YAY!!!!!! SCHOOL IS OVER! I am soooooo happy today, school's over, I finished my last 2 finals 2day, and I FINALLY finished this chappie! I've had it in my head for sooo long, but first, my compy couldn't process the regiestry, then it kept crashing, then the bunch of thunderstorms hit and knocked out the power a few times, then I started to have exams….. great fun, isn't it? I DID, though, write the intro to the sequel to KOTC, which is one a piece of looseleaf currently lost in the giant pile of papers on my desk from school. -_-() Why I decided to leave it on my desk I dunno.

I think that KOTC is going to have 2 more chappies and then an outro that'll give way to the yet-to-be-named sequel. My other story, Shadow Guardians, I'm sorry to say to anyone who's been reading all of the 3 chapters I've actually managed to type of and post, that the story is being put on temporary-extended hold, and might even just drop it altogether. If I don't drop it altogther, I'll probably rewrite some of it or take parts of it for a prequel to KOTC and whatever the sequel is… later, if I feel like it.

Anyway, enough of my blabbering! (did I actually use that word?) Let's get to the chapter!

Disclaimer: Caleia/Keeper of the Cards storyline, and Annya & Serashi are © Kirsta Nadaime, yaadda yaadda yaadda. Yu-Gi-Oh! And Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters are © Kazuki Takahashi (I hope I spelled that right) whom I bow down to and love. (Serashi: -_-….. oh Ra….)

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Chapter 30: Life's Surrender

Caleia struggled to get up. Every muscle in her body protested as she crawled onto one knee, then forced herself up. She could taste the blood in her mouth and could feel it running out the corner of her mouth and dribbling down her chin. At least being able to taste the salty liquid confirmed one thing, that she was still alive.

She saw Seto laying five or six feet away, not moving at all. Fear shot through her as she realized that he might be dead. She scampered over to him and rolled him on his back. A soft groan came from his slightly parted lips, a welcoming noise to Caleia's ears. Seto was still alive, but for how long was to be determined. His aura was weak, almost death-like, a reason why she thought he was dead at first, and he was bleeding a little at his temple. He opened his eyes halfway and the way they lacked their usual clearness brought uncontrolled tears to Caleia's eyes was she remembered the last time this scene happened, a lifetime ago.

"Caleia, leave," Seto pleaded and reasoned between his groans. "Sakahet's injured me too much." Caleia shook her head

"You can't walk in this state," she protested. "I'm not leaving without you." Without another word, she rose and turned to face the traitor-prophet Sakahet.

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Caleia whispered, a slight smile almost playing on her lips. Was this fate working again, repeating history? But, that was no matter. She knew what she had to do. Her life was no price compared to saving Seto, especially this time, since he was an innocent. This was the Keeper's duty, none the less. Her hand reached into Seto's coat pocket and pulled out what she looked for. The Keeper of the Cards rose slowly and faced the traitor-prophet's vengeful son, Morsei; this time, she was ready to fight.

Morsei snickered. "You haven't changed much, Keeper," he remarked. Caleia's hand extended out, palm open and up. A small burst of energy shot from her in the form or a white light that lengthened into what seemed to be a type of pole. The transition was quick, but the light molded into a globe at one end, then the white light slid away, leaving an ivory colored staff in Caleia's hand. On the top was a sparkling spherical crystal sitting on a carved part of the staff that looked like white flames licking the sides of the crystal.

Grasping the staff, Caleia righted it and brought it to the floor. A small crack of lightning jumped as the staff made contact. Winds rose, swirling around the room; its magic removed the blood from Caleia's robes so that they shone with their original splendor. It ran around her and seemed to move through her. As it died down the Keeper seemed to glow with a new radiance. Sometime in the middle of the windstorm, Sayana had disappeared, for it no longer adorned the girl.

For a moment Caleia thought that shock and fear crossed Morsei's eyes, but in the split second of the blink it was gone. She must have just imagined it.

"You want to kill me?" Caleia taunted. "Come and get me." After a half a moment's hesitation, Morsei did just that, charging at her with sword drawn and flames licking the sides of the cursed blade.

Caleia sidestepped at the last moment and swung her staff up, hitting the sword and knocking Morsei temporarily off balance. Quickly she brought it back around and knocked him on the back, causing him to sprawl on the stone floor. Morsei rolled onto his back and launched energy at Caleia. She blocked with her staff, but it pushed her back a few feet. Having kept on her feet, Caleia was ready for Morsei's second energy attack, and threw her own energy back at him. The two powers collided in the middle, creating an explosion that threw both back into the stone wall behind them.

Staggering onto her feet, Caleia pointed her staff at the sorcerer and yelled, "Essence of Light!" Crystal flames erupted from her staff and sped towards Morsei. He held up a hand and dispersed the spell. It didn't even touch him.

"Your insubstantial power won't even harm me," he jeered. Surprisingly, Caleia smiled at his remark.

"You mean half my power," she mocked as she put her full strength into the spell this time. "Flames of the Sun!" she cried, slamming her the end of her staff on the ground. Golden fire exploded from her, moving out from her body, forming a ring around her. She held her staff up and the energy came to the clear crystal, then flung the orb at Morsei.

He held up his sword and split the orb, but it was evident that it took him much effort. Flicks of the spell still managed to come through and cut him. A rather long cut now adorned his cheekbone, and his robes and the skin underneath them were sliced at many locations. Staggering back, he breathed hard and yelled obscenities at Caleia in Egyptian.

Morsei's insults suddenly stopped coming and, before Caleia's eyes, he disappeared, melting into the shadows. Her eyes widened in surprise at first, then narrowed as she cursed herself for being so careless and letting him do this. With open senses, she slowed moved to the center of the room, where it was most light. Strategically, it was the worst place to be, open to attack on all sides, but the light would force Morsei to become visible, having no shadow to move in. She dropped her gaze, seeming to let down her guard, but this was also strategy, for this way, she would be able to see Morsei's shadow once he became visible, giving her the precious milliseconds she needed to respond.

It worked. Morsei appeared behind her, sword raised to give a death-giving strike, but Caleia saw him and spun around, raising her staff and blocking him. She pushed him away and jumped a few yards back, giving herself some space. "Sayana," she whispered. Her staff melted into energy and reformed, or transformed, to the Keeper's sword, a sword of two realms, Sayana. The familiar weight in her hands gave Caleia comfort as she brought it up to guard position.

"I see you're too pesky to destroy with physical force alone, Keeper. I say a free Shadow Game is called for," Morsei hinted. "Go, Earl of Demise."

A free Shadow Game was nothing more than a fight in which Shadow Magic monsters and magics were used. In other words, it was a Shadow Game disregarding all rules concerning turns, formalities, etc.; it was not really a Shadow Game at all.

The fiend, which Morsei had summoned, attacked. "Mystical Elf!" Caleia cried. The elfish spellcaster appeared and cast a shield against the attack that the fiend could not break. "Dark Magician Girl! Book of Secret Arts!" summoned Caleia. The magician attacked the fiend and defeated him as Caleia charged at Morsei. A swordfight began and the Dark Magician Girl joined in to help Caleia. The mystical elf chanted a spell that helped keep their stamina up.

Morsei jumped back and summoned the Red Eyes. The Dark Magician Girl attacked it, but Morsei was ready, using Mirror Force magic. The magician's magic reflected and hit her, Caleia, and the Mystical Elf. The elf and magician disappeared, and Caleia was thrown on her back, seriously hurt. She rolled over and spat out the bile that had rose in her throat, but couldn't push herself up. She was almost drained of energy.

Seto stirred in the corner where he laid, out of the battle. The movement caught Caleia's eyes. 'He's innocent in this matter,' she thought to herself. "You will get out of this alive, I promise," she whispered in his direction. Caleia turned back to Morsei and forced herself onto her knees.

"Accepting your fate yet, Keeper?" Morsei asked tauntingly. He could have ordered the Red Eyes to attack when Caleia was down, but didn't savoring his moment of victory and revenge. That was his mistake.

Caleia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. As she let it out, she opened her eyes, a relit strength in them as she replied. "Yes." She reached into her sash, where she had tucked away seven special cards, four of which she had taken from Seto, pulled them out, and threw them into the air. They glowed brightly and floated in front of the girl. Caleia held her arms above her, wrists bent back and palms up. She tilted her head back.

"Arise, my seven Blue Eyes!"

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Seto: NOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Kirsta: ^_^

Seto: WHATS GONNA HAPPEN TO CALEIA!?!?!

Kirsta: ^_^

Seto: WHY AREN'T YOU TALKING?

Kirsta: ^_^()

Seto: ANSWER ME!

Serashi: *slaps him* IT'S A CLIFFHANGER YOU MORON!

Seto: ow… x_x

Kirsta: REVIEW PLEEEEASE!