A Very Big Change

By AlyssaAnimeAngel

Alyssa: warning this chapter contains much harsher themes than in my other chapters, such as sexual innuendo. So you are warned. Don't read if you don't like, not that I have many readers of this fic. This is the end of this fic. By the way this fic was the third in the series and likely to be the last. The other two are A little bit of a change and Many a dating disaster.

Chapter 8 – To Die

She was sleeping peacefully, or so it seemed to Bakura. He couldn't seem to sense that her mind was full of terrifying imagery and altered memories. Both her own and his own confusion was clouding his ability to sense, aside from the fact that he was exhausted.

Yugi spoke to the white haired boy but he didn't respond.

"Bakura, did you hear me?"

Bakura turned to his small friend and smiled but the eyes were blank. Kuja approached Bakura and shook his shoulders. "Bakura!"

The eyes closed in response and his head dropped onto his shoulders.

Malik asked, "What's wrong?"

Everyone looked in concern and Bakura yelled, "Bakura wake up. This is not the time to be fooling around. Please." Kuja shook Bakura back and forth but all his body did was flop around like a rag doll.

The boy was gone, placed under some ancient spell. The spell had been transmitted from Kindra to her lover and now he was experiencing the past over and over again as well.

Kuja turned to the others and said, "I'm going in."

He joined with Bakura and found himself in a nightmare. He was pinned down by an unseeable force and as he struggled to get free a familiar laugh echoed around him.

Kuja froze, he knew that voice, it was a voice from his own dark past and for once he was filled with terror.

Kindra knew what was happening wasn't right. This wasn't a memory but a construct created to confuse her. She struggled but the hands of Yami held her down. This was her brother and she knew that it wasn't right. She tried to will the falsities away but it wasn't working, he was still holding her down and pressing his lips to hers. Suddenly in a flash of light the being changed. She was a little relieved until she saw who was there, it was the shadow. She had helped to banish him long ago but a part of him had lived on in Kuja and now he was back and quickly gaining strength.

He licked his lips then spoke, "I always found you very appealing, it irked me that you would choose my cousin over me. You don't remember do you, the little people did not mean much to you when you were the daughter of the pharaoh. Of course you did care much more than anyone else in your family but still not enough. I approached you remember, asked you for a moment of your time, but you refused. Said you were late for a meeting with your father, but you lied. You were visiting my cousin; I followed you and took my revenge on you and my cousin. And I think that it is appropriate that you relive that memory that I took from you.

Kindra suddenly found herself looking up at Kuja. He was different, this was the Kuja of the past and she was terrified. She couldn't remember this but somehow she knew this had happened. He picked her up and threw her against the wall where she collapsed into a heap on the floor. Just then past Bakura walked in and she saw him freeze. He saw his cousin first and started to speak when he heard a whisper from behind him. He saw Kindralah on the floor and rushed to her.

"Kindra, please are you alright?"

She nodded silently and he turned to his cousin, "Why?"

Kuja laughed and pulled out a knife. He stepped towards Bakura and dragged it down his face. Bakura cringed and Kuja grinned in delight.

"I am going to make the both of you pay."

Bakura slid in front of Kindra after Kuja removed the knife. Blood dripped down his face but he made sure Kuja did not see his pain.

Kuja raised his hand with the knife and brought it soaring down. Kindra reacted just in time and pushed Bakura out of the way. Kuja wet nothing but air and swung his leg around to send Bakura straight into the wall where he fell unconscious.

Kindra cried out for her love but her cries went unheard. Kuja finally had what he wanted and he knelt down next to the princess. Her eyes grew wide with terror as she saw that knowing look in his eyes as he whispered, "I'm going to enjoy you, my little slave." She opened her mouth to scream but a hand was clamped over it as she was lowered onto the floor.

Kindra pushed the memory back and found herself in a dark room. She could feel someone nearby and walked forwards. She now had an idea where she was. After all she had spent millennia here. Kindra sought out with her mind to find Bakura. She realized he was the being nearby and started to run towards him. She used her love for him as a guide and not too long later she found herself tripping over his body. She bent down and checked for his life signs. "Baky?" she whispered.

Bakura responded with a cry.

She started to shake him and he jumped up out of the unpleasant memory of his Yami beating him.

She took his shivering body into his arms and he found some respite.

Bakura recovered from his fear and looked up at his beloved. She smiled sadly and he asked, "What's wrong, what did he do to you?"

"I only visited my memories, just like you, so don't worry."

Bakura didn't believe her as he felt the dark cloud over her soul. He was about to press the issue when they heard a scream.

The two jumped up and ran to the voice thinking that one of their friends was brought to the shadow realm with them.

They ran through the darkness and finally found a light. It was Yugi, he was hanging in mid air and the evil part of Kuja was standing next to him with a knife. Blood was gushing from a slash across the small boys chest.

"YUGI!" Kindra yelled and rushed to him but Bakura grabbed her from behind, effectively stopping her advance.

Bakura was close to breaking down, those he cared for were being hurt and he wouldn't stand for it.

Bakura threatened, "Let him go or else."

The enemy just laughed and laughed. Kindra collapsed to the floor in tears and Bakura placed a hand on her head and told her through their link that everything would be okay.

A voice echoed from behind them, "I finally got away from that psychopath," and Kuja stepped out from the shadows but upon seeing his evil self said, "only to find him again, "Yugi?"

The evil Kuja took the opportunity and used his power to transport Kindra into his arms.

He pressed the knife to her throat causing the Yami and Hikari to call for her.

Kuja laughed and said, "This will hurt you like nothing else will," and he took the knife from her neck and plunged it into her back. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth in a silent scream but only blood spat out.

The brutalizer let her fall and she fell in a lifeless heap to the floor.

Outside Yami witnessed his hikari fall to the ground and screamed. Everyone crowded around and Malik asked, "What's wrong?"

Yami grew worried, "I don't know! Yugi, YUGI get up."

Isis said, "I think he has been taken into Bakura's mind."

"He will not become a victim to this monster! I will protect him at all cost."

Malik heard Yami's undertones and stated, "Not at the cost of Bakura!"

"You cannot do that, Yugi would not wish it."

Yami cursed and paced, for once at a loss for what to do. His skills would not help him now. He tried to fuse with Yugi but found himself unable to do so.

"I cannot join with him!"

No one knew what to say, but they all let out a collective gasp as a blood welt appeared on the front of Yugi's jacket and they saw his skin go pale.

Yami screamed and tried to press his hands on the wound to stop it bleeding, "Yugi," he cried as tears fell down his cheeks.

The Pharaoh turned to Shadi, "Do something!"

"I cannot."

Yami was frozen in indecision; his light was going to die if this kept up.

Malik yelled, "Kindra!" as he saw blood drip out of her mouth and a pool start to form under her limp form.

Isis rushed to the girl and checked for life signs. She found none and shook her head, "She's dead and Yugi might be soon too. Nothing will stop this maniac."

Malik put his arms around his sister as she started to cry.

Bakura saw Kindra's death as though he was in a world of slow motion. He heard her draw her last breath and the light die from her eyes.

Bakura went insane, he screamed and light glowed on his amulet as well as Kindra's. For once in his life he wanted another being dead. He focused his rage on the murderer of his beloved and watched in pleasure as the blinding light from their amulets obliterated the last remnant of the original millennium ring prisoner.

Kuja was frozen in shock at the death of Kindra, and Bakura's colossal revenge.

The light died away and Bakura ran to his love as tears poured from his eyes. His body felt as though it were on fire from the grief. He tried to find any sign of life and was relieved when he felt the faint flutter of air on her lips. He bent over and pushed oxygen into her body and was overjoyed when he saw her chest rise.

"What happened?"

Kuja turned to see Yugi standing up free of the mortal wound.

"You're healed?"

Yugi had a confused look on his face, which turned to horror when he saw the felled Kindra.

Bakura was relieved when he felt the life coming back to Kindra and turned to Kuja, "We need to get out of here."

"You have to do it."

"Why?"

"Because we are in you're mind."

"What? I thought this was the shadow realm."

Kuja couldn't help thinking that perhaps it was.

Kindra muttered, "I now know…it's the…link realm…link between real…and shadow…"

She fell unconscious again and Bakura realized what she was saying.

Bakura focused and knew all he had to do was proverbially click his heels three times.

And that was what he did much to the skepticism of the other two boys.

Bakura woke up to see Malik leaning over him.

Bakura shot up and saw Kindra being held by Kuja and Yugi being held by Yami. Yami was so happy his little light had recovered that he was crying with joy. Kuja smiled at Bakura and Kindra whispered, "I'm okay, just need…rest."

Bakura smiled and Kuja helped Kindra into his arms. The two lovers sat there for a while, while Kuja explained to the others what had happened, leaving out the part of his terror at being trapped when he arrived in the link realm.

Shadi said, "The balance has been restored, I shall depart" and with that he disappeared into the floor."

Isis and Malik said their goodbyes and told of their relief that everyone was all right. They departed leaving the five alone.

Yugi turned to Kindra, Bakura and Kuja and said, "Thank you and take care."

They nodded and Yami led his hikari out of the house.

Kindra whispered, "Bakura you destroyed him, because of my death. You love me and I feel lucky to have you protect me. Even I couldn't destroy him, but you succeeded and for that I thank you after what he did to me."

Bakura saw everything in a flash and pulled her closer, he didn't know what to say so he just held her. Kuja had seen as well. He had been a part of the person who had hurt her and he felt guilty and knew he would always protect these two even at the cost of his own life. He moved in and embraced his two soul mates and the three fell asleep on the couch, none of them at peace but at least comforted by each other.

THE END

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