hey everybody, thanks 4 sticking with me... here's another chapter as a reward; i promised something good, and i hope you'll agree!

Cettie-girl - yay!!! i always luv hearing how much people are enjoying this, you give me the encouragement to continue...
Fyredra - no worries...you've been loyal and it's cool, i appreciate all the support and don't feel obligated to review every chapter (though if any of you have something to say, don't hesitate either )
and Tsurugi Princess - you've been an awesome support. and yeah, i guess i do appologize a lot...sorry....j/k....but really, i guess it's really something that bothers me most. every night this past week, i've sat down to write, and every time, something has come up to prevent me from doing that, it's been very frustrating, and i guess i feel bad (no one needs to bother telling me i shouldn't - i know and it's really just the way i am about anything)
but yeah, and as far as it being a mary sue, i'm not so concerned any more. i was a little worried at first, and it might have gone that way, but i think i've worked myself out of it, but it's always great to have someone else agree, after all, the author is her own worst critic...
...and i have put plenty of thought into it, after all, i did write my last english paper on the topic of "flaming mary sue" wut can i say? i'm wierd... but at least my teacher liked it...

well, enough rambling, i'm gonna post this (hope u all enjoy) and get back to my calculus. ugh. :(

Part 1 (Chapter 13) – That Dark Magic part 1

"Yugi..."

At first it was a whisper so faint Yugi wasn't sure if it had actually been real.

"What is it, my hikari?" Yami asked, puzzled at why his light had suddenly stopped.

"Just for a moment, I thought I heard-" Yugi cut off as his name was called again, just a little louder. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Yami asked, completely confused.

"Yugi!" The voice was obvious now.

"That," Yugi nodded.

"I heard nothing," Yami replied, "but silence. Perhaps it is in your head."

Yugi's eyes were wide open with innocence, "It sounded like Ryou."

"Mmm," Yami murmured thoughtfully. "That's likely."

"But how?" Yugi demanded, "I've never been able to reach him before. Why can he suddenly speak to me now? And why can't you hear it?"

Yami thought for a moment, then spoke slowly, "You and Ryou share a deep bond from all your years together, apart from my own consciousness. It could be that he is reaching you across that. Why he is, however, I wouldn't know."

"I need you," Ryou's voice pierced Yugi's mind once again.

"Ryou?" Yugi asked aloud.

"My friend."

"Where are you?"

"Follow the sound of my voice," Ryou explained, "and you will find me. Only please don't come too late."

"Too late? What's wrong? Ryou?!"

"Hurry, Yugi. Hurry." Ryou's voice faded. Yugi stretched out his mind, feeling for the last threads of Ryou's words, still lingering in the air. They feathered his consciousness, pulling it towards him.

Yugi grabbed Yami, "Come on! I know where he is!" He took off running dragging his dark right behind.

Ryou stopped almost in front of Kali and Kira. Shock overwhelmed his mind as he fixed his gaze on the scene unfolding before him. Kira knelt low to the ground as Kali drew blood with her blade. Kira's hands and face were caked with the color of rust, and her tattered shirt was stained red, pressed damply against her skin. Fresh trickles of her life force ran from cuts just opened as the angered spirit drew lower, mixing blows from her fist with those from the dagger.

"Kira!" Ryou screamed aloud, pain and anguish welling up in his own heart.

Kali was startled at his sudden appearance, then frowned darkly. "You."

Ryou noted with utter dismay that Kira had not even looked up at the sound of his voice. Then, as Kali paused in her tortures, Kira's strength gave out. She slumped over her knees, her face just rubbing the dirt beneath her.

"Pathetic," Kali remarked, taking a hard swing with her leg and ramming the sharp heel of her boot into Kira's side. The other girl fell flat against the ground, not even making a move to defend herself.

"No!" Ryou was at her side in an instant. He pulled Kira's limp body close to him. Her breath came in weak gasps, and her eyes did not open. "Not like this." He tore a rag from his shirt to gently wipe her face, soaking up the still flowing gashes. "You were right, Kira," he whispered. "You were right and I was wrong. You stood up against the darkness, and I promise from now on, I'll do the same. I won't let you down again, only don't..." He choked up on his words, and closed his eyes, drawing her near to him.

Kali stood watching the whole scene in a dangerous silence, her rage building inside. Suddenly, "Slave boy!" she shouted.

Ryou looked sharply back at her. "Forget it, Kali. I'm nobody's slave." His gaze was steady and sure. "Never again."

The pain had stopped coming, but it still throbbed overwhelmingly through every vein in Kira's body. Why can't I see? The realization came suddenly as she struggled and failed to open her eyes. Something damp and sticky had washed over them, preventing her vision in any possibly way. Instead of breathing air, Kira's lungs filled with a strong liquid, yet she was too weak to cough it back out. What's happening to me? For the first time in her life, Kira knew what true fear was.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Rough hands yanked Ryou from the ground. In his surprise, Ryou lost his grip, and Kira fell from his arms, rolling onto her stomach. She moaned softly, but the sound was cut off as she began coughing up blood. The red liquid was pooling around her now – so much that it was amazing she still had some left to give. Kali stood formally above the suffering light, oblivious to the girl's pain. Her eyes were focused directly behind Ryou. The white-haired hikari didn't have to glance back to know who held him.

"So," a soft voice whispered in Ryou's ear, malice hidden just beneath it's surface, "You're no longer a slave."

"No," Ryou growled, fighting hopelessly to free his wrists from the other's contracting grip. "I won't fall to your level ever again. You'll never control me, not completely."

"What am I going to do with you, Ryou?" Bakura spun the other boy to face him, still holding Ryou's hands safely against the boy's sides.

"I made the mistake of listening to you before," Ryou explained. "But that only led to pain. Now I follow my own heart and not your will."

Bakura's eyes darkened as he glared at the still helpless boy in his grasp. With a harsh hand, Bakura lifted Ryou's chin to gaze into the boy's own eyes. "What's happened to you? When did you loose this respect of your superiors?"

Silence reigned as Ryou refused to answer. Bakura finally let go of his chin and shrugged, "So be it. By your refusal, you have sealed your own fate. I will show you just how far my power goes. But first..." Bakura paused, then struck Ryou across the head with a rough, savage attack. The boy of light cringed as Bakura grabbed him again. But instead of violence, Ryou found himself held in place through a combination of magic and Bakura's own strength.

"Your kind is stubborn," Bakura growled, "But you will be broken." The dark spirit nodded to Kali. "Proceed."

"At once," Kali gave a brief bow, then turned, giving a solemn look to Kira. "This is it." But instead of using her fists or blade, Kali stood still. Her eyes closed, Kira's yami began to glow. A dark emerald haze surrounded her. The air reverberated in a discordant hum.

The noise raked through Ryou's mind like thousands of dying screams. Every pain, every sadness flowed through him - a river of all evils. "NO!!!" he found himself crying aloud. In that moment, he saw what was to happen. Kali was drawing to her the shadow magic and energy in every suffering of the world. It was the greatest power a dark spirit could gather.

Bakura whispered in his ear, "She will not survive."

Panic and despair met Ryou head-on as he watched helplessly; the evil energy moved from Kali to Kira. "Kira," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The pain was intense, but now it has faded. Why? What has changed? Kira struggled to keep her consciousness, despite the calming feeling that was enveloping her. "...so....weak," she murmured. With what little strength she still possessed, Kira opened her eyes to a world of dark green. A presence hovered in the air above, and she sensed that the cold and weakness were coming from there, draining her life and hope. Fighting to keep her eyes open, Kira turned her head to look to the side.

Two faces, almost identical in features, but differing in expression, entered her vision. Ryou. Bakura. Once stared in satisfaction, the other in horror; but as Kira watched, they melded in one indifferent expression. "You betrayed me," she whispered to the face. It opened its mouth to speak, and Kira felt a new, dark power entered her very soul. The vision faded away.

i guess i consider this the start of the climax (for part one at least) i wanted to make it all one big chapter, but it's not quite done and i figured i had just better post anyway, besides it would have been really long to read, and i like keeping my chapters within a certain length, so this climax or wutever u wanna call it is actually gonna be three chapters. i've actually got the next one done, i just have to put it in html, so it shouldn't take a whole week to get it up...well, cya soon....

joey