The Millennium Ritual
Chapter 22: Confession
Lucian disappeared beneath the shadows, as Kaiba and Yami ran over to the small crowd huddled around Mokuba.
"Mokuba!" cried Kaiba as he pushed Joey and Tea out of his way, tossing aside the Millennium Rod. He kneeled to the ground, quickly taking the arrow-like finger out of Mokuba's body and putting pressure to the wound with his hands. Blood seeped under his fingers, as Mokuba moaned in pain.
"You're gonna be alright, Mokuba. Y-you're gonna be alright." He repeated, as he pressed harder and harder to the wound. Everyone crowded around them, a look of despair in their eyes. Kaiba looked up at Yami's face.
"Well, what are you doing?! Someone help me! I need a long strip of cloth, NOW!" The CEO ordered. It looked as if tears will spring out of his eyes. Tristan quickly took off his jacket, and ripped it a long strip of it and gave it to Kaiba. Snatching it from his hands, Kaiba quickly plopped Mokuba up and tied the cloth around Mokuba's stomach, where the wound was.
Serenity slowly backed away from them, her hand covering her mouth and tears flowing out of her eyes. 'I did this. This is all my fault.' She thought, as she stared at Mokuba's blank eyes. Joey looked behind himself and stared into his sister's face. Serenity stared back. Joey slowly came over, and took her in his arms. That was when she broke down, heaving big and wet sobs.
"Its okay, it's okay." He cooed, as he patted her auburn brown hair. It did not stop her from crying. Joey then slowly took her up with their friends, and stared on as Kaiba continued to help his brother.
Kaiba was done. He slowly lifted Mokuba into his arms, and then standing up, he glanced toward Yami.
"We have to take him to a hospital." Kaiba stated, as he held Mokuba in his arms. Mokuba shivered.
"But we can't! It took us at least 2 hours to get here by foot! We'll never make it in time!" Tea cried, as she shivered. "And besides, what happens if. . . if that 'thing' finds us?"
All was silent, as they slowly remembered what happened just moments before. They remembered how Aura was taken over by the Shadow Monster, as her hair, eyes, hands, and her whole appearance changed by just a matter of seconds. They remembered how Aura simply stuck out her hand, and literally shot out her finger right into Mokuba's stomach.
Mr. Motto replied, "That is not our main priority now. Mokuba is in danger now, and if he does not get medical help soon, he might not make it."
"Then we must move on now, for the moon is disappearing." Yami said, as he stared up into the cloudy sky.
Kaiba nodded, and said, "Let's go."
___________________________________________________________
Lucian walked forward, as he approached the tall obelisk and stared up at its tall structure. He waved his hand, and suddenly the obelisk opened, as a small stairway proceeded down to the darkness. Eyes filled with pleasure and evil, Lucian walked down the stairs. In the darkened room, the Shadow Monster snapped his fingers, and suddenly light appeared in the room.
The size of the room did not match the amount of golden weaponry and other valuable items it held. Lucian walked up to a golden framed mirror, as he stared upon its reflection.
He almost destroyed the mirror as Lucian stared into the reflecting glass. Even though the mirror shown a woman with knee length pearl white hair, red eyes, and claw-like hands, Lucian thought that he was staring into the face of death.
Teeth grinding, he tossed the mirror away, as it slammed to wall and shattered into pieces.
"Maeve. . ." Lucian said, as he stared at his hands, "The wench."
That was when he heard footsteps walking down the stairs. His ears twitching slightly, Lucian spoke words in another language, a language that sounded evil and ugly. He raised his hand, and slowly tightened it into a fist as he pushed his fist toward his body. Two figures came forward, as the tips of their feet glided across the room toward Lucian. They looked as if an invisible hand grabbed and squeezed them. As the two men came forward, Lucian released his hold on them to gaze into their faces.
Shanek and Y. Bakura were shown kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. As Lucian stared at them in disgust, he raised his hand (or more likely, Aura's hand) to kill them, until he realized these were the men that released him from his prison.
Lucian withdrew his hand, and said to them, "Rise." And obediently, they obeyed. Suddenly he felt a wave of powerful shadow magic coming from each of them. He grinned.
"So, you are the ones who released me, are you?" Lucian said coolly, as he walked around them and all the while clenching and unclenching his fingers.
"We are, my lord," Y. Bakura replied, as he stared at each of Lucian's movements. Even though he helped in releasing Lucian, he still did not trust him, and he feels the same toward Shanek. Experience brought him to know to never trust anyone.
"Yet you weren't able to give me a body of man, only to give me a body of a weak woman?"
"This woman may seem weak, but her body hones unbelievable power." Shanek said.
"And not only did you give me a body of a woman, you gave me the body of a woman who holds the image of my nemesis, Maeve of Egypt?"
"We believed it was for the best, my lord." Shanek said quietly.
He chuckled, as his cold red eyes stared into Shanek's own blue eyes.
"You did, did you?" Lucian murmured, so quietly that the two men had to lean in to listen.
Suddenly Lucian lunged forward to Shanek, as he took him by the neck and raised him high in the air. Shanek coughed as Y. Bakura slowly backed away.
"You fool! Did you honestly believe that I would be joyful to find I am in Maeve's body?! I can't even look in the mirror without the memory of my imprisonment haunting me!" Lucian yelled, his hand holding Shanek's neck squeezing harder and harder. Blood started to appear from Shanek's neck, as his face turned a bright red. He dropped him to the ground as Lucian licked the blood off his fingers and as Shanek kneeled once more to cough.
"Unfortunately, I cannot undo this task, for once the ritual has been done, it cannot be reversed," Lucian said, as he looked down toward his arms. "So I must make the best with what I have received."
Snapping his fingers once more, shadows appeared beneath him, only this time it did not send him to somewhere else. Instead, it changed Lucian's old dress and bloody attire to a completely new one. In the place of the dress stood an Egyptian dress, its color a dark black. His arms suddenly sprouted golden wrist and armbands, as a long dark cape billowed behind him. Shoulder pads that look somewhat like the Dark Magician's shoulder pads appeared on Lucian's shoulders, as an Egyptian circlet and earrings were shown on his female face. Then, as if someone was there painting it themselves, strange marking appeared throughout his face, making Lucian seem more evil.
Throughout this whole process Lucian had his eyes closed. Suddenly he opened them, as he walked over to a staff intertwining with a small sphere of crystal on top, picking it up.
Turning to the awed Tomb Robber and Shanek, he ordered, "Let us begin."
_______________________________________________________________
Kaiba, Yami, and the others ran as fast as they could toward the bright lights of the Egyptian streets, as sweat beaded each of their faces. Never did they run that fast in their entire lives, as they slowly walked over to a nearby house and leaned on it. Kaiba, still carrying Mokuba, sighed in relief as he thought, 'We made it.'
"Well, that was good. It only took us, oh let's say, 2 hours to get here by foot." Joey said aloud, as some passersbys passed them, looking at them strangely.
"We're not done," Yami said, as he stood up and walked over to Kaiba, "We still have to bring Mokuba into a hospital, and I'm afraid that time is running out." Kaiba stared into his little brother's face as he realized that Yami was right.
"You're right," He exclaimed, as everyone jumped up in surprise, as they realized that Kaiba didn't utter a single word during the run. "We have to get him some medical help immediately."
"But where? How do we know where the hospital is? How do we know that there even is one?" Serenity cried, as she looked around everywhere, searching for a doctor.
Everyone sighed. Serenity had a point, how did they know? At that moment everyone felt sad, thinking that tonight they will lose two people they cared and loved.
"Well, well, look at what Ra has brought to my doorstep." A voice said. Remembering the voice, Yami looked up.
The Healer was standing before the 8 friends as she stared upon Yami's face. Noticing that Aura and Duke were not with them, and three new faces were shown, with one badly hurt, she frowned.
"And so it had begun," she said quietly.
~*~
The Healer tended to Mokuba's wound, as Kaiba stood beside her, watching. Everyone else was in the other room, discussing what their next plan of action is. Kaiba watched as the Healer opened up Mokuba's shirt to look at the wound. There was a huge opening in the middle of his stomach and blood surrounding it, as Mokuba gasped for breath.
'Hang on Mokuba.' Kaiba thought, as he held his brother's small hand.
She continued to tend the wound as she brought medicinal leaves and salves and a clean roll of cloth.
"I'm glad you applied pressure to his wound, for it stopped the bleeding massively." She murmured, as she started to spread the salve all over his stomach. Mokuba's once pained expression changed into a satisfied sigh. Then on top of the salve, she placed two leaves on top of it, to make sure the salve doesn't rub off. With a signal from the Healer, Kaiba propped Mokuba up, as she wrapped the roll of cloth around Mokuba's stomach and chest. Puffing up the pillows and handing some to Kaiba, Mokuba was slowly lain down, as Kaiba placed pillows beneath his back. Covering Mokuba with a blanket, they gave Mokuba a soothing tea to drink, who drunk it quickly, and then, a few moments later, he was fast asleep.
Kaiba heaved a great sigh as he fell backward into a chair, taking off his white trench coat and leaving it on the ground. The Healer closed her eyes as she took a sip of her jasmine tea.
"Thank you," He said, as he stared at Mokuba's sleeping figure, "Thank you for saving my brother."
Surprised, she said, "Do not thank me. I just did what was needed to be done. Besides, without you, this would have taken much longer."
Then he smiled a real smile, and said, "Thank you."
The Healer nodded, and then stared at the place where the wound was. "Tell me Seto," She said, "How is it that a child so young received such a fatal wound?"
Kaiba looked down, his hands trembling. "You don't want to know."
Raising her eyebrows, the Healer said, "Oh, but I believe I do."
He sighed, not wanting to go into that. However, thinking he owed the Healer, decided to tell her. Therefore, he started from the beginning. He told her about everything, the day Aura came, when they went to Egypt, when they met Shadi and Ishizu, when Aura ran, the Ritual.
When Kaiba was finished, the Healer was silent. Kaiba studied her facial expressions, as she sipped her cold tea.
Then he saw tears forming in her eyes. Wiping them away, she said quietly, "Oh my poor Aura. Why did they have to choose her?"
"What are you talking about? She was the one who did this to my brother!" Kaiba exclaimed, waving his hand over to Mokuba. She shook her head.
"Remember, Lucian is the one who did this, not Aura. Her mind, according to you, is now in the Shadow Realm. Do not blame this on her."
"Why shouldn't I? She should have at least remembered, or tried to get her body back?! But did she? No she didn't!" he said, banging his fist against the table.
"Calm yourself, you are just saying this so you can be lifted from the guilt."
Kaiba sighed, as he tried to reason himself with what she said.
"Okay, maybe you're right. But that still doesn't change the fact that Mokuba isn't hurt. If she only stayed with us, then maybe. . ."
"But she didn't, and you can't change that. I know that what you faced must have been horrible, especially knowing that the fiend used Aura's body to do it, but Seto," Healer said, staring into his eyes, "You must realize that you could not stop it. It had to happen, and nothing will change that." She then lay back on her chair, sighing.
Looking to the ground, Kaiba said quietly, "It's just that. . . When that. . . that 'thing' took over her body. . . It was horrible, the most horrible event I had ever seen. And when Aura didn't recognized me, I knew that. . . that. . . Aura might be dead." Kaiba then looked up, with fear in his eyes.
"And when she turned to look at me, I didn't see doubt or any emotion in her eyes like before, when she was normal. All I saw was, anger, hate, and revenge. It was as if she wanted to kill me." He looked down to the floor once more. "It was then when I saw her actually trying to hurt Mokuba that I knew, that Aura Riordan was truly dead."
The Healer had no answer to that.
______________________________________________________________
Lucian jumped slightly as he was sailing on the Nile River, as the small waves rocked the boat. Shaking his head, he glanced at Y. Bakura and Shanek, them both looking at him strangely.
"What is it?" Lucian said, eyebrows furrowing.
Coughing a little, Y. Bakura said, "I am still not used to the fact that under that womanly figure a Shadow Monster lurks."
Chuckling, Lucian said, "You are lucky that you freed me, or else I would have thrown you off the boat immediately." Y. Bakura gulped.
"Your lordship, I just have a question. Are you a female, or a male?" Shanek asked questioningly. Lucian chuckled once more.
"We Shadow Monsters have no gender."
Suddenly Lucian felt a searing pain in his chest. Coughing, he (or is it she?) fell to the ground, gasping.
"Your Lordship!" Shanek and Y. Bakura yelled, as they went over to the woman and help Lucian up. He sat on the bench unsteadily.
"Th-this body. . . Has another spirit. . . lurking within. . ." Lucian said slowly.
"Who does the spirit belong to?" Shanek asked.
"M-Maeve. . ." Lucian said, as his white hair sailed in the wind.
"Impossible! Shanek got rid of the wench 5000 years ago!" Y. Bakura protested.
"Maybe, but now the Priestess lives inside this sham body," Lucian said, as he held onto the Millennium Orb.
"What will we do then?" Shanek said quietly, waiting for his command.
For a while he said nothing, until finally, Lucian replied, "Simple. We must find the Pharaoh and the Priest."
"And then?" asked Y. Bakura, suspicious.
"Well, we will kill the Pharaoh, for he will be of no use," Lucian said, examining the Orb, "But as for the Priest. . . We shall need him, for he shall have the spell we need to release the spirit of Maeve."
The two men beside the Shadow Monster grinned, and as the boat passed the place where the Ritual was held, Lucian stuck out his hand, calling to the forgotten Millennium Rod. It glowed a bit, shivering. Then it flew across the sky and into the Monster's hand. Lucian grinned as the boat sailed on, as the two Millennium Items in his possession glowed.
________________________________________________________________________
Shadow Realm
A girl with midnight black hair and four golden pieces of hair, with a small strand of gold hair hanging on her forehead, was lying on the ground, staring off into space. Her eyes were blank, lost, and afraid.
She didn't care about what happened to her as the shadow monsters around her taunted her, telling her what a pathetic failure she was.
She didn't care that she wasn't able to see anything through the dark fog.
She didn't care that she was slowly dying with each passing second.
She didn't care about the pain, the suffering, for the Shadow Realm made her relive one memory in her life, the day her mother and her brother died, right in front of her eyes.
And, just to taunt her more, the shadow monsters shape-shifted to look like her mother, her brother, Kaiba, Yami, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Duke, anyone she had ever cared about. They laughed at her, sneered at her, and kicked her around.
But she never cared.
And Aura didn't care that slowly, her body was disappearing, after each hour. She wished it could stop, could end. But it didn't, the Shadow Realm wanted her to suffer for as long as she can bear.
Aura slowly cried and wept as everything in her life collapsed, thinking that no one will save her, and that she was dead inside.
To Be Continued. . .
Just one thing to say. Please review. Flares are accepted, for I will just use it to burn my homework. Oh yeah, and even though Lucian said that shadow monsters have no genders, I am just calling Lucian a he, cause it's easier.
Chapter 22: Confession
Lucian disappeared beneath the shadows, as Kaiba and Yami ran over to the small crowd huddled around Mokuba.
"Mokuba!" cried Kaiba as he pushed Joey and Tea out of his way, tossing aside the Millennium Rod. He kneeled to the ground, quickly taking the arrow-like finger out of Mokuba's body and putting pressure to the wound with his hands. Blood seeped under his fingers, as Mokuba moaned in pain.
"You're gonna be alright, Mokuba. Y-you're gonna be alright." He repeated, as he pressed harder and harder to the wound. Everyone crowded around them, a look of despair in their eyes. Kaiba looked up at Yami's face.
"Well, what are you doing?! Someone help me! I need a long strip of cloth, NOW!" The CEO ordered. It looked as if tears will spring out of his eyes. Tristan quickly took off his jacket, and ripped it a long strip of it and gave it to Kaiba. Snatching it from his hands, Kaiba quickly plopped Mokuba up and tied the cloth around Mokuba's stomach, where the wound was.
Serenity slowly backed away from them, her hand covering her mouth and tears flowing out of her eyes. 'I did this. This is all my fault.' She thought, as she stared at Mokuba's blank eyes. Joey looked behind himself and stared into his sister's face. Serenity stared back. Joey slowly came over, and took her in his arms. That was when she broke down, heaving big and wet sobs.
"Its okay, it's okay." He cooed, as he patted her auburn brown hair. It did not stop her from crying. Joey then slowly took her up with their friends, and stared on as Kaiba continued to help his brother.
Kaiba was done. He slowly lifted Mokuba into his arms, and then standing up, he glanced toward Yami.
"We have to take him to a hospital." Kaiba stated, as he held Mokuba in his arms. Mokuba shivered.
"But we can't! It took us at least 2 hours to get here by foot! We'll never make it in time!" Tea cried, as she shivered. "And besides, what happens if. . . if that 'thing' finds us?"
All was silent, as they slowly remembered what happened just moments before. They remembered how Aura was taken over by the Shadow Monster, as her hair, eyes, hands, and her whole appearance changed by just a matter of seconds. They remembered how Aura simply stuck out her hand, and literally shot out her finger right into Mokuba's stomach.
Mr. Motto replied, "That is not our main priority now. Mokuba is in danger now, and if he does not get medical help soon, he might not make it."
"Then we must move on now, for the moon is disappearing." Yami said, as he stared up into the cloudy sky.
Kaiba nodded, and said, "Let's go."
___________________________________________________________
Lucian walked forward, as he approached the tall obelisk and stared up at its tall structure. He waved his hand, and suddenly the obelisk opened, as a small stairway proceeded down to the darkness. Eyes filled with pleasure and evil, Lucian walked down the stairs. In the darkened room, the Shadow Monster snapped his fingers, and suddenly light appeared in the room.
The size of the room did not match the amount of golden weaponry and other valuable items it held. Lucian walked up to a golden framed mirror, as he stared upon its reflection.
He almost destroyed the mirror as Lucian stared into the reflecting glass. Even though the mirror shown a woman with knee length pearl white hair, red eyes, and claw-like hands, Lucian thought that he was staring into the face of death.
Teeth grinding, he tossed the mirror away, as it slammed to wall and shattered into pieces.
"Maeve. . ." Lucian said, as he stared at his hands, "The wench."
That was when he heard footsteps walking down the stairs. His ears twitching slightly, Lucian spoke words in another language, a language that sounded evil and ugly. He raised his hand, and slowly tightened it into a fist as he pushed his fist toward his body. Two figures came forward, as the tips of their feet glided across the room toward Lucian. They looked as if an invisible hand grabbed and squeezed them. As the two men came forward, Lucian released his hold on them to gaze into their faces.
Shanek and Y. Bakura were shown kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. As Lucian stared at them in disgust, he raised his hand (or more likely, Aura's hand) to kill them, until he realized these were the men that released him from his prison.
Lucian withdrew his hand, and said to them, "Rise." And obediently, they obeyed. Suddenly he felt a wave of powerful shadow magic coming from each of them. He grinned.
"So, you are the ones who released me, are you?" Lucian said coolly, as he walked around them and all the while clenching and unclenching his fingers.
"We are, my lord," Y. Bakura replied, as he stared at each of Lucian's movements. Even though he helped in releasing Lucian, he still did not trust him, and he feels the same toward Shanek. Experience brought him to know to never trust anyone.
"Yet you weren't able to give me a body of man, only to give me a body of a weak woman?"
"This woman may seem weak, but her body hones unbelievable power." Shanek said.
"And not only did you give me a body of a woman, you gave me the body of a woman who holds the image of my nemesis, Maeve of Egypt?"
"We believed it was for the best, my lord." Shanek said quietly.
He chuckled, as his cold red eyes stared into Shanek's own blue eyes.
"You did, did you?" Lucian murmured, so quietly that the two men had to lean in to listen.
Suddenly Lucian lunged forward to Shanek, as he took him by the neck and raised him high in the air. Shanek coughed as Y. Bakura slowly backed away.
"You fool! Did you honestly believe that I would be joyful to find I am in Maeve's body?! I can't even look in the mirror without the memory of my imprisonment haunting me!" Lucian yelled, his hand holding Shanek's neck squeezing harder and harder. Blood started to appear from Shanek's neck, as his face turned a bright red. He dropped him to the ground as Lucian licked the blood off his fingers and as Shanek kneeled once more to cough.
"Unfortunately, I cannot undo this task, for once the ritual has been done, it cannot be reversed," Lucian said, as he looked down toward his arms. "So I must make the best with what I have received."
Snapping his fingers once more, shadows appeared beneath him, only this time it did not send him to somewhere else. Instead, it changed Lucian's old dress and bloody attire to a completely new one. In the place of the dress stood an Egyptian dress, its color a dark black. His arms suddenly sprouted golden wrist and armbands, as a long dark cape billowed behind him. Shoulder pads that look somewhat like the Dark Magician's shoulder pads appeared on Lucian's shoulders, as an Egyptian circlet and earrings were shown on his female face. Then, as if someone was there painting it themselves, strange marking appeared throughout his face, making Lucian seem more evil.
Throughout this whole process Lucian had his eyes closed. Suddenly he opened them, as he walked over to a staff intertwining with a small sphere of crystal on top, picking it up.
Turning to the awed Tomb Robber and Shanek, he ordered, "Let us begin."
_______________________________________________________________
Kaiba, Yami, and the others ran as fast as they could toward the bright lights of the Egyptian streets, as sweat beaded each of their faces. Never did they run that fast in their entire lives, as they slowly walked over to a nearby house and leaned on it. Kaiba, still carrying Mokuba, sighed in relief as he thought, 'We made it.'
"Well, that was good. It only took us, oh let's say, 2 hours to get here by foot." Joey said aloud, as some passersbys passed them, looking at them strangely.
"We're not done," Yami said, as he stood up and walked over to Kaiba, "We still have to bring Mokuba into a hospital, and I'm afraid that time is running out." Kaiba stared into his little brother's face as he realized that Yami was right.
"You're right," He exclaimed, as everyone jumped up in surprise, as they realized that Kaiba didn't utter a single word during the run. "We have to get him some medical help immediately."
"But where? How do we know where the hospital is? How do we know that there even is one?" Serenity cried, as she looked around everywhere, searching for a doctor.
Everyone sighed. Serenity had a point, how did they know? At that moment everyone felt sad, thinking that tonight they will lose two people they cared and loved.
"Well, well, look at what Ra has brought to my doorstep." A voice said. Remembering the voice, Yami looked up.
The Healer was standing before the 8 friends as she stared upon Yami's face. Noticing that Aura and Duke were not with them, and three new faces were shown, with one badly hurt, she frowned.
"And so it had begun," she said quietly.
~*~
The Healer tended to Mokuba's wound, as Kaiba stood beside her, watching. Everyone else was in the other room, discussing what their next plan of action is. Kaiba watched as the Healer opened up Mokuba's shirt to look at the wound. There was a huge opening in the middle of his stomach and blood surrounding it, as Mokuba gasped for breath.
'Hang on Mokuba.' Kaiba thought, as he held his brother's small hand.
She continued to tend the wound as she brought medicinal leaves and salves and a clean roll of cloth.
"I'm glad you applied pressure to his wound, for it stopped the bleeding massively." She murmured, as she started to spread the salve all over his stomach. Mokuba's once pained expression changed into a satisfied sigh. Then on top of the salve, she placed two leaves on top of it, to make sure the salve doesn't rub off. With a signal from the Healer, Kaiba propped Mokuba up, as she wrapped the roll of cloth around Mokuba's stomach and chest. Puffing up the pillows and handing some to Kaiba, Mokuba was slowly lain down, as Kaiba placed pillows beneath his back. Covering Mokuba with a blanket, they gave Mokuba a soothing tea to drink, who drunk it quickly, and then, a few moments later, he was fast asleep.
Kaiba heaved a great sigh as he fell backward into a chair, taking off his white trench coat and leaving it on the ground. The Healer closed her eyes as she took a sip of her jasmine tea.
"Thank you," He said, as he stared at Mokuba's sleeping figure, "Thank you for saving my brother."
Surprised, she said, "Do not thank me. I just did what was needed to be done. Besides, without you, this would have taken much longer."
Then he smiled a real smile, and said, "Thank you."
The Healer nodded, and then stared at the place where the wound was. "Tell me Seto," She said, "How is it that a child so young received such a fatal wound?"
Kaiba looked down, his hands trembling. "You don't want to know."
Raising her eyebrows, the Healer said, "Oh, but I believe I do."
He sighed, not wanting to go into that. However, thinking he owed the Healer, decided to tell her. Therefore, he started from the beginning. He told her about everything, the day Aura came, when they went to Egypt, when they met Shadi and Ishizu, when Aura ran, the Ritual.
When Kaiba was finished, the Healer was silent. Kaiba studied her facial expressions, as she sipped her cold tea.
Then he saw tears forming in her eyes. Wiping them away, she said quietly, "Oh my poor Aura. Why did they have to choose her?"
"What are you talking about? She was the one who did this to my brother!" Kaiba exclaimed, waving his hand over to Mokuba. She shook her head.
"Remember, Lucian is the one who did this, not Aura. Her mind, according to you, is now in the Shadow Realm. Do not blame this on her."
"Why shouldn't I? She should have at least remembered, or tried to get her body back?! But did she? No she didn't!" he said, banging his fist against the table.
"Calm yourself, you are just saying this so you can be lifted from the guilt."
Kaiba sighed, as he tried to reason himself with what she said.
"Okay, maybe you're right. But that still doesn't change the fact that Mokuba isn't hurt. If she only stayed with us, then maybe. . ."
"But she didn't, and you can't change that. I know that what you faced must have been horrible, especially knowing that the fiend used Aura's body to do it, but Seto," Healer said, staring into his eyes, "You must realize that you could not stop it. It had to happen, and nothing will change that." She then lay back on her chair, sighing.
Looking to the ground, Kaiba said quietly, "It's just that. . . When that. . . that 'thing' took over her body. . . It was horrible, the most horrible event I had ever seen. And when Aura didn't recognized me, I knew that. . . that. . . Aura might be dead." Kaiba then looked up, with fear in his eyes.
"And when she turned to look at me, I didn't see doubt or any emotion in her eyes like before, when she was normal. All I saw was, anger, hate, and revenge. It was as if she wanted to kill me." He looked down to the floor once more. "It was then when I saw her actually trying to hurt Mokuba that I knew, that Aura Riordan was truly dead."
The Healer had no answer to that.
______________________________________________________________
Lucian jumped slightly as he was sailing on the Nile River, as the small waves rocked the boat. Shaking his head, he glanced at Y. Bakura and Shanek, them both looking at him strangely.
"What is it?" Lucian said, eyebrows furrowing.
Coughing a little, Y. Bakura said, "I am still not used to the fact that under that womanly figure a Shadow Monster lurks."
Chuckling, Lucian said, "You are lucky that you freed me, or else I would have thrown you off the boat immediately." Y. Bakura gulped.
"Your lordship, I just have a question. Are you a female, or a male?" Shanek asked questioningly. Lucian chuckled once more.
"We Shadow Monsters have no gender."
Suddenly Lucian felt a searing pain in his chest. Coughing, he (or is it she?) fell to the ground, gasping.
"Your Lordship!" Shanek and Y. Bakura yelled, as they went over to the woman and help Lucian up. He sat on the bench unsteadily.
"Th-this body. . . Has another spirit. . . lurking within. . ." Lucian said slowly.
"Who does the spirit belong to?" Shanek asked.
"M-Maeve. . ." Lucian said, as his white hair sailed in the wind.
"Impossible! Shanek got rid of the wench 5000 years ago!" Y. Bakura protested.
"Maybe, but now the Priestess lives inside this sham body," Lucian said, as he held onto the Millennium Orb.
"What will we do then?" Shanek said quietly, waiting for his command.
For a while he said nothing, until finally, Lucian replied, "Simple. We must find the Pharaoh and the Priest."
"And then?" asked Y. Bakura, suspicious.
"Well, we will kill the Pharaoh, for he will be of no use," Lucian said, examining the Orb, "But as for the Priest. . . We shall need him, for he shall have the spell we need to release the spirit of Maeve."
The two men beside the Shadow Monster grinned, and as the boat passed the place where the Ritual was held, Lucian stuck out his hand, calling to the forgotten Millennium Rod. It glowed a bit, shivering. Then it flew across the sky and into the Monster's hand. Lucian grinned as the boat sailed on, as the two Millennium Items in his possession glowed.
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Shadow Realm
A girl with midnight black hair and four golden pieces of hair, with a small strand of gold hair hanging on her forehead, was lying on the ground, staring off into space. Her eyes were blank, lost, and afraid.
She didn't care about what happened to her as the shadow monsters around her taunted her, telling her what a pathetic failure she was.
She didn't care that she wasn't able to see anything through the dark fog.
She didn't care that she was slowly dying with each passing second.
She didn't care about the pain, the suffering, for the Shadow Realm made her relive one memory in her life, the day her mother and her brother died, right in front of her eyes.
And, just to taunt her more, the shadow monsters shape-shifted to look like her mother, her brother, Kaiba, Yami, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Duke, anyone she had ever cared about. They laughed at her, sneered at her, and kicked her around.
But she never cared.
And Aura didn't care that slowly, her body was disappearing, after each hour. She wished it could stop, could end. But it didn't, the Shadow Realm wanted her to suffer for as long as she can bear.
Aura slowly cried and wept as everything in her life collapsed, thinking that no one will save her, and that she was dead inside.
To Be Continued. . .
Just one thing to say. Please review. Flares are accepted, for I will just use it to burn my homework. Oh yeah, and even though Lucian said that shadow monsters have no genders, I am just calling Lucian a he, cause it's easier.