Chapter 34: In the Eye
POV: Joey
Kara….no…Tears ran down my cheeks as I held her tightly in my arms.
This can't be…this just can't be…
Why Kara? Kara didn't do anything! I have to do something…isn't anyway I can help her?
Suddenly, a faint glow flashed near me.
I looked at Kara's neck, where the Millennium Necklace still stayed, and now was glowing…but no one else but me seemed to notice.
Flashes went past my eyes.
"Noa Kaiba?"
"According to the Egyptian text, there was once a duel concerning a Pharaoh and his High Priest…and here's something I found interesting; the Pharaoh looks just like-"
"Yugi, I know."
"Then you know about the High Priest?"
"I knew it! I knew Kaiba had something to do with this..."
"Better take good care of Ariel and Kane, my dear…I'll need my heirs to be healthy."
"My Hikari, no matter how much you thought he'd save you, will now STAY in the Shadows. He no longer has enough strength to keep hold of Tea's body..."
"Sometimes, with my Necklace, I used to make prophecies as I saw what was going to occur."
"But I still don't know what she was talking about. What could she have seen?"
"Prophecies are often very complicated, my Pharaoh. We may never know."
"Well, I found this old tablet mentioning the 'Rebirth of Blood.' It's a piece from an Egyptian text that says if someone dies for the greater good, that person can only be saved from the jaws of Anubis by the One who called for the blood to sacrificed. I think that means-"
I blinked as I came back to earth.
I stared at Kara, whispering in realization,
"The mid-point shall die then…"
POV: Yami
If I don't activate my magic card Ragnarok, then Malik will win the duel…but if I do, then I might hurt the real Marik…
I looked down at the unconscious Kara in Joey's lap.
Kara would never forgive me…and I could never forgive myself if I broke her trust to win a duel…
I closed my eyes.
What am I going to do?
It was then that my friends gasped.
I opened my eyes to see the darkness surrounding the arena was swirling around into a pillar-type shape.
"Another Millennium Item!" I heard Ishizu say.
"What the-" Malik was obviously shocked.
A man no older than 20 appeared out of the darkness pillar; he had medium brown-black hair, a dark tan and…
I stared.
His eyes flashed green, just like Kara's.
He looked around, and his eyes widened when he saw me.
"This can't be…"
I stared at him. He knew who I am?
I then noticed something else: around his neck was the Millennium Scales!
"Roth!" Ishizu breathed.
Roth turned. "You're Marik's sister! But…that means…"
He looked back up at the arena. "You!"
Malik growled. "What do you think you're doing here, Rozene?"
"Getting my sister away from you, of course!" Roth spat.
Malik laughed insanely. "You're too late, you fool! Kara is gone!"
Roth froze. "You…you liar!"
Malik smirked, and I bowed my head sadly.
POV: Roth
"It's…not a lie…"
I turned to look at an auburn-haired girl…and a blond boy on the floor…and in his lap was Kara, her eyes closed and motionless.
"KARA!"
I ran over and tried to wake her up.
"Kara…Sister… NO!"
This can't be…
Tears appeared in my eyes, and I felt myself shaking, not in sadness, but of anger.
"Marik…" my mouth mouthed out the name like it were a deadly poison.
I looked at him, my eyes wide with fury. "YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BASTARD!"
He just laughed his head off like a maniac at my words.
Then a voice came from behind me…
"I'm so sorry…"
I looked up at a brown-haired girl with blue eyes that were fogged up as if she were possessed…
"I tried…" the resulted voice almost sounded as if a boy was saying with her.
"It's Marik!" the auburn-haired girl said.
I stared. "W-what?"
"My Yami was my fault," the girl (Marik?) said, "If I had not been so angry and full of hate, he never would've been created, and Kara would've never gotten hurt."
A Yami? But…but that can't be…!
"Master Marik!"
Everyone looked up in shock.
"Odeon!" Ishizu gasped.
POV: Joey
"Do not blame yourself, Master Marik," Odeon said, "You cannot change the past now. But that does not mean your dark side cannot be stopped."
"Oh shut up, you fool!" Malik hissed, "You're barely standing, I doubt you can do anything."
"Did I say anything about myself?" Odeon asked quietly, "No. Marik had the power to defeat you all along. He just didn't think he did."
"Bull shit!" Malik snapped.
POV: Yami
I looked at Joey. He had been staring at Kara for quite some time, not moving at all…and then, his lips moved to words:
"The two sides shall clash, until a servant intervenes…"
My eyes widened. Kara's Prophecy!
Then Malik screamed in pain.
I turned to see him struggling as his Rod glowed and light purple Tomb Keeper magic started to surround him.
Marik was fighting against his Yami!
POV: Marik
How could I have been so blind? Odeon was right…
I curled my fingers into my palm and opened my eyes.
My body is mine again.
I shot a quick look at my Yami, now in my place as a lifepoint counter.
"And now, my Pharaoh," I whispered, "To finish this for good…"
Malik's one eye widened in horror, knowing exactly what I was going to do. "No, you can't-"
I smirked as I placed my hand on top of my deck.
"I surrender."
POV: Kaiba
The darkness cleared, and Marik and Yugi's lifepoints went down to zero.
My eyes narrowed. Yugi won.
"Finally, it is over," Ishizu whispered.
Marik jumped down from the arena, running over to Kara.
"Is…she…really gone?" he asked.
Yugi looked about to comfort him, but then Wheeler spoke.
"No."
Everyone stared.
"What are you talking about, man?" Taylor asked, "Kara's dead…she didn't have a pulse…!"
"Yes," Wheeler agreed, "But that's not what I said. I said that she wasn't gone."
"But Joey…" Serenity started.
"It's the truth," said Wheeler, "Just ask Noa."
I froze. But…!
"Glad to know I'm appreciated."
On the video screens appeared Noa, smirking teasingly.
"Noa!" I growled.
"Noa!" Mokuba said, sounding relieved, "You're alive!"
"But of course," Noa said, before looking at Joey, "I won't even ask how you know about me…but I don't think I know how we can help her, to be honest."
"Oh, I think you do," Wheeler replied, "What does the Rebirth of Blood say?"
"The Rebirth of what?" Devlin said.
Noa blinked in slight surprise. "If someone dies for the greater good, that person can only be saved from the jaws of Anubis by the One who called for the blood to sacrificed…"
"But Malik's gone, isn't he?" Wheeler prodded.
"So…who could do it?" asked Noa.
Wheeler smirked. "Why, the High Priest, of course."
POV: Yami
Everyone stared at Joey in disbelief.
"Who?" Tea said.
"The High Priest Kara mentioned, Seto!" Mokuba reminded me.
I looked at Mokuba. "What High Priest, Mokuba?"
"Kara said that the High Priest had made her bleed on her arm to punish her for being disloyal," Mokuba said, before looking up at his older brother, "Seto, help me explain!"
But Kaiba didn't answer. He was staring into space blankly, as if possessed.
"Seto…?"
And the Rod, abandoned on the arena, was glowing with blue magic, which slowly drifted away from the arena and went around Kaiba.
"Seto!" Mokuba screamed, "Seto!"
The blue magic faded. Kaiba looked up, and everyone gawked.
The Millennium symbol was shining on his forehead.
"It is nice to see you again, Atem," Kaiba whispered, his blank eyes on me.
But his voice didn't sound normal…but even then, it was familiar…
My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered.
"Seito…?" I whispered.
Seito smiled. "The one and only. And now…to thank my Priest Keeper for saving my cousin's life…"
"COUSIN?" everyone shouted.
Noa grinned. "Nice to meet you, Priest Seito. Heard a nice amount about you."
Seito nodded. "Likewise, Noa, likewise."
The High Priest went over to Kara, and looked at Joey, and, to the surprise of everyone, smiled at him.
"I thought you sounded familiar," he said, "You must be Jou's reincarnation…that would explain the destiny links between you and my Priest Keeper."
I remembered: Jou was my best friend…and he had loved a Tomb Keeper also, but she was in love with another and they never got together!
Seito brought Kara into his lap, checking her pulse and then her breathing.
"Can…can you help her, High Priest?" Roth whispered.
Seito looked at Roth, his eyes empathized. "I shall try my very best, Roth Rozene."
Seito closed his eyes, and blue magic again flooded to his hands, the magic went around Kara, before it faded away. We all waited with baited breath…
And then Kara stirred.
"Kara?" Marik and Roth said together.
Kara opened her eyes and smiled. "Hello, all."
Right then Marik tackled her, showering her with hugs and kisses.
Seito stood, and then looked at me. "Goodbye for now, cousin. You shall see me again…"
And then Kaiba returned.
"What the…?"
He held his head as if it were aching.
"Seto! Did you see? That priest guy, he actually came…"
We all laughed at Mokuba's excited reaction, trying to tell Seto everything.
'If you were to kill me now right here
I would still look you in the eye
And I would burn myself into your memory
as long as you were still alive
I would live inside of you
I'd make you wear me like a scar
And I would burn myself into your memory
and run through everything you are
I would not run,
I would not turn,
I would not hide,'
-Suzanne Vega, 'In the Eye'