Authors' Note-
Bluerain: Sorry for the long wait guys.

Sir Larry: Yeah, we've had a lot going on.

Bluerain: So, on with the story!

Chapter Five: Bast's Decision; The Forgiveness of Love

Bast stood on the deck of the air ship and waited for Kagome and the other's to come.

"You have a visitor." Ra came out and said to her. Bast looked at the glowing orb in his hand and saw in it an image of Yami standing at her hotel room door.

"Oh, what should I…"

"Go to him, and ensure that your spell does not diminish over him. Besides, I don't need you here to defend me. Our little Loki will play his part or his family will suffer." Souta was standing behind Ra listening to everything. Now he prepared himself to betray his friends, for the sake of his family, and for the sake of the world. Even without him they might still find a way to defeat Ra, and when that day came he would stand by his friends again, but for now he was a prisoner of Ra's will.

"Okay, I'm off to see my boy toy, See ya around Loki." Bast waved to him then disappeared into a ball of light. She floated down to the Earth, just passing Kagome and the others, who were on their way to save Souta. She rematerialized in her hotel room just in time for Yami's first knock on the door. He'd been standing outside for a while but was afraid to knock because he did not know how he would react to seeing Bast again. "Hold on a moment." She called out to him, then magically she transformed into human form, dressed in nothing but a bath robe. She put her hair up in a towel then opened the door.

"B." Yami said, a quiet smile on his face.

"Yami." Bast blushed to see him standing there. "Come in, I was just thinking about you." She showed him to the bed, a way he remembered all too vividly. They sat down and began to talk. "So have you been thinking about me?" She asked him.

"Yes, I've been unable to think of anything else but you today, myself." He told her as he took off his jacket. The room was a bit more straightened up than when he'd left it earlier. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you too. I had a great time last night, better than any I've had in a while, and when we…" She was turning redder than ever now. "Well, let's just say that, I was really glad that you stayed with me, cause I've never felt this way before about anyone."

"Never?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Oh there have been men, lots of men, but never anyone like you, Yami."

"There's never been anyone like you either, B." He admitted to her. "In fact last night was my first time."

"Wow!" Bast exclaimed. "I've never been anyone's first time before. You really mean that, you're not just yanking my chain?" She asked him.

"I wouldn't be untruthful with someone I've been intimate with." Yami reassured her. "That's why I've come here tonight, in fact, I must tell you something that has been weighing on my mind all day."

"Well out with it lover, I'm getting a little anxious." Bast said, smiling that seductive smile of hers and placing her hands on Yami's.

"The thing is B, I'm not sure of what I'm feeling right now, and I don't think it would be fair to you for me to continue to delude myself. You see my friends are very important to me. Right now they're all I have."

"I see where this is going." Bast said turning away. "This is the story of my life, I meet a guy who's really good for me, then I scare him away." She was putting on quite a show.

"No, I'm not scared of you." Yami interjected. "I'm scared of myself."

"Huh?" Bast was confused now.

"If it were up to me B, nothing would stop me from wanting you. I would take you in my arms right now and make love to you all over again." He said clinching his fists. "But I just can't be that close to anyone."

"Oh, don't say things like that to me Yami, " Bast said turning away from him. "Not when I'm feeling this way myself…" She had stopped acting now, and was drawing on her own personal feelings. "I'm so confused and everything too. Don't you think that I've been thinking about these things myself? I just can't stand it anymore." She finally said.

"Can't stand what?" Yami asked, now he was the one who was confused.

"I've been lying to you Yami." Bast said. "My name's not B. It's Bast, and I'm not your friend, I'm you enemy." She said teary eyed.

"You're Bast, the Cat Goddess?" Yami exclaimed.

"Yes," She sniffled, and then threw herself into Yami's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but my master wanted me to do this, all of this, even to seduce you into leaving your friends." She was crying now and in a fit of tears.

"I don't believe it." Yami said holding her in his arms, and wishing with all his might that this was not so. "How could you deceive me like this?"

"Yami you don't understand his power. He's an evil god with strong shadow powers. In fact, I've probably already put both of us in danger by admitting to you who I am."

"Bast… I can't believe it. And I allowed myself to care for you so much."

"Yami, I care for you too, that's why I can't continue to allow you be under my spell."

"What spell?" Yami asked.

"I placed one of Aphrodite's old love spells on you, so that you would fall in love with me, and that's why you forgot about your friends the other night. Because of me."

"Bast," Yami said, "I don't know what you're telling me but I know that no spell could make me feel the way that I do for you."

"Really?" Bast asked him. "Then you really do love me?" her heart grew hopeful.

"I don't know what love of this nature is." He admitted. "But I do feel something stronger than friendship for you. Even enough to forgive you for what you did." He told her.

"Forgiveness?" Bast asked. "What is that?"

"Forgiveness is this." Yami said and he hugged close, as if the heavens would tear them apart if he did not.

Transition

Kagome and the others flew high above the earth, as high as Kirara and Shippo could take them. Then they saw it, hovering high above Tokyo, Ra's air fortress.

"That thing's massive!" Tristan exclaimed.

"Dude, we're in over our heads." Mokuba said to Shippo as his balloon form rose higher and higher to the mouth of the great Eagle shaped air ship.

"We have to save Souta." Kagome reiterated. "Who knows what they're doing to him up there."

"How bad off could he be, if he supposed to be this great god that he said he was, then Loki should be doing just fine." Felicia commented.

"Loki is a lesser god than Ra." Rin explained. "His chaos powers are only strong enough to resist Ra's power for a short time."

"In other words, we are running out of time to save him." Sesshomaru stated. "Very well then, let us be done with this labor." He leaped up from the basket and landed on poor Shippo's head, or the balloon that was his head, and then drew his sword. "Inu-yasha, are you coming?" He asked his brother.

"Hey, who made you the leader?"

"In King Yami's absence I believe that I'm the only one who is qualified to lead." Sesshomaru stated for the record. "Now draw you sword and come with me, we've enough work to do without fighting amongst ourselves."

Transition

Yami and Bast sat holding each other on the bed, then Bast remembered, and she almost freaked.

"Oh gosh!' She exclaimed. "Your friends, they're walking into a trap." She blurted out.

"My friends?" Yami demanded. "Where?"

"Aboard Ra's air ship. We took Loki there to lure them into bringing the Sacred Jewel to Ra." She admitted. "Oh Yami, forgive me." Bast begged him.

"Never mind that," He said, "We must go to them, and you can fill me in on the way."

Transition

Ra waited comfortably in his thrown room for his guests to arrive. Souta sat chained to him like a pet on a leash. His head hung low, contemplating his next move, and the consequences. To save his family he would betray his friends, and the world, for he was still so weak hearted that the could not resist the great Ra. Just then, on the monitors, the hull of the air ship exploded and through a the massive whole leaped Inu-yasha, Sesshomaru, and the others.

"Apothus, go greet our visitors and take Loki with you." He said handing the chain over to the snake god. "I will enjoy seeing their faces as they are forced to fight one of their friends."

"What about Basssssssst? Sssssssssshe's sssssssssssstill down there with the Pharaoh." Apothus asked.

"Leave our treasonous little Cat Goddess to me, she'll pay for telling the Pharaoh about my plot."

Apothus bowed and then left with Souta to go and fend off the invaders, but only so much, as Ra wanted to meet them all face to face eventually. For now though, they would put up a less than convincing fight for them, until little Souta's turn came up, then he would make sure that they got everything that Loki had.

Transition

Bast carried Yami through the air over the city of Tokyo up to the air fortress. On the way, she filled Yami in on Ra's dastardly plan to break his friends apart and capture him and Kagome and the Sacred Jewel. Yami had to admit that he was still suspicious of it all. Bast could very well be delivering him to Ra but then he felt ashamed for mistrusting her, after all, she didn't have to tell him this. Bast was confessing her heart to him though and he loved her all the more for being so honest with him. Maybe that love was blinding him to what could be a trap or maybe it was opening his eyes to the world that Yugi and his friends lived in everyday while Yami was safe in his puzzle.

Transition

After busting down yet another door, they finally found the air ship's bridge. Both Inu brothers had their swords raised, and Shippo struggling to raise his, and all looked around.

"Where the heck is everybody?" Tristan asked. He was right, there was no on one there!

"Is this a joke?" Inu-yasha asked, "No guards, then no master villain to fight? If no one's fighting us then why are we here?"

"You have come to duel… And not with cards, but in proper fassssssshion" said a voice from the roof. Then, down dropped Apothus, his fangs dripping with venom, and his hood open, and a scimitar in his hands.

"I ain't here to duel," Inu-yusha said, "I'm here to kick your scaly hide!"

"I wassssssssssn't talking to you, idiot," Apothus said. "I wasssssss adressssssing your brother. You are no worthy opponent for me."

"Huh?" Inu-yasha asked, his face fallen. "I'm not worthy?"

"Hey! Are you gonna cry or save my brother?" Kagome yelled at her husband.

"Your brother assesses fine," Apothus said, "Ssssssee for yourself," Apothus yanked on a chain and out came Lokie, bound at the wrists.

"Change him back and let him go!" Kagome seethed, aiming an arrow at the great Serpent.

"Oh, you don't want me to releasssssssse him," Apothus said. "Hissssss powerssssss are bound so long asssssss hissssssss handssssss are bound. If I releassssssssse him there'ssssssss no telling what the God of Chaos will do."

"I know my brother," Kagome said, "Now let him GO!"

"Assssssss you wisssssssh," Apothsu tugged on the chain once more and it fell off of Loki's hands.

Then, he raised them over his head, and with a tear on his eye he said, "Sis…. Forgive me." and he fired a gigantic ball of Chaos Lightening at his friends and family.

"Ray of Hope!" Rin cried, raising her arms, and creating a golden force field around them. The Chaos Lightening bounced off the gilded half sphere and non were harmed.

"No interferanssssssse from you!" Apothus hissed, and charged at the girl.

However, Sesshomaru quickly parried Apothus' attack with Tokijin, and then leapt over him, lading behind him.

"Your fight is with me, not a child." Sesshomaru said.

"Then try to ssssssscratch me, you pathetic excusssssssse for immortal!" Apothus challenged. He swung his tail under Sesshomaru, but the dog demon jumped up again, and with a war cry he sliced at the snake's sword arm.

While those two clashed, Kagome tried to reason with her brother, as her friends surrounded them ready for any other surprises.

"Souta," Kagome said, "Souta, you don't want to do this! I know you wouldn't betray us."

"I have no choice Kagome," he said, and swung his arms, throwing more Chaos Lightening at those he once stood beside.

As everyone was dodging the balls of lightening, Rebecca yelled, "Guys! If we're gonna test these Items, it's now or never! One, two, three!" Rebecca raised the Millennium Reed, and started the tempo.

Rin raised the Millennium Flute to her lips and played a song of war, a song of people banding together to fight the greatest evil, fighting to reclaim captured lands and comrades. As she played, Rebecca started singing in an ancient tongue none there had ever heard before, and Shippo raised up his Millennium Sword, and Mokuba his Millennium Shield.

"Stop!" Loki yelled at them, "Stop now! I don't want to kill you! Please!"

"You won't kill us," Mokuba answered. Then, he got up and charged, yelling, "Millennium Shield! High Noon Barrier!" And he swung and threw Loki off his feet, into the wall.

"Millennium Sword!" Shippo cried, "Rising Sun Strike!" and as he too charged, and raised the Sword to stab him, Loki reached into his pocket.

"Millennium Chain, GO! Binding Rays of Sun!" and the Chain knocked the Sword from Shippo's hands.

"They'll never stop him as long as he has that Chain," Felicia said, "So I'll go!"

"No!" Mokuba yelled at her, "You'll get killed."

"Who made that thing anyway?" she asked.

"All of us, but Rin-" then got an idea, "RIN! Play another song! One to take away the pwer of the chain."

"I can't," Rin, said, pausing, "The power resides in him. Only he can chose to stop it or not."

"SILENCE!" Loki screamed. He balled his fists and shouted, "My fight is with the Priestess! ALL OF YOU BEGONE!" and he slammed his fists into the floor, making the entire ship rumble and the floor fall out from under them.

As pieces of the bridge crashed and landed in the second level of the vessel, Loki walked through the debris, and came upon an unconscious Kagome. He loomed over her, and taking the chain in his hands, he raised it and pulled it tight above his head.

At that moment, Shippo lifted the slab that covered him and his two other friends, and looking at Loki, he cried, "Please Souta! Stop! Don't kill your own sister! Think about her babies! Kaede and Hiroshi need her!"

Loki stood still, keeping his pose. Then, he quietly said, "Killing her is not my intent." then, he looked at the chain, and said, "Millennium Chain… Bind me! Hold my power and keep me form hurting anyone else!" Then, the Chain snaked and coiled around his arms and pulled them to his sides, and them behind him as it wound tighter and tighter. Finally, the two ends snapped and connected, and sent shock waves through Loki's body, making him scream and groan in pain. And then, the chain and the Chaos God went still, and as his body dropped to the rubble covered floor, he changed back into Souta.

Transition

Apothus spewed his poison venom at Sesshomaru as he turned to see if Rin was okay. She had fallen through the floor with the others and now lay unconscious under the rubble. Apothus' poisonous venom covered Sesshomaru's armor and began to burn through. He quickly removed it and then took up his sword again. Their duel was still on it seemed, even though things had taken a quite unusual turn. This was not the only strange thing they would see for as the god and the demon fought, Bast and Yami were entering the air fortress.

Yami activated his duel disk and drew five cards from his deck.

"What good is that going to do?" Bast asked him.

"Just watch." Yami said and summoned his Celtic Guardian. "Now which way are my friends?"

"Just up ahead." Bast said. "But we can't get through, there's a magical barrier up around that area of the ship now."

"Just watch." Yami told her then pointed to his Celtic Guardian. "Go!" He commanded and the elfin creature smashed through the door with his sword. "When you're fighting magic, use magic."

Transition

"Excellent." Ra thought to himself as he looked at the floating orb in his hand. "Now the Pharaoh is here and my little wayward kitten as well."

"You know this could be a whole new way of communicating right here." Said the voice of his mysterious partner, the man in the black business suit who had been contacting him for some time now about his plans. His image appeared in a second orb which Ra held in his other hand. "So they're all there huh, well that's great. Now what though, we've got them right where we want them, but how do we catch them? Your minions seem to have their own agendas. Bast is in love with the Pharaoh now, thanks to your stupid plan to 'Seduce' him to your side, and Apothus is otherwise engaged fighting that demon."

"Yes, and it would seem that Loki has given up on his part of our bargain. I will simply have to punish him for this." Ra said observing his pitiful excuses for servants as they fought their way through the ship one at a time. Bast heading for he bridge with he Pharaoh, Apothus heading for the deck with Sesshomaru following closely behind, and then there was the Avatar, and her companions. They were all recovering from the fall into the lower quarter of the ship. Ra supposed that he would just have to take matters into his own hands once again.