully outside. Still giggling, they joined the past Kerihk in his house, stumbling in and laughing. The laugh soon subsided however, when they noticed their surroundings.
"Omigosh, Kerihk," Setsuna said, unbelieving. "What h-happened?"
Kiara's hands covered her mouth, and she couldn't say anything but, "Oh no..."
The present-day Kerihk decided to take a chance and opened his eyes. The first thing he looked for was what he had stepped on. He bent down.
It was a badly-sewn doll, covered in a child's blood.
The past Kerihk began to sob angrily, shaking with fury. "Who did this?!" he demanded to know. "Who would DO such a thing?!"
"Kerihk!" cried Kiara, tears falling down her face. The others, including the present-day Kerihk, began to do likewise.
Kerihk's family, from his father, Hotep, to his youngest sister, Ismose, were all dead. His mother, Teti, had died when he was around twelve, so they were all that was left. Hotep was lying on his back, covered with slash marks from a sword. The oldest of Kerihk's younger siblings, Thutmose, was draped over a chair, bright red blood flowing freely from his neck. Lena was on his side, a deep gash in his legs and chest. Naila's stomach had been ripped open, and she had died long ago. It looked as if the only one still alive was the youngest, Ismose.
Tears sprang from the past Kerihk's eyes. "Why? WHY?!" he shrieked, falling to his knees. "Why would anyone DO something like this? WHO would DO this?!"
Kiara burst out in heavier sobs. Setsuna grabbed her and pressed her to herself, instructing, "Don't look!"
"K... Keri... hk..."
The past Kerihk jolted to his senses when toddler Ismose's pitiful but sweet voice somehow found the strength to call out to him. "Ismose!" he cried, running to her side and picking up her bloodied body. She was limp and pale in his arms, but she smiled warmly as he cradled her.
'Ismose,' thought the present-day Kerihk. 'I remember now. Mother died just after she was born, so I did my best to raise her... With Dad gone on tomb raids most of the time, I was all she had..."
"Ismose! Hold on!" pleaded the past Kerihk.
"Kerihk... I'm so glad... you're home," Ismose struggled to speak.
"Shh! Quiet now. I'm going to take care of you," Kerihk whispered. It was painful just for Kiara and Setsuna to watch, for they knew there was no way Ismose would survive. "Who did this, little sister? Who was it?"
Ismose couldn't make sense of his words. "I missed you... big brother. I had a present for you..."
The present day Kerihk looked down at the clumsily sewn doll he had stepped on. That was all it took for the tears to fall unceasingly.
"Izzy! Just hang in there, you'll be all right! Ismose!"
The young girl, who, like her siblings, shared the family's soft, silver hair, spoke again. "I'm so happy you're back... we'll be together now, won't we?"
The past Kerihk was trembling with grief. "Yes... Yes! We'll always be together! I'll never leave you, Ismose, never! I promise! Just please, stay alive! Ismose, please!"
"Kerihk!" Kiara begged, bursting with pain, trying to tear him from his sorrow.
Ismose's smile never left her face. "That's good," she said. "Now we can be together... you, me, Mom, Dad, my brothers and sister..." She lifted her hand to Kerihk's tear-streaked face. "Together... Ker... ihk..."
Her hand fell limp to the ground.
Kiara and Setsuna rushed to the stunned Kerihk's side. He let out a loud wail that pierced the air. Doubled over with pain and sorrow, the girls could do nothing to comfort him.
The present-day Kerihk picked up the doll Ismose had sewn for him and pressed it to his chest. He could feel the love the toddler had put in to make it for him. "Why?" he asked the wind. "Why?! Why did it have to end that way? She was only three, much too young to die! Why, Kutu-shui, did you do this?"
For now he found he could remember what had happened. He had fought a battle against one of Zhur's Shadow Gamers, Kutu-shui, and won. Kutu-shui had been searching for revenge, and he destroyed Kerihk's entire family.
He cried as he remembered Kutu-shui showing up in his house after he'd discovered the tragedy. He cried as he thought of the reckless, angry battle he had fought with Kutu-shui for his own revenge. He cried as he remembered, having cornered Kutu-shui, sword in hand, being stopped from killing him.
Yami and the others had shown up, and now Yami had come to his side and grabbed the sword, keeping Kerihk from killing Kutu-shui. Yami begged Kerihk not to sink to Kutu-shui's level as a murderer. He told him he knew it was hard, but killing Kutu-shui wouldn't solve anything. Yami's face had been just as wet as his as he tried to reason with the injured boy.
All at once, the scene around him faded, as did the doll in his hand. He watched it go, suddenly realizing how much he and his hikari really did relate. Both of them had lost their mother at a young age, and their little sisters; in Kerihk's case, brothers also. Both of them had a father who was always away after the mother's death and hardly seemed to want to have anything to do with the kids.
Bakura sometimes reminded him of Ismose. He was always smiling and never complained. Maybe it had been because Bakura had seemed so much like Ismose and reminded him so much of the one he missed most that Kerihk had treated the boy so badly. Something in his past drove him to hurt the one who loved him, because he was afraid to love again.
A new scene was unfolding before him. Kerihk looked around the new landscape. 'This must be Algeria, where Zhur's base was,' he thought. Zhur himself, with his long silver hair folding over his shoulders and one eye replaced with the Millennium Eye, looked tall and menacing in the gloom. His followers, including the High Priest Semaret and a treacherous Shadow Gamer of Light, Sahure, stood by his side, all smirking confidently. Kerihk peered through them and saw himself and a seventeen-year-old Yami on the ground before them.
Kerihk's eyes traveled to Sahure, whose spiky blonde hair and sharp azure eyes had always caused the ladies to flirt consistently with, and whose tall, broad figure made him seem a protective figure who would always fight for his friends. Sahure and Semaret had posed a Shadow Game to decide who would get the Millennium Rod, and Semaret had won, so he carried it now. Kerihk knew that eventually Semaret would return to Yami's side and the Millennium Rod would be handed over to Sahure. The blonde Shadow Gamer of Light, though he had previously told the past Kerihk that he was sorry he had betrayed them and wished it had never happened, would never return to Yami's side out of fear that the others wouldn't accept him. It was that fear that drove him to his end.
Now, Zhur was speaking to Yami. "Your little sister destroyed my Priestess, Suzuka," he said haughtily. "However, she destroyed herself in the process."
Yami looked at the ground, thinking of Kiara, and how he had buried the Millennium Pendant after meeting up with Ahmose and the others.
"Isn't it convenient that you and I, the Priest of Darkness and the Priest of Light, should be here now, ready to fight each other?" Zhur laughed as if it was amusing. "But I assure you, little prince, I will come out of this alive and unhurt, and you shall die."
"Yami isn't a prince!" the past Kerihk hissed. "He's a pharaoh. Your pharaoh. You should be bowing to him, not threatening him!"
Yami put out a hand to silence Kerihk. He tried to stand, but there was a deep gash in his leg and he wobbled uncertainly.
"Zhur," he said virulently. "My father trusted you as his grand vizier, and you betrayed that trust. But if you would turn from your evil ways and promise allegiance to Egypt, I will forgive you and give you back your post."
Zhur laughed and threw back his head. His followers also laughed as if Yami had asked the most hilarious thing in the world.
"Forgive me?" Zhur chuckled. "You will be the one begging ME for forgiveness before this is over! But I have toyed with you long enough. I hope you're prepared enough for the Afterlife, Yami. We won't pay for your embalming."
Yami clenched his teeth. "We Shadow Gamers of Light gave up the superstition of the Afterlife and the gods long ago," he stated.
"Rebellious, eh? Ahh, little prince. So courageous, so defiant. Is there anything that can dampen your spirits? Oh... I suppose there is."
He had been handed a bow and quiver of arrows by one of his supporters. He notched an arrow to the bow and drew back his hand, obviously taking his time. "Say good-bye to your little friend, Pharaoh," he mocked. "But I'm sure you'll be meeting each other soon... in death!"
He let go of the arrow and it flew towards its mark.
Yami was too weak to move out of the way, but the past Kerihk had spent the battle between Zhur and Yami hiding in the bushes, as he had been instructed. Now, he dove out and jumped in front of Zhur's aim, taking the arrow in the chest. He cried out as grueling pain shot to his heart.
"Kerihk!" Yami shouted, catching the boy as he fell to the ground. He began to yank the arrow out of Kerihk's chest.
"Leave it!" Kerihk demanded. His auburn eyes met Yami's amethyst ones. Yami cried for his closest friend as he held him. "I am dying. I don't have a purpose in this life any more. I will go and see who was right... our people, about their gods and the Afterlife, or Setsuna and her belief in the One God above all, or Sahure's belief that their is no God, and we all turn to dust when we die... If that is the case then let no one plant crops in the dust of my body or it will be cursed!"
Yami was shocked and afraid by Kerihk's deathbed wish. He opened his mouth to speak. "You shouldn't have jumped in the way! I would have been -"
"Hit," Kerihk finished, and Yami clamped his mouth shut. Kerihk tried to smile while reaching up and touching Yami's face. "I'm just glad you're okay. Yami - you have to save this world. I always encouraged you to become pharaoh one day. I always believed... you would be the one to do it. I still believe in you. Go, Yami. Save the world."
"I will," Yami promised. "I will!"
The memory faded as the past Kerihk took his last breath. The present-day Kerihk couldn't remember if he'd ever discovered what really happens after death. Probably his soul had immediately been sealed in the Millennium Ring. Kerihk remembered how he and Yami had been so close, almost like brothers. They had first met when they were six, and had bonded from that day forward.
So many things had changed. Thanks to his loss of memory, Kerihk had convinced himself he needed to collect all the Millennium Items to be truly happy, and that everyone, especially Yami, were his enemies. Now he realized how wrong he had been.
"Oh my gosh..." he sobbed. "Is it too late to start again? I - I really want to... Bakura, aibyou... give me a second chance, please! I'm sorry... I had forgotten..." His memory spun back to the day his family had been killed by Kutu-shui, and he fell on his face, crying.
It was pathetic, and as Taidu came towards him, her heart melted at the sight. She reached down and put a hand on his head. He looked up at her, tears dripping off his sharp chin.
"Stand up, Kerihk, son of Hotep and Teti," she said, sympathy in her voice. "Don't be grieved. These are things of the past that you needed to know. Do not dwell on them, do not be troubled by them. There are better things waiting for you if you could only grasp them."
Kerihk stood up and stared into her dark brown eyes. "Taidu, is it too late for me to begin again?" he croaked. "With Bakura, I mean. I haven't treated him the way he deserves... please tell me there is still time."
Taidu smiled. "There is always time," she said, running her fingers through his snowy hair. "He loves you, and only wants to be shown love back. I'm glad you've come to realize this."
Kerihk nodded, and looked at the sky, praying his hikari was all right, and would forgive him if he asked.