Part 10: Eleventh Row

The group had been lucky enough to get seats, but were at the second-to-last row. Kaiba and Yugi, as well as Jounouchi to some extent, had been attacked a few times by fans, most of whom were either Duel Monsters players and wanted a match right now, or were fan girls who gave Rei and Mako death-glares.

The last person to find them was Mai, whom they were happy to see anyway and who gained the honor of sitting between Kaiba and Jounouchi so they wouldn't kill each other.

After the two continued to send each other insults, mainly over her head, she made Mako switch with Jounouchi and Rei with Kaiba, so that at least she'd have some peace and quiet.

When they now started getting into shouting matches, Rei and Mako quickly had to find a way to shut them up, Mai wondering if this was such a good idea.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the speaker was a boy with outrageous black hair and vivid green eyes, as well as a dice earring hanging from one ear. "Welcome to our grand opening! I am the owner, Otogi Ryuugi, creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters! Now, for what most of you have come here to see, my dear and lovely Aino Minako!"

There were a thunderous applause as the girl came onto stage and threw Ryuugi a wink and a kiss. About twenty rumors were also started as he gave that wink back and walked off stage.

Aino Minako had long blond hair, the only adornment being a red ribbon on the top. Her clothing was almost as outrageous as Ryuugi's, with a short skirt of blue and a top that cut off just before it, a compact in the middle. She held a red pair of goggles that looked like a mask of some sort, and smiled at the group before she began to sing one of her hits, "Moonlight Destiny".

Ami leaned forward and whispered, "Isn't that her Sailor V outfit?"

Rei nodded, her hand going to Seto's almost unconsciously. Seto didn't seem to mind, and as the song went on their fingers intertwined. Ami had leaned back and now both her and Bakura's heads were almost connected. Jounouchi had his arm around Makoto, while her head was on his shoulder. Mai seemed fine with being in the middle, though, her head tilted back as she spoke with a man that had an accent that was vaguely English but as rude as Jounouchi's Japanese could be. Both were smiling and talking about motorcycles: the man wanted to take her for a ride after the show, if she was up to it.

Away from both their brothers, Mokuba and Shizuka were cuddling quite lovingly, while Yugi seemed to be concerned but unsure as to why. The spirit appeared next to him, and he slowly seemed to move towards him.

Aibou…

Yugi wanted to tell him. Wanted so much for him to be real, to use his power over the ikizuishou to make him real so he could feel his arms around him…

Aibou, wake up.

Yugi couldn't help it, he--.

YUGI!

The yell woke him from the trance, and he blinked at the spirit. "Mou hitori no boku…I--"

Minako had still been singing something else, something yet more about love, and now Mai had moved away, disrupting the row and, it seemed, making her way to the twelfth row where the man she had been talking to sat, his eyes and hers locked. Makoto and Jounouchi were so close to kissing they were panting, only centimeters apart. Ami and Bakura had moved their cheeks are were getting as close, while Rei had now turned to Kaiba and he seemed surprised and afraid of what to do, confused but knowing that Rei could make it better.

Yugi suddenly felt himself falling back into that spot. Wanting so much to be with them, to be with them as they loved each other, as they forgot for a day that they were fighting evil, to simply--to simply--

I want to tell him I love him. I want to tell him how much I love him.

There was an invisible bubble of light suddenly around him, and he saw the spirit on the other side. Yugi was standing and the spirit was in his place, sitting with the group. Why?

What was this place?

The outside world disappeared and now he saw himself in the middle world, light and dark between him. A sword was before him, the sword from the Moon, and he saw two people reach for it. They cast two shadows upon the ground, and suddenly the sword came up and there were four cries.

Above them were three monsters. A giant soldier of stone, dragon which engulfed the sky and made it dark, and a bird of the sun that was also a dragon. The three joined and formed a being of light.

Now the light showed off the crystal tower and a golden tower, the gold one he knew was a new type of KaibaCorp tower. The two kingdoms then?

To create these kingdoms, the world will change

Yugi saw the world divided by light and dark once more, and the sword in the hand of the future him, standing up against the monster.

To see the future--

The world turned, and now he saw behind the future him holding the sword was Sailor Moon, asleep. Then that would mean…

--someone must die so others may live.

The strawberry blond looked back over at the group and realized that Minako must be trying really hard to get everyone into a trance. It wasn't working on the man from Egypt, but it was having a profound effect on everyone else. She shook her head before she noticed the small boy she had seen before and caused her to turn. His hair now showed tones of gold that stuck up like a crown, somewhere between the innocent one she had seen and a slightly darker version. The whole effect made him actually look like…

"Osiris…"

No, the girl chided herself for such a thought, for saying that name out loud when nothing else had caused it to happen. She shouldn't have said anything.

But at the same time she realized that it wasn't any incarnation of the one she had thought of, and now saw that the man from Egypt had started to get up.

Minako had noticed that too.

Time to see what I can do then.

The woman wasted no time in moving forward while the rest of the group seemed to notice as well. The boy hadn't.

The woman raced forward and grabbed him just as the first blast went off.

Rei was aware of something in the air, and when she realized it first she had nearly kissed Seto. A ofuda straightened and she blinked, as did he, the trance gone. Someone was going to attack, from behind them.

At the blast, she turned Kaiba and threw the ofuda with a yell of "Akuryou taisan!"

The blast hit the ofuda and stopped, disappearing along with the paper as they now saw the man, someone with white-gray hair that stuck up and with soulless lavender eyes.

"Marik!" Isis yelled from nearby, everyone standing and now noticing that a woman had grabbed Yugi and moved him out of the way.

"So, someone else has chosen to join you," the man, Marik, said in a harsh voice, "I come here for the Pharaoh and his power. Imagine that I would run into a bunch of powerless Senshi and their newest toys."

The Senshi glared while the girl smirked from near Yugi. "You're so big on throwing out the threats, Marik. Can you back them up?" She moved so that Yugi was behind her. "Don't you know, to get to a Pharaoh, you have to pass through the ones who bear a specific namesake?"

Marik smiled while the rest looked at her and Rei blinked, gasping as she saw the specific bracelets around her wrists. "Galaxia's bracelets?"

The girl smiled as well. "So, shall we fight, Marik-yaro? Do you think you can really take me on with just the power of the Millennium Rod?"

Marik raised it up and the girl crossed her arms, the bracelets growing to be the ones that normally would adorn one who had been a servant of Galaxia. "Set Galactica Power, Make-up!"

With a flash of dark golden light, a Senshi appeared. Her flap was circular, like one of a Egyptian necklace, with a white bodice and no gem. Her skirt was long, and looked almost like Isis', while her shoes were small sandals. Marik glared and she moved quickly, "Set Thunderous Sandstorm!"

Lightning and sand swallowed Marik while Set grabbed Yugi's hand and made him move over to where the others were. "Get him out of here!"

"Why are you helping us?" Mako demanded.

Sailor Set turned to look at her and said, "It's part of what's called redemption. Now get him out of here!"

"No!" Yugi yelled, "You're not going to give your life for mine! You come with us!"

Sailor Set gave him a look that he couldn't quite identify then nodded as Minako motioned for them. "This way!"

Mai, the other man forgotten, had pulled out her duel disk and deck. The group looked at her and she smiled. "That was some diversion, but you need more. I'll help out."

"Mai, this could be dangerous!" Jounouchi warned her.

"I'm used to danger."

"Not this type," Mako said, "Please, Mai."

"No, this is my part, I know it. You guys run before that storm stops. Go!"

With one last look at Mai, the group headed to where Minako was motioning for them, Ryuugi beside her.

Part 11: Noon Showdown

The group had gotten out, or at least to another part of the building, Ryuugi smiling at Minako. "Some concert."

"I warned you."

Yugi looked back, feeling the spirit appear next to him. "What about Mai?"

Jounouchi and Mako were moving back and Rei looking over at them. "Mako-chan, Jou-chan, matte! What are you two going to do?"

Mako looked at her and said, "We're going to make sure Mai gets out of there safe. Our main concern is Yugi, right? So you guys get Yugi out and then we'll get out Mai."

"No," Yugi said, "He might hurt you! If you go back, we all have to!"

Sailor Set looked at the boy and once more the unreadable look appeared on her face. Minako looked at Yugi as well and sighed. "He's a whole lot like Usagi-chan. I'm not surprised the ikizuishou chose him."

Sailor Set blinked as well, looking to Minako. "How do you know about that?"

Minako shook her head. "We have to get Mai, right? That can all be explained later. Come on. We still have some power, and they can still call forth the Shadow Realm."

Yugi nodded, and quickly he heard the spirit tell him, Yugi, let me fight this battle.

"Nani?"

I don't want you to be hurt. I know that the ikizuishou is attaching itself more and more to your soul. Isis gave me a card which will allow me to fight Marik. Kaiba has one as well. Please, Yugi.

Yugi paused, then allowed himself to go into the soul room.

The group looked at Yami, and now Isis said, "You will use the cards?"

Kaiba and Yami both nodded, pulling out the two that Isis had been able to get before Marik got to them. Kaiba then paused and handed his to Yami.

"Nani?"

"I have the Blue Eyes. That should be enough, I think."

Isis and the rest now turned as they heard something roar. Isis went pale. "Marik took out his Egyptian God. We have to hurry!"

The group raced back to where they had been, seeing Mai fall down. Marik now looked over, a golden bird-dragon above him. "You came back, I see."
"You called us powerless before," Minako said, taking a stance and drawing out a small disk, "Care to try us?"

The Senshi stood beside their friends, Ryuugi holding a pair of Dungeon Dice Monster dice while the rest had drawn a Duel Monster Card, or held something that looked vaguely Senshi-like. Kaiba had three while Mokuba and Shizuka were on either side of him. Honda had one of the Jounouchi's stronger cards, and Anzu had been lucky enough to get her own deck. Isis and even Shadii were ready as well. Bakura had allowed himself, like Yugi, to be pushed into his soul room, and now his darker, more violent side was there, smiling evilly at Marik.

"No matter what you pull up, it's no match for my Egyptian God, the Sun of God Dragon! You will perish and I shall gain the Pharaoh's power!"

"Then we'll all fight!" Jounouchi yelled a challenge, the room already dark with the power of the Shadows.

"Oh? Are you all really willing to take that on? Your friend did, and now her mind belongs in the Shadow Realm."
"We will defeat you," Mako said, her challenge just as loud as Jounouchi, "and free Mai!"

"Then duel! Dragon, attack them!"

The Sun of God Dragon roared as the various monsters appeared across the board, and just as suddenly a freezing mist appeared around the group.

"What? Where did they go?" Marik yelled just as he saw Bakura, the hikari version, hold up a card. "I don't have a monster, but I have a good spell. Change of Heart!"

The phoenix moved to the other side as the mist cleared and a chain of golden hearts grabbed the card. "Permanently!" Minako said with a smile and giving the card to Yugi. He nodded and held all three up. "Egyptian Gods, come forth!"

Marik's eyes went wide as the Senshi all glowed their respective colors and the three Egyptian Gods appeared behind the grouping of monsters and Senshi. Anzu blinked as the hikari Marik walked out of her body and towards his other side. "Give me back my body!"

"NO! You don't deserve it, you weakling! I will have this power, and you will go to the Shadows!"

"Not with the power of the Senshi and the Pharaoh behind him!" Anzu yelled and the group pointed to Yami Marik.

"Senshi Planet Attack!"

"Set Thunderous Sandstorm!"

"Blue Eyes," the three Blue Eyes White Dragon holders yelled at the same time, "attack!"

"Red Eyes, attack as well!"

"Dark Necropher, attack!"

"Dark Magician Girl, attack!"

"Attack!"

"Attack!"

Ryuugi rolled his dice, and smiled, "Well well, Vorce Raider, attack as well, times six!"

(AN: Yeah, can't you just tell that I don't know how to play DDM? Meh, the rules are different in Shadow Realm terms, so there!)

The grouping of attacks formed a huge ball of light, and now Yami raised his hand, "Go, Egyptian Gods, attack the one who would steal you from your rightful owners and use you for evil!"

The whole of the Shadows exploded in light, and everyone had to shield their eyes until it died down. All the monsters were gone, and the Senshi looked weak but were standing. Marik himself no longer had the vacant lavender eyes, but now they shone with much the same light as Bakura's could. "Arigato, minna-san. Isis…I'm so happy you're here!"

The two siblings hugged as a man came up from behind. He had a shaved head with only a small spot of hair on the back of his head, and hieroglyphics on one side of his face. "Master Marik, you're okay?"

The two turned and both Ishtars happily exclaimed, "Rishid!"

Mai groaned and just as quickly, Jounouchi and Mako moved to her side, asking if she was okay. Mai looked surprised but nodded.

"We did it!" Mokuba said happily jumping up and down with Shizuka. At the glares cast by their brothers at them for being so close, both moved a little farther away from each other as they continued to celebrate.

Minako sighed and finally sat. "But he wasn't the last one we have to fight."

The celebration died down and Minako motioned for them to sit. "As I'm sure you've guessed if Rei used her power to see into the future and past, we were attacked in Tokyo not long after Usagi and Mamoru's wedding. They are now sealed inside of the Crystal Tower, the Outers watching over them and asleep, as we were in the future when Chibiusa came for our help.

"Ryuugi is a friend of mine from England. When I started my career as Sailor V, he realized rather quickly who I was and kept it a secret. After the attack when I came to Domino, he saw my picture and fixed an appointment. When he reminded me of being Sailor V, I remembered everything else. I've been trying to find you guys for a while, and at the same time I'm trying to get information on the enemy."

"So what have you found out?" Kaiba asked.

Ryuugi said, "The one who got Marik was a woman named Lamia. She was a queen of some kingdom about 3000 years ago, at the same time Yami no Yugi was Pharaoh."

"You know about that?" Yami asked.

Mai looked confused. "Could we back up here?"
"Yugi finished the Millennium Puzzle, and there was a spirit inside of it that used to be a Pharaoh. However, he doesn't remember much about his past. Yugi himself has a special crystal that's part of another. We're the Senshi from Tokyo," Mako explained quickly.

"Okay…so this Lamia lady got Marik to be evil and then unleashed those monsters I heard about."

Minako nodded, "Hai, but what else I can find other then the name of the being she's working for isn't on Earth. We'd have to go to the Moon for that."

Mai decided not to ask, at least about the Moon thing. "The being?"

"It's name is Apopis," Ryuugi told them, "In Egyptian mythology, it's a giant snake that battles Ra every night to see if it can keep the sun from rising."

"The threat is to the setting sun…" Rei said, "It was from our vision. If Yami is the Pharaoh, he needs his memories and we need to find out how they were sealed away during his reign."

"The only thing is," Mai said, "its on the Moon. How are you going to get there?"

Ami looked at Minako and then looked over at Yami. "You're not thinking…"

"He has the ikizuishou, and she had the ginzuishou at that time. A full moon is on the thirteenth, and if you guys found Luna or Artemis, they know the right chant. We have to get back up there."

Yami now stood. "No."

Everyone looked at him, and Yugi appeared near his side. "Mou hitori no boku, she's right. We have to find out what happened."

"I won't put you in danger, aibou."

Minako looked between the two and finally said, "He won't be in danger there. The Moon is protected by the power of the ginzuishou."

Sailor Set snorted. "That light is dim now that your Princess and her Prince are sleeping." The other Senshi glared at her and she shifted, turning her gaze to Yami. "So you don't want him to be in danger. I hate to tell you, but not allowing us to travel to the Moon is gonna put him in more danger. I know about the prophecy that Sailor Mars pulled out of the fire. The light of the Moon and Sun will go dead if you don't travel to the ruins of the Moon Kingdom."

"And if we do," Yami Bakura said, glaring at her, "Yugi dies."

"For a greater good," Sailor Set pointed out. "Everyone has to sacrifice something for a greater good. The ginzuishou itself was broken and the pieces scattered because if Sailor Cosmos lived in the beginning, our problems with the pieces of Chaos that are still waking or sleeping would be even worse. Those who had the nijizuishou had to die so that the ginzuishou which exists now can be there. Sailor Moon took hold of that ultimate power once before and cleansed the Cauldron, but that was after she had to see everyone else die. I know what I'm talking about when I saw that we have to go to the Moon. Yugi has to get that sword, and fulfill his destiny."

The whole of the group was silent, Mai looking at the new girl with an almost scared expression on her face before Yami exploded. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF SACRIFICE? You said much rides on your namesake? Did Set not kill his brother for the throne?"

Sailor Set glared at him. "So the story goes."

"Then why help me, when the Pharaoh is the Living Horus and the Dead Osiris, the two whom Set fought and hated, whom you then would fight and hate?"

Set looked at Yami for a long time and finally stood, showing off her bracelets. "These are a testament to the fact that I have killed Senshi. I killed my own kind. Did you know that to get these, I had to kill my sister, Sailor Osiris? So the story is true. I put her in a box, the first of all coffins, and tossed her into a river. When I found her again, alive, I tore her into fourteen pieces and then took her soul. She cannot live again, she has chosen to remain in the Cauldron and be one of the Dead Senshi, one of those who greets them in the Cauldron.

"But the truth is that she asked me to toss her in that river."

Yami glared at her but was quiet as Sailor Set lowered her hands. "You can bitch and complain. You can yell and scream and stomp your foot, you can even call forth the power of the Shadow Realm and throw me in. I understand you care for Yugi, but if you don't allow him this path that will not change the future. It will only allow the other one to come forth. My choices when I hid my sister was this: kill her or have my planet destroyed. I killed her but then she was found to be alive. I was forced into killing her. She asked me to, knowing that our planet would be safe. She used herself as the sacrifice to keep all others safe. Only I and she were killed, and our planet had almost as many Senshi as this one does. The rest are in hiding."

Sailor Set reached up and changed back into her 'street' clothing. "I cannot go back. I asked for this assignment because I wanted to help save a being of light. When I saw you…" she paused and finally looked away before saying, "When you are between yourself and Yugi, if you were not a man, I would say that you were my sister. I would say that you were Osiris."

The group looked at Sailor Set, and Yami Bakura frowned, his seat at the angle to see her face. "I know liars. She's not lying, and she's right. Bakura himself sacrificed his soul once to save you from my attack, and as resentful as I was about losing and being sent back into the Ring, it still showed me what he would do to save you. He even put the Ring back on while in the Labyrinth and used it because he realized it could help. He knew the danger, but to help his friends he would take it anyway. I must admit, I admire him for that, and before this all happened he finally started showing how much of a spine he really had." Yami Bakura looked to Yami. "I doubt we have a choice on this matter, now do we?"

Yami finally shook his head. "No. I suppose we don't."

"Did you mean what you said?"

Yes. Don't ask me again.

"Fair enough. Why are you concerned with Yugi dying?"

You're all dense as bricks.

"Minako-san isn't, and neither is Sailor Set. I think both of them saw it, but I'm…I'm unsure. That is…"

Yami Bakura let out a sight. He really hated it when his host wanted to talk. Still, someone of the group should be slightly clued in.

The Pharaoh loves the little kid, and the kid loves him. They just haven't gotten around to affirming it, or they almost did while Minako was singing her song. How the hell did she do that, anyway? I swear it was almost a make-out fest in that row.

"I asked Ami, and she said it had something to do with her being connected to Venus. But if they love each other, why aren't they…well…can't they tell?"

It's not my fault they're completely ignorant to that fact. They share a body as well…that might get a little weird if they decided to do anything.

Bakura blushed, and Yami Bakura gave a small smile. Yeah, like that.

"It's not that, its…well…"

Ami, right? Tell her.

"I did."

I give you credit. What did she say after that?

"Um…actually, she hasn't said anything. Should I--."

Yami Bakura felt himself sigh again. He was right that the boy had a spine, but talk about timing to call him up! Bakura…I will tell you this once, and only once.

"Hai?"

Don't start other conversations after telling a girl you love her. That's just rude. Now go back to whatever the hell you were going to do. And I suggest kissing her. Tongue is much appreciated if used in the right areas or at the right time. The ears are actually quite--

Yami couldn't continue this, because Ami had made the first move and Bakura had blissfully cut him out of what was going on after that, leaving the spirit in the Ring to consider his own lustful thoughts of the newest Senshi to arrive, Sailor Set. The girl was quite nice, and he remembered well the look she had when speaking of her sister.

I wonder, the spirit thought, if she feels like she should have died.

Yami Bakura decided he wouldn't ask. The girl was valuable as someone who knew what the hell was going on, much more so then most of the others, and thus important. Still, she was also beautiful, and Yami Bakura found himself wishing he had his own body.

Yugi sat on his bed, the Puzzle nearby. Yami was in spirit form nearby looking over at him.

What is the matter, aibou?

Yugi didn't say anything for a moment, then asked, "Do you believe in me, mou hitori no boku?"
Yami blinked and moved towards Yugi. I…I do. Demo…demo I don't want to lose you.

Yugi paused then said, "I've been having more visions. They've been showing me that…that I have to protect Sailor Moon when the time comes. I have to stay behind."

Yami was now next to Yugi, but still Yugi wouldn't look at his other side. "I saw something else. Something that makes me worried."

What was it, aibou?

Again Yugi paused and now Yami lightly touched Yugi's face. He couldn't really touch him, but the gesture was there, and Yugi seemed to curl up a little more. "I…it showed me dead, and everyone was crying."

Everyone would cry if you died, aibou.

"You were…you were so sad. I…want you to promise me. I want you to promise me that even if I do…I end up…that…that you'll go on without me. You'll find a way to build up another kingdom."

Aibou?

"Galaxia came to me in a dream. She said that it's through me that you can regain a body and your memories, then rebuild a kingdom, one that'll rival the one of the Silver Moon. I saw it too, when we were at the concert. If I…then both kingdoms will be built. You have to promise me, mou hitori no boku. Promise me that you'll find a way to go on without me."

Yami now paused, and this time Yugi looked at him. Yami blinked. He had sworn, shortly after he had been freed of the Puzzle, to care for the boy who had fixed it. His soul was heavily weighed with loneliness and insecurity, and Yami had punished those who truly hurt Yugi or his friends. Over time, the care had grown to be much more then that, Yami knew, and he kept this secret mainly due to the fact that Yugi had his eye on Anzu for a while. Now, though, he wasn't so sure. After fighting against Pegasus together at Duelist Kingdom, both were closer, and their connection stronger. But he still worried for his aibou, worried greatly. When he saw the vision the first time, the one where his aibou, despite everything, died--it had ripped at his heart, and he had sworn to try and not make it come to pass.

But now there was no choice. It was either allow Apopis to devour the world, or allow Yugi to die.

And Yugi knew that he would die, and now was asking him to carry on without half of his soul, to build a kingdom when he couldn't, not without Yugi. Without Yugi, none of them would be the same, how could they possibly build a kingdom to mirror the one of the Moon Kingdom?

I…I will try, aibou. I will do all I can, but no matter what I will also remember you.

Yugi now gave a small smile to the spirit. "Arigato, mou hitori no boku."