Silver Angel: Okay minna here are the results in voting so far:

Serena/Malik - 19

Serena/Yami - 8

Serena/Yugi - 5

Serena/Bakura - 3

Serena/Pegasus - 1

And 1 request for a Serena/Kaiba pairing

The pairings will become final in a few chapters or so, so for all of you that want a specific pairing, time is running out.

Yugi: ::Pouts:: I still think it should be me::

Silver: Now Yugi, what have I told you about sulking? Anyway people, I would like to thank Lady Light, Lilaclight, and Kage-shadow of darkness, for their on-going support, and Tasha Shanafelt for all of her information that she sent me. So, without further adieu, here is the next chappie! ^_^



Chapter 5: Strength of Innocence

"You called me Master Yami?" The seven foot tall magician glided out of the alley. His dark purple robes seemed to be made out of the shadows themselves, and his dark blue eyes were hard and merciless.

"Get rid of that bug!" Yami shouted. "Dark Magic attack!" Following Yami's command, the Dark Magician swung his staff forward, causing the Man Eater Bug to glow an ominous dark purple. Seconds later, it burst into tiny particles, which seemed to fade into the surrounding shadows.

"I think your game is over tomb robber! This has gone far enough!" Yami held up his hand, the eye Ra glowing on his forehead. "Mind Crush!"

As Yami's attack reached Bakura, his body began to glow a sickening blackish-green color. "Your tricks can't affect me Pharaoh!" he shouted, beginning to laugh. "You may be powerful, but the power of Chaos overwhelms your pitiful little attempts. You should give up now, and hand over your Millennium Puzzle. Maybe I will go easy on your little hikari!"

Cutting off his attack abruptly, Yugi grinned and began to laugh. "You think you can beat me Bakura? I'm hardly trying. I still have many tricks up my sleeve that you don't know about."

Bakura frowned, considering, then smiled. "You're bluffing," he shouted back. "I know you Pharaoh. Did you forget that I lived along with you five thousand years ago? You may have learned how to summon monsters without the power of that puzzle, but your power is as nothing compared to mine!"

"We'll see about that tomb robber."





Serena and Pegasus had just left the building, when she stiffened, as if listening to some far off sound. "One of the fragments of Chaos has shown itself." She told him. "It is in the city now, fighting Yugi."

Turning to face him, Pegasus looked into her forever-sad eyes, and saw that they had now hardened with determination and anger. Without a second thought for the people around her, she quickly transformed into Cosmos, showing her true form in all its ageless beauty.

"I must go to him to make sure it is destroyed for good." She said, a hint of steel in her voice. "Wait here for me. I will return soon." With that, the cloak that had been on her shoulders reformed itself into large white wings, and she took to the air.





The wind rushed past her, whipping her silver hair into a fury behind her slender body. Straining her wings to their utmost, she attempted to pour on that little bit of extra speed. She mustn't be too late. She must arrive in time to stop the Chaos.

It was all she had left really. She had lashed out at Pegasus when he had asked her why she was helping him. The reaction automatic to the pain he had brought once more to the surface of her heart. Friends, gone, lost forever; her fault. 'Why?' The question floated through her head, attempting to break her concentration. Angry at her bout of self-pity, she brushed the unbidden thought aside.

Anger at herself, determination to save others this pain.soul consuming pain. It was all she had left in life. She grasped at it desperately as her only way of breaking the cycle of depression and self-loathing.

'I will not fail. I will arrive in time. This world will not be consumed by Chaos.' She repeated it over in her head. "I will destroy you Chaos! Do you hear me?" Nothing but the wind answered her however, and she turned her thoughts to the upcoming battle as she neared the scene of the battle.

Her eyes widened as she came upon Yami - Yes it was Yami, he was unmistakably taller, and ancient magic seemed to radiate from him - and a white haired teenager glowing with a hideous green-black light who was undoubtedly being controlled by one of the shards of Chaos she was after.

What surprised her though, was not the people, nor was it the magic and power she felt radiating from either of them. Instead, it was the dual personality, which was also in the one possessed by Chaos, and the precise - spell - she felt Yami calling forth.

'He's trying to separate them!' She realized in a flash of insight. 'I'm not really sure if that's a good or a bad thing though. Separation from its host will drain the Chaos of some of its power, but it will also free it from any restraints it previously had because of the purity of the other soul. And with that shield it has up.'

Her thoughts trailed away as she began to descend, contemplating the possibilities of this action which she now knew she would be too late to prevent.





Yami held up his hand, palm outward, gathering all of his power for the one magic attack he knew Yami Bakura could not block. It was the fact that they were separate souls that made this all possible.

Yami Bakura was evil: a corrupt soul that dealt with Chaos and death. Bakura - the real Bakura; was an innocent; as were all 'hikaris'. An innocent soul, like Yugi or Bakura would always strive on some level to be free of a corrupt one. Though opposites would attract, like Yugi's light, and his darkness; Chaos and order, or purity, would always push each other away.

He could act upon the force that push them away, and use it to separate the two souls.

'If I can separate them, not only can Bakura be free, but also the corrupt soul in his ring will be greatly weakened. Perhaps enough that I can destroy it.'

Wasting no more time, Yami released the attack he had been preparing for. "Soul Separation!" he shouted.

A blazing gold light gathered in a stream from his hand, and rocketed towards Yami Bakura. His eyes widened in consternation, as at the last second, the corrupted spirit of the ring brought into visibility another shield. This shield, however, was of a slightly different type. Just as the attack hit it, part of it was reflected back toward Yugi.

'This could sever the connection between us." Was Yami's last thought, before the golden light from his own attack engulfed him as well, and everything went black.





'I was too late.' The thought echoed agonizingly through her head. Always too late it seemed, to protect those who she was closest to. The fact that they had only just met mattered not. There had been a connection between her and the others. Now she was too late.

Her friends had not lost their lives this time, but.

Serena surveyed the wreckage of the street where the battle had taken place. Rubble was strewn all over the place from damaged walls, and shards of glass littered the street. In the middle, where the damage was greatest, were the unconscious bodies of those who had fought.

Four bodies.



Silver Angel: All tight! ::jumps up and down, cheering:: I got the next chapter out. It took five days, but that's not really too long. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I had so many ideas, and ways that this chapter could turn out, but only the generalities. I had a hard time figuring out just how events would take place.

Yugi: I'll say you had a hard time. You left off with me telling Bakura I had a 'secret move' for about two days! I was so worried that it wouldn't work and I'd get beaten up!

Silver: ::stares at her feet:: Yeah, well you know I suck at anything resembling fight scenes Yugi. Besides, I just had a lot of trouble with this chapter.

Anyways, one of the main purposes of what happened in this chapter was to pave the way for any possible pairings I might do. I thought it would be easier to do a Yami/Serena, or a Yugi/Serena (if they win) If they shared a body; same with Bakura.

Yugi: I can definitely understand that.

Silver: ::stamps her foot:: Yugi, stop interrupting me. You're getting to be as bad as Duo!

Duo: ::from far away:: What was that?

Silver: Anyways minna, please read and review!