Hey guys! Sorry it took my so long to update, we got a new computer (YAY!) but didn't have it hooked up to the internet, but it was in my room so I typed this on the new one. But then the father decides there's something wrong and has to dismantle the whole thing so I have to copy this onto a disk and then transfer it to the old computer. ARGH!! The trauma. ^__^ but it's here now so I hope everyone enjoys!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I LOOOOVE you guys! ^-^
elsiey: Ok, the three candles. When Diabund comes in, all the candles in the room go out, except three, symbolizing Yami, Yugi, and Keturah. Then when she dies, her candle is snuffed out. Yeah I know it's kind of lame but, there you are.
Solo_girl: I'm so glad you reviewed again! I hate it when people review once and then never again when they say the story is great and you need to update ect ect. -_- but you didn't do that so thank you! ^-^ Now I know you think last chap was cool, but don't kill me for what happens in the next chaps k? This was the story line from the beginning so I'm trying to stick with it.
Hutchy: I know, I am quite mean. I might have to just kill everyone off. ^-^ No, don't worry I wont! I'll leave a little gopher alive never fear! ^__^
DarkPixie4: YAY! You reviewed! Thank you! And for putting me on your favs too! That was awesome! I feel so special! *sniff* Thanks for the correction about the hemet thing. My Egyptian is…ehem, a tad rusty. ^-^
Nadia Kaiba-Elf Jedi: YAY! I know the last chapter was a little dismal but I'm glad you're still interested! ^-^ Thank you so much for reviewing! It means a lot!
Link-Roy-Marth-lover: I'm so glad you like it! ^-^ enjoy the last chapters! *sniff* I'd better shut up before I break down. Btw, keep going on the Apart songs! They are so good! ^_^
Pokegirl: Yes, I know. It's very depressing. Just for clarification, Keturah dies because that is my lovely plot line, way back from the lonely month of December when I wrote this in the car on the way to Philadelphia so…that is why she dies. ^-^ But Yami's sister!? *raises eyebrow* What is that about? *scans story* Do I ever imply anything about siblings? I'm confused. Oh well, I'm still glad you reviewed and are enjoying the story!
Destiny's Dragon: HAHA! KILL HIM! *rubs hands* yes, another victim!
Bakura: Why do you encourage my being beaten?
Umm….cause it's fun?
Bakura: And why am I the villain in this story? You can at least tell it as it is! I'm the "good guy!" Baka pharaoh, why is he always the hero?
Hm, I dunno. He's just so much more appealing than you. ^-^
Bakura: grrrr .
Oh, how's your hair? What, 5 chapters later and it's still pink! You SUCKER! HAHA!
Erm…yes well anyway, onto the FIC! ^-^
Chapter 14 (My age! ^-^)
Yugi lay on the ground, eyes squeezed shut, as his body slowly began to revive itself from the blow Bakura had given him. As he came fully into consciousness, he felt inside his chest a sudden pain, deep and wrenching, as though it was tearing away a piece of his very soul. His amethyst eyes popped open, his cheek pressed against the cold floor only to have his eyes take in the true horror of what lay to meet them. Several inches from his face lay Keturah, but she no longer stood proudly, defiant. Her body was motionless, skin pale, and hunched over her was another figure. Yugi looked closely at the man bending over the body, unable to fully realize what had taken place over the duration of time he had been unconscious. As Yugi looked on, the man raised his head, his eyes coming up to meet Yugi's. The boy let out a gasp and reflexively backed away from him. It was Yami, but it seemed as though he no longer existed in anything but body. The crimson eyes once fiery with passion were now dull, ghostly. Yugi peered into the scarlet depths, searching within them for the person he had come to except as family, a separate part of him, as close as blood and closer.
"Yami," the boy called softly, "Where are you?" Something within the red depths stirred in recognition of the voice, but the pain in those eyes swamped it again, burying the person within them.
'Gone, lifeless, pale. She's gone, forever….'
"Yami!" Yugi cried desperately, shaking his friend in an effort to snap him from the trance in which he was held. "Come back! I need you here! I need you!" The pharaoh made no move that he even knew there was another living creature in his presence. Yugi looked on at the two before him, the one empty, her spirit flown from their world, and the other… The boy pressed his hands against his eyes trying to block out the truth. In such a short space of time how could so much have changed? Yugi reflexively pressed the puzzle, the sharp corner biting into his palm, but as he did his half and Yami's glowed in unison as though to reassure him that although Yami's mind was imprisoned deep in shock, his heart was still there.
"Taste it pharaoh," Bakura called. "Feel the pain as it devours your heart! Now watch me as I tear it out!" Yugi placed his half of the puzzle in Yami's hands, praying that somehow it would restore him to normal. Then he spun around, and clambered to his feet, kind eyes narrowed in hate.
"Don't touch them!" he screamed tears leaking from his violet eyes, the small fists clenched so tightly the nails cut into his palms. "I won't let you hurt him!" Bakura laughed.
"You think to stand up to me, baka[1]? You can not survive against me!" From the shadows emerged a dark shape, and Diabund struck out at the small figure catching him unaware. From around the boy a golden light appeared, intercepting the blow. As it cracked and splintered away, both Yugi and the monster were thrown back, Yugi crashing into the marble wall. Bakura walked slowly over to the pharaoh and grabbed his hair, wrenching the once proud face skyward. "You see?" he hissed. "You are nothing, I am the stronger, and now you will pay for your family's sin of what you did to mine!" The tomb robber dropped Yami's head and walked out to the middle of the chamber, Diabund appearing silently beside him once more. The monster drew back its fist, preparing to crush the pitiful form at its feet.
From the corner of the room, a small figure stirred, lifting the little head from the ground. The amethyst eyes looked from Bakura to the monster, to the man at its feet. Yami had not looked at them, the two standing above him preparing to crush him with a single blow. His eyes had gone pale and distant, almost as though he was dead himself. Looking at him, Yugi found himself realizing something. He knew it was hard to lose someone you loved, terribly hard, like a great cavern eating away where your heart used to be. His family had died when he was small, but they had loved him while they were alive. But Yami? Yami had been forced to take up the throne when he lost his family. The Pharaoh of Egypt at sixteen. Not being able to have your family was bad enough, but when you had no one, and didn't know whom you could trust or who would kill you if they only got the chance, that had to be one hundred times worse. Keturah had become Yami's family. They had seen each other through their bad times and fought side by side for their freedoms and beliefs. And to lose that once you had finally found it had to be unbearable. Yugi lifted his head to gaze at the sky, seeing a single star shining brightly in the heavens. He smiled turning to look at Yami before holding the puzzle firmly between his hands, and closing his violet eyes. 'Please, bring her back? He needs her more than he needs me. They need each other…'
A bright light shone from the puzzle, engulfing the boy holding it. Bakura turned, shielding his dark eyes from the glare. When the light had faded, there was no longer anyone standing in it, only a golden shape revolving slowly before clattering to the ground.
Yami felt a departing touch on his shoulder, and opened his eyes to the world, pulling back the pain to see the things in truth. He looked down, the wound in his heart cutting open again, blood seeping from the fresh wound, pouring regret and sorrow from his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to forget. Feeling something brush against his face he opened his eyes again and looked, truly for the first time.
Keturah smiled up at him, tears glistening in her amber eyes one hand resting on his cheek. He stared in disbelief at her, trying to lock himself away again to where the illusion couldn't rip apart his heart. Her pale arms reached up grabbing him around the shoulders, drawing herself up to meet him, burying herself in him. Yami locked his arms around her, his hands like iron, refusing to release her. Bakura stood shocked, staring at the spot where the smaller boy had stood before turning back to the destruction of the pharaoh. He reeled back as he saw the woman sitting up, blood still staining her throat, but the flow had been stemmed. The pharaoh sat, his spirit revived, soul restored.
'Damn him!' Bakura thought. 'It doesn't matter,' he told himself. 'I'll destroy him anyway!'
"You may have gotten that wench back," he spat, "But I will still have my revenge!" The great shape of Bakura's ka straightened up, ready for battle once more. Upon Yami's mind losing its edge at the shock he had received, the god Obelisk had disappeared. As he pulled himself to his feet, Yami remembered feeling someone pull him from the river of fear and horror he had been drowning in. A small hand with a bright smile, saving him from the scarlet waters. Yugi. Yami turned, looking for the boy's familiar face, but it was not there.
"The little one?" Bakura asked, seeing Yami's eyes sweeping the room. "He's gone." Yami's eyes widened as though he had been hit in the stomach with a sledge hammer, his breath coming out in one sudden rush. His proud form slackened, doubt coming into his eyes. Gone? How? Why? Yugi!? "Don't worry," the tomb robber said as though from a distance. "You'll soon be joining him." Yami looked up into Diabund's eyes, the hunger to hurt, to kill, burning there.
'Osiris,' Yami prayed, 'Help me!' There was no answering surge of power, and within the corners of his heart Yami knew he did not have the strength to physically summon god, even if his will was great. He watched in agony as Bakura leered at the prospect of destroying him. "Black Magician!" Yami called, "Stand with me against this murderer!" At his side the Black Magician appeared arms crossed, blue eyes icy as he stared at the pair of foes standing against him. Keturah stepped up beside Yami.
"Black Magician Girl," she said softly, "I ask for your help." Her ka appeared at the side of Yami's, hand on hip, fury written on her delicate face.
"You two actually think you can defeat me with those? You both are returning from the brink of death, your ka will not withstand the might of my attack!" Yami wrapped his tanned arm around Keturah pulling her against him, knowing very well that Bakura's words were true. Bakura let out another laugh, throwing back his snowy head in victory, his shout ringing through the hall seeming to go up to the heavens themselves, echoing amongst the stars. The monster launched its attack, coming closer and closer to the four of them, human and monster alike, united against their enemy. Keturah closed her eyes as the fist grew closer bracing herself for when it hit.
"I do not favor fate," Yami whispered in her ear. She laughed, glad to be alive for one more moment, glad to have him at her side, only wishing the smaller boy stood there also. She opened her eyes, ready to die strong, not cowering from death like a child. But as she did, the final miracle occurred. From the corners on the room, like particles of dust draw towards a center point, pricks of light gathered to form one solid glowing orb, regal in its luminance before it dimmed revealing what it held. A third magician stood where the light had been, straight backed, defying the approaching enemy with the same determination as the others.
It took its place between the other two, and as Diabund's fist approached, from them came three streams of magic, white from the Black Magician Girl, pale green from the middle magician (and though pale it had an astounding brilliance), and from the Black Magician a deep purple with crackling blue flames around the edges. These three moved as one, forming together a light so bright, so vibrant that you could not look directly at it but had to see it in you mind by the power pulsating through it. Each magician brought their hand towards the others' placing them together forming a ring, and as they did so, Yami swore he could feel another ally standing at his elbow. Bakura's eyes widened as the three monsters shot the stream of magic at his beast, coiling it around its limbs and neck, until with a final blast from each, Diabund gave a great roar of despair, and disappeared, shattering into a thousand pieces disintegrating as they fell through the air. Bakura fell to his knees, the shock waves of the defeat running through him.
From within its robes, the last magician pulled forth a golden ring. He held it up to catch the sun, and as it did, Bakura screamed in agony. Yami looked on solemnly as a dark mist was pulled from the man, to be encased inside the ring for a millennia.
"Yami," Keturah whispered her eyes wide. "What happened?" Yami turned back to see the tomb robber's body fall to the ground, an empty shell.
"His soul has been sealed," Yami replied solemnly. The Last Magician glided over to the body, and passed its hand over it, the body melting away into nothing. It paused, looking at something intently before stooping to pick it from the floor, and once again Yami felt that familiar presence, but this time it seemed to come from the magician, not only with it. And as the figure turned Keturah gasped, silver tears leaking from her eyes, and Yami felt a wave of shock swamp him, so familiar and yet so different, as the amethyst eyes met his.
"Yugi," he breathed. The figure walked over, something clasped in its small hand, and it as he looked closer, Yami saw that it was Maha Vailo, but not as he had been seen before. Looking out from the magician's robes was the face of the boy he had shared the past days of his life with. The spiky hair so like his own, the cheery smile grinning out of the headdress. He pressed the golden ring into Keturah's hands before turning to the pharaoh. The boy stretched out his clasped hand as though trying to give something to them. Yami reached out his own, palm facing skyward and the boy dropped a small gold piece into his hand. The pharaoh held it up between his fingertips and instantly recognized the last piece to connect their two halves of the puzzle. The last piece, with an Eye of Horus upon the shining gold. He looked up at the magician only to find himself looking at his back retreating towards the enormous doors of the hall.
"Yugi!" Keturah screamed desperately, pleading, tears forming in her eyes but refusing to fall. The figure at the door halted, and turned for the last time. The familiar face smiled, closing one eye in farewell before fading into the setting sun. Yami held the golden piece firmly in his hand, feeling the weight of it in his hand, a last message from the lost one. "YUGI!" Keturah cried again, the tears breaking free and streaming from her eyes. She started towards the door where he had disappeared, but Yami stretched out his arm catching her before she could get more than a few steps.
"This is his choice," Yami said, biting back the remorse in his voice. "He wouldn't want you to try to snatch him back now." She peered up into his face, surprised to see his eyes swimming with their own sorrow, shining in the fading light.
As they stood together among the fading rays, a boy with violet eyes leapt across a river into the waiting arms on the other side. But as he laughed at finally finding those now with him, he cried at the loss of those he had been forced to leave behind, just as they wept for him.
[1] baka: Japanese for idiot, stupid, moron, ect. Very good insult word! ^-^
Well, I think there is going to be one more chapter and then…the end! *sob* T_T And about Yugi, I know you all are probably about to ki-! *dodges thrown vegetables* HEY! DON'T DO THAT! IF I GET KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS HOW WILL I FINISH THE FIC? Haha! Authoress power to avoid thrown produce! HahaHAHA-! (is hit smack it the face with a tomato) -_- R&R please! ^-^
