Judgment
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh; otherwise . . . you get the picture
Summary: Seto, Ryou and Ryuuji are TC's Elite and their job is to exterminate all Otherworldly beings from the real world. But real judgment is yet to come, what with the Chimera Brigade on the loose . . .
Warnings: Semi-Alternate Universe, OOC (on some parts, not all). In this chapter there will be angst (GO ANGST!) and an uncertain Ryou with a pathetic attempt at showing how much Seto and Ryuuji really care about our bishie.
Responses to Reviews/Author's Notes:
Ril: it's cool you like this fic! I'm very proud of this fic and the time I put into it, especially when it's exam week and I have to study. Well, I hope you'll continue liking this fic . . .
Maruken: I'll take that chocolate-covered Kurama and you're forgiven! Nah, you didn't need to apologise for missing an update. As long as you continue reading this fic (and reviewing too, by the way) I'll be happy. But I still want that chocolate-covered Kurama! I love mythology too, especially Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and Japanese. And lil widdle Ryou is a kawaii lil koneko! So cute!
Quintain: about time you reviewed! I shouldn't have to threaten you at school for you to review, so you should know better glares Anyway, I like torturing Seto-sama cos he's just beautiful and angsty and he's so attractive!
Jargonelle: Rishid is the Ishtar's foster son. He was found outside their underground home in Egypt and Malik's mother took him in. He was to be initiated as the next Tomb keeper because they had no other male heirs, until Malik was born some eight years later. Ishizu was born when he was five.
Elle-FaTe2x1: Did I mention Baku in chapter eight? I don't remember doing that sweatdrop . He's in chapter ten, I know that . . . Anyway, yeah the bishies are going through a very hard time, ne? I love torturing them!
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Chapter Eleven: Angels and Shape Shifters
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A few hours ago, if anyone had told Ryuuji he would be trapped in the Valley of Illusions and forced to fight a shape-shifter, he would have laughed. No, he would say, he wasn't that stupid. He would be more prepared and definitely not trapped in this realm.
But, as he faced Bakura Anubis, he knew he was just that stupid. He had only faced elementary shape-shifters, ones he could easily tell apart from the real thing, but Bakura was advanced. He was also very similar, if not exactly the same, as Ryou and even though he knew the one he was fighting was not Ryou, he felt as if he was indeed hurting the albino by attacking.
What Ryuuji did know about shape-shifters were that they had some sort of control centre, where every came together. It was their one weakness, a part of them that, when hit, would bring about immediate destruction. He only had to find that part and a way to hit it without getting killed in the process.
"What are you waiting for, Ryuuji?" Anubis sneered. "Are you scared?"
"Of what?" Ryuuji snapped back. "Your face?'
"But I'm your beloved Ryou, remember? You love me."
"I love Ryou. You aren't Ryou and you'll never be."
Anubis cackled. So the Chosen did love his little reincarnation. That was another reason to get rid of him before he reached Ryou, otherwise there would be another person who hindered his goal. He gritted his teeth. When he had woken up to this realm, he hated it. So many restrictions on his movements, a distinct lack of freedom and he was never allowed in the human realm. That was until he had heard of Ryou.
The mortal gave him a chance to experience the real world again. He had been taken into the Otherworld centuries ago, before even the Ishtars and the fourth member of their group of 'kings' had come. It was just that he had been put into a comatose state and left within this realm for decades before he had finally woken up and met them. Bakura Ryou . . . he could see and feel the real world through him and it only made him hate the boy even more.
They – the Gods – decided that They needed an angel in the world, one who was set apart from everyone else, who was different. This angel would have powers that could create or destroy the human world if harnessed properly. They wanted to put this angel into the human world for Their own devices.
So They modelled this angel after him. He had already the silver hair and paleness of a perfect being of heaven. But They didn't want to make him an angel – a mortal who had seen the horrors of the world at an early age. They modelled the angel after him and thus, because there could not be more than one of the same person in the world at a time, They demonised him. He was made into a demon so that the angel could live.
That angel was Ryou. He appeared to be a mortal with strong etheric powers, but he was really an angel in human guise. Even he didn't know of his true identity. And he wouldn't find out, if Anubis had anything to say about it. He should have been the angel, not Ryou. The boy had taken away everything of his just because he needed to survive. He was the reason why he had been damned into this horrible realm and the reason why he could not live a normal life. And being able to experience it through Ryou only mocked him further.
"What is there to love about a person who takes everything away from another just so he can live?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"If only you knew Ryou's true identity. You will not love him then."
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The Four Kings Lair
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Marik led the CEO into what they had called 'the Lair'. It was named that for obvious reasons: the place indeed was a lair. Chimera gathered here and it was the headquarters of the members. Here, he and his brother, and their two partners planned and schemed their next attacks on the human world. This place was restricted. Not everyone was allowed inside. But seeing as Marik was one of the founders of this place, whomever he brought in was safe.
That was how Seto and Ryou were allowed in. The albino had not stirred once throughout the entire duration of their journey and it had been almost hours. They had walked from the riverside through the garden, across a desert plane and into the mountains. This place was deep within the mountain ranges, with a secluded cave entrance at the foot of the largest mountain.
"Stay close," Marik warned. "You don't want to get lost."
The leeching demon was sure Ryou's memory was totally blank except for memories of Marik and their relationship. Everything else, Chimera, TC, Gaea, Seto and Ryuuji . . . they had all been erased. That was the beauty of the river's power. He could control what he wanted to be erased.
But the memory wipe on Seto was not as strong as the river's on Ryou. You couldn't really trust fairy magic. It wasn't stable and could easily be broken, which was why Marik had gone to such measures to make sure he didn't regain his memories. If he did, then his plans would all be ruined. Once they reached the heart of this place, Marik would perform a permanent memory wipe – a brainwash – on Seto.
"This place isn't for humans to live," Seto said, looking around him suspiciously. "It's too dark and there's an oppressing feeling here . . ."
"We're in the mountains, Kai," Marik explained, using the name he had given Seto since he didn't remember his own. "It's going to be dark, especially since we're going underground. It isn't safe above ground."
"And so that's why you were attacked by this person?"
"Hai, that's right."
Seto, as Kai, tried to recall exactly why he had been in the garden at all, but couldn't think of the reason why. When he tried to think, everything just came out blank – like his memory had been wiped. The closest thing he had come to recalling was when he held that boy in his arms . . .
There was something about that boy that made him recall so many different things. Right now, he felt empty, like a shell. But when he was holding that boy . . . there were so many emotions involved. He felt an affinity with him, like they had met before and shared something embedded deep within his subconscious.
"We're almost there," Marik commented a while later.
He had introduced himself, again, as Namu. Ryou and Seto now would know him as Namu and he would have to give Ryou another name. If they heard their own names, they would most probably recall their memories. That was why he had given Seto a different name, so he wouldn't be reminded.
But Ryou . . . what name could he possibly give Ryou? A name that represented him and yet wouldn't remind him of his past. A name that described him well . . . like a kitten. Koneko. But who would possibly call someone 'Koneko'? He wouldn't call him 'Tenshi'; otherwise he risked the true identity of his little Ryou emerging. That would mean more trouble for them all.
"Give him a name, Kai."
Seto turned to him in surprise.
"Nani?"
"Give this boy a name," Marik said. "We can't always call him 'boy', can we?"
"Sou . . ." Seto looked at the mop of silvery hair visible under Marik's arm. "I – he could be called Fuyu . . . winter."
"Fuyu?" Marik smirked. "Ee, he could be called Fuyu."
Fuyu, winter, the perfect name for his little lover. The word depicted him perfectly. White . . . pure . . . innocent. Everything Ryou was, in a word that described all. Yes, Ryou would now be called Fuyu.
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Why is everything so dark?
He could hear voices . . .
"I'll be back in a bit. Remember, Kai, tell me when he wakes."
"I'll remember."
Why can't I remember anything . . .?
The sound of footsteps was heard and a door closed. It was rather cold, wherever he was . . . and he had to see Namu. He wanted to see Namu. They had agreed to meet and he was late. But he was so tired and his eyes just wouldn't open . . .
Namu . . .?
What about Namu?
He jolted awake at the sound of the second voice in his mind. All of a sudden, he wasn't tired anymore. He was lying on a four-poster bed, in a chamber made entirely of stone. No wonder it was so cold. Sitting up, he searched frantically for the source of the voice.
"Dare ka?"
"You're awake?"
He saw a brunette with cold, sapphire eyes watching him from by the door. He was tall and lean, wearing a dark trenchcoat and a black suit. Coming over, the brunette towered over him.
"I'm Kai. Namu and I found you and brought you here."
"Namu? Where's Namu?"
"He's gone out to get something," Kai told him.
"Oh . . . well then, who am I?" he asked. "Why don't I remember anything?"
"I think you have amnesia. It's when you lose most of your memories, if not all. Anyway, since we both don't know your name, we'll call you Fuyu. Winter – to match your complexion."
Fuyu nodded. Amnesia – it made sense, since his mind was a blank except for fragments of scenes that he faintly recalled. Like Namu . . . he remembered Namu and several times they had been together. But he only recalled parts of their conversations. They seemed like parts of conversations because nothing really fitted together as they talked.
"But first, what do you remember?" Kai asked.
"Anou . . . I remember Namu."
Kai was obviously waiting for him to continue because he nodded and said nothing. When Fuyu looked at him in question, the brunette got the hint and sighed. The only thing he remembered was Namu. That really, really helped.
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Valley of Illusions
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Since Ryuuji's sixth sense capabilities were mainly mental, he had to rely on physical strength to defend himself from Anubis' attacks. So far he had shifted into various wild animals and attacked him. Each time he dodged, but didn't even have time to land a hit before the demon shifted again.
You can't beat me, Chosen.
Anubis shifted yet again, into a huge python. It was large enough to swallow a human whole. Ryuuji noted that he had also added a feature of his own – there were fangs dripping poison in the jaws. Normally pythons didn't have poisonous fangs because they were strong enough to crush their victims or swallow them.
The Kaiba estate had long faded as Anubis called on his power to shift. Now the place they stood was just empty, barren wasteland. Where the mansion stood was now just a large pile of rubble that had once resembled a structure of sorts. Ryuuji used this to his advantage, darted between and around the rubble so that it hindered Anubis' movements.
But now, the python was strong enough to destroy the objects in his path and did so with a sweep of its tail. Ryuuji jumped back just in time to avoid being hit. The python hissed at him.
You can't run forever, you know.
"I'm not running," Ryuuji snapped. "I'm analysing."
Sure . . . lie to yourself.
"Damare, kisama."
You know just as well as I do that you're lying to yourself. Face it.
But Ryuuji was already formulating a plan in his mind. Anubis was a python and he made himself rather vulnerable as well as powerful. A python had force, but it had not many means of defence. With no limbs, Anubis as a python was at a major disadvantage. He had no way of propelling himself from place to place and when he did move, he had a whole three feet of tail vulnerable to attack.
Which was how Ryuuji got his idea of attack.
Anubis struck again and Ryuuji saw his weak point. Just before he attacked, he would coil the end of his tail under him in a sort of spring position. When that happened, he was most guarded. But as he sprung, he left his tail wide open for attack.
"You like being associated with a snake?"
Hell yeah. It's the best living thing that ever existed.
"It depicts you well."
Why thank you.
The python circled him carefully, slowly slithering around him, watching and waiting for the time to strike. He stood still, waiting, anticipating for the right moment. He had long deduced that Anubis' control centre was his python's tail, which was around his knees when he was in human form. All he needed now was to attack that part, hopefully destroy the centre and then he would be able to get back to finding Ryou and now, Seto.
Anubis struck, unaware of the game creator's plan of attack. Ryuuji darted forward to meeting him, surprising the shape shifter by diverting his attack to his tail. Though Anubis' reflexes were quick, Ryuuji's was even quicker. What he couldn't make up in etheric and physical power, he made up for in agility, like Ryou. They were not physically powerful, but they were fast and inhumanly so.
He grabbed hold of the thick, scaly tail and sensed the control core.
Let go of me you stupid mortal!
"Hell no." The centre was directly connected to the etheric shield surrounding and protecting it. "Sayonara."
He destroyed the shield, thus shattering the control core. The python's eyes and jaw shot open, wide in pain and agony. The body stiffened and then went limp as Ryuuji let it drop. After a few twitches, the python shrank and became Anubis again.
"Nani?" he whispered. "Aren't shape-shifters supposed to disperse when the control centres are destroyed?"
You . . . baka . . . I was a human . . . first . . .
Realisation dawned. The control cores were only the centre of Anubis' power, not his life. This was because he had been born human and was later made into a shape-shifter. He hadn't died before it happened, so part of him was still human.
Your partners . . . they . . . in danger . . . heh . . . you can't . . . save them
"Kisama! What are you saying?"
Anubis' eyes met his in contempt.
Too arrogant . . . I was human once . . . I'm not . . . still have things to do . . . can't leave yet . . . Ryou must die . . .
Ryuuji watched as the former demon's body started to glow, bits and pieces of it disappearing and floating up into the air likes fireflies. They hovered in the air a moment before drifting away, down to where the river was and upstream.
The angel must die . . .
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Tokyo
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A cell phone rang on the tabletop, vibrating and making a racket. In another room, the shower was turned off. Moments later, the owner of the cell phone stepped out and picked it up.
"Moshi moshi."
Pale hands combed through fiery red locks, smoothing it down and drying it with a towel. Green eyes narrowed and closed, a sigh escaping the soft lips.
"We'll be there."
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TC Headquarters
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Two profiles flickered as the three-dimensional holograms rotated, showing every angle of the two bodies. One was a red-haired, feminine male with green eyes. The other was a shorter, stouter male with black hair and sharper, pointier features. Their names flashed.
Code name: Kurama
Code name: Hiei
And above all of that, were the words:
Tokusha na Tantei
Special Detectives
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End Chapter Eleven
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Author's Notes:
Sorry for the long wait. My updating feature on ff.net was disabled because of 'Every Bit As Perfect' and the rating I gave it. It's now R-rated, not PG-13. Questions? Comments?
Leave a review people!
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PLEASE?