Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
AN: Here's the last installment of the 'Dangerous' stories. Because of one scene in here, I will have to change the rating to R. But, I hope you will still enjoy the story.
Dangerous Confrontation
All was well at the Kaiba estate that night, just as it had been for two months. In Seto Kaiba's personal computer room, the monitors set up around his room picked up no irregular activity. Ever since the last psychic dream attack from the dead priestess Kikyo, Seto had taken precautions that only his brother and he knew about. He had set up special sensors and monitors in the office that recorded Seto's brain activity, blood pressure, and heart rate. Should any or all of these go up at an accelerated rate, that meant that either Kikyo was attacking again, or that he was having a legitimate nightmare. The only thing that truly detected the difference was the infrared beams that made a grid over Seto's bed. Every time Kikyo attacked, her visions caused Seto's powers to start up, and this caused him to start floating over his bed. But now if anything broke the beams of light, it would trigger an alarm, waking Mokuba up and giving him enough time to call for Serenity and Kagome, who knew about the nightly invasions and had the powers to retrieve Seto from them. This all worked, in theory. But the resurrected woman had not come for him in over two months. At last, Seto had begun to sleep peacefully, and dream of more blissful things. Like on this night…
------------ As Seto kissed Serenity's warm lips, and felt her soft, smooth body under his own, he felt pure ecstasy. He felt as if he was melting himself into her. Becoming one with her. He placed his hands firmly on her naked hips and rolled the both of them over. As he waited for her kisses and delighted, girlish giggles, he suddenly felt a chill go up his spine. Then, the chill seemed to covering his bare abdomen.
"Wha-?" he started to ask. Then, his heart seemed to stop with fear. The naked female body on top of him wasn't warm with human life anymore. It was frigid and cold as ice. The hands the clutched his arms as the woman rose and fell on him were like daggers! He opened his eyes…. And looke dup into two, blood red, soulless orbs within a beautiful face.
"Ki…Ki…!!" Seto tried to say, but his voice stopped in his throat.
The priestess looked at him with dementia in her eyes, and began to laugh, first low, then, slowly rising to a laugh of pure insanity and malice.
"Do you like what you see?" she asked, her incisors growing into fangs. "Do I arouse you… SORCERER!?!" She shrieked, her nails digging into Seto's flesh, drawing blood. Seto cried in pain and utter terror just as Kikyo leaned down to drive her fangs into his neck….-------------
"NO!!!" Seto screamed, sitting upright in his bed. He looked around wildly. His breathing slowly began to slow down as he realized that this nightmare had been a real one. Not one of Kikyo's psycho mind attacks. He let his head drop into his hands, and felt the despair set in. Would he ever be rid of that woman's ghastly image? Would her attempts to gain control of his mind and soul end? Or would she drive him mad?
Seto thought, and an idea came to him. He would not run or hide in fear. That was not his way. HE was a man who faced his battles head on, and didn't buckle down or quail when things looked their worst.
"I will be free of her," he vowed.
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As Kagome prepared to leave the house for school, she looked out her window at the beautiful day. It was so nice… She decided to wear short sleeves today. But as her view turned towards the front yard and the mini-shrine, she blinked, and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't. It was Kaiba! He was walking towards the well house!
"Oh no," Kagome groaned. She left her shoes and socks on the floor as she bolted from her room and raced down the stairs to stop him. She bolted out the door, leaving her perplexed family in her wake.
"Kaiba!" Kagome shouted. "Kaiba, NO!"
"Leave me alone, child!" Kaiba shouted at her. He lifted his Millennium Rod and threw her back twelve feet. As Kagome tried to recover from the magic blow, she lifted her head, and saw Kaiba standing at the open door of the shrine.
"I've had enough of that psychotic succubus's invasions," Kaiba sneered. "I'm going to kill Kikyo, and end my suffering." Then, he turned and went into the shrine, closing the door behind him. Kagome sat up, then struggled to her feet. She didn't know what to do! She couldn't go after him and stop him, she was too weak. Who could be stronger than either Kaiba or Kikyo…?
"Yugi!" Kagome said. She got up, and staggered back to the house.
"Kagome," her mother said, worried, "What on earth? Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"I… I need the phone," Kagome said, crawling into a chair.
"But-"
"NOW! Please, Mom," Kagome said. "If I don't get the others, Kaiba might die!" Her mother didn't question her. She got the phone, and handed it to Kagome. Kagome slowly dialed the number. The line rang… picked up… "Yugi? It's Kagome. Get everyone over here now… Kaiba's in trouble."
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"Where is she?" Seto demanded from Keade. He'd traveled back in time to the past to confront Kikyo… But he didn't know where to find her. So, he went to the only person who had the slightest idea of where the dead priestess would be.
"I do not know, Sorcerer Kaiba," Keade said sternly. "I have only seen her a very few times. She is carried off by her demon soul gatherers, and disappears for a time."
"I must find that witch!" Seto yelled. "I must kill her and end her attacks on me! She's even begun to invade my own nightmares, not just the ones she creates to lure me!"
"I am sorry," Keade said. "I cannot help you."
"Then you're worthless, old woman," Seto spat. "I'll track her down! I'll find Kikyo and turn her to smoldering ashes!" He turned and dashed from the hut, and began walking towards the forest he'd first met the phantom woman before. But. As he neared the entrance to the woods, a red and gray blur leaped from behind him and blocked him.
"Did I hear you say you're going to kill Kikyo?" Inu-yasha snarled.
"I don't have time to bother with you, Inu-yasha," Seto said. "I have unfinished business with your ex-girlfriend."
"You're not going anywhere," Inu-yasha warned. Seto's six-sense detected the presences of three others. He looked over his shoulder and saw Miroku, Sango, and Shippo behind him. "Hm," Kaiba said, slightly amused, "None of you can stop me. I have realized my full powers. I can crush you all without trying."
"Oh yeah?" Inu-yasha growled, unsheathing the mighty Tetsusaiga. "Then try!" the han-you charged and swung his sword at Seto, but Seto lifted the Rod, and extended his hand. With the voice of the Old Sorcerer of Egypt giving him the words to say, Seto spoke an ancient incantation, and not only did it reduce the Tetsusaiga to a worthless heirloom, but it sent everyone around him sprawling several feet.
As Inu-yasha reeled from the blast, he looked up and watched Seto stride into the forest. Then, Seto turned his head to the flabbergasted han-you. "I don't care about your pathetic feelings for that walking corpse. She's plagued me for too long. I suggest you get over it." Then, Seto looked to the sky. He squinted…. There! Soul gatherers! And they were headed towards the distant horizon. Seto knew of only one way to track them. He opened his deck box on his belt, and looked through his card until he found the right one.
"Blue-eyes White Dragon!" Seto summoned. A void opened in the sky. Lightning flashed from nowhere… And the powerful, legendary Blue-eyes flew down to its master. When the large beast had touched ground, Seto climbed on it's back, and said, "Follow those demons, my Blue-eyes." The dragon roared in acknowledgment, and began to flap it's wings the wind generated nearly blew the people, kitsune, and han-you on the ground away again. Then, the dragon took off, following the soul gatherers. As the dragon carried him high above the landscape, Seto knew his days of fearing the night would end soon.
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"She's been what?" Tea exclaimed when they all assembled at Kagome's place. She'd gotten in touch with Yugi before he left for school, and they all drove here. Not long after, Mai and Bakura showed up, since they were the last of the Millennium Item carriers. Kagome and Serenity both explained the situation. And now the guys were silent while the girls where sickened. "That's so gross!"
"It's cheap," Mai said, leaning against the wall.
"It's a rouse," Yugi/Yami finally spoke. "I must confess, I have seen and spoken to Kikyo many times before. From what I've seen, she is incapable of any true human feeling. I therefore think that she is only after Kaiba for his powers and Millennium Item."
"Are you sure, Yuge," Joey asked quietly from where he stood. "I mean… why would she go to all this trouble of…. 'charmin' him if she only wanted his Millennium Rod?"
"A slave is one thing, Joey, but a 'willing' slave in another. I suspect that she wants Kaiba to willingly serve her, thus giving her both his natural magic powers, as well as the infinite power of the Rod."
"A slave's still a slave," Trsitan said. "And Kaiba must know that. Why else would he go after her? Isn't that what should be done?"
"Actually, Tristan," Bakura said, "This might be what Kikyo wants."
"What are you talking about?" Serenity asked, afraid.
"Think of this from her standpoint," Bakura said, "It's like Yugi says. She wants a willing slave, but with Kaiba's strong will, that's virtually impossible. So, as I see it, she's been sending these visions to Kaiba not as a tool of seduction, but as a means to break his mind, and render him helpless against her powers. Once Kaiba's given in to madness, his soul and rational mind are forfeit."
"Then that means when he goes to destroy her…." Serneity started to say, tears welling in her eyes.
"He will become her puppet." Yugi/Yami finished. "We must go, now, and stop him from finding her."
"You are too late," said a masculine voice from the hallway. They all turned and saw Miroku and Sango standing there. They were bruised and looked like they'd been through the wringer. Miroku continued saying,
"Miroku?" Kagome asked, "Guys… where's Inu-yasha?"
"He tried to stop Kaiba," Miroku said. "We all did, but we failed."
"He called his dragon," Sango said, "and chased after Kikyo's demons… Inu-yasha went after him."
"He wants to stop Kaiba… and save Kikyo," Miroku said. Everyone paid a brief thought of remorse for Kagome. Everyone now knew of Inu-yasha and Kikyo's past, and how it was a shadow on Kagome's relationship with the han-you.
"Then we shall go after them both," Yugi/Yami said. They all got up, and headed downstairs, for the well…
-------------------------------------------------
Kikyo waited. She had felt the Sorcerer's presence in this world the moment he arrived. She knew why he was coming. He had purposed to kill her, and free himself. Little did he know. Giving into such a fit of madness would break him at last.
"Soon," she said, "He will be mine, and I shall never be alone again." SHe looked to the sky, and lifted her hand. Her servants were coming. They not only brought her more souls to sustain this body, but, as she looked in the distance, they brought her prize to her. She peered at the horizon, and slowly, a shape began to emerge from the clouds. Her eyes widened in awe of the sight. A blue white dragon, with magnificent wings and a fluid, wonderful grace flew towards her. The eyes were amazing! So deep a blue, there could be none. This dragon's eyes were deeper brighter than the sky! Deeper that the sea! And on the wither dragon's back rode the Sorcerer, looking just as powerful and majestic as the beast that carried him. She had chosen her token well. The wind created by the enormous wings of the dragon was stronger than a tornado's. She only just managed to keep her footing as the dragon touched ground and let it's master leap from it's back. Then, with a burst of white light and specks like miniature falling stars, the dragon disappeared, and Kaiba the Sorcerer stood before her.
"Well met," Kikyo said. "HAve you come to surrender yourself to me, Sorecerer?"
"No," Kaiba said with contempt. "I have come to destroy you, and send what's left of your soul back into the Abyss."
Kikyo only stared at him for a moment. Two moments… Then, she slowly began to laugh. The laugh grew louder, and higher in pitch. Soon, she sounded like a mad woman with her soul cutting laugh. Kaiba lifted his Rod up close to his chest. He looked like he was cringing.
"Fool!" She spat out. Kikyo lifted her hands, and brought her wrists together, her hands looking like they held something large and round within them. She stuck her hands out, and cried, "You think you can stop me!?!! I am KIKYO!!!" an orb of purple and pink light emerged from her hands, and sparks like small lightning bolts charged and sputtered from it, and instantly, it shot out from her hands and struck Kaiba's chest. He was thrown several feet away, but he got back to his feet. He called forth an attack he called 'Black Lightning', and the dark energy struck the ground at Kikyo's feet as she sprang away. Now… the battle would begin….
Suddenly, a red streak flashed in front of Kaiba. It was Inu-yasha!
"Kaiba!" the half-breed shouted, "I won't let you kill Kikyo!"
"Out of my way, you disgusting dog!" Kaiba yelled back, firing his Black Lightening at Inu-yasha. "Can't you see that I'm freeing you from her spell as well?"
"What spell?!" Inu-yasha demanded, "No one controls me! And if you step near her again, I'll rip out your heart!"
"Then perish with her, you imbecile!" Sorcerer Kaiba shouted. He fired, and his lightning split, striking at Inu-yasha. This was perfect, Kikyo thought. Now she would gain a bedmate and have her revenge against Inu-yasha!
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People on the ground quailed in terror. Only moments ago, a great white dragon had flown overhead, inciting fear and dread. Now, two more dragons flew above them!
But they did not know that the people controlling those dragons, Red-eyes and Harpy's Pet, were Joey and Mai, who'd called them with their Millennium Items, and now their group, riding on both, were tracking down Kaiba. It wasn't long before they saw the serge of magic and energy that radiated from the forest up ahead. The Red -eyes and Harpy's Pet found a clear spot to land in that was well away from humans and their dwellings, landed, and their masters' and the others climbed on their backs. Having served their purposes, they disappeared in an array of light and dazzling colors.
"Now," Yugi/Yami said, "We must stop Kaiba." The all raced ahead into the woods, following the pulsating flow of energy that the battle was creating. As they the edge of the tangle of trees, coming to the space where the abandoned shrine stood, they were met by a frightening sight. Kaiba wasn't just fighting Kikyo. He was fighting Inu-yasha too! His eyes icy eyes were wild with rage and fury. He was on the brink of madness.
"We have to stop them," Serenity cried, trying to break forward. Bakura grabbed her.
"No, Serenity!" Bakura and Yugi/Yami whispered fiercely. "You're not strong enough to break that trance they're in." Bakura said.
"Trance?" Kagome asked from behind.
"Yes," Bakura replied. "Kaiba's in a trance, locked on the brink of madness. Unless someone stronger than him brings him down, his mind could spill over into the darkness of insanity."
"Who's strong enough to stop that?" Tristan asked.
"No one," Miroku commented.
"I may be able to stop them," Yugi/Yami said, "I shall try."
Meanwhile, as Joey stood watching in the shadow of the trees, his head began to ache terribly. He closed his eyes, and images flashed before him. Images of this Kikyo- who resembled Kagome so much- looking out at a sunset, turning to look at him with eyes wide with surprise. Kneeling before him, here eyes full of longing and complete sorrow. Finally, he heard his own voice ask 'So why don't you?'
'Because,' her deep voice- a voice he'd never heard before- said, 'I, too, was human once…'
"NO!" Joey screamed. He broke out of the trees and charged towards the battle before them.
"JOEY!!" Serenity shrieked, trying to break from Bakura's hold, "Brother!! NO!!"
"Joey!" Yugi/Yami commanded, "Come back!!!"
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"This ends NOW!!!" Seto screamed with madness. With one hand he made the gesture of gripping something hard, and Inu-yasha reached up to his neck, and gagged like something was closing off his breathing. Then, Seto turned, and looked at Kikyo, and aimed his Rod at her. He began to chant an incantation that was so old, so powerful, that to use it against someone would obliterate them in a barreling storm of darkness and magic.
"NO!!!" a voice cried from the sidelines. Seto turned his head, and his heart drooped to his stomach…
"Wheeler!?!!!" Seto shouted with shock. How could he be here?!? How!?! Suddenly, he realized that he'd broken the chant too soon, and worse than that, the Rod shot out it's attack at Joey Wheeler instead of Kikyo! Seto dropped Inu-yasa from his magic hold, but no matter what, he'd be too late.
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Kikyo stood ready. She knew that whatever attack Sorcerer Kaiba called would not destroy her. She would throw up her barrier the moment he called it. But then…
"NO!!!" That voice! Her heart dropped and shattered when her ears heard that voice. She turned, and saw HIM running towards her… A face she'd never thought to see again… A kind face… A handsome face…
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kaiba's attack being rerouted. It was aimed for the young man who ran to them now. It was going to…
"NO!!!!!!" Kikyo shrieked in horror. Tears ran down her cheeks as she reached out for the young, innocent man she cared for…
"NANASHI!!!!!!"
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AN: MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! You didn't really think I'd end it now, did you? Well, one more chapter after this. BTW, for any new readers, in an earlier 'Chaos' story, called 'Tears on My Heart', Kikyo fell in love with Joey. Guess those feelings don't die hard, huh? Anyway, check it out, and get caught up with what's going on. TTFN
AN: Here's the last installment of the 'Dangerous' stories. Because of one scene in here, I will have to change the rating to R. But, I hope you will still enjoy the story.
Dangerous Confrontation
All was well at the Kaiba estate that night, just as it had been for two months. In Seto Kaiba's personal computer room, the monitors set up around his room picked up no irregular activity. Ever since the last psychic dream attack from the dead priestess Kikyo, Seto had taken precautions that only his brother and he knew about. He had set up special sensors and monitors in the office that recorded Seto's brain activity, blood pressure, and heart rate. Should any or all of these go up at an accelerated rate, that meant that either Kikyo was attacking again, or that he was having a legitimate nightmare. The only thing that truly detected the difference was the infrared beams that made a grid over Seto's bed. Every time Kikyo attacked, her visions caused Seto's powers to start up, and this caused him to start floating over his bed. But now if anything broke the beams of light, it would trigger an alarm, waking Mokuba up and giving him enough time to call for Serenity and Kagome, who knew about the nightly invasions and had the powers to retrieve Seto from them. This all worked, in theory. But the resurrected woman had not come for him in over two months. At last, Seto had begun to sleep peacefully, and dream of more blissful things. Like on this night…
------------ As Seto kissed Serenity's warm lips, and felt her soft, smooth body under his own, he felt pure ecstasy. He felt as if he was melting himself into her. Becoming one with her. He placed his hands firmly on her naked hips and rolled the both of them over. As he waited for her kisses and delighted, girlish giggles, he suddenly felt a chill go up his spine. Then, the chill seemed to covering his bare abdomen.
"Wha-?" he started to ask. Then, his heart seemed to stop with fear. The naked female body on top of him wasn't warm with human life anymore. It was frigid and cold as ice. The hands the clutched his arms as the woman rose and fell on him were like daggers! He opened his eyes…. And looke dup into two, blood red, soulless orbs within a beautiful face.
"Ki…Ki…!!" Seto tried to say, but his voice stopped in his throat.
The priestess looked at him with dementia in her eyes, and began to laugh, first low, then, slowly rising to a laugh of pure insanity and malice.
"Do you like what you see?" she asked, her incisors growing into fangs. "Do I arouse you… SORCERER!?!" She shrieked, her nails digging into Seto's flesh, drawing blood. Seto cried in pain and utter terror just as Kikyo leaned down to drive her fangs into his neck….-------------
"NO!!!" Seto screamed, sitting upright in his bed. He looked around wildly. His breathing slowly began to slow down as he realized that this nightmare had been a real one. Not one of Kikyo's psycho mind attacks. He let his head drop into his hands, and felt the despair set in. Would he ever be rid of that woman's ghastly image? Would her attempts to gain control of his mind and soul end? Or would she drive him mad?
Seto thought, and an idea came to him. He would not run or hide in fear. That was not his way. HE was a man who faced his battles head on, and didn't buckle down or quail when things looked their worst.
"I will be free of her," he vowed.
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As Kagome prepared to leave the house for school, she looked out her window at the beautiful day. It was so nice… She decided to wear short sleeves today. But as her view turned towards the front yard and the mini-shrine, she blinked, and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't. It was Kaiba! He was walking towards the well house!
"Oh no," Kagome groaned. She left her shoes and socks on the floor as she bolted from her room and raced down the stairs to stop him. She bolted out the door, leaving her perplexed family in her wake.
"Kaiba!" Kagome shouted. "Kaiba, NO!"
"Leave me alone, child!" Kaiba shouted at her. He lifted his Millennium Rod and threw her back twelve feet. As Kagome tried to recover from the magic blow, she lifted her head, and saw Kaiba standing at the open door of the shrine.
"I've had enough of that psychotic succubus's invasions," Kaiba sneered. "I'm going to kill Kikyo, and end my suffering." Then, he turned and went into the shrine, closing the door behind him. Kagome sat up, then struggled to her feet. She didn't know what to do! She couldn't go after him and stop him, she was too weak. Who could be stronger than either Kaiba or Kikyo…?
"Yugi!" Kagome said. She got up, and staggered back to the house.
"Kagome," her mother said, worried, "What on earth? Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"I… I need the phone," Kagome said, crawling into a chair.
"But-"
"NOW! Please, Mom," Kagome said. "If I don't get the others, Kaiba might die!" Her mother didn't question her. She got the phone, and handed it to Kagome. Kagome slowly dialed the number. The line rang… picked up… "Yugi? It's Kagome. Get everyone over here now… Kaiba's in trouble."
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"Where is she?" Seto demanded from Keade. He'd traveled back in time to the past to confront Kikyo… But he didn't know where to find her. So, he went to the only person who had the slightest idea of where the dead priestess would be.
"I do not know, Sorcerer Kaiba," Keade said sternly. "I have only seen her a very few times. She is carried off by her demon soul gatherers, and disappears for a time."
"I must find that witch!" Seto yelled. "I must kill her and end her attacks on me! She's even begun to invade my own nightmares, not just the ones she creates to lure me!"
"I am sorry," Keade said. "I cannot help you."
"Then you're worthless, old woman," Seto spat. "I'll track her down! I'll find Kikyo and turn her to smoldering ashes!" He turned and dashed from the hut, and began walking towards the forest he'd first met the phantom woman before. But. As he neared the entrance to the woods, a red and gray blur leaped from behind him and blocked him.
"Did I hear you say you're going to kill Kikyo?" Inu-yasha snarled.
"I don't have time to bother with you, Inu-yasha," Seto said. "I have unfinished business with your ex-girlfriend."
"You're not going anywhere," Inu-yasha warned. Seto's six-sense detected the presences of three others. He looked over his shoulder and saw Miroku, Sango, and Shippo behind him. "Hm," Kaiba said, slightly amused, "None of you can stop me. I have realized my full powers. I can crush you all without trying."
"Oh yeah?" Inu-yasha growled, unsheathing the mighty Tetsusaiga. "Then try!" the han-you charged and swung his sword at Seto, but Seto lifted the Rod, and extended his hand. With the voice of the Old Sorcerer of Egypt giving him the words to say, Seto spoke an ancient incantation, and not only did it reduce the Tetsusaiga to a worthless heirloom, but it sent everyone around him sprawling several feet.
As Inu-yasha reeled from the blast, he looked up and watched Seto stride into the forest. Then, Seto turned his head to the flabbergasted han-you. "I don't care about your pathetic feelings for that walking corpse. She's plagued me for too long. I suggest you get over it." Then, Seto looked to the sky. He squinted…. There! Soul gatherers! And they were headed towards the distant horizon. Seto knew of only one way to track them. He opened his deck box on his belt, and looked through his card until he found the right one.
"Blue-eyes White Dragon!" Seto summoned. A void opened in the sky. Lightning flashed from nowhere… And the powerful, legendary Blue-eyes flew down to its master. When the large beast had touched ground, Seto climbed on it's back, and said, "Follow those demons, my Blue-eyes." The dragon roared in acknowledgment, and began to flap it's wings the wind generated nearly blew the people, kitsune, and han-you on the ground away again. Then, the dragon took off, following the soul gatherers. As the dragon carried him high above the landscape, Seto knew his days of fearing the night would end soon.
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"She's been what?" Tea exclaimed when they all assembled at Kagome's place. She'd gotten in touch with Yugi before he left for school, and they all drove here. Not long after, Mai and Bakura showed up, since they were the last of the Millennium Item carriers. Kagome and Serenity both explained the situation. And now the guys were silent while the girls where sickened. "That's so gross!"
"It's cheap," Mai said, leaning against the wall.
"It's a rouse," Yugi/Yami finally spoke. "I must confess, I have seen and spoken to Kikyo many times before. From what I've seen, she is incapable of any true human feeling. I therefore think that she is only after Kaiba for his powers and Millennium Item."
"Are you sure, Yuge," Joey asked quietly from where he stood. "I mean… why would she go to all this trouble of…. 'charmin' him if she only wanted his Millennium Rod?"
"A slave is one thing, Joey, but a 'willing' slave in another. I suspect that she wants Kaiba to willingly serve her, thus giving her both his natural magic powers, as well as the infinite power of the Rod."
"A slave's still a slave," Trsitan said. "And Kaiba must know that. Why else would he go after her? Isn't that what should be done?"
"Actually, Tristan," Bakura said, "This might be what Kikyo wants."
"What are you talking about?" Serenity asked, afraid.
"Think of this from her standpoint," Bakura said, "It's like Yugi says. She wants a willing slave, but with Kaiba's strong will, that's virtually impossible. So, as I see it, she's been sending these visions to Kaiba not as a tool of seduction, but as a means to break his mind, and render him helpless against her powers. Once Kaiba's given in to madness, his soul and rational mind are forfeit."
"Then that means when he goes to destroy her…." Serneity started to say, tears welling in her eyes.
"He will become her puppet." Yugi/Yami finished. "We must go, now, and stop him from finding her."
"You are too late," said a masculine voice from the hallway. They all turned and saw Miroku and Sango standing there. They were bruised and looked like they'd been through the wringer. Miroku continued saying,
"Miroku?" Kagome asked, "Guys… where's Inu-yasha?"
"He tried to stop Kaiba," Miroku said. "We all did, but we failed."
"He called his dragon," Sango said, "and chased after Kikyo's demons… Inu-yasha went after him."
"He wants to stop Kaiba… and save Kikyo," Miroku said. Everyone paid a brief thought of remorse for Kagome. Everyone now knew of Inu-yasha and Kikyo's past, and how it was a shadow on Kagome's relationship with the han-you.
"Then we shall go after them both," Yugi/Yami said. They all got up, and headed downstairs, for the well…
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Kikyo waited. She had felt the Sorcerer's presence in this world the moment he arrived. She knew why he was coming. He had purposed to kill her, and free himself. Little did he know. Giving into such a fit of madness would break him at last.
"Soon," she said, "He will be mine, and I shall never be alone again." SHe looked to the sky, and lifted her hand. Her servants were coming. They not only brought her more souls to sustain this body, but, as she looked in the distance, they brought her prize to her. She peered at the horizon, and slowly, a shape began to emerge from the clouds. Her eyes widened in awe of the sight. A blue white dragon, with magnificent wings and a fluid, wonderful grace flew towards her. The eyes were amazing! So deep a blue, there could be none. This dragon's eyes were deeper brighter than the sky! Deeper that the sea! And on the wither dragon's back rode the Sorcerer, looking just as powerful and majestic as the beast that carried him. She had chosen her token well. The wind created by the enormous wings of the dragon was stronger than a tornado's. She only just managed to keep her footing as the dragon touched ground and let it's master leap from it's back. Then, with a burst of white light and specks like miniature falling stars, the dragon disappeared, and Kaiba the Sorcerer stood before her.
"Well met," Kikyo said. "HAve you come to surrender yourself to me, Sorecerer?"
"No," Kaiba said with contempt. "I have come to destroy you, and send what's left of your soul back into the Abyss."
Kikyo only stared at him for a moment. Two moments… Then, she slowly began to laugh. The laugh grew louder, and higher in pitch. Soon, she sounded like a mad woman with her soul cutting laugh. Kaiba lifted his Rod up close to his chest. He looked like he was cringing.
"Fool!" She spat out. Kikyo lifted her hands, and brought her wrists together, her hands looking like they held something large and round within them. She stuck her hands out, and cried, "You think you can stop me!?!! I am KIKYO!!!" an orb of purple and pink light emerged from her hands, and sparks like small lightning bolts charged and sputtered from it, and instantly, it shot out from her hands and struck Kaiba's chest. He was thrown several feet away, but he got back to his feet. He called forth an attack he called 'Black Lightning', and the dark energy struck the ground at Kikyo's feet as she sprang away. Now… the battle would begin….
Suddenly, a red streak flashed in front of Kaiba. It was Inu-yasha!
"Kaiba!" the half-breed shouted, "I won't let you kill Kikyo!"
"Out of my way, you disgusting dog!" Kaiba yelled back, firing his Black Lightening at Inu-yasha. "Can't you see that I'm freeing you from her spell as well?"
"What spell?!" Inu-yasha demanded, "No one controls me! And if you step near her again, I'll rip out your heart!"
"Then perish with her, you imbecile!" Sorcerer Kaiba shouted. He fired, and his lightning split, striking at Inu-yasha. This was perfect, Kikyo thought. Now she would gain a bedmate and have her revenge against Inu-yasha!
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People on the ground quailed in terror. Only moments ago, a great white dragon had flown overhead, inciting fear and dread. Now, two more dragons flew above them!
But they did not know that the people controlling those dragons, Red-eyes and Harpy's Pet, were Joey and Mai, who'd called them with their Millennium Items, and now their group, riding on both, were tracking down Kaiba. It wasn't long before they saw the serge of magic and energy that radiated from the forest up ahead. The Red -eyes and Harpy's Pet found a clear spot to land in that was well away from humans and their dwellings, landed, and their masters' and the others climbed on their backs. Having served their purposes, they disappeared in an array of light and dazzling colors.
"Now," Yugi/Yami said, "We must stop Kaiba." The all raced ahead into the woods, following the pulsating flow of energy that the battle was creating. As they the edge of the tangle of trees, coming to the space where the abandoned shrine stood, they were met by a frightening sight. Kaiba wasn't just fighting Kikyo. He was fighting Inu-yasha too! His eyes icy eyes were wild with rage and fury. He was on the brink of madness.
"We have to stop them," Serenity cried, trying to break forward. Bakura grabbed her.
"No, Serenity!" Bakura and Yugi/Yami whispered fiercely. "You're not strong enough to break that trance they're in." Bakura said.
"Trance?" Kagome asked from behind.
"Yes," Bakura replied. "Kaiba's in a trance, locked on the brink of madness. Unless someone stronger than him brings him down, his mind could spill over into the darkness of insanity."
"Who's strong enough to stop that?" Tristan asked.
"No one," Miroku commented.
"I may be able to stop them," Yugi/Yami said, "I shall try."
Meanwhile, as Joey stood watching in the shadow of the trees, his head began to ache terribly. He closed his eyes, and images flashed before him. Images of this Kikyo- who resembled Kagome so much- looking out at a sunset, turning to look at him with eyes wide with surprise. Kneeling before him, here eyes full of longing and complete sorrow. Finally, he heard his own voice ask 'So why don't you?'
'Because,' her deep voice- a voice he'd never heard before- said, 'I, too, was human once…'
"NO!" Joey screamed. He broke out of the trees and charged towards the battle before them.
"JOEY!!" Serenity shrieked, trying to break from Bakura's hold, "Brother!! NO!!"
"Joey!" Yugi/Yami commanded, "Come back!!!"
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"This ends NOW!!!" Seto screamed with madness. With one hand he made the gesture of gripping something hard, and Inu-yasha reached up to his neck, and gagged like something was closing off his breathing. Then, Seto turned, and looked at Kikyo, and aimed his Rod at her. He began to chant an incantation that was so old, so powerful, that to use it against someone would obliterate them in a barreling storm of darkness and magic.
"NO!!!" a voice cried from the sidelines. Seto turned his head, and his heart drooped to his stomach…
"Wheeler!?!!!" Seto shouted with shock. How could he be here?!? How!?! Suddenly, he realized that he'd broken the chant too soon, and worse than that, the Rod shot out it's attack at Joey Wheeler instead of Kikyo! Seto dropped Inu-yasa from his magic hold, but no matter what, he'd be too late.
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Kikyo stood ready. She knew that whatever attack Sorcerer Kaiba called would not destroy her. She would throw up her barrier the moment he called it. But then…
"NO!!!" That voice! Her heart dropped and shattered when her ears heard that voice. She turned, and saw HIM running towards her… A face she'd never thought to see again… A kind face… A handsome face…
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kaiba's attack being rerouted. It was aimed for the young man who ran to them now. It was going to…
"NO!!!!!!" Kikyo shrieked in horror. Tears ran down her cheeks as she reached out for the young, innocent man she cared for…
"NANASHI!!!!!!"
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AN: MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! You didn't really think I'd end it now, did you? Well, one more chapter after this. BTW, for any new readers, in an earlier 'Chaos' story, called 'Tears on My Heart', Kikyo fell in love with Joey. Guess those feelings don't die hard, huh? Anyway, check it out, and get caught up with what's going on. TTFN