Chapter Six: The Wrath of the Gods.

"Souta, you're yourself again." Kagome said as she held her brother. He was still wrapped in the Millennium Chain and it still bound his powers with a tight spell. In his current state, Souta could ill afford to let Loki loose again, otherwise he might attack them again. Loki was frightened of Ra and would do anything to keep his wrath from being poured out on those he loved. He'd even sacrifice his friendships with his family and the others to save them from Ra's terrible power.

"Sis, I'm sorry." Souta sniffled. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it, I really couldn't."

"Then why'd you stop?" Inu-yasha asked.

"I don't know, I don't know why Loki stopped, but he's gone crazy. He thinks that the only way to save you from Ra is to deliver you to him along with the Sacred Jewel."

"The Sacred Jewel?" They all exclaimed. "Souta," Kagome said, "That's gone, you know that."

"So then why is Ra after it?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know but he's never going to get it." Inu-yasha said as he dusted himself off.

"Guys, I think we've got bigger problems." Yugi said pointing to a shadowy figure as it approached them from the darkened corridor. The figure stopped short of the light and placed one hand on it's hip. Then twitched it's ears which were on top of it's head. A tail slinked around it's waste and then stood straight out behind it.

"Hello there everyone." Came a soft and sultry voice. "I'm back." And then Bast stepped out into the light and smiled, "Need a hand?" She asked and lifted two of them up and set them back on their feet.

"What the hell is this?" Inu-yasha asked, outraged by the cat goddess' behavior. "Are you really that big a ditz that you don't remember who's side you're on?"

"I know perfectly well who's side I'm on." Bast said pointing behind her to the shadows. "I'm on his side." Everyone looked expecting to see Ra approaching but instead they found,

"Yami!" They all exclaimed when he stepped into the light.

"Did I miss something here or what?" Asked Joey.

"You numb skull, what have you done?" Kaiba demanded to know.

"I've brought Bast over to our side." Yami said and took her hand. "Isn't that right my dear?" He asked her.

"That's right darling." She replied.

"Dear? Darling? What is this?" Inu-yasha cried.

"Yeah, what is this?" Tea demanded. "Are you saying, Yami, that you blew me off so that you could be with Bast, the Cat Goddess of Egypt?"

"Not exactly like that, but yes, Bast is my girlfriend now." Yami said proudly.

"Wait so then Bast is the one that you slept with last night?" Yugi asked.

"YOU WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed, Tea the loudest of all, and boy was she pissed.

"Oh so you must be Yami's ex." Bast said looking at Tea, "Boy what a small world. You know you look a little plain for Yami to be hanging out with, much less dating. No wonder he dumped you."

"Plain?" Tea stuck out her chest and huffed. "What just because I'm not built like a brick bombshell, that's supposed to mean that I'm not good enough for Yami?"

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way." Bast said.

"Well it just so happens that I don't need Yami." Tea said grabbing little Yugi up by the shirt collar and holding him close. "I've got Yugi."

"What you mean this kid?" Bast exclaimed. "You some kind of cradle robber or something?"

"Hey, I'm nearly 20 years old now." Yugi shouted at Bast. After the initial shock had subsided the gang resolved that this could all wait until later to be sorted out. Right then they needed to find a way out of that place which didn't involve confronting Ra. Then they remembered that they were forgetting someone.

"Where's Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin cried as they all looked back up the hole in the ceiling. There was an explosion and the sounds of a battle vibrated through the ship.

"Well let's go save him." Inu-yasha said.

Transition

On the upper deck of the ship, Sesshmaru ran through the smoke to get to the hole in the floor. If Rin were injured then the universe would feel his wrath. But before he could get to the crevice, Apothus tackled him from behind, sending them both sprawling over the debris covered floor. Before the powerful dog demon could get his breath back, Apothus was on top of him, choking him with his scaly hands, and laughing in triumph.

"To bad sssssssssshe didn't die earlier," Apothus gloated, "You might have put up a decsssssssent fight."

Sesshomaru's eyes were tinged with red. He was almost prepared to transform and bite this annoying lizard's head off. However, at that point, Inu-yasha sprang up from the hole, and with a swipe of Tetsusaiga, he cut Apothus's arms off. Apothus shrieked in rage, while his severed arms dropped from Sesshomaru's neck.

"Ha! That'll show ya how 'worthy' I am," Inu-yasha said.

"Foolish, brother," Sesshomaru said, getting up and taking a defensive stance.

"What are you talking about? He's got no arms," Inu-yasha said.

"Idiot!" Apothus spat. "I am God of Reptilesssssssss! Not one of your pathetic demonsssssss," with that, the stumps of Apothus' arms began to protrude, and two new arms broke through the seared bone and tissue.

"I think I'm gonna barf my Ramen," Inu-yasha said, his face turning green.

"Impressive trick ," Sesshomaru said, "But can you repeat it when you are cloven in two?" and with one stroke, he sliced in two! Both brothers awaited for the halves to fall to the floor, but the serpent just laughed again, and the two halves grew back. They now faced two Apothuses.

"Got anymore bright ideas, bro?" Inu-yasha asked.

"I could try cleaving you in two, Inu-yasha," Sesshomaru replied, "I doubt you would grow back."

"And after I save your life, too," Inu-yasha said, acting insulted.

"Sssssshut up!" cried the two Serpent Lords. "If I waned to sssssssssssee a family ssssssquabble, I'd watch televisssssssssssion! Prepare for your deathsssssssss!"

"Apothus, enough," Declared the voice of Ra. "I want these intruders out of my home, this instant. They have what they desire."

The Apothuses groaned, then said in unison, "This is not over, Dogssssss! We will fight again, and I will be victorioussssssss!" and he disappeared. Then, the ship spit in two, and everyone starting falling!

"Hold on!" Shippo cried, and transformed into a giant air balloon, and he and Kirara flew at lightening speeds to catch everyone.

Safe in the basket, Mokuba asked, "Could you have taken any longer?"

"I forgot I could turn into this thing, sorry," Shippo said, and began to descend to the earth.

Transition

Back in one half of the air ship, Ra watched his enemies retreat. He was shortly joined by two angry snake gods.

"Apothus," Ra said, "Pull yourself together."

"Yesssssss Massster," they said, as they joined hands and quickly pulled one end of themselves towards the other, becoming one sinister being again.

"Had the Hydra have that much sense, she would not have died." Ra commented.

"It'ssssss not my fault my children were ssssssstupid," Apothus said.

"Silence. We must plan. And clean up this mess."

"Yessssss Massssster, but what about Basssssst?"

"She still has her uses." Ra said. "Now grab a mop."

Transition

"Yami, we can't trust her." Yugi said to his former counter part, concerning Bast, as they all sat outside the Sunset Shrine with their friends. Bast clung to Yami's arm and he clung to her as if the others were threatening to come between them.

"Yugi, please trust me, Bast is a different person now. " Yami said getting up with Bast.

"She's not a person at all." Kaiba disagreed. "She's one those so called gods and as long as they're around, we've no time to argue. We have to prepare for how we're going to beat them."

"Don't you think that Bast could help us do that?" Souta asked. "Don't forget, I'm one of those so called gods and I'm on your guys' side."

"Oh yes, we've seen how loyal you are." Kaiba snapped at the boy. Souta stepped back from him and went to go stand with Yami and Bast.

"Well if my brother believes she's changed then so do I." Kagome said and went over with them as well.

"You've got to be kidding me." Inu-yasha groaned.

"If Kagome and Souta believe then I believe." Agreed Shippo.

"If Shippo believes then so do we." The other kids all said in unison.

"Tea, what do you think?" Yugi asked her as they all got up to stand on their respective sides. "I'm with Kaiba for once."

"I don't know." Tea replied. She was still hurt at Yami to find out that he'd blown her off for Bast that day when she'd come to him with her heart in her hands. Right now she would have gone either way if only because she still loved both Yugi and Yami.

"I believe that we're all feeling the same thing." Sesshomaru said. "We don't know if we can trust Bast. King Yami, what do you believe, in your heart of hearts, what do you believe?" He asked him.

"What do I believe?" Yami asked in reply. "Well, I'll tell you, Mokuba, Shippo, Souta, Rebecca, and Rin I need a beat." He told them and with Souta's snap of a finger they each had instruments. Yami took up a microphone and Kiaba sighed.

"I believe the sun should never set upon an argument.
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands.
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you.
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do.
I believe that beauty magazines promote low esteem.
I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone.

I believe in Karma, what you give is what you get returned.
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned.
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side.
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye.

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality.
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy.
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul.
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold.

I believe the struggle for financial freedom isn't fare,
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires.

I believe in Karma, what you give is what you get returned.
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned.
I believe the grass is no more greener on then other side.
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye.

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness.
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed.
I believe the gods do not endorse TV evangelists.
I believe in love surviving death into eternity.

I believe in Karma, what you give is what you get returned,
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned.
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side.
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye."

Kaiba balled up his fists, and as the vein in his head started bulging, he walked up to Yami, grabbed the microphone from his hand, and started beating the Pharaoh over the head! He finished the thrashing with a swift kick to the butt, and yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! This isn't American Idol, and you're no singing sensation- you're so tone deaf that Inu-yasha's howling is better dancing music than your voice! Now get a grip, get rid of that hair ball hacking tramp of yours, and give us some useful information for once in your afterlife!"

"Kaiba's right." Bast said. "Ra's plans for you and Kagome, Pharaoh, have been delayed, but not stopped. If he can't capture you one way, he'll do it another."

"And in what ways has he been planning this?" Yami asked.

"He plans to draw you and all your friends into a tournament. A tournament of Champions. That's all that I know." Bast told them.

"Yeah right." Tea said looking down her nose at Bast. "Why would Ra want to host a Tournament when all he has to do is come down with his Air Ship and blast everyone?"

"He fears the power of the Avatar." Bast explained. "He knows that there is no way to willingly draw her close enough to destroy her, so he hopes to capture her during the Tournament. He has powerful friends too, some here on earth, and others in the celestial realm. You may not be any match for him Pharaoh, but the girl might be."

"Nevertheless we have to try and defeat him. If Ra is really going to host a Tournament of Champions then each of us has to be ready to do his part to help rid the world of his evil forever." Yami said looking at all his friends.

"If it's a tournament then I'm in." Joey replied.

"Count me in too, nothing would give me more pleasure than to stomp this Ra into the ground, and take his Egyptian God Card." Kaiba grinned.

"Count us in too." Came a voice from behind them. They all turned and looked to find Rafael and his friends, Allester and Valen standing there with their duel disks ready.

"Rafael what are you all doing here?" Yugi asked.

"We'd heard from Mai about your little misfortune, Mate." Valen replied. "So we came rushing over as fast as we could get a boat, or plane, or whatever out."

"If your going up against Ra then you'll need all the help you can get. I've been doing some research about this all and I've come up with a pretty good plan." Rafael said.

"Well, glad to hear somebody's on the ball." Joey said looking over at Yami with great distain.

"I suppose then that you won't be needing me." Bast said suddenly and turned to leave, but Yami took her by the hand.

"You don't have to leave on their account." He told her.

"No, it's okay, I'll be around later. Right now I've got some unfinished work to do myself. Bye my love." Bast said then kissed Yami goodbye. Tea thought that she might puke.

"We shall leave, also." Sesshomaru said taking Rin with him. "This doesn't concern us."

"Oh it doesn't?" Felicia asked stopping. "In case you haven't noticed, Lord Sesshomaru, your ward here is the Avatar. She's Ra's target and we all need to stick together if we're going to protect her."

"What concern is it to you?" Sesshomaru asked her turning to take Rin's hand. "You're not her mother, and we are not married. So, as they say, back off."

"You're not the only one who loves this kid." Felicia told him.

"That's right." Shippo added. "We all love Rin, she's part of our family now, and we're not going to just stand idly by while something happens to her."

"Like it or not bro, this is your family now too." Inu-yasha said to him. "You may not have wanted it this way, but they all kind of grow on you."

"Then I have just one request then," Sesshomaru said. "of Sorcerer Kaiba. Your technology is great and I have seen what you can do now with prosthetics."

"Yeah so?" Kaiba asked.

"Make for me a new arm." Sesshomaru stated, rolling up his left sleeve. "As I am now, I can not protect Rin from these creatures who call themselves gods."

"Um… I thought they were gods," said Tristan, scratching his head.

"Have you learned nothing?" Sesshomaru asked them all. "Has Inu-yasha never spoken the tale?"

"What tale?" Inu-yasha asked, crossing his arms.

"Forgive me, I forgot that father died when you were an infant. However, he did tell me the tale of the Celestial Fall."

"The Celestial Fall?" Tea asked.

"It is a tale told in all lands, as my travels have proven, though the names differ from one land to another," Sesshomaru said. "Long ago, there were no demons on the earth. That was when this world was in it's earliest beginnings. There was a place, in the heavens, where beautiful creatures dwelled under the rule of one mighty and all powerful being. Some of these creatures, very strong ones, were close to this being. He loved each and every one.

"However, one of these beings thought himself especially great, and magnificent. He looked on the heavenly world, and thought, 'Why must I be but a servant? Why can't I rule this land, as well as the land below?' Thus, he amassed a following, and tried to overthrow his master. But, the almighty One would not allow this insurrection, which caused so much suffering among the loyal of his creations. He sent another of the powerful creatures, one who followed and loved his master, to fight the usurper. The uprising was squashed, and all who had rebelled were thrown down from the skies, banished for all time.

"That is how the demons came to roam the earth," Sesshomaru said, finishing his tale. "And since these beings, Ra, Apothus, Bast, even Amateratsu… They cannot be true gods. Humans, who seldom see powerful beings, will call anything strange and strong a god. Is this not true, brother?"

"That was a one time thing!" Inu-yasha yelled, blushing from embarrassment. "How did you hear about that 'Dog God' thing anyway?"

"A whisper on the wind," Sesshomaru said, amused.

"Well, if they're not gods, then what are they?" Allestar asked.

"Where's Souta?" asked Rebecca.

"Hey Yami, you're girlfriend's missing," Yami looked, and Bast was gone. But still creeping in the hallway was Souta. Rafael pushed his way through and grabbed the boy up before he could run off.

"Alright, little Chaos God, tell the truth, what are you really?" the big, intimidating duelist demanded.

Souta, sweating, said, "Um, would you believe that we're actually a bunch of aliens?"

"Try again," Valen said, holding up his fist.

"It's true," Souta said, squirming, "We're not really gods! And we are aliens. Our ancestors came from a planet, led by Ra and Amteratsu's father. He could control the air currents on this world, and make lightning storms whenever he wanted. So the people here called him the thunder god. It was like that for a lot of the originals. Then me and Ra and others were born, being part human or demon, depending on what race was the favorite at the time"

"So if Amateratsu was part human, then what are the rest of you?" Kagome asked.

" Ra's part demon, so is Apothus. They think that makes them better than better than the ones who were born with human blood… Me among 'em." Souta explained. "Bast is the only one who was born from two of our own race. Unfortunately, they dropped her on her head."

"So what's with the big mystery?" Yugi asked. "Why didn't you tell us sooner that you weren't really gods?"

"Well… being a god sounded so much cooler," Souta said, "Besides, people aren't ready to know that aliens live among them."

"Then the whole reason Ra's going berserk is because the title went to his head?" Mai said.

"Yeah that pretty much sums it up," Souta said. "So, can you put me down, Mr. Rafael Sir?" he asked, shaking all over. The duelist set him down on the ground, and Souta wiped the sweat from his head.

"In any case, we've got to start making plans for this tournament. Hmmm… This should actually be fun. I've never competed professionally before."

"And I always wanted to meet someone else who's beaten Yugi." Kagome said. She grabbed Kaiba's arm, and said, "Welcome to the 'I beat Yugi Club' Rafael!"

"Kagome, don't talk about that!" Yugi cried.

"You mean you were defeated by a girl?" Rafael asked.

"Watch it pal," Mai interrupted, "I'm a girl and I could beat Yugi if I wanted to!"

"Then it's settled," Mokuba said, "We'll all gain up on Yugi at the tournament."

"Technically, I was the one dueling all those times," Yami pointed out, his already large head swelling up.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, TRAITOR!" they all screamed at him.

Authors' Note:
P.S. We don't own the song Affimation it belongs to Savage Garden. Please reveiw!