Chapter XII: Dreams

Dartz: That was a nice vacation I had. How was your week, Dys?

Dys: (points to tape over her mouth while muffled curse words are thrown at him.)

Dartz: Oh yeah that's right, I put tape on your mouth. Good, at least I got some peace and quiet.

Dys: (again, shouts muffled curse words in his direction, while holding up a rude gesture.)

Dartz: I'll speak for you then, little Gothika! She wrote this chapter out of inspiration from the song Dreams by The Game, which was in dedication to Yundae Price, the sister of Venus and Serena Williams, killed in a gang shoot-out. Poor girl.

Dys: (starts shaking a threatening fist at him, while he just laughs)

Dartz: I'm not going to take that tape off you. I'm going to try for another week of silence.

Dys: (holds up a paper to his face and he reads it off.)

Dartz: Dys would like to apologize for not updating, seeing as how she had to go to New Mexico for a family reunion that lasted about a week, and would like to point out that next week she will be starting Summer School, so she may not update as much. Sorry for the inconvenience. Damn, you did all this with tape on your mouth?

Dys: (again, starts screaming muffled f-words at him, and he looks at her out of fear.)

The light suddenly turned pitch black, covering the sky in a hazy pitch-blackness. Kaiba fell to his knees, covered in complete darkness, and then it vanished, and the seal beneath them suddenly shattered like glass beneath his feet and disappeared within the ground. He looked up, searching for his brother. He found him inside the car, and sighed when he passed by the unconscious thugs, kicking each one in the side with the tip of his boot. He helped Mokuba out of the car and embraced him carefully. He then looked up, searching for FD. However, what he found was even more shocking.

Standing where FD would have been standing was a different being, completely shrouded in shadows. The being resembled her, though. Her solid, silver, moonlike eyes staring dreamily at them, her clothes nothing but torn, black glowing cloths that wrapped around her pale and cold body. A pair of black, feather wings had sprouted from her back and the black feathers fell to the ground, fading quickly before touching the ground. Her black hair was whipped behind her, billowing so elegantly and gracefully, it was almost like a cape. That was FD, because Kaiba could still hear her heartbeat.

"FD?" Kaiba moved from the car and approached her carefully. Nevertheless, he was sent back as something invisible collided with his body. A black force field, created by the shadows.

"Don't come any closer, Seto, I don't want you to realize who I am," FD sobbed. Crystal tears rolled down her face.

"Who you are? What do you mean?" Kaiba asked.

"I never knew what type of power I held within. I was scared, frightened, I was a child, naïve, didn't have a clue of what was going on," FD sobbed. "Then, when my parents died, I hid all of it. I hid all of my memories away. But memories can never fade and just leave you. When you push them out of your mind, they go somewhere else inside you. In a dark and hidden area in your heart that you've never found before."

"What?" Mokuba asked. He was scared for this girl, watching her become this dark angel before them, this sobbing, upset, depressed young angel.

"During our duel, I found that area in my heart, the dark and protected spot where all of my memories were. All that were forgotten, that was. I searched for years for that place in my heart, and it was opened to me. Now I've seen Hell and Heaven, and the Gates to Hell have opened in my heart," she spoke softly. What was she talking about? The Gates of Hell?

"I have wondered why I have been called the raven so many times by Dartz for weeks. I've searched for a reason, believing that it was of how I looked. But I was wrong. It wasn't for my appearance, but he knew what I held inside myself, he knew what kind of power lurked within me. I was the reborn queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, who was one of many possessed by the power of the Orichalcos, but over the years, my emotions grew and became a power for myself. A power to resist the Orichalcos," FD continued. "A dark power, a power born through the dreams and nightmares of the children who have suffered and witnessed horrible things in their past. I am not a guardian, not an angel. I am only a raven, one who flies through skies, her head in the clouds, searching for dreams to bring her happiness."

"But… you can find happiness in this life. I know what you're doing! You can't!" Kaiba called to her.

"I must, Seto. I have been nothing but the spirit of a raven, and thanks to you, I can finally rest in peace. I did die, long ago, when I witnessed the murder of my parents, and at last, I can be with them." The shadows disappeared around them as FD approached them and a few tears from her eyes fell, landing by Mokuba's feet. She looked down at Mokuba and places a hand in his hair, tussling it carefully.

"Please, FD, I don't understand…" Kaiba couldn't look at her. He was so confused. Was she going to sacrifice herself for their children of this world? Or was she killing herself.

"You'll never remember me, Seto Kaiba. I'll make sure of that. And I won't return, like the others will. But I have a confession to make to you. My name isn't FD, but it's Rika. Rika was the name that my parents gave me, and it shall be the name I'll die with," she spoke sadly, then looked at Mokuba. She leaned down and embraced him around the neck. "You remind me so much of myself at your age. Please, Seto, take care of him. You won't know how much he means to you until he's gone. That's what I realized when I lost my family."

She stood up and walked away from them. Suddenly, she turned to them, tears falling like diamonds from her eyes. Suddenly, she began glowing a brilliant white light, and soon her body was covered by it, hidden completely in it. Soon the light took a different form, arms became wings, legs became talons, and her body soon resembled that of a bird. A beautiful, white, mystical bird, silver eyes staring at them dreamily. Suddenly, the bird flew at them, and Kaiba felt the wind push against them as he felt it fly through them. The bird sent them back to the ground and blackness covered their sight, as the raven flew upwards into the black sky, sending a brilliantly beautiful light raining down upon them.

Rika Micamura, or better known as FD, had fought several trials in her life. Her parents fought endlessly, while she tried to hold a healthy relationship with them. Her parents and family were killed by the hands of someone she trusted. As she got older, the special talents of Cleopatra, the ancient queen who was reborn into her, became special talents of hers. Rika became a beautiful young woman with amazing, artistic talents. She loved animals and beautiful sceneries and beings. But the internal conflicts she put herself through, the more alone she felt in this world. She became to resemble a raven, and when she met Dartz, she didn't feel so alone, until he tricked her and blinded her from the truth. He knew of the power Cleopatra possessed, power that was enhanced by the Orichalcos, but did not know of the beautiful and selfless power of emotions that laid within the young teenager. This power was born over the years when her parents died, and the more beautiful her physical and mental features became, the more beautiful this power became. The power to sacrifice herself to become what she was, and bless the dreams of the children of the Earth. During her duel with Seto Kaiba, a section of her heart was revealed to her, a section where her hidden memories laid. In recollecting those memories, the power inside her was born, and she was able to resist the Orichalcos forever, but doing so, she resisted Cleopatra, who was possessed by the power. Rika became a free spirit, and in doing so, she unleashed the hidden strength inside, becoming the raven she was inside, and blessing the dreams and hearts of every child on the earth.

Her special powers weren't destructive nor evil, but dark somewhat because of her memories. She grew fond of Mokuba mainly because he was a child, and his memories of his family were slim, like hers. So, he was blessed by the white raven's gift, to be cared and loved by the last person left of his family, his older brother, Seto Kaiba. Every child was blessed, being given a second chance to find happiness and dreams inside themselves. Kaiba was right when he told Rika no one was alone in this world, because no matter how empty and alone she may have seemed, there was one person who cared and loved her the way she deserved. One being, though when taken away, their memories lasted inside her. Amelda was that being, the one who loved her and the one who promised hard to be with her. After dying by her power, everyone forgot about Rika Micamura, but her gift lasted, and every child discovered on that night, no matter how dark it gets, there's always a light to shine through and guide them home, where they belong. A light that still burns today.

But she has not vanished so easily. The young girl's memory lasts through one's mind. But only barely….

"Master Dartz…."

Dartz looked up, startled by that voice. It was so pure and innocent, like a child's. It sounded so familiar to him, so distant, yet he could make it out. It sounded like a child's voice, but it also held an older echo. This voice was being echoed by another, an older woman's voice. Dartz searched for an origin of the voice, but it faded as quickly as it came.

But as he halted his search for the source, he saw something strange in the tombs. Something white, staring at him. He approached it, standing on a stand, was a beautiful white raven, staring at him with silver, moonlike eyes. The raven looked at him, those eyes so familiar to him. He reached out to it, and it immediately climbed onto his hand.

"How'd you get in here?" he asked the creature, and stroked its neck. The white feathers felt cold and wet. Then Dartz saw something in the raven's eyes. Tears. It was crying. Was it hurt? There was no sign of an injury. He took the raven to his chest and stroked it gently, and then it released his hand and flew away into the darkness. Dartz watched it, and as it flew off, that voice came back again, but only briefly.

"I died in the arms of my master…."

Dartz: That was a bit of a confusing ending, but oh well, it seemed beautiful at the same time.

Dys: (keeps pointing at the tape on her mouth.)

Dartz: Fine! There's only the Epilogue, anyways. (He pulled the tape off her mouth. The tape came off with a horrible, ear-splitting, ripping sound. Screams come from the background.)

Dys: (screaming bloody murder inside her mind.) Ow….;) Okay, seeing as how this was the last official chapter of the story, that means it's over. If you still wish to read the Epilogue, it's sad, but nice. So, watch out for it. Oh, and Dartz?

Dartz: What?

Dys: That hurt! (Starts sobbing from the pain, rubbing her cheek.)