YUGIOH

Eternal Darkness

Chapter 11.

Yami gasped, "That's not possible! How did you survive the light?"

Cavnar seemed fine, though some of his hair and part of his leg looked singed, like he had barely escaped it.

"We're faster than humans, Yugi....we can move the speed of air. Cavnar simply moved faster than you could see him go." Kaiba said, disappointed. He had truly believed they got him this time. If he didn't close his eyes to accept his own demise, if he wasn't pushed out of the room by Yami....Kaiba would have realized the error of their assessment.

Cavnar muttered, "Unlike my own former master, I refuse to be as careless as he was. You were right, Seto. He was weak and deserved his fate. But I'm not like him...."

After Cavnar spoke, he immediately dissipated, and Kaiba quickly sensed to where he was materializing to. He cried out, "Mokuba!" But Cavnar already re-materialized behind his brother, grabbing Mokuba and holding the sword up to him.

"Yugi, he's got Mokuba!" Joey cried out the obvious, as once again Mokuba had become a hostage used against everyone....including Kaiba.

Yami stepped forward, demanding, "Let him go, now!"

Cavnar looked amused, saying, "You mean this little human? Maybe I will....it would be fun to drop the little mini-mortal on my sword and watch him oh-so slowly slip down it."

Kaiba eyes reflected fear and anger for a moment, but only a moment....it then changed. His eyes became hard, and to everyone's surprise....Kaiba laughed.

Everyone looked over at him, most of them thinking that Kaiba was once again losing himself to the darkness. Whatever was happening to Kaiba, Cavnar still didn't look happy towards his servant, for laughing at him. "And what is so amusing?" He snarled.

"Isn't it obvious? The great and mighty vampire just realized that his so-called pet isn't under his thumb, after all. You're looking really pathetic, Cavnar. Is this what you call the great power of our kind....having to 'hide' behind a mortal child? Suddenly being a vampire doesn't look that powerful to me, anymore....your just as cowardly as any other human...." Kaiba smirked.

"How DARE you mock your master!!" Cavnar roared, with an eerie inhuman wail, the sound of his own voice actually blasting both Tristan and Joey off their feet. Yami had barely held his ground, the aura of the Millennium Puzzle protecting him. Mokuba wasn't looking too well though, as he was forced to be kept in the vampire's clutches during that event.

Even Kaiba was forced to step back from it, but also managed to stand his ground, as he looked up at Cavnar with that same look of defiance in his eyes. Cavnar then chilled. He smiled and said, "Yes....you are right, my pet. This is no way to teach my slave a lesson. I will teach you well....I will teach you the full power of our kind."

With a weakened Mokuba still in his grasp, he aimed the sword arm in Joey's and Tristan's direction, once again sending them both flying hard against the opposing wall. This time, they hit with enough force that they were barely conscious and too wounded to move.

"Joey! Tristan!" Yami cried, as Cavnar materialized next to Yami, aiming the dark blade down at him.

Yami spat, "Enough of this!" And tried to summon forth the powers of his Puzzle to oppose Cavnar. Cavnar fought against it with his sword, and for the moment they both seemed to be in a stale-mate.

Kaiba was trying to approach to help his brother, but the silent words from Cavnar's control echoing in his mind was causing him to hesitate.

The head vampire realized this was going nowhere, and instead used his powers to collapse part of the ceiling down on Yami. Though Yami's powers could repel forces of evil from him....inanimate objects were something else. Unable to do anything, the pieces were soon dropped on him, burying him in rubble.

Yami began to scrape himself out of the pieces from the house, as the dark sword once again came down at his neck....since the barrier was temporarily gone. Cavnar hissed, "Be fortunate I'm letting you live a little longer, mortal....but I want you alive long enough to see your friend's ultimate defeat."

Now turning back to Kaiba, Cavnar tossed Mokuba down before him....Mokuba was also barely conscious, but still alive. He looked weakly up at his brother, muttering, "S-Seto...."

Kaiba looked down at Mokuba, hiding the pain from his eyes, then looked up at Cavnar, waiting to see what this vampire's next move was. He had no intention on keeping his eyes off of him, until he knew what the game was.

Cavnar smiled coldly at Kaiba, as the black sword continued to lean close to Yami's throat. "It's time you learned your place among us, my slave....it's time you felt your masters call, and learned how futile it is to try and resist me."

"What are you going to do?" Kaiba asked.

"Me?" The vampire laughed. "I'm not going to do anything....I'm merely a spectator in this little play. No, my pet....you get the center stage for this one. Nighttime is here, and it's time to feast. Your first victim for tonight, is the pitiful little human you call your brother."

"What?" Kaiba hissed in shock, fear filling his eyes.

"Don't forget your words, my slave. He is 'yours'....remember? Well now, I'm allowing you to take your reward. It's an order, dear Seto." Cavnar whispered, his voice echoing in Kaiba's mind, like sweet music. "I command you....take the life of that human. Drain him dry...."

Kaiba instantly clutched his head, and fell to his knees, desperately trying to resist the call. Cavnar was merely amused by it. "You cannot resist me, no matter how strong your will is, fool. I created you....you are mine."

"He's wrong, Kaiba!" Yami cried back. "You have it in you to resist! For the first time in your life, stop trying to fight your past....deep inside, you are a true priest! You can break his will!"

"Priest?? A businessman/priest?? Ahahahahaha!!!" Cavnar spat out in hysterics. "You are indeed a funny one, mortal. It's like having a lawyer/saint. These combinations just don't happen. Do you not see the turning in his eyes?"

Yami looked over and noticed the violet had once again changed to the deep glowing reddish purple color in his eyes, as Kaiba looked over at Mokuba, hunger consuming him.

Cavnar muttered, "I should have observed before from the coloration in his eyes on just how strongly he was trying to resist what he had become. But the blood ties of a vampire run much deeper than the ties between brother, I'm afraid. Seto belongs to me....and after devouring his own kin, he will finally accept the futility of resisting me."

"Kaiba, don't give in! Fight it! You wouldn't even let fate control you, don't let him win!!" Yami cried out.

Kaiba had not eaten yet, and Mokuba was looking very good. And the sweet music in his mind that Cavnar was playing felt impossible to resist. Why fight it? He was just another human....just another peace of meat. Without blood, he felt so empty and cold. When he feasted, he found pleasure, power....it's everything he wanted.

He looked at Mokuba, and no longer saw his brother....he was food. At that moment, Kaiba eyes became a true scarlet, reflecting the same reddish glow as Cavnar's eyes, as he glared hungrily down at Mokuba, grinning evilly.

Kaiba lunged at Mokuba, barely hearing the faint echo of a familiar voice protesting his move. He pinned the weak human down as his mouth approached Mokuba's neck to finish the job.

Before his teeth sunk into Mokuba's throat, his brother still managed to speak, despite how weak he felt. It wasn't even a plea for mercy, or a pitiful cry for help, as he said, "Seto....it's not your fault. Promise me....you wont hate yourself for this. I....forgive....you...."

With those words, Kaiba's eyes widened in horror after what Mokuba said registered in his mind. No, he would never make another mistake like that again. He promised never to hurt his brother....never again.

"Mokuba...." He managed to say in a whisper, the song still chanting strong, still calling to him....pushing him.

To Cavnar's surprise, Kaiba began to back away, muttering, "N-no...." He was shocked, Kaiba was still trying to resist it.

Cavnar was even more angered as before, as he focused all concentration on making his slave act upon his command. "I said devour that human, slave....Do. As. I. Command."

Again, Kaiba gripped his head....sprawled on his hands and knees, the voices pounding at his sanity, hearing the twisted whispers of the dead. Yet somehow, they were intertwined with other voices....voices of his brother speaking to him, as well as the words of Yami rambling about him being a priest and having to accept his past.

"I'll do anything!" Kaiba spat out, in desperation.

"Good, then kill that Mortal!" Cavnar commanded, misunderstanding the meaning of Kaiba's cry.

'You wouldn't even let fate control you'

It was the voice of Yami echoing in his mind, even while the whispers of the dead were beginning to win, once again. He remembered that time, that battle against Ishizu....he would have lost, but his Blue Eyes White Dragon called to him and came through for him. It saved him from fate, itself.

'You can become the nature of your soul....all you must do if find it within you'

'I have a strong attachment to the Blue Eyes White Dragon'

'Fool....you can only take the form of a real creature that exists in this world. There's no such thing as dragons....'

'Funny.....I also thought there was no such thing as vampires.'

"Who says there's no such thing...." Kaiba muttered, as he searched for the sound he longed to hear, of his great white beast crying out, opening his wings and being free....free from the voices, free from control.

"KILL HIM NOW!!!" Cavnar yelled, not liking how his slave was somehow still resisting, as weak of a struggle it seemed to be.

And suddenly that instant, Cavnar felt a horrible shattering in his own being that shook him to the core, like someone had ripped a piece of his very soul from him....if he had a soul. He didn't know what it was, never experiencing anything like it....ever. It froze the vampire for the moment, distracting him from not seeing the change in Kaiba.

He did not see the reddish color of Kaiba's eyes instantly transform back to not violet, but blue....he did not hear the strange echoing growl that sounded inhuman. But when he turned and looked back to his supposed slave, he got to see Kaiba finally transform. That too was a first for Cavnar....to see a vampire become a dragon.

Everyone stared in shock as the CEO morphed, growing into the proud Blue Eyes White Dragon....standing an easy 9' tall and that was on all 4's, which instantly reached 10' as he spread his wings. The great head turned to face Cavnar, and let out a dragon's cry that shook the very foundation of the mansion. Everyone had to cover their ears to keep from becoming deafened.

Cavnar hissed at him, but backed away....still feeling strange, and only now beginning to realize what the emptiness was he had experienced. Somehow, Kaiba had broken Cavnar's hold, which was what he was feeling. He no longer had any control over him.

Cavnar personally didn't get it....he never heard of a vampire losing his hold over his own creation. The only time a vampire becomes free was when their master was killed. And even then, the bond is forever there. Never did Cavnar have animosity towards his master....he was too close, too connected. So....how could this be?? Cavnar couldn't understand.

The dragon then shot out a breath of white lightning, blasting the vampire full-force. The pain was intense on Cavnar's flesh....feeling like someone just poured a bucket of holy water over his face, as his weakened hand dropped the dark sword...unable to hold on.

But immediately Cavnar retaliated, lunging forward at the dragon. They got into an all-out clawing match with each other, trashing every piece of furniture they came in contact with in the process.

Yami quickly moved to Mokuba, scooping him up and heading over to Joey and Tristan. "Are you two all right?" Yami asked his friends.

"Yeah....I think so." Tristan said, who couldn't move and was unable to take his eyes off the fight before him.

Joey shook his head with the same shocked look, which then twisted into that weird macho grin he occasionally planted on his face, as he leaped up. "Yeaahh!! Who's the man! Kick his ass, Kaiba! Show 'em who's boss!!" Joey then slumped back down, muttering, "I think that took a lot outta me...."

"You idiot." Tristan retorted.

Mokuba smiled weakly, asking, "How's Seto? Is he going to be okay?"

"I....I'm not sure. I'm not exactly positive if even in that form he can kill a vampire." 'Was it destiny?', Yami wondered, remembering the story told to him from Ishizu.

'It is also said that the first vampire from this world was not killed by a human. He and the vampire had a battle against each other, and they both died, destroying themselves.'

Was this Kaiba's fate? Was he and Cavnar destined to destroy each other in battle? As Yami considered this, he was quickly startled back to the present, as he heard Kaiba in his BEWD form suddenly lurch back in pain.

"What is it, Yugi?" Mokuba asked, too weak to look at the sight, himself.

In desperation, the vampire had grabbed his shadow sword once again, and swung it futily at the dragon. And to his surprise....it hurt him.

'But that makes no sense, Yami....I thought Ishizu said that sword can only hurt the living.' Yugi said. 'Besides....only a short while ago, Kaiba picked the sword up himself, without a problem. So, how could it hurt him??

'What Ishizu sees is not always perfectly accurate, Yugi. She was not there to witness it...her sight only shows so much. Perhaps this sword isn't actually immune to the dead. Perhaps it's immune to harming evil. When Kaiba found himself, the good nature within him must have re-emerged. That may be what it's reacting towards.'

'Then, can it kill him?' Yugi asked.

'Can the dead actually die? This is not a question I can answer, aibou.' Yami replied.

Kaiba reared back painfully, after a blow from the sword. The sword that once pierced through him and felt uncomfortable at the most....the sword he was able to pick up and wield against Yugi....now it's touch had strangely felt deadly to him. But how? What had changed? Now weakened from the blow, Kaiba had returned to his original form, as he continued to back away from Cavnar that was now approaching him.

Cavnar was not looking good, himself. Every slash from the dragon's claws that ripped into him was like he had been struck by a holy weapon. Those claw marks that Kaiba inflicted upon him, was now seeping a disgusting black ooze. And his face no longer had the prettiness of his more human appearance....it was now looking much more ghastly. Cavnar's face was now charred and even disfigured, showing the true ugliness of how he probably was on the inside.

"You wretched fool....look what you've done!! I blessed you with the power of immortality, and this is how you repay me?!!" The vampire roared, as a piece of charred flesh fell from his face, showing some of the bone, underneath.

Then calming himself down a bit, Cavnar gave a sickly smile, saying to Kaiba while he approached him. "So, Seto....it looks like you have somehow achieved the impossible. Congratulations, it seems you have not only freed yourself, but gave yourself a terrible weakness in the process for me to exploit." Cavnar said, referring to the damage the dark sword had done to Kaiba. "Your freedom will cost you dearly, when I destroy you." As Cavnar said this, he prepared to lung at him.

"Kaiba! You have the heritage of a true priest! You have the power to bless an item and use it against him!" Yami said. Kaiba glanced Yami's way, with a look like he was insane. Yami spit out, "It's your only hope....just do it!"

Kaiba then fully turned to look at Yami in confusion, wondering what kind of nonsense Yami had gotten this crap from....probably another stupid theory from that Ishizu woman. But as he was momentarily distracted, Cavnar lunged towards him with the sword.

Again, Yami used his powers to shove Cavnar back away from Kaiba, in order to help him. He wanted to banish Cavnar to the Shadow Realm himself, but after having part of the ceiling fall on his head, Yami felt too weak to muster that kind of energy. He was having enough trouble just finding enough strength to help Kaiba out.

Yami's power was barely a nudge, but it was enough to make sure the vampire missed his target. Cavnar glared over at Yami, hissing, "I have had enough of your interference, human! I should have killed you the instant you set foot into this house. No more distractions, you are mine!"

Again, the vampire lunged....this time his target was Yami. The Pharaoh used his puzzle to shield himself, while standing in front of Joey, Tristan, and Mokuba to keep them safe. Once again, Cavnar was using his sword to fight against Yami's magic. Yami was certain in his weakened state, Cavnar would break through and finish him....but to his surprise they were still at a stalemate. Now, he could sense that somehow the sword had also become weakened....but how?

Yami quickly reasoned that the power of the sword must come from the strength of the vampire wielding it....and due to what Kaiba did to Cavnar, he certainly didn't look at his best right now. Infact....he was outright hideous to look at. And Yami had also noticed that when Kaiba broke his hold from him, Cavnar seemed to have taken a painful blow from within. He was certain that too drained him of some of his power. But unlike a human who takes a while to recover, Cavnar had the ability of regeneration. Even now, he could see the fresh new tendrils stringing up Cavnar face, as it began to miraculously fix itself. Within a few minutes, Cavnar would probably once again be at full capacity....then he would be stronger in power than Yami.

Kaiba saw Cavnar lunge with the sword, and looked for anything to be used against the vampire, but all he could see were those worthless wooden stakes.

'You have the power to bless an item and use it against him!' Yami's message echoed in his mind, reminding him what Yami had said.

The idea sounded ridiculous to him, but wasn't it worth a try....if it could save Mokuba?

Kaiba grabbed a 'fake' wooden stake, hoping to draw forth some of his power into it, not sure if it was even working or not. And he did suddenly feel something: the stake became warm to the touch, and Kaiba felt a moment of....weakness? But he wasn't sure on the weakness part. That could have resulted from damage done to him by the dark sword. But what the hell....he'd try it again.

At this moment, Cavnar's patience began to run thin and he began to turn his direction towards the ceiling as before. This time, with the intent to crush them all to death by bringing the entire weight of the mansion down on their heads. But before that could happen....Kaiba lunged at Cavnar with his inhuman-like speed, bringing his arm around and stabbing him in the chest from in front....creating another hole into Cavnar's heart all over again.

Cavnar gasped in surprise for the moment. But then he laughed. "You pathetic fool....haven't you learned the first ti-...." He began to mutter out, but his last word became an unearthly scream echoing through the room, as his hand desperately clawed at the opposing object that was causing his whole body to smoke.

But Kaiba held it firmly, seeming unaffected by its touch as it was having towards Cavnar. He pushed it harder, causing another demonic cry from the vampire, as Kaiba hissed, "Painful? Just tell me where it hurts...." And pushed harder, still....even twisting it, to ensure this blow was as painful as possible.

The piercing banshee-like shrieks had now changed to a deeper, slower, demonic-like echoing voice as Cavnar began to rot from within. Kaiba couldn't even understand what he was trying to say, only 'no' could be comprehended.

Finally, with one final cry, the bodily remains of Cavnar crumbled to the ground in a mix of blackish ooze, rotted clothes, and skeletal remains with fangs and wings. A harsh wind came through the home from seemingly nowhere, picking up these remains as they changed to permanent dust a moment later, scattering wherever the breeze took it.

There was a still of silence after that, leaving the room as quiet as the dead. No one dared utter a word, as if their voice might once again bring Cavnar back to life....hoping this time, he'd stay dead.

Narr: I would like to thank Madison for helping to give me a couple ideas for part of this chapter. I also want to warn my readers that the last chapter will be a slightly longer wait. Sorry, but vacation just hit.....and I'm not expecting to be back for another 2 weeks from my trip.

I hope everyone enjoyed Kaiba's dramatic transformation. I pained over this chapter for awhile, but hopefully it came out all right. The only thing left now is the final chapter/epilogue.

rubisora18117: Whoops.....okay, maybe the Red Eyes was a slight hint. The answer is because Mokuba's blood related to the priest. Even though he's not a priest, it's still the same bloodline.

cantdueldontaskme/Jasmine Reinier: Yeah, that's the bitch about vampires....it's hard to kill them. I guess it was also a personal stab at the normal horror movies that keep showing the main bad guy keep coming back again and again. Just when you think he's dead.....there he is again! Don't you just hate when they do that?? ;)

Jasine Reinier: Well, you all finally got to see Kaiba's other form. And thought he didn't 'eat' Cavnar, I'd say he still gave him a hell of a spanking he'd never forget.

xXXkIkOkEnxXx: Well, I'm sure Kaiba appreciates you whacking Joey. He was too busy to do it, himself. I can't help playing Joey stupid. It's just so......normal for him. (heh)

Chrissy(): I'm glad you liked my story. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.

MissDoma Yuset: So, you got it? Yeeah! I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, even though this is angst, I don't like sad endings or character death......so it's not something you should be expected to see in any of my fics. OLD??!! I'm not OLD!! 30 is not old, it's mature! And plenty of people my age like Yugioh. (I'm not old, sniff......) :(

Nenya85: Wow, you had to read it multiple times to get it all? Cool! Well, as you know, Kaiba was never one who seemed too concerned about his own well-being. His main concern always focused on Mokuba. So I could see Kaiba easily finding himself to be equally dangerous a threat to him as Cavnar was, especially from the mind f*ck Cavnar was giving him. And of course, any danger to Mokuba he had to find a way to get rid of. So, the decision was obvious. But besides being angry about his plan, I figured Kaiba would also be angry over having to once again owe Yami. And technically, by Yami stopping him....Yami once again beat him at his own game. Plus, it seemed to be the natural thing for Yami to do, for whatever reason he had. Even if 'just to play the hero'. ;)