Yu-Gi-Oh!
Dawn of Fate
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[Skyla's room in the Angel Wings treehouse. Yami Yugi is attempting to light an insense cone (I don't care what anyone says, those things are a beyotch to light _). Skyla is at her computer, watching an episode of Full Metal Alchemist (Ed! ::glomps::), while the latest YGO episode downloads in the background.]
Y.Yugi: [struggling to light a match.] Sky-chan, have you checked your e-mail since posting chapter twenty-three?
Skyla: Crap, no.
[She pauses the episode so she can go to her e-mail inbox...]
*FWOOSH!*
[Suddenly, Skyla is burried under a pile of e-mails, all marked "[FanFiction.net] Review Alert!" Yami Yugi panics.]
Y.Yugi: Sky-chan! Sky-chan! You all right?!
[Skyla's hand pokes out from the pile of e-mails, pointing up to the sky in an "Ah-HA!" manner.]
Skyla: Now THIS is more like it!
Y.Yugi: [sweatdrops] Review hog...
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Kitty Neko: Yes, but I'm not the other authors, now am I? ;)
UsagiLovesDuochan: You're on the right track, hun. ^_^ And, I don't think Mahaado will make another appearance... I'll have to see.
Telkella: This soon enough for you? XD
Griff valdez: No, you can't borrow Yami Bakura. ::points to where Yami Bakura is playing PS2:: He's busy playing Kingdom Hearts for another crossover I'm working on. v_v;;
Lori Kimaya: ^^;;; Right now, I'm trying to hurry up and finish this story, so I can free up my time a little bit to worry about other things I need to complete. ^^;;;;
Gavroche Rule: Go get 'em, Yami Baka! X3 (Y.Bakura: Skyla... -_-;;; )
MillenniumDreamer: ::gets whacked repeatedly with a burrito:: Owie...! _ Hey, I said I was going to kill someone. I never said they were going to stay dead! ^^;;
Anime_Rachiru: You guessed right. ^_^
Hikari no Mari: From our perspective, the Japanese read things backwards. For example, you see some writers refer to Yami Bakura as "Yami no Bakura", which translates as "Bakura of Darkness". In reference to ancient spirits like him, this is correct, but Yami Marik is not a spirit in the same respect that they are. That's why I refer to him as "Marik no Yami", or "Darkness of Marik".
Mistress of Foxes: Believe me, this didn't come out as fast as I had hoped. If it weren't for work, this chapter would have been out around dinner time instead of 2:30 in the morning. _
Ginger Silvertonge: ::scratches her head:: It's just a fan fic... ^^;;;;
Cloud Dragon: LOL! Glad to be of service. ^_^
Yami Yami Yugi: _ I don't even listen to my own mother...
Mimiheart: Oops! O_o ::uses Dead Alive on her:: Hey, c'mon, don't die on me! ^_^
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Skyla: [brushing reviews out of her hair] Whew! I take it back; last chapter was the most reviews I've ever gotten in one shot.
Y.Yugi: You're still a review hog.
Skyla: Oh, put a sock in it. v_v;;
Y.Yugi: Sure, as long as it's not one of yours. ;)
Skyla: _
Y.Yugi: Read, enjoy, and then review!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - ESCAPE
Harry was afraid to blink, least the image before him turned out to be a figment of his imagination. Marik was making his way toward the gathering of Death Eaters, pausing only to give Pettigrew a swift kick in the stomach, making sure he would not be getting up again any time soon. The Egyptian stopped just before the circle of Voldemort's followers; the ones closest to him were obviously unnerved by the fact that he was alive, but still managed to keep their wands pointed at him. He stood there, a slight smirk on his face, the thumb of one hand hooked into his pocket, the other hanging down, holding onto not only his wand but Harry's as well.
Voldemort sneered at him. "Don't you Egyptians know when to die?"
Marik just shrugged casually. "I guess no one told you we Egyptians are notorious for being reborn or revived when you least expect it," he replied, before his expression turned hard. "Now, free Harry and let us go back, and I'll let all of you live."
Voldemort just let out a cold, cruel laugh. "Make sure he stays dead this time."
The five wands of the Death Eaters closest to Marik started to move...
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light from five of the Killing Curse being cast at once was so bright that Harry was forced to turn away. Marik had not moved an inch when they started to cast it, however. Did he have something in mind, or did they kill him again before...?
Suddenly, a loud explosion ripped through the air, leaving his ears ringing. Harry turned to see if Marik was okay, only to see that he was still standing in the same spot. He was holding out the hand that had been in his pocket, fingers splayed, and the Millennium Ring was glowing brighter than ever... as well as something else. On his forehead, the Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness burned proudly, and the stern expression on his face made those that had been foolish enough to attack him back up in fear.
"Big mistake," Marik announced, his voice hard and unforgiving.
He reached for the Millennium Ring, grabbing it around the central triangle and pulling hard enough for the strap that held it around his neck to come undone. The ring that the strap was looped around and the strap itself sparked, before transforming into a decorative topper, with the Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness as the center of the design. Marik stuffed his and Harry's wands into his pocket, before grabbing the center point with that hand. The point affixed itself to the Ring, and suddenly shot out, turning the Ring into a magician's Staff.
Marik held the transformed Item before him, looking like a magician of a fantasy story, the remaining four points chiming together like the tinkling of bells.
"I am Marik Ishitar," he announced, "new priest of the Millennium Ring, and leader of the Ishitar Gravekeeper Clan. In my veins flows the blood of the priest Mahaado... the blood of a guardian and a mage!"
With that said, Marik sent the Staff moving, weaving it through an intricate set of spins that looked as if they had taken decades for him to practice. It was moving so fast that still burning brightly Ring portion of the Staff left behind an afterglow in a complicated circular pattern.
"Black Burning Magic!"
Marik suddenly stopped the display, slamming the Staff onto the ground. The earth cracked and split, making a broken pattern that snaked its way to each Death Eater and Voldemort, bringing a trail of dark blazing flame along with it. Those closest to Marik got the brunt of it, their cloaks bursting into black fire as they tried vainly to put it out. The graveyard suddenly became very bright and very hot as grass and everything else that was flammable caught on fire, casting an eerie glow over everything.
Harry struggled against his bonds, trying to pull himself free before the fire got to him. He could feel a great deal of heat coming from behind him, and the fires in front of him where quickly gaining in intensity; and knew it was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed...
"Harry-kun!"
Marik suddenly broke through the flames before him; his arms held up over his face, his cloak slightly scorched from running through fire. The Millennium Ring had returned to normal, and was once again hanging around his neck, and the mark on his forehead had disappeared as well.
Marik showed off a lopsided grin as he pulled a knife from his boot, starting to cut Harry's bonds. "That was a little more potent than I expected."
Harry rolled his eyes. "For a moment there, I thought you planned for that to happen."
"Well, most of that was planned," the Egyptian admitted, cutting through the last of Harry's bonds, before reaching out a hand to help steady his friend. "You all right? How's your leg doing?"
"Not too well," Harry admitted, testing his injured leg gingerly.
Marik grabbed one of his arms and looped it over his shoulder, keeping him steady. Harry knew that he was going to slow the two of them down, but they both needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. The two of them had come within an inch of dying or being taken over that night. Now that they had the chance to escape, they were not about to let it go.
A moment later, the two of them burst through the flames, pausing only to put out whatever fires that lingered on their clothing, before setting off as fast as they could through the graveyard. Harry held onto Marik tightly, limping along, trying desperately to keep up with the Egyptian, who was attempting to travel at a speed that did not agree with his leg.
"Where are we going?" Harry asked as they passed by the Triwizard Cup, still lying on the ground.
"Anywhere," Marik replied, looking behind him. "Just as long as we're far away from anything that resembles Voldemort, Death Eaters, and that damned creature."
Harry could not help but ask, "A creature that was part of you?"
Marik noticeably flinched. "That's something I'd rather talk about in a less hostile environment."
"Such sanctuary you will never see again!"
Marik and Harry came skidding to a halt. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had somehow managed to get ahead of them, though they were looking a bit worse for wear. Some of them had to abandon their cloaks, while others sported nasty burn marks. Voldemort's robes themselves had patches burned away, revealing charred skin underneath. Marik smirked at the pitiful display.
"Aw, poor thing," he taunted. "Just got your body back and it's already carrying battle scars."
Harry sweatdropped. "Marik," he muttered out the side of his mouth, "I don't think patronizing him is a good idea right now..."
Voldemort snarled. "You're more trouble than you're worth, Harry Potter..."
Voldemort raised his wand...
Harry let his hand drift down toward Marik's pocket, seizing his own wand...
"You have a God within you," the Dark Lord continued, "and if I cannot take that God, I'll destroy it before anyone else can!"
Harry brought his arm over Marik's head...
...just as Voldemort swung his wand down...
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of green light shot from Voldemort's wand just as a jet of red light blasted out of Harry's. The two spells met in midair... and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as if it had become electrified. His hand had seized up around the wood, and he could not have moved it even if he wanted to. A narrow beam of light connected the two wands together. It was neither red nor green… but a bright, deep gold. Then, to his astonishment, he felt his feet leave the ground. Both he and the Dark Lord were lifted into the air, the thread of light never breaking their wands apart. He dimly heard Marik shouting for him frantically as they glided away from the burning graveyard and came to rest on a patch of earth that was devoid of any graves.
Once their feet were back on the ground, the golden light connecting the wands splintered. The two wands remained connected as thousands more beams arced high up in the air, crisscrossing all around the two of them, until they were enclosed in a golden web in the shape of a dome.
Harry looked across the way to Voldemort. The Dark Lord's eyes were wide with shock, and he was fighting to break the thread of light. Harry just held on tighter, gritting his teeth in determination. He did not know what was going on, but it seemed to be working in his favor...
Just then, and unearthly beautiful sound filled the air. It vibrated from the threads of the light-spun web around them, piercing through Harry's very soul. He would recognize that sound from anywhere...
A phoenix song.
The song seemed to soothe Harry's soul in addition to giving him strength. He reached up with his other hand and grasped his wand. The golden connection flared, seemingly becoming stronger now that he was gripping the wand with both hands.
~~Don't break the connection...~~
The voice of the boy sang in his head again, and while Harry could not see him this time, he could still feel him, as if he were standing right next to him.
~~I know,~~ he thought to the voice. ~~I know I mustn't...~~
No sooner had he thought that, however, did the wand begin to vibrate more forcefully, making the wand that much more harder to hold onto. Harry gritted his teeth, fighting to keep a hold of the wand despite the fact that it felt like it was going to shatter in his hands...
Meanwhile, Marik was in a bit of a pickle. Several Death Eaters... several charred, angry Death Eaters, surrounded him. Each of them raised their wands, ready and more than willing to kill him. The Egyptian just smirked; if they wanted to kill him, they were going to have to try a different tactic. He reached around and grabbed his wand from his back pocket as the Millennium Ring flared to life again.
"Stupefy!"
His spell, amplified by the power of the Ring, lanced out at the Death Eaters, hitting each of them squarely in the chest. They all hit the ground, unconscious, as Marik smirked proudly.
"Losers," he declared.
He was about to make a break for the golden dome Harry was enclosed in, when he was force to come to a halt as a dark shadow appeared in front of him. Marik raised his wand, the Millennium Ring glowing once again. He grit his teeth, before motioning with his wand.
"Get out of my way," he ordered.
Marik no Yami seemed to smirk. "Hikari-pretty will escape from this," he responded. "Rest assured, though. Hikari-pretty's story is going to end badly. Oré-sama will see to that."
Marik's expression became hard. "I'll not say it again," he said darkly. "I'll deal with you another time."
"No," the spirit replied mockingly. "Oré-sama will be dealing with hikari-pretty."
Marik was about to retort when the spirit vanished, blending away into the darkness. He growled under his breath, before heading up the hill to where Harry and Voldemort's wands were still connected. Harry, however, looked like he was in extreme pain. While he still held onto his wand with all his might, his face was scrunched up, trying desperately to focus all his power into his wand even though he was obviously having a great amount of difficulty doing so.
"Harry-kun!" he shouted. "Hang in there!"
"I can't!" Harry cried through clenched teeth. "I can't; he's too powerful. I'm afraid my wand's going to break!"
"You can't be afraid, Harry-kun!" Marik exclaimed. "If you're afraid something bad's going to happen, then there's a good chance that it -!"
The Gravekeeper was interrupted mid-encouragement speech by something hitting him in the back of the head with enough force to make stars dance before his eyes. Marik grunted and stumbled back and around, only to see Pettigrew standing behind him, flexing the new hand that Voldemort had given him.
"Damn, you're still alive?" he commented idly, easily dodging another punch from him. "Pul-lease. If you're going to throw a punch at a desert man, at least pretend you know what you're doing."
Marik dodged another punch and ducked under a lame attempt at a kick, before coming up and punching Pettigrew in the stomach. The rat-faced man doubled over in pain, giving the Egyptian a perfect opening to knee him in the face, effectively knocking him out again. Muttering about rude interruptions under his breath, he turned back to Harry, only to see that the young wizard had fallen to one knee, though he still desperately maintained his fragile hold on his wand.
"Harry-kun!" Marik shouted. "C'mon! Get back up!"
"No, Potter," Voldemort said, his thin lips quirked up in a smirk. "Stay like that. It will be easier to kill you that way."
Marik flashed a rude finger in his direction. "Shut up, snake breath!"
Harry spared Marik an annoyed glare, as the power from Voldemort's end of the golden line seemed to increase along with his rage.
"Marik, this isn't the time to be cracking jokes!" he snapped, nearly crying from the strain.
"Then stand up and fight back!" Marik encouraged. "Tall, dark, and pasty over there said you had a God within you. Use its power to bring Voldemort to HIS knees!"
This time Harry looked at him like he grew another head. "How am I supposed to do THAT?!"
"You have to be strong!" Marik exclaimed, clenching his fists together as if that would help Harry have courage. "Gods award the strong with Their powers. Why do you think Seto and I can summon Obelisk and Ra? Only Panseru and Yugi have the right to summon a God; it's their birthright as pharaoh. But, Seto and I can summon God, because we keep proving ourselves strong through every duel and every hardship."
Harry's mouth hung open in slight surprise. Before, when Voldemort was doing whatever it was he was trying to do to him, he had acquired a bit of that strange boy's power because he had been trying to be desperately strong against the pain. Was that boy this God the two of them spoke of? And if so, just what kind of God WAS it?
"Stand up, Harry-kun!"
Harry grit his teeth. The time for questions would come later. Right then, the two of them had to escape from the graveyard, and the only way they were going to do that was through Voldemort. Painfully, slowly, he got back to his feet. His bad leg shook something terrible from the stress, but he stubbornly locked his knee straight, refusing to fall again. He tightened his grip on his wand, forcing it to stay pointed toward Voldemort even though it was vibrating so badly that it nearly shook out of his hands. Closing his eyes, he reached deep within himself, trying to find that power that was supposed to be a God...
~~I don't know who you are...~~
~~I don't know what you are...~~
~~Nor do I know how to awaken you when the time comes...~~
~~But... please... help me again, now...~~
~~So that I may know sometime in the future...~~
Marik had to back up and shield his eyes as the holy light of a God erupted from Harry once again, the phoenix song picking up in volume and intensity at the same time. The Gravekeeper grinned, silently cheering his friend on as he heard Voldemort scream in terror and surprise. That was not the only thing he heard, though; he could have sworn he heard other voices speaking inside the dome that did not sound like Harry or Voldemort, but the light was too bright for him to be sure.
After a long moment, the light dimmed slightly, treating Marik to a sight that almost made him fall over in shock. Four ghosts were circling about within the dome, whispering words of encouragement to Harry while hissing angry, taunting words at Voldemort. The Dark Lord looked absolutely petrified as he watched the ghosts, his prior victims, floating about.
That was not the only strange thing about what was going on. Harry was standing absolutely straight, as if his leg was not injured at all, and was holding onto his still vibrating wand as if it were nothing at all. The power shooting out from the small stick of wood seemed to have quadrupled in the past few moments, the golden thread connecting the two wands glowing brighter than ever. In addition to all that, there was something else... something on Harry's forehead...
Marik took a step back in surprise. The Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness... the symbol of a Millennium Item holder... but, it was impossible! In order for the mark to be able to appear, a person had to be in PHYSICAL contact with an Item. How could... Harry... and...? The Gravekeeper shook his head; everything he knew about the Items seemed to have been tossed out to the wind at that moment leaving him utterly confused.
"Marik," Harry said suddenly, snapping him out of his confusion, "get ready to run!"
Marik braced himself, waiting...
Then, with a might wrench upward, Harry broke the connection between the two wands. The golden thread snapped in half and vanished, taking the glowing dome along with it. The ghosts lingered, however, hovering about Voldemort and cutting him off from getting to Harry and Marik. They had not stopped to watch, however; the two of them were already running, Harry leading, toward something in the now smoldering graveyard.
"Where are we going?" Marik asked, making sure to tread on a Death Eater he thought looked like Lucius Malfoy as they ran past.
"To the Triwizard Cup," Harry said, the mark on his forehead providing the only really good light. "It's a Portkey. It brought us here, so it should send us back."
"You hope."
"I hope."
The two of them ran as they had never run before in their lives, zigzagging behind and around headstones just as a curse hit the ground behind them. Voldemort had broken free of the ghosts, and was pursuing the two of them with a vengeance. Ten feet away from the Cup, however, they were forced to dive behind a giant marble angel as the Dark Lord starting flinging Stunning Spells their way. Harry and Marik exchanged looks, held up their wands and nodded, before dashing out from behind the angel...
"Impedimenta!"
They had not cast the spell with the intent of it actually affecting the Dark Lord, or even hitting him for that matter. It did have the effect they wanted though, as Voldemort was forced to dodge the spells, giving them a much better chance to get ahead of him. The two of them darted forward, closing in on the cup...
Marik glanced back over his shoulder for a brief moment. Voldemort was raising his wand again...
"Accio!" Harry yelled suddenly.
Marik faced forward again. The Cup was speeding toward them because of Harry's spell. As one, they reached out a hand, grasping it by the handle...
Marik and Harry heard Voldemort's scream of fury as the same moment they felt a jerk behind their navel. The Portkey had worked! It was speeding the two of them away from the smoking graveyard in a whirl of wind and color...
They were going back.
Dawn of Fate
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[Skyla's room in the Angel Wings treehouse. Yami Yugi is attempting to light an insense cone (I don't care what anyone says, those things are a beyotch to light _). Skyla is at her computer, watching an episode of Full Metal Alchemist (Ed! ::glomps::), while the latest YGO episode downloads in the background.]
Y.Yugi: [struggling to light a match.] Sky-chan, have you checked your e-mail since posting chapter twenty-three?
Skyla: Crap, no.
[She pauses the episode so she can go to her e-mail inbox...]
*FWOOSH!*
[Suddenly, Skyla is burried under a pile of e-mails, all marked "[FanFiction.net] Review Alert!" Yami Yugi panics.]
Y.Yugi: Sky-chan! Sky-chan! You all right?!
[Skyla's hand pokes out from the pile of e-mails, pointing up to the sky in an "Ah-HA!" manner.]
Skyla: Now THIS is more like it!
Y.Yugi: [sweatdrops] Review hog...
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Kitty Neko: Yes, but I'm not the other authors, now am I? ;)
UsagiLovesDuochan: You're on the right track, hun. ^_^ And, I don't think Mahaado will make another appearance... I'll have to see.
Telkella: This soon enough for you? XD
Griff valdez: No, you can't borrow Yami Bakura. ::points to where Yami Bakura is playing PS2:: He's busy playing Kingdom Hearts for another crossover I'm working on. v_v;;
Lori Kimaya: ^^;;; Right now, I'm trying to hurry up and finish this story, so I can free up my time a little bit to worry about other things I need to complete. ^^;;;;
Gavroche Rule: Go get 'em, Yami Baka! X3 (Y.Bakura: Skyla... -_-;;; )
MillenniumDreamer: ::gets whacked repeatedly with a burrito:: Owie...! _ Hey, I said I was going to kill someone. I never said they were going to stay dead! ^^;;
Anime_Rachiru: You guessed right. ^_^
Hikari no Mari: From our perspective, the Japanese read things backwards. For example, you see some writers refer to Yami Bakura as "Yami no Bakura", which translates as "Bakura of Darkness". In reference to ancient spirits like him, this is correct, but Yami Marik is not a spirit in the same respect that they are. That's why I refer to him as "Marik no Yami", or "Darkness of Marik".
Mistress of Foxes: Believe me, this didn't come out as fast as I had hoped. If it weren't for work, this chapter would have been out around dinner time instead of 2:30 in the morning. _
Ginger Silvertonge: ::scratches her head:: It's just a fan fic... ^^;;;;
Cloud Dragon: LOL! Glad to be of service. ^_^
Yami Yami Yugi: _ I don't even listen to my own mother...
Mimiheart: Oops! O_o ::uses Dead Alive on her:: Hey, c'mon, don't die on me! ^_^
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Skyla: [brushing reviews out of her hair] Whew! I take it back; last chapter was the most reviews I've ever gotten in one shot.
Y.Yugi: You're still a review hog.
Skyla: Oh, put a sock in it. v_v;;
Y.Yugi: Sure, as long as it's not one of yours. ;)
Skyla: _
Y.Yugi: Read, enjoy, and then review!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - ESCAPE
Harry was afraid to blink, least the image before him turned out to be a figment of his imagination. Marik was making his way toward the gathering of Death Eaters, pausing only to give Pettigrew a swift kick in the stomach, making sure he would not be getting up again any time soon. The Egyptian stopped just before the circle of Voldemort's followers; the ones closest to him were obviously unnerved by the fact that he was alive, but still managed to keep their wands pointed at him. He stood there, a slight smirk on his face, the thumb of one hand hooked into his pocket, the other hanging down, holding onto not only his wand but Harry's as well.
Voldemort sneered at him. "Don't you Egyptians know when to die?"
Marik just shrugged casually. "I guess no one told you we Egyptians are notorious for being reborn or revived when you least expect it," he replied, before his expression turned hard. "Now, free Harry and let us go back, and I'll let all of you live."
Voldemort just let out a cold, cruel laugh. "Make sure he stays dead this time."
The five wands of the Death Eaters closest to Marik started to move...
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light from five of the Killing Curse being cast at once was so bright that Harry was forced to turn away. Marik had not moved an inch when they started to cast it, however. Did he have something in mind, or did they kill him again before...?
Suddenly, a loud explosion ripped through the air, leaving his ears ringing. Harry turned to see if Marik was okay, only to see that he was still standing in the same spot. He was holding out the hand that had been in his pocket, fingers splayed, and the Millennium Ring was glowing brighter than ever... as well as something else. On his forehead, the Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness burned proudly, and the stern expression on his face made those that had been foolish enough to attack him back up in fear.
"Big mistake," Marik announced, his voice hard and unforgiving.
He reached for the Millennium Ring, grabbing it around the central triangle and pulling hard enough for the strap that held it around his neck to come undone. The ring that the strap was looped around and the strap itself sparked, before transforming into a decorative topper, with the Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness as the center of the design. Marik stuffed his and Harry's wands into his pocket, before grabbing the center point with that hand. The point affixed itself to the Ring, and suddenly shot out, turning the Ring into a magician's Staff.
Marik held the transformed Item before him, looking like a magician of a fantasy story, the remaining four points chiming together like the tinkling of bells.
"I am Marik Ishitar," he announced, "new priest of the Millennium Ring, and leader of the Ishitar Gravekeeper Clan. In my veins flows the blood of the priest Mahaado... the blood of a guardian and a mage!"
With that said, Marik sent the Staff moving, weaving it through an intricate set of spins that looked as if they had taken decades for him to practice. It was moving so fast that still burning brightly Ring portion of the Staff left behind an afterglow in a complicated circular pattern.
"Black Burning Magic!"
Marik suddenly stopped the display, slamming the Staff onto the ground. The earth cracked and split, making a broken pattern that snaked its way to each Death Eater and Voldemort, bringing a trail of dark blazing flame along with it. Those closest to Marik got the brunt of it, their cloaks bursting into black fire as they tried vainly to put it out. The graveyard suddenly became very bright and very hot as grass and everything else that was flammable caught on fire, casting an eerie glow over everything.
Harry struggled against his bonds, trying to pull himself free before the fire got to him. He could feel a great deal of heat coming from behind him, and the fires in front of him where quickly gaining in intensity; and knew it was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed...
"Harry-kun!"
Marik suddenly broke through the flames before him; his arms held up over his face, his cloak slightly scorched from running through fire. The Millennium Ring had returned to normal, and was once again hanging around his neck, and the mark on his forehead had disappeared as well.
Marik showed off a lopsided grin as he pulled a knife from his boot, starting to cut Harry's bonds. "That was a little more potent than I expected."
Harry rolled his eyes. "For a moment there, I thought you planned for that to happen."
"Well, most of that was planned," the Egyptian admitted, cutting through the last of Harry's bonds, before reaching out a hand to help steady his friend. "You all right? How's your leg doing?"
"Not too well," Harry admitted, testing his injured leg gingerly.
Marik grabbed one of his arms and looped it over his shoulder, keeping him steady. Harry knew that he was going to slow the two of them down, but they both needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. The two of them had come within an inch of dying or being taken over that night. Now that they had the chance to escape, they were not about to let it go.
A moment later, the two of them burst through the flames, pausing only to put out whatever fires that lingered on their clothing, before setting off as fast as they could through the graveyard. Harry held onto Marik tightly, limping along, trying desperately to keep up with the Egyptian, who was attempting to travel at a speed that did not agree with his leg.
"Where are we going?" Harry asked as they passed by the Triwizard Cup, still lying on the ground.
"Anywhere," Marik replied, looking behind him. "Just as long as we're far away from anything that resembles Voldemort, Death Eaters, and that damned creature."
Harry could not help but ask, "A creature that was part of you?"
Marik noticeably flinched. "That's something I'd rather talk about in a less hostile environment."
"Such sanctuary you will never see again!"
Marik and Harry came skidding to a halt. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had somehow managed to get ahead of them, though they were looking a bit worse for wear. Some of them had to abandon their cloaks, while others sported nasty burn marks. Voldemort's robes themselves had patches burned away, revealing charred skin underneath. Marik smirked at the pitiful display.
"Aw, poor thing," he taunted. "Just got your body back and it's already carrying battle scars."
Harry sweatdropped. "Marik," he muttered out the side of his mouth, "I don't think patronizing him is a good idea right now..."
Voldemort snarled. "You're more trouble than you're worth, Harry Potter..."
Voldemort raised his wand...
Harry let his hand drift down toward Marik's pocket, seizing his own wand...
"You have a God within you," the Dark Lord continued, "and if I cannot take that God, I'll destroy it before anyone else can!"
Harry brought his arm over Marik's head...
...just as Voldemort swung his wand down...
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of green light shot from Voldemort's wand just as a jet of red light blasted out of Harry's. The two spells met in midair... and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as if it had become electrified. His hand had seized up around the wood, and he could not have moved it even if he wanted to. A narrow beam of light connected the two wands together. It was neither red nor green… but a bright, deep gold. Then, to his astonishment, he felt his feet leave the ground. Both he and the Dark Lord were lifted into the air, the thread of light never breaking their wands apart. He dimly heard Marik shouting for him frantically as they glided away from the burning graveyard and came to rest on a patch of earth that was devoid of any graves.
Once their feet were back on the ground, the golden light connecting the wands splintered. The two wands remained connected as thousands more beams arced high up in the air, crisscrossing all around the two of them, until they were enclosed in a golden web in the shape of a dome.
Harry looked across the way to Voldemort. The Dark Lord's eyes were wide with shock, and he was fighting to break the thread of light. Harry just held on tighter, gritting his teeth in determination. He did not know what was going on, but it seemed to be working in his favor...
Just then, and unearthly beautiful sound filled the air. It vibrated from the threads of the light-spun web around them, piercing through Harry's very soul. He would recognize that sound from anywhere...
A phoenix song.
The song seemed to soothe Harry's soul in addition to giving him strength. He reached up with his other hand and grasped his wand. The golden connection flared, seemingly becoming stronger now that he was gripping the wand with both hands.
~~Don't break the connection...~~
The voice of the boy sang in his head again, and while Harry could not see him this time, he could still feel him, as if he were standing right next to him.
~~I know,~~ he thought to the voice. ~~I know I mustn't...~~
No sooner had he thought that, however, did the wand begin to vibrate more forcefully, making the wand that much more harder to hold onto. Harry gritted his teeth, fighting to keep a hold of the wand despite the fact that it felt like it was going to shatter in his hands...
Meanwhile, Marik was in a bit of a pickle. Several Death Eaters... several charred, angry Death Eaters, surrounded him. Each of them raised their wands, ready and more than willing to kill him. The Egyptian just smirked; if they wanted to kill him, they were going to have to try a different tactic. He reached around and grabbed his wand from his back pocket as the Millennium Ring flared to life again.
"Stupefy!"
His spell, amplified by the power of the Ring, lanced out at the Death Eaters, hitting each of them squarely in the chest. They all hit the ground, unconscious, as Marik smirked proudly.
"Losers," he declared.
He was about to make a break for the golden dome Harry was enclosed in, when he was force to come to a halt as a dark shadow appeared in front of him. Marik raised his wand, the Millennium Ring glowing once again. He grit his teeth, before motioning with his wand.
"Get out of my way," he ordered.
Marik no Yami seemed to smirk. "Hikari-pretty will escape from this," he responded. "Rest assured, though. Hikari-pretty's story is going to end badly. Oré-sama will see to that."
Marik's expression became hard. "I'll not say it again," he said darkly. "I'll deal with you another time."
"No," the spirit replied mockingly. "Oré-sama will be dealing with hikari-pretty."
Marik was about to retort when the spirit vanished, blending away into the darkness. He growled under his breath, before heading up the hill to where Harry and Voldemort's wands were still connected. Harry, however, looked like he was in extreme pain. While he still held onto his wand with all his might, his face was scrunched up, trying desperately to focus all his power into his wand even though he was obviously having a great amount of difficulty doing so.
"Harry-kun!" he shouted. "Hang in there!"
"I can't!" Harry cried through clenched teeth. "I can't; he's too powerful. I'm afraid my wand's going to break!"
"You can't be afraid, Harry-kun!" Marik exclaimed. "If you're afraid something bad's going to happen, then there's a good chance that it -!"
The Gravekeeper was interrupted mid-encouragement speech by something hitting him in the back of the head with enough force to make stars dance before his eyes. Marik grunted and stumbled back and around, only to see Pettigrew standing behind him, flexing the new hand that Voldemort had given him.
"Damn, you're still alive?" he commented idly, easily dodging another punch from him. "Pul-lease. If you're going to throw a punch at a desert man, at least pretend you know what you're doing."
Marik dodged another punch and ducked under a lame attempt at a kick, before coming up and punching Pettigrew in the stomach. The rat-faced man doubled over in pain, giving the Egyptian a perfect opening to knee him in the face, effectively knocking him out again. Muttering about rude interruptions under his breath, he turned back to Harry, only to see that the young wizard had fallen to one knee, though he still desperately maintained his fragile hold on his wand.
"Harry-kun!" Marik shouted. "C'mon! Get back up!"
"No, Potter," Voldemort said, his thin lips quirked up in a smirk. "Stay like that. It will be easier to kill you that way."
Marik flashed a rude finger in his direction. "Shut up, snake breath!"
Harry spared Marik an annoyed glare, as the power from Voldemort's end of the golden line seemed to increase along with his rage.
"Marik, this isn't the time to be cracking jokes!" he snapped, nearly crying from the strain.
"Then stand up and fight back!" Marik encouraged. "Tall, dark, and pasty over there said you had a God within you. Use its power to bring Voldemort to HIS knees!"
This time Harry looked at him like he grew another head. "How am I supposed to do THAT?!"
"You have to be strong!" Marik exclaimed, clenching his fists together as if that would help Harry have courage. "Gods award the strong with Their powers. Why do you think Seto and I can summon Obelisk and Ra? Only Panseru and Yugi have the right to summon a God; it's their birthright as pharaoh. But, Seto and I can summon God, because we keep proving ourselves strong through every duel and every hardship."
Harry's mouth hung open in slight surprise. Before, when Voldemort was doing whatever it was he was trying to do to him, he had acquired a bit of that strange boy's power because he had been trying to be desperately strong against the pain. Was that boy this God the two of them spoke of? And if so, just what kind of God WAS it?
"Stand up, Harry-kun!"
Harry grit his teeth. The time for questions would come later. Right then, the two of them had to escape from the graveyard, and the only way they were going to do that was through Voldemort. Painfully, slowly, he got back to his feet. His bad leg shook something terrible from the stress, but he stubbornly locked his knee straight, refusing to fall again. He tightened his grip on his wand, forcing it to stay pointed toward Voldemort even though it was vibrating so badly that it nearly shook out of his hands. Closing his eyes, he reached deep within himself, trying to find that power that was supposed to be a God...
~~I don't know who you are...~~
~~I don't know what you are...~~
~~Nor do I know how to awaken you when the time comes...~~
~~But... please... help me again, now...~~
~~So that I may know sometime in the future...~~
Marik had to back up and shield his eyes as the holy light of a God erupted from Harry once again, the phoenix song picking up in volume and intensity at the same time. The Gravekeeper grinned, silently cheering his friend on as he heard Voldemort scream in terror and surprise. That was not the only thing he heard, though; he could have sworn he heard other voices speaking inside the dome that did not sound like Harry or Voldemort, but the light was too bright for him to be sure.
After a long moment, the light dimmed slightly, treating Marik to a sight that almost made him fall over in shock. Four ghosts were circling about within the dome, whispering words of encouragement to Harry while hissing angry, taunting words at Voldemort. The Dark Lord looked absolutely petrified as he watched the ghosts, his prior victims, floating about.
That was not the only strange thing about what was going on. Harry was standing absolutely straight, as if his leg was not injured at all, and was holding onto his still vibrating wand as if it were nothing at all. The power shooting out from the small stick of wood seemed to have quadrupled in the past few moments, the golden thread connecting the two wands glowing brighter than ever. In addition to all that, there was something else... something on Harry's forehead...
Marik took a step back in surprise. The Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness... the symbol of a Millennium Item holder... but, it was impossible! In order for the mark to be able to appear, a person had to be in PHYSICAL contact with an Item. How could... Harry... and...? The Gravekeeper shook his head; everything he knew about the Items seemed to have been tossed out to the wind at that moment leaving him utterly confused.
"Marik," Harry said suddenly, snapping him out of his confusion, "get ready to run!"
Marik braced himself, waiting...
Then, with a might wrench upward, Harry broke the connection between the two wands. The golden thread snapped in half and vanished, taking the glowing dome along with it. The ghosts lingered, however, hovering about Voldemort and cutting him off from getting to Harry and Marik. They had not stopped to watch, however; the two of them were already running, Harry leading, toward something in the now smoldering graveyard.
"Where are we going?" Marik asked, making sure to tread on a Death Eater he thought looked like Lucius Malfoy as they ran past.
"To the Triwizard Cup," Harry said, the mark on his forehead providing the only really good light. "It's a Portkey. It brought us here, so it should send us back."
"You hope."
"I hope."
The two of them ran as they had never run before in their lives, zigzagging behind and around headstones just as a curse hit the ground behind them. Voldemort had broken free of the ghosts, and was pursuing the two of them with a vengeance. Ten feet away from the Cup, however, they were forced to dive behind a giant marble angel as the Dark Lord starting flinging Stunning Spells their way. Harry and Marik exchanged looks, held up their wands and nodded, before dashing out from behind the angel...
"Impedimenta!"
They had not cast the spell with the intent of it actually affecting the Dark Lord, or even hitting him for that matter. It did have the effect they wanted though, as Voldemort was forced to dodge the spells, giving them a much better chance to get ahead of him. The two of them darted forward, closing in on the cup...
Marik glanced back over his shoulder for a brief moment. Voldemort was raising his wand again...
"Accio!" Harry yelled suddenly.
Marik faced forward again. The Cup was speeding toward them because of Harry's spell. As one, they reached out a hand, grasping it by the handle...
Marik and Harry heard Voldemort's scream of fury as the same moment they felt a jerk behind their navel. The Portkey had worked! It was speeding the two of them away from the smoking graveyard in a whirl of wind and color...
They were going back.