Judgement Chapter 15: Come Sweet Death, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Judgment

Disclaimer: well . . . are YGO and YYH worth five cents? If they are, then I own them! Silence See? Point proven I don't own them. I don't own the song 'Come Sweet Death', which is found in the 'End of Evangelion' movie. It's a great song, except it has a really bad ending, so you can go find it!

Summary: Seto, Ryou and Ryuuji are TC's Elite and their job is to exterminate all Otherworldly beings from the real world. But when Chimera captures Ryou, to what lengths will Seto and Ryuuji go to get him back?

Warnings: Semi-AU, OOC (on some parts, not all). Character death in this chapter, supernatural themes and angst – lots and lots of angst!

Responses to Reviews/Author's Notes:

Nirina Illusier: sorry, I rather like cliffies! I think they add that little 'kick' in a story. But I'm glad you think this is awesome!

Ril: yeah, way to go Ryuuji! He has impeccable timing, doesn't he? And Kurama and Hiei are waaaaaaay cool! I don't like Anzu with any of the guys, though I usually pair her with Honda because I feel like it. Don't ask why, it just happens that way. Oh wait, because I pair Ryou with Seto, Yugi with Yami, Ryuuji with Seto and Ryou, Jounouchi with Mai, Mokuba with Shizuka . . . then all that's left is Honda and Anzu!

Iceheart3000: silent reader eh? I gather you've been waiting for this update? Hehe, here you go! All twelve pages for you to read!

Maruken: wow, you take Ryou's defilement pretty seriously! ; But nevertheless, it had to happen. I did say I was going to put lemon in it, I didn't specify what kind of lemon!

Seaoknarnar: again, cliffies add a 'kick' in a story. But fear not, next chapter will only have a sequel teaser! Cheeky grin That's not a cliffy! Nope, not a cliffy, a teaser!

Elle-FaTe2x1: protests I'm not evil! I'm just doing my job! Meanwhile starts scheming another plan to take over the YGO world uh . . . yeah!

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Chapter Fifteen: Come Sweet Death

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He was drifting away . . . feeling light headed, weightless and oddly empty.
Where was he?
Looking around, he only saw darkness. There was no firm ground anywhere, and so he was standing in midair.
Where had all the darkness come from?
Up ahead, a tiny white light began to shimmer, growing rapidly in his line of sight. Curious, he drew closer to it, drifting over the bottomless dark surrounding him. The light grew brighter and he had to shield his eyes.
Was this death?
A small, familiar voice giggled.
"No, you aren't dead yet. You are inside yourself, your soul and your mind."
"Inside myself?"
The light gradually consumed him, surrounding him like the darkness had once done moments before. It was much warmer within the light, almost like the sun shining down on him during a cold, winter morning. He felt himself relaxing, the warmth making him slightly sleepy.
"No, don't sleep yet! There's more for you to see!"
The voice spoke again, closer to his ears. He looked around for the source, his dark eyes finally landing on the boy beside him. A boy with silvery hair and dark brown eyes, a small, mysterious smile across his pale lips. He froze.
Bakura Ryou beckoned him closer, the smile playing lightly.
"Don't be afraid," he murmured. "I am you and you are me. We are one being. I am here to help you."

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Death Ranges (A/N: the mountain that the lair is located in)

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Yami regarded the group with a confident smirk.

"You can't escape from me, you know," he said. Approaching Marik, he scowled. "I should have known you would pull a desperate trick like that. Is this emotion you call 'love' really so great that you would die for it?"

Marik returned his scowl evenly, his red-violet eyes dark and stormy as they regarded the dark Pharaoh. He still held Ryou in his arms, protectively, and the albino showed no signs of stirring.

"Yes."

This was obviously not the answer Yami had been looking for. He waved his hands abruptly in the air, the scene around them dissolving. Ryuuji rolled his eyes as they were transported. He hated this method of travel. It was convenient, yes, but always so sickening. Especially for people who were motion sick. They wouldn't enjoy the feeling of free-falling at all.

They were now at a strange, warped place. Flickers of different scenes surrounded them, showing strange places, some very familiar. Ryuuji frowned as a particularly grey one flashed up. It was the Spirit World. Seto felt realisation dawn on him.

"We're in the centre of the Otherworld," he said. "The place where all the worlds are joined together."

"Very observant, Chosen," Yami drawled. "Yes, this is the Centre of the Otherworld. From here, I can access any dimension of the Otherworld, including parallel worlds. That, of course, means I can also go to the Real World."

"Sou ka," Jounouchi gasped.

"You're not going into the Real World if I can help it," Seto barked.

A chorus of agreements rose at this statement, but Yami's smirk only grew wider. He pointed a tanned finger in Marik's direction. All eyes followed, until they rested on Ryou. The boy's aura was fading rapidly and his whole body looked slack. Marik stabilised himself under the sudden increase of dead weight.

"Look at him. He is, by far, the most powerful of you all. With him near death, do you really think you'd be able to stop me?"

"The most powerful?" Yugi and Jounouchi questioned in unison.

"Don't you know?" Yami snickered. "Bakura Ryou is the human incarnate of the Angel who will bring about destruction and creation in all the worlds. He is the real Chosen of the Gods."

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Ryou's Subconscious

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"I am the Chosen?"
His inner self smiled serenely at him, nodding. He blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the voices echoing from outside. They were the voices of the people who cared about him. The people who, right now, were trying to protect him from Chimera, from Yami.

"Without him, you'll be defeated in no time at all," Yami's voice continued.

"We can awaken the Angel within him," Hiei's voice came through.

"They want to turn me back into the Angel?" he asked, eyes widening.

He was met with another smile, accompanied by an indifferent shrug.

"You don't understand, do you? In his present state, there is no way you can rouse the Angel."

"What would happen if I turn back into the Angel?"
"You will bring about the destruction of everything that is evil and dark in this world. Your heart, body and soul will be purified and made whole. The world will be cleansed."

The voices argued longer. If he did turn back into the Angel, then everything would be all right again. There would be no more Chimera, no more Otherworldly demons to fight . . . and no more TC. He would live a normal life again, with Ryuuji and Seto, the two he loved most in the world. They would no longer live in danger of being attacked.

"How can I turn back?"

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Centre of the Otherworld

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Yami cackled. Around him, the Chosen prepared for battle. Seto, Ryuuji, Kurama and Hiei took up defensive postures while Yugi and Jounouchi loitered around in the background, ready to defend themselves if necessary. They surrounded Marik and Ryou, who were the most vulnerable.

"You want to take me on?"

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Ryou's Subconscious

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"You can't, unless you wake up now."
"Doushite?" he demanded.
"Your body can't take the transformation if it isn't awake."
He clenched his fists. How could he wake up, if everyone else was busy trying to fight Yami? There had to be a way they could connect and communicate, thus giving him the stimulation to wake up.
"The quickest way would be shock. If you can get shocked back into your own body, then you will be able to wake up."

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Centre of the Otherworld

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Hiei drew out a long, silver sword from the folds of his cloak. He held it out in front of him with a hand, the other calling up a shield. Next to him, Kurama took out a single, red rose, the stem full of thorns. Yugi and Jounouchi questioned his sanity at that moment, until he whipped it downwards. It stretched into a long whip, with large thorns protruding from its length.

Seto set a strong barrier around Yugi, Jounouchi, Marik and Ryou, standing directly in Yami's path to them. Ryuuji helped him with his own power, because both of theirs weren't able to take a physical form.

"If it saves the world, yes," Kurama said shortly.

Yami gathered energy in his palms, swirling the black masses together.

"You won't get much out of attacking me."

The energy mass hit the shield and dissipated. Seto flinched as he felt the impact on his conscious mind, which was holding the barrier together. He felt hands come to rest on his shoulder and Ryuuji's power flowed through him.

"Ganbatte ne, Seto."

Yugi watched as the more experienced agents exchanged attacks with Yami. Hiei deflected the blows and delivered a few of his own, proving himself to have superhuman speed. Kurama lashed out with his rose whip, cutting up Yami's oncoming energy masses before they could reach them.

But Seto was tiring, even with Ryuuji's support. A simple shield was hard to keep up, let alone one that had to be powerful enough to withstand multiple, powerful attacks and protected more than just two people. Marik knew the two of them could not hold out for more than another two minutes or so. He couldn't just be a burden to them.

"Kaiba!" he shouted. "Use Jounouchi's powers! I'll protect the others!"

"Marik . . ."

"Hayaku!" he yelled.

Ryuuji nodded briefly, trusting him.

"Do it, Seto. Jounouchi is a conjurer, so if you tap into his powers . . ."

Marik rested Ryou's unconscious form in Yugi's lap and the boy hugged the other protectively, giving Marik a reassuring smile. The demon stood up and went over to Seto and Ryuuji, dragging a reluctant Jounouchi with him. The blonde was a green in the field of combat, but he knew he was needed.

"I'll let down the shield at the count of three," Seto said softly. "At that time, Jounouchi, you grab onto my arm and concentrate on the contact between us. Ryuuji, you go back to Ryou and Yugi. Marik . . . you do whatever you have to."

They nodded, Jounouchi gulping and wiping sweaty hands on his pants. Yugi whispered a few words of luck to them, turning to Ryou. Kurama and Hiei were hit simultaneously on the chest, throwing them backwards. The two got up almost immediately, wiping the blood from their lips.

"You are pathetically weak," Yami sneered. "You will not be able to beat me."

"Ready?" Seto shouted.

"Ichi . . ."

"Ni . . ."

"SAN!"

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Ryou's Subconscious

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"What will happen now?"
"One of them will die in the attempt to defeat Yami."
His eyes widened in panic, heart racing. His other form's smile grew sad, his eyes heavy. The drifting feeling in his body was fading fast and his limbs grew heavier with every passing moment.
"I have to protect them! They can't die!"
"Yes, go and protect them. Go and fulfil your destiny."

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Centre of the Otherworld

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Marik knew what he had to do. His powers were to leech others, so he needed direct contact. Direct contact could only be achieved if he went right up close. This was the last thing he could do for his love, his Ryou. This was to compensate for all the wrong he had caused him over the years.

I know, I know I've let you down
I've been a fool to myself
I thought that I could live for no one else
But now, through all the hurt and pain
It's time for me to respect
The ones you love mean more than anything

As soon as Seto let the shield fall, they all scattered into position. Jounouchi grabbed Seto's arm and concentrated hard. Ryuuji leapt back and stood protectively in front of Yugi and Ryou. Kurama and Hiei lashed out at the attacks again. And Marik charged forward.

"Marik, kisama!" he heard Ryuuji roar. "What are you doing?!"

So with sadness in my heart
I feel the best thing I could do
Is end it all and leave forever
What's done is done it feels so bad
But what was happy now is sad
I'll never love again, my world is ending

Yami's eyes widened as he saw the other charging towards him. When he was attacking, which he was now, his defences were weak. He couldn't protect himself from a body-to-body attack at the moment, and Marik knew it well.

"Go to hell, Yami," he heard Marik hiss.

"YAMI!"

I wish that I could turn back time
Cos now the guilt is all mine
Can't live without the trust
From those you love
I know we can't forget the past
You can't forget love and pride
Because of that, it's killing me inside

Blood splattered everywhere and a sharp intake of breath came from Marik. Yami's eyes were still wide with shock. Bakura Anubis stood in front of the Pharaoh, Marik's clawed hand impaled through his chest and latching onto Yami's.

"Anubis . . . kisama," Marik forced through gritted teeth. "Doushite?"

"Because revenge amounts to nothing, Marik," Anubis replied, coughing up more blood. "And because . . . Yami means something to me."

He grinned weakly.

"Heh . . . so what was left of my human form did come in handy . . ." he whispered. "I'd've thought I was . . . weak . . . ne, Yami?"

The Pharaoh's arms came around Anubis' waist, his crimson eyes closing as he held the body tightly. Anubis leaned his head back onto his shoulder and let the remainder of his life slip away. Then he fell, like a dead weight, onto Yami, who let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

"ANUBIS!"

It all returns to nothing
It all comes tumbling down, tumbling down
Tumbling down
It all returns to nothing
I just keep letting me down, letting me down
Letting me down

Marik felt the next attack hit him directly on the chest and he was thrown back past the front three attackers. He felt numb, as if his mind had frozen and prevented him from feeling the pain.

Is this what death is like?

"MARIK!"

In my heart of hearts
I know that I could never love again
I've lost everything
Everything
Everything that matters to me
Matters in this world

Ryou's eyes shot open and he sat up, just in time to see the demon's body crash down onto the ground in a mangled heap. His eyes flooded with tears of shock, grief . . . and rage. Yugi backed away slowly from him, terrified at the sudden change.

"MARIK!" Ryou cried.

His pain was matched only by Yami, who was breathing raggedly, the tears from his blood-coloured eyes streaming down his tanned cheeks. He supported Anubis' lifeless body in his arms, the blood still seeping from the huge wound in his chest, through his heart.

"I'll kill all of you!" Yami screamed. "You who have taken away everything of mine! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

Ryou's aura flared about him as he let out a scream of his own, the agony tearing both Seto and Ryuuji's hearts to pieces. They shouted his name and turned back to go to him, Seto breaking out of Jounouchi's hold. But Kurama and Hiei blocked them, sensing something incredible was about to happen.

Ryou's eyes started to glow brightly, a blinding white. His body followed, lighting up and he went slack, almost as if he had been possessed. But he didn't fall to the ground, like one usually did when they fainted. No, he hovered in midair, supported by something invisible as he continued to glow.

And suddenly, Seto and Ryuuji saw nothing else, the white light forcing them to turn away in case they went blind. The sound of something unfurling reached their ears, as well as flapping . . . like a bird's wings. The light receded, but remained in a gentle glow.

They turned back around. Ryou was dressed entirely in white, flowing robes of heavenly white draped themselves over his slender body. His silvery hair fell further down his back, longer and straighter. But the things about him that changed most were the wings that sprouted from his back. Their colour matched his hair, each silvery feather perfectly shaped and formed, spreading out to about six feet in length.

It all returns to nothing
It all comes tumbling down, tumbling down
Tumbling down
It all returns to nothing
I just keep letting me down, letting me down
Letting me down

Ryou raised his eyes and they had changed to a pale, ice-cold blue. They were emotionless and yet both his partners saw the wisdom in his gaze.

This is the Angel.

All around them, the inhabitants of the many different levels of the Otherworld gathered to see the Angel. Portals to the other levels had been open and breached, letting them stream into this particular one. But because of the density in this level, the spirits dispersed as soon as they stepped inside. They couldn't survive on such density, as the lower level demons could not bear the light of this realm.

The members of Chimera, or what was left of them, cowered in the presence of this pure being. Malik had thrown himself over his brother's body. The cobra around Jounouchi's neck flung itself onto both of them. They could not bear the purity of the Angel's aura and faded, along with the body of Marik Ishtar. There was nothing except charred remains on the dirt ground.

Yami clung to Anubis' bloodied form, closing his eyes, the tears streaking his tanned face. He knew what was going to happen, now that the Angel had finally awoken. There was no escaping his fate now.

"Ne, Anubis," he whispered. "You were right about revenge. It amounts to nothing . . . I've been pathetically foolish. Gomen."

The light consumed them, burning their flesh as if they had been consumed by fire. The only sound that left the Pharaoh's lips was a low chuckle of amusement at his stupidity, before both him and Anubis disappeared. Their charred remains crumbled after a while, vanishing completely.

"Ryou?" Ryuuji asked hesitantly. "That's enough now, Ryou, come back."

It all returns to nothing
It all comes tumbling down, tumbling down
Tumbling down
It all returns to nothing
I just keep letting me down, letting me down
Letting me down

Ryou raised his ice-blue eyes to look at the game creator silently. They held no recognition of who he was, who they were, in their crystalline depths. Ryuuji and Seto felt like a bucket of icy water had been poured over their heads and soaked into their skin, it was so cold.

"Do you recognise us, Ryou?"

You are . . . the Chosen who sought to protect my mortal form?

"Hai," Ryuuji answered.

The Angel spread his wings and took flight into the sky. Seto and Ryuuji cried out in protest, making him stop in midair, looking back at them. His eyes were cloudy, for some reason, as he regarded them. The CEO took a step forward and projected his thoughts.

Where are you going Ryou?

Back to where I came from. The Heavens.

"Ryou, dame!" Seto shouted. "RYOU!"

He lunged forward, only to be stopped by Kurama and Hiei. They held him down, not letting up even when he began to struggle.

I can't lose Ryou . . . he thought wildly. No, I can't lose him!

"RYOOOOOOOOOOOUUUU!"

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End Chapter Fifteen

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Author's Notes:

Wow, another chapter finished!

Hehe, the next chapter will be the epilogue!

How did you all like?

The song was, like I said, 'Come Sweet Death', played during 'End of Evangelion'. Such a nice song, but I really hate the ending of it (the song, I mean, not NGE).

REVIEW!

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