Jaid: Hey all! Well, here's (most of) the conclusion. Enjoy!
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Yami and Shadi's feet hitting the floor were the only sounds as the two men ran down the hallway. They were rapidly approaching a door near the end; the entire place had been a maze as it was and both Yami and Shadi were anxious, aware of the rapidly dwindling time they had.
"That door down there is the last one we haven't tried." Shadi said as they ran, nodding the direction he was talking about.
"Then that must be it." Yami stated softly, but firmly.
/It didn't take a genius to figure that out!/ Scale shouted. /Really, between the two of you it's amazing that we're alive!/
\Scales, stop that!\ Ankh scolded. \They're both under a lot of pressure right now!\
Scales muttered something more about stupidity, but fell silent as Shadi paused in front of the door. Yami did as well...something wasn't quite right and the both of them could feel it.
***
"You there! Stop!"
Isis turned as two purple cloaked Rare Hunters showed up. Her face became determined. "Katya, keep the children back. This may develop into something dangerous."
The curly-haired girl nodded, although she wasn't quite sure what Isis may have meant by that. She herself was not a duelist; and only took a passing interest in the game, not too mention she really didn't understand the concept of a Shadow Game.
"Who are you?" One of the Hunters demanded. Isis kept the hood over her face and her only response was a soft smile as she brought out her deck.
"Prepare yourselves." She warned, and then called forth a monster.
***
Rei shifted again; the chanting around her was beginning to make chills run up and down her spine again. Qenamun just stood at the front of the room, motionless.
Suddenly, the door burst open and the chanting ceased abruptly. Rei twisted her head around and her heart gave a leap. It was Yugi and...some weird turbaned dude. Rei didn't care; if he was a friend, she was cheering him on.
Qenamun slowly turned. "Well," he remarked dryly. "It has been a long while, prince...and Shadi, the Guardian of the Items, I presume."
Yami and Shadi said nothing, but a brief flicker ran through both men's eyes. Yami stepped forward. "Where are my friends?" he demanded.
"Oh, you came here for that, did you?" Qenamun asked. Yami's face became steely.
"I do not have much patience." He warned in low tone. The priest's answer was a slight smirk and a wave of a hand. Rei followed the direction he pointed in, as did Yugi and Shadi, and felt her heart leap up into her throat.
Her friends were lined up against a wall, seated. Their eyes were open and blank and they were all very pale. Almost dead looking. Rei scanned them and realized that Katya and Ryou were missing. 'Where could they be?'
***
Bakura staggered, leaning against a wall. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but one thing he did know; he didn't want to die without seeing Rei again.
He wasn't sure why; it wasn't because he felt anything for the girl specifically. To him, it was more of whom she represented...when he looked at Rei, who he really saw was the woman who still had his heart in her hands.
Bakura forced himself to take another step. Perhaps another reason was that he inwardly still rebelled against the thought of dying. All his life, he had hated the thought of his sprit leaving his body dead and cold; being encased in a tomb for all eternity. He'd seen those tombs; nothing happened to those who came and took wealth at will. Belief was a strong thing but Bakura was sure that the afterlife his people had so worshiped was nothing but a dream that they used to soften death's blow.
The thief fell to his knees. Strange that he was thinking of all this...he coughed and splatters of blood fell onto his hands and the ground. 'I'm really losing it...it's happening...' Bakura looked up at the moon. 'I probably won't live to see the sunrise...'
***
"How many people do you think are here?" Katya asked fearfully as Isis called back a monster she had used to dispel another group of Rare Hunters. "That's been the third-" she cut off as another man appeared, also clothed in purple.
Isis frowned, her blue eyes narrowing. "Rishid?"
"Please leave, Mistress Isis...and don't make me do this..." the man said in a pleading whisper. Isis shook her head.
"I can't, Rishid. I have to help my friends; some of them are innocent children who have nothing to do with the Items or even the cards. I can't sit by and let them get hurt."
Rishid's jaw tightened. "Please, you must go."
"No." Isis suddenly looked sad. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I told him too." A figure, still enshrouded in the shadows stated. "And Rishid, after all, is a very loyal person."
"Malik..." Isis whispered. A young blonde man stepped into what little light there was.
"Hello, sister. Nice to see that you've returned." He smirked.
***
Yami and Shadi stiffened when they saw the bodies, then exchanged looks. Yami nodded and stepped back. Shadi stared at Qenamun, his blue eyes steely.
"Whatever you have planned, it stops here." He said in a firm, even tone. "These children have nothing to do with you."
"You would be wrong about that." Qenamun stated, his smirk still in place. "It has everything to do with them."
Shadi's eyes flickered for a moment.
/I don't like the sound of that./ Ankh said quietly.
\Forget it. Let's test this jerk!\
Shadi smiled, only slightly. /\For once, Scales, I agree./\
***
"What is it you plan, brother?" Isis asked quietly.
"What I've been planning for years." Malik stepped forward, the limited light glinting off of his Rod. "My way to freedom and my revenge... Isis..."
The young woman stared at him. Malik's smirk disappeared and his face became deadly serious. "Don't make me fight you to get there."
***
"And just what do you plan to do, Guardian?" Qenamun asked softly. "Call up Anubis? Try my soul?"
Shadi said nothing, but brought out the Scales. The white-haired priest smiled grimly, then held out his hand, softly saying an incantation. Shadi winced and suddenly dropped the scales, holding a hand that now had a bad burn across it.
Yami stiffened seeing it, then shook his head. Shadi had to do his best; right now, Yami needed to concentrate....
***
Keep walking....one foot in front of the other...that's all Bakura could think of right now. He wasn't sure where he was going anymore, except that it didn't matter as long as he kept moving.
His hand clutched the edge of a mud brick building as he sagged, breathing heavily. All he could think of was death...of how life was slowly escaping his body...
Blood dripped to the ground from his mouth. He couldn't help but smile grimly. 'It won't be long now...'
***
Isis stood stiffly, not sure what to do. She did not want to fight the two men who had been family to her and yet, she could not let them continue.
'Isis! Isis! We need help!'
Her eyes widened; that sounded like Ankh! New resolution filled her and she pulled out a monster.
"You may not want me to stand in your way, but I cannot allow you to continue." She said firmly. Malik's violet eyes filled with anger.
"Fine." He bit out. "You leave me no choice."
He raised the Rod.
***
Rei stared at the confrontation between the turbaned man and Qenamun. She bit her lip and lowered her eyes.
A low coughing sound brought her back. Tea's body jerked and suddenly her head raised, blue eyes bright, but confused. Qenamun turned in shock.
Shadi didn't waste any time but grabbed the Ankh from around his neck and jammed it to the priest's head before the man had a chance to do anything.
"Yami, hurry." Shadi said through somewhat gritted teeth. The spiky haired boy nodded, his eyes closed and face concentrated.
Tea looked around, then stumbled to her feet. The other men in the room rushed forward, but suddenly, Seto Kaiba was on his feet as were Joey and Tristan. Rei's heart lifted.
The three boys immediately went into defensive stances as the cloaked men approached. On the floor, Tara, Duke, Serenity and Mai were still. Rei bit her lip and struggled harder against the ropes that held her.
***
Mahado's sandals smacked against the marble hallways of the palace as he walked quickly towards the royal apartments. The priest slowed as he saw Ankhkare approaching from the opposite direction. "Ankhkare!"
The healer smiled, a little wearily. "Greetings, Mahado. I assume you are here with Mana?"
"We heard that Mara was worse." Mahado said quietly. Ankhkare nodded, his light green eyes worried.
"I'm afraid so. But an odd thing has happened; the magical presence I felt in Princess Tefnut has disappeared and she is sleeping peacefully. I am hoping that the same will be true for Princess Ipwet and the others."
***
Yami was breathing heavily and felt exhausted. He hadn't expected that pulling the souls of the boys and Tea back would be so difficult...
/Yami?/ He heard Yugi call worriedly. The spirit forced himself to straighten.
\I'm fine. Let's finish this.\
***
Katya gave a slight scream as a burst of light exploded from Malik's Rod. The two children pressed themselves against her and she embraced them tightly, eyes closed.
"It's all right."
Katya opened her eyes. Isis was kneeling in front of them, hunched over. Katya stood. "Are you all right? Where did those two men go?"
Isis stood. "They left. I guess Malik didn't really want to fight me after all." She said. 'At least not yet.' She added silently. She had a feeling that she and her brother would be meeting again soon.
"Come quickly; I think Shadi and Yami are in trouble." She said quickly.
***
"Hurry!" Rei hissed. Tea's hand groped at the tight knots that kept the girl tied.
"I'm doing the best I can!" she answered back. In front of them, the boys, just recently joined by Duke, were trying their best to fight off the Rare Hunters, but Rei had noticed that their movements were slowly becoming more and more sluggish. Suddenly, Tristan fell over and didn't get back up.
"Oh no." Tea whispered. Rei grimaced.
"Don't look! Just untie!" she hissed, almost frantically.
"Sorry!" the red-headed girl blurted. "There!"
"Finally!" Rei sprang to her feet and eagerly jumped into the fray. Tea slumped back down, suddenly feeling dizzy...
***
Shadi stood inside Qenamun's soul room. It was dark and shadowy; he had trouble seeing what was inside. Suddenly, the sound of clapping made him turn.
Qenamun appeared, smirking. "Well done, Guardian."
Shadi remained calm. Qenamun walked up, still smirking. Shadi felt slight caution; Qenamun was too complacent and far to assured. Shadi should be able to completely change the man's soul room and therefore change his personality. Was Qenamun faking confidence or did he have something up his sleeve?
"Very well done." Qenamun spoke again. "It seems you have put one over on me."
Shadi stiffened slightly and his eyes narrowed, but he still remained silent.
"But...are you really prepared to look in my soul?" Qenamun's smirk had disappeared and his voice had lowered. "A soul that has spent five thousand years in the Shadow Realm?"
Shadi said nothing, but merely stared.
***
Isis ran into the room, finding it to be in chaos. Yami was on his hands and knees, breathing hard. In one corner, Tara held an unconscious Tea, her green eyes wide and confused. Tristan and Seto lay on the ground; Tristan's eyes were closed, but Seto looked as if he were trying to fight off whatever exhaustion was taking him over. Joey and Duke were fighting several of Malik's men the best they good; although it had to be admitted if it weren't for Mai and Rei, they both would be in trouble.
In the center of the chaos, stood Qenamun and Shadi, both motionless. Isis felt a little apprehensive, but it seemed Shadi had it mostly under control; why had Ankh called for her so frantically?
Not wasting another minute on thought, the woman went forward and kneeled next to Yami. "Are you all right?"
Yami nodded. "A little worn. But just a little." He stood, looking troubled. "I am not easy, however. I could not reach Ryou's soul."
"Only Bakura can do that, I'm afraid. It is his aibou." Isis
said quietly. Yami nodded.
"What now?"
"We get the kids out." Isis said determinedly.
***
Shadi stared at Qenamun, unmoving.
"It seems that my plan has failed." The priest continued. "But still, there is no way you will touch my soul, Guardian."
"That is not up to you." Shadi bravely took a step forward. Qenamun smiled in a slow dangerous way.
"I think you forget something. And that is I have taken precautions. You thought the Pharaoh's was a complicated mind..." Qenamun snapped his fingers and it seemed as if a light came on. "Just try finding your way through mine."
A realm of mazes and stairs appeared around Shadi in a dizzying circle. Qenamun chuckled. "Have fun, Guardian." He walked away, disappearing into shadow. Shadi blew out a breath and there was a long period of silence.
/Told you we should have used the Scales./ came a mumbled complaint.
***
It was a rather straggled group that made it's way towards Shadi's home. Isis was helping Mai and Tara, while Seto and Joey stumbled along with the help of Rei. Yami carried Tea and Katya was half carrying, half dragging Tristan with the help of Mokuba and Rebecca.
Rei suddenly gasped and shook free of Seto and Joey. She ran forward to a dark bundle lying on the street. Rolling it over, she brushed Bakura's white hair from his face.
"Bakura?" No answer. She tried again. "Ryou?"
The young man's eyes flickered open and his hand reached up to her cheek. "Bener." He whispered, then murmured something in Ancient Egyptian. Rei closed her eyes and a tear fell.
"No, it's not her. It's Rei. Bakura...please, where is Ryou?"
Bakura's eyes seemed to focus a little more and his hand fell. "I don't know." He said in a labored voice. Rei felt her heart freeze and was only distantly aware of Yami kneeling next to Bakura.
"Bakura." Yami said. "Ryou is still in the past. You can call him back."
Bakura laughed bitterly, blood bubbling up between his lips. "As if I had enough energy to do that, Pharaoh."
Yami's eyes flickered, then he sighed and closed his eyes. They reopened to show Yugi's violet ones. "I can help." The boy said quietly and took Bakura's hand. "Please. I know you don't want him to die any more than we do."
Bakura's brown eyes studied Yugi's face, then they closed. "All right." He whispered hoarsely.
***
Once again Ryou felt that strange disconnected feeling. He was aware of things around him; the feel of the couch he lied on; the speech of the servants and the healer around his bed and yet it all seemed muted, distant.
He felt so tired and suddenly, letting go just seemed like such a good idea. He gave a deep sigh and then it seemed as if a bright light rushed towards him...
***************
Don't you all just hate me? *sheepish grin* Sorry!
Indigo: Don'tcha think? I really like Sai; he's adorably funny. Oh, have to check those out in my...erm...rapidly dwindling spare time...*sweatdrop*
Aura Black Chan - ^__^ One more chapter after this. I hope this chapter is okay.
Dr. Vorlon – O.o A whole year? I think that's the longest it's taken me to write anything. *sigh* Hopefully the next one won't be that long. And yes, there will be another one in the series.
Chaos Babe – O.O Yes, ma'am! But not too much longer, lol.
Animegoil – Ooh, you reviewed me! Coolies. Thank you very much for your compliments, but you're not bad yourself, ya know. Lol, yes! Find out as much about Yu-Gi-Oh as you can! It's a great series. ^__^ Although I privately think Dragon Knights is better...*sweatdrop* Nobody kill me, please?
