Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I do own my OCs, Akunriou / Tory and Kishtoh / Lucca, plus the storyline.
Read the notices!
MidnightBallad: I'm 21 chapters into this story and about to wrap it up and have just received my first two flames. I know I didn't have a 'no flames' sign up, but I think it's not nice for people not to go around calling other people's stories shit. Actually, I waslaughing, and anyone else who does the same with eventually have their review deleted –shrug– And if it's too long for you then...you should have read the story when I first posted it, HAHAHAHA!
Anyway, for the nice people that review (which are most of you...even though you're the same people) I think I had better answer you guys.
CatDemon-Milala: Glad that you're enjoying the story so much :D
Spork111: Usually I update fast so I keep people happy – yay!
AuroranWings: Oh, I thought I was in trouble for a second there. Sorry, but the story is going to finish. If you want me to be exact...read this whole chapter. But I am writing a sequel, so it's okay ;)
Present: Fight For Justice, Part III
The Winged Dragon of Ra and the Griffin of Horus were two massive white lights in a black sky.
Everyone on the ground trembled with a certain feeling that could have been fear. Even Seto, who saw Duel Monsters quite differently to everyone else. But these creatures were quite different to Duel Monsters...it was as if they were real.
But of all the people on the ground, Lucca was certainly scared the most. No, he had never put up a real fight against the Pharaoh and Tory, but still, he felt all of his efforts were wasted. Especially the effort he and Bakura had put into getting the Essence Rod.
He did not want to die like this, though.
'Winged Dragon of Ra – attack Lucca!' Yami shouted, taking a bold step forward.
'Griffin of Horus!' Tory echoed, raising her Duel Disked arm above her head. 'Destroy the Essence Rod; and with it, the rest of the Essence Items!'
The Winged Dragon of Ra gave a monstrous boom (A/N: Boom? What have I come to?) and opened its beak wide, a gigantic ball of golden fire/light forming there. Its eyes were fixed on the brown-haired boy lying on the jetty.
The Griffin of Horus spread its wings, each individual feather glowing to become a bright, icy blue in colour. Lightening whirled toward the wings, bathing them in a bright blue glow. Its eyes were fixed on the silver, winged rod in Lucca's hand.
In an instant, both of the Egyptian monsters released their attacks, formed of fire and lightening, bring with them lashings of rain and heavy crashes of thunder –
Lucca suddenly sprung forth, grabbing Yami around the knees and dragging him to the floor of the jetty with him. 'If I go to hell, you're coming with me!'
The Winged Dragon of Ra and the Griffin of Horus' attacks zoomed in on Yami and Lucca. Tory rushed forth, but Seto seized her around the waist and held her back. 'Tory, no! It's not worth it!'
Tory struggled, but Seto just held onto her even tighter, so much so that Tory could barely breathe. All she could do was watch as the blue and golden light engulfed Yami and Lucca and sent them both to oblivion.
- -
Or, so Seto and Tory thought.
It was as if Yami and Lucca had been sent to another world, comprised from pure light, standing on a hard floor that hovered in the middle of nowhere in this light.
Yami and Lucca just stood there, their Millennium and Essence Items adding to the light. However, Yami's Item was holding out fine in this magical storm. Lucca's was not.
Deep, black cracks wound their way up the Essence Rod. Lucca watched as his Rod began to fall apart – first the wings, then the eye in the centre...piece by piece. Lucca just stared, until all that was left of the Essence Rod was a single, scratched shard.
Lucca dropped this shard on the ground, then fell to his knees and clung to his hair, screaming in frustration. He had just lost the most important thing in his life to him, all thanks to the Pharaoh. And now, he was powerless to stop him.
Yami stepped up to Lucca. 'Lucca?'
Lucca snapped up, his eyes bright with rage. 'What?!'
'I know you just wanted to kill me because you hold a grudge against Tory...but if it's someone you want to blame, it should be me. I was the one who couldn't stop your sister's death...' Yami said in an undertone.
Lucca ground his teeth. 'She fell in love with you! It's not right – she said to me she would never leave me,' he gazed down at the floor, tears welling in his eyes. 'But she did, she never came back! So I had to ask Anubis for help...hence the Essence Items began!'
Yami shook his head. 'It is not Tory's fault. Love is a strange thing, Lucca. Besides, she did come looking for you, but to little success. Perhaps she would have kept searching if Bakura had kept his lying mouth shut and his hands to himself.'
Lucca put his hands on the ground, as if he were about to bow, but instead began to cackle insanely. 'Oh, I don't care! I don't care what Bakura does to Tory now! He can kill her for all I care –'
Yami raised his hand, his Millennium Puzzle flying wildly on its chain. 'And for that, Lucca, I banish you to the Shadow Realm, where you rightfully belong!'
Lucca snapped up, just as his world shattered like glass before his eyes and he was sent away to the Realm where he knew he could never return.
- -
Seto and Tory just stood there, watching the part of the jetty that had been ripped away by the Duel Monster's attacks, as if a massive creature had risen from the ocean and simply bitten off a chunk of the jetty.
As soon as Yami and Lucca had gone, the storm had died down. The waves gently lapped at the jetty, the rain fell softly, and lightening did no longer strike. Even though a strange calm had fallen on the world, both Seto and Tory were still petrified.
'Yami...' Tory breathed, lip trembling. 'Is he alright?'
Seto just whispered, 'I don't know.' He didn't actually look upon Yami as a friend, but as a great rival – in a way, a respected rival.
Tory broke from his grasp, running to the end of the broken jetty. She bent down, picking up the Winged Dragon of Ra card, and her own Griffin of Horus card. She gazed down into the murky blue ocean, hoping to see a flounder of bubbles rise to the surface. Sadly, none came, and Tory felt tears leaking from her blue and green eyes.
Seto walked up behind her and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder. Quite strange for Seto to be comforting someone, really. 'Come on, let's go.'
'He might not be dead!' Tory said quickly. She closed her eyes, letting the breeze whisper in her ears. 'Please, Kaiba? Can we wait?'
Seto stood up, gazing out to sea. A beacon of sunlight was splitting through the dark clouds. 'Alright. But if it's not soon –'
'Fine.' Tory said, cutting him off. 'Just a while.'
- -
Half an hour later, a black car pulled up beside the docks. Its shiny black metal glittered with raindrops that became orange as the sun set behind the looming, yet distant black clouds. One of the passenger doors opened, and Mokuba stepped from it, breathing in the salty sea air and observing the ruin that the storm had laid down upon the docks.
Mokuba went up quietly to his brother, who, after all this time, was still standing, watching the sun set. As Mokuba came up behind him, he turned and smiled, blue eyes dark with weariness. 'Hey, Mokuba. You took your time getting here.'
Mokuba said, 'The driver refused to take us here in the storm.' He paused, looking at Tory. She was lying on her stomach, her hand dangling in the water. She was fast asleep. 'Where's Yugi?'
Seto shook his head. 'We...don't know.' He saw his little brother's face fall, and Mokuba was soon on the verge of tears.
'You mean,' he begun. 'Yami's dead?'
'AHHHH!' Tory suddenly screamed, snapping upright, wide-awake. Someone clung to her hand, and not gently either. Seto and Mokuba ran over to see Tory pulling none other but Yami out of the water. He was saturated, and his hair didn't exactly stick up anymore.
'Yami?' Seto and Mokuba said in unison. Yami and Toru just embraced, huge grins over their faces and sunlight streaming in between them. Seto and Mokuba couldn't help but grin too.
'Hey,' Yami said quietly. 'I brought this back for you.' He opened Tory's palm and dropped a large shard of the Essence Rod into it. 'I suppose you should keep it...for another memory.'
Tory closed her fingers around the shard and nodded. 'Thank you, Yami, for all your help.' She turned to look at Seto. 'And you too, Kaiba.'
Seto folded his arms across his chest. 'You still owe me an Egyptian God card, Yugi.'
Yami cocked an eyebrow. 'Did you seriously believe me, Kaiba?'
Seto unfolded his arms and laughed. 'No, I'm not that stupid.'
Tory's eyes opened wide. 'Does that mean you did something out of your own free will!?'
Seto fell silent, and Mokuba began to laugh, as did Yami and Tory. Eventually, Seto just shook his head with a smile on his face and went back to the car. Mokuba waved to Tory and Yami, saying, 'Stay out of trouble! And don't worry – my brother will come back to get your cards!'
'That's great,' Tory said sarcastically. 'See you, Mokuba.'
Mokuba waved again and skipped after his brother, swinging into the car. There was a moment's pause, in which the car started up and began to drive off.
Tory sighed, but suddenly went quite still. 'Hey...how're we getting home?'
She and Yami looked at one another, before leaping to their feet and racing after Seto and Mokuba's car. 'Hey, wait for us, Kaiba!'
-The End-
MidnightBallad: Wait, no! It's not the end! BWHAHA!
Please read the epilogue.