Guardians

Note: Well you guys, I'm seeing some sort of conclusion in the near future, although I can't say exactly when. I hope you've all enjoyed this story and will continue to enjoy it however many chapters it reaches. Don't forget to review!

Chapter Fifty-Four: The Darkness and the Light

Karmina closed her eyes and swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Seto was the darkness. That explained why it had never gone away, even after they thought they'd beaten it. That had just been a device of the darkness, but the true enemy resided inside of Seto. Inside of the heart that supposedly loved her. But how could he when so much evil was inside of him? Did he even mean a single word he'd ever said? How could she trust him?

Karmina… What do you mean I AM the darkness? How can a person be darkness? And of course I mean what I say… at least when I say that I love you.

I just… oh Seto… Her tears were flowing more and more freely now. The darkness was vanishing, shirking away from the bright light of her tears. Except for Seto. He remained. She didn't know if that was because he really loved her or because the evil inside of him was too strong to be chased away simply by her tears. She felt his hand gently stoke hers… and now she could see his dark outline. He was a shadow of darkness… and it was scary.

At least now she wasn't choking on the darkness in the abyss any longer. "Seto… we have to do something… the darkness can't go on. But I'm scared that something… that something means…" she choked on her own words and tears.

"Shh," he whispered, taking her into his arms.

She closed her eyes, and he still felt like Seto. But why, then, was he covered in the darkness?

"Karmina, open your eyes."

Her eyes shot open, and she couldn't believe what she saw. "Wingweaver!"

Her guardian smiled. "Yes. You chased the darkness away. Back into Seto, where it was born."

"And… Seto?"

"I'm right here, Karmina," Seto said, and she realized he still had his arms around her. And she could see them again.

"I… I don't understand… Where'd all of the darkness go?"

"I told you… it is inside Seto again. Your tears melted it away and sent it back into his heart. But that means the battle is far from over, I'm afraid."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't have believed her," blue eyes said calmly, speaking for the first time. "And you had to discover it for yourselves."

She sighed. She wouldn't have believed it if they'd told her. It was too impossible for her mind to fathom without proof… without coming to the conclusion on it's own.

"And you, Karmina, are the light. You feed the evil just as much, I'm afraid. Darkness and light go hand in hand. That is why Seto, who usually never would have cared if he ran into someone, felt compelled to talk to you the first time you met. The darkness in him was calling out for you light. To gather strength from you."

"Are you trying to tell me that I don't really care about Karmina?"

"No. Nothing, not even the call of darkness to light, can create the feeling of love except for love itself. I am saying that it is because of this that you first met. You were destined to meet. And to resolve this problem, the darkness, however you see fit."

"Don't hand me that destiny-"

"Seto, it's true… think about it… Why else would we have ever started talking to each other except for something pulling us together… In the beginning, that was all… but then…" she sighed. "Then it was you being you, and me being me, and… I don't know…"

He sighed and nodded. "I don't agree, but I guess I understand why you'd think that… It is a little strange, us being as different as we are, that we ever started to talk. I don't even remember what was going through my mind when I decided not to keep on walking."

Karmina grinned sadly. "I know what I was thinking: Why the heck is Seto Kaiba bothering to talk to someone like me?"

Seto laughed. "Why wouldn't he?" he said, wrapping his arms around her again and gently kissing her neck, a gesture that the two had come accustomed to whenever they were teasing one another in a slightly romantic way. Karmina smiled.

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

There was a pause, and then Wingweaver cleared her throat. "We all know you love one another, but there is still this problem to be contended with. The darkness must die, or else it will kill everything in its path."

"B-but… wouldn't that mean that… Seto…"

"We cannot say for sure. You, Karmina, must find the way. I pray that you can find it without harming my charge, but if not you have my consent to do what must be done," Blue Eyes said solemnly.

Karmina shook her head. "Don't talk that way. I won't let Seto die. And I certainly won't be the one to cause that."

Seto just shook his head. "Karmina, I told you I don't even believe in this… but… I guess I lied. Because what's happening here is very real… and it's my fault for being how I am and for feeding the darkness or whatever."

"You don't understand… you aren't just feeding it… you ARE it… S-Seto…" she started sobbing uncontrollably, unable to stop herself. She had to save Wingweaver's world. The darkness was the enemy here. But she loved Seto too much to see him die… there had to be another way.

"Karmina, don't cry," Seto whispered into her ear, kissing her wet cheek.

But she couldn't stop herself. This was too much for her to handle. She couldn't lose him, but she couldn't lose Wingweaver either…

What do I do? I'm not smart enough to figure this out… but I can tell time is wasting… Whatever's inside of Seto is bound to consume him eventually… and destroy this world. My tears can't beat something like that. It's too deep and eternally COLD.

She realized suddenly that the arms that held her weren't as warm as she remembered them being. Her tears started flowing more quickly. She turned around in his arms to where she was facing him, encircled by his arms as if they could protect her from everything. She really and truly trusted those arms. So they couldn't possibly be evil. She wiped off her tears and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his passionately. It wouldn't do any good, she knew. She still had to face this. Both of them did. But at least there would be no doubt in her mind that he loved her and she loved him. Forever. No matter what came when they broke the embrace.

End note: I know, I know, I'm terrible and you hate me for this cliffy, but it had to be done! This is a delicate moment in the plot, and one I don't intend to screw up by rushing! Review please!