A/N: The climax, a big whooop!
jenn120: (cowers) Awww, come on! It's not THAT bad...okay maybe it is...
Ukorim: Yes, I know, I killed Jou...
Setsuna-X: Thanks, I hope I didn't take TOO long...
Amyrose300: Okay, no one liked it when I killed off Jou...soowwy...yes my muses are f-ed up...
Lady-Ai 14: I cried too...
Dragonlady222: Yea, she's going to play a bigger part this time around...
MiddiKnowles: That's good that your grades are up! No one should mess with a Kaiba!
Hanna-901: (smirks) I'm off the scale...
Seto'swifey: Ursula? Just add a contract and boom!
Kerajeir: Thanx!
Robin Moto: Well, the story was kind of romantic...maybe...in the future...
Growing Pain: Thanks a lot. I try to keep them in character.
Bluerosety: Thanks!
FireWielder: I like cliffhangers...people seems to hate me today...
LP-lova210: Wow! You are upset...
Angel of darkness 507: Happy ending? I don't know, that's for you to decide...
SexxySesshy: ...okay...
FireIceGoddess: I cried too...
Yugiohfreak: Sooowwwy...
Koomint26: I know, I know...we all want her to burn in Hell.
FireieGurl: Yes, he's dead.
Bleedingchaos: Thanks!
Charis Brokehm: ...for once, I don't know what's going to happen...
Girlo: Everybody wants Jou back.
Hai-chan: I know. I'm soowwwy.
Chiyoku Shibata: Just for that, I might just put it in the chapter...(smile)
Chapter 20: Forgive Me, Brother- Kisara's Truth and Jou's Sacrifice
Dulcina's hold on Kisara weakened considerably as the great Seto Kaiba, former Egyptian Pharaoh after Yami, began to walk slowly. His eyes ablaze with an indestructible fire. Kisara did not blame him.
Her blue eyes watered at the sight of her former half-brother's cold body on the ground. This wasn't what she wanted to happen. She slumped to the ground and her dragon did the same. It was wrong, to get in the way of a man who had lost his love to a monster.
"Red Eyes Katsuya is dead, Pharaoh Seto," Dulcina proclaimed, floating back down and smoothing out the wrinkles of her magnificent dress. "Is there nothing else to do, but join us and complete your destiny alongside the future Queen Kisara?"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Go to Hell, bitch."
Dulcina laughed, you can almost feel the tremble down your spine. "You need to learn your mannerisms, your majesty. It is unfitting for a king." She stared down at the remaining group. Yugi and Ryou were silently crying from the loss of their friend, Malik sparing a few tears. Yami growled with righteous anger and Bakura and Marik were glaring at her with fierceness in their eyes. She laughed again. "Pathetic! Do not cry those tainted tears at the loss of an equally tainted fiend. It is your destiny to not exist in the first place, but my dreadful sister," She shuddered at the memory. "Stupid brat, she should have known than to create men and women with obvious affections to the same sex. It doesn't work that way. It ruins everybody's lives. It ruined mine."
Yami shook out of the gag and yelled fiercely. "You're a fool to change the will of the people! It is not your decision no longer!"
Yugi bit hard into his gag and it disappeared. "You can't control the matters of the heart! Jou loved Seto with every fiber of his being! There's nothing tainted about love no matter who it is!" Tears fell from his face in simultaneously. "Jou's love was pure in every way! You're the tainted one to be taunting the feelings of my friend's heart!"
"Watch your mouth, boy!" She snarled and threw a small burst of power at Yugi. He slid across the ground.
"Yugi!" Yami yelled fighting against the binds furiously.
Dulcina laughed again, then stopped when Kaiba remained unmoveable. "Seto, reconsider. If it hurts you that much, I'll relieve you of the memories of that demon so he won't hurt you anymore."
Kisara jumped. What did she say? She closed her eyes. Something about what she said...erasing memories...?
She opened her sapphire blue eyes and gasped as she prodded into her mind, searching for something that's been blocked off for so long. That time, that time...
...Dulcina erased Seto's memories long ago, back in ancient times, but what was it that she erased?
Calling upon her Blue Eyes White Dragon, she murmured. "Please..."
Kaiba's eyes never faltered. "I will fulfill Jou's last request. And that's to give you hell! Red Eyes Black Dragon! Come forth!"
He raised the card in the air and the sky turned even darker, as if a raging storm was coming towards Kaiba's call. Thunder and lightning roared the skies illuminating the world moment by moment. A loud roar bellowed and the Red Eyes returned, looking even more dark and destructive.
"Red Eyes Black Dragon! Attack the Sea Goddess with your Molten Fireball Attack!" Kaiba yelled, pointing at Dulcina.
Red Eyes roared and gathered heat and lighting in his mighty black jaws and aimed solely at Dulcina. With another dragon filled scream, it unleashed it's attack on her.
Dulcina barely stepped back and summoned a tsunami from the ocean near them and surrounded herself in it, taking out the fire attack.
Kaiba growled. Dulcina smirked. "I am a sea goddess. Your pathetic fire dragon is no match for the depths of 20,000 year old water blasting! Kisara!" She looked at the girl and she jumped. "Get rid of that unnatural monster with White Lightning!"
But Kisara wouldn't move. She stared at the Red Eyes and whispered. "Brother...tell me. Lead me to the truth."
She rose slowly in the air and merged with the Blue Eyes and searched through her memories of Katsuya.
"Blue Eyes Kisara!" Dulcina bellowed angry that she would not follow an order. "Attack, or you'll NEVER have your heart's desire!"
"That's enough!" Kaiba yelled. "I won't stand and do nothing while you drag Kisara into this! This is between you and me!"
Just then, the roof shook under them and almost everyone stumbled. "What's happening!" Dulcina demanded.
The Blue Eyes White Dragon hovered in mid-air, glowing brightly as did the Red Eyes in the opposite direction.
The truth of all truths...
The world shook like Armageddon came early. Kaiba shielded his eyes as a burst of power shrouded their sight and released everyone from their binds.
A strange woman's voice echoed in the dark like a glimmer of light. Dulcina growled. "Nadia!"
Let me tell you a tale of love, hope, and sadness. A story that echos thousands of years and still lives on in the people.
Dulcina, Goddess of Love and Fertility, ruled Atlantis with prosperity and light. But she was filled with so much luxury, she became blinded by which love was a novelty, and which love was true. One day, a young man named Jericho from the outside stumbled into this amazing civilization and was welcomed by the people. Dulcina grew fond of the young man and asked him to be her king.
He refused, because he had loved someone back where he came from and needed to come back for them.
She was furious when she had found out that he was in love with another man, in fact, the person he loved, Hikaru, took up residence in Atlantis long before he arrived and ran off to meet with his long-lost love. She pulled the young man aside, and threatened to kill his love if he did not marry her. He was forced to agree.
Hikaru who found out that Jericho was being forced to marry the goddess, ran to her younger sister, the Goddess of Love and Justice, and pleaded on behalf of his love. She took pity, and told him to run off with his love in her temple, for Dulcina can not tread into another God's Temple with ill-intentions without consequence.
Dulcina found out by her minions, and intruded into her younger sister's temple. The young couple had fought her off as long as they could, but they were powerless against the goddess and died by her hand.
Her sister found out and demanded justice for her elder sister's crimes. The main gods had heard and punished her by trapping her into the darkest depths of the Atlantic Ocean for all eternity. As her last words, her younger sister told her that she could never be free to join the rest of the gods unless she acknowledged that love came in many forms and can not be dictated nor tampered. Dulcina was trapped with a poisoned heart.
"You lied!" Ryou exclaimed at Dulcina. She glared at him but instead of him, at Bakura for he moved in front of Ryou to protect him from her.
Malik growled. "Your younger sister didn't create a homosexual, they were on earth all along!" Marik grunted in agreement. "I knew that fishy sense was strange."
10,000 years later, two dragons were born from both gods and humans. The eldest half-brother was born to Anubis and Princess Claudia of the East, with eyes as red as the blood he had shed in his birth. He was the Red Eyes Katsuya. The youngest half-sister was born to Anubis and the last descendant of Atlantis, Kayra, with eyes as blue as the ocean of her mother's homeworld. She was the Blue Eyes Kisara. They both grew up together under the rule of Slifer the Sky Dragon. Red Eyes was taught by the Black Cobra Athros about war and the power of bloodshed he was destined to join in during ancient Egypt. The murderers and tricksters followed his guidance and give offerings of gold and blood to him and follow terror wherever it went. Blue Eyes was taught by her ancestors of Atlantis about peace and tranquility, the power of truth and life she was destined to follow in ancient Egypt. The priests and mothers would pray to her and give the offerings of pure water and lilies in her honor.
Both were different in every way. Katsuya loved to dwell on the evils of death and battle, while Kisara admired the life and tranquility the world had to offer. But there was the one thing they had both wanted:
High Priest Seto, who followed the rule of Pharaoh Atem.
Kisara loved Seto for his faithfulness and the loyalty of his rulers. She loved the way he helped the people and devoted his time for their happiness.
But Katsuya's was a different story...one night, one of the Egyptian gods had shot him down after a war and was critically wounded and was trapped in a canyon, his wings unable to fly. Seto, who was 18 eclipses old, discovered the dragon and nursed him back to health, even if he was the dragon of blood.
At first, Katsuya thought of him as an idiot, but later felt something more when Seto kept the bandits at bay, while the demi-god was waiting for his strength back. He fell in love with him when Seto had confessed his feelings and didn't want to leave him, but was forced to and promised the mortal he would come back to him someday.
And so, he ignored his duties and suffered through turmoil and pain to retrieve an idol for his master, in order for him to become a human.
Kisara discovered that Katsuya was going to become human and be with the man she loved, so she called upon Dulcina from the depths of the sea when her ancestors told her about the late queen. Dulcina she would help her if she possessed a part of her mind to live with her and give her strength. She did.
Kisara stole the idol Katsuya worked hard for and presented it to her master with the notion that she had gotten it. She was granted her wish and became human. In the human world, Dulcina erased Seto's mind of his memories of love for the Red Eyes and filled it with false memories of the Blue Eyes instead.
Katsuya found out and was in shock, anger, and irreplaceable sadness. He would never be able to fulfill his promise to Seto and protect him always.
In his sorrow, he committed suicide in the name of his love.
When Ra had heard of Kisara's mutiny and the cause of Katsuya's death, he commanded Osiris to curse her in the worst possible way for her treachery. They stripped her of her control over her dragon and sentenced her fate to be slaughtered by the man she loved.
Later on, as Seto was battling Bakura alongside Pharaoh Atem, Kisara realized of her brother's suicide and guilt took over her in every possible way. For in the end, Seto would always love Katsuya and prayed to her brother in the Afterlife for redemption for what she had done. In return, she would protect Seto until her last breath.
Fulfilling her promise, Katsuya took pity and changed her fate so only Seto's father had killed her instead of the man she loved, so sadness would not overcome her like he had. Katsuya then discovered the origins of Kisara's mutiny and drove Dulcina to the edge of the Shadow Realm and made a contract with Osiris to seal her and in return, no record of Red Eyes Katsuya had ever existed. And the deal was set and Katsuya reincarnated into the future.
When Seto became Pharaoh, the Blue Eyes Kisara appeared to him and told him to start praying for his true dragon, the Red Eyes Black Dragon. He asked her why, but she told him he would know someday and disappeared. But Dulcina still inhabited Kisara's mind and so she joined with her in the afterlife and in reincarnation, vowing to destroy the Red Eyes Katsuya at all costs.
And now today in this era...
"Nadia you bitch!" Dulcina roared. "Show yourself so I can send you into oblivion!"
Seto had sunk this all in, and felt the walls around his head crumble and opened into memories he didn't even remember having: down in the canyons, Katsuya, Kisara, the end of the world...
He remembered...
"Bitch!" Seto yelled and ran toward her. He didn't know what the hell he was doing, he couldn't beat a woman up, but then again, she's not a woman really...
Dulcina screamed and lashed out at him, but the Red Eyes hit the attack with it's tail and roared menacingly.
And as the blood red eyes glows for one last time, it dwindles as the blood dries in his eyes and then a new color was born, for he gives up bloodshed for the one he loves. He is now born anew with a purpose and his eyes a remainder of long since past. (1)
Seto dropped to his knees. What was he doing? Why was he acting like this? Jou's dead...is this how he'll fulfill his revenge out of anger? No. It's going to be out of his memories, out of the truth!
"Dulcina." Seto said softly. She turned to face him. "You're losing a battle that shouldn't have begun. Fighting against something so natural. Don't you understand? A goddess of love should know to never dictate the powers of ones love for someone. It's elementary. It doesn't matter whether you're in love with a boy or a girl, what matters is that you'll never be alone. That that special person will light up the darkness inside and fill you to the point of bursting."
Monique, Mokuba, the Yamis, and the Hikaris bowed their heads for the loss.
"Pup." Seto whispered as he too bowed his head. "You wanted me to fight out of love, didn't you? Like you did all those years ago?" He let out a gentle, bitter chuckle. "And here was I, the lovesick idiot 5000 years ago is now the opposite in the here and now. Pup..."
Dulcina yelled, her voice a tremendous bellow. "You don't understand, Seto! This is unnatural! If you side with them, the world will fall to bitter wars and ruin! Is that what you want!"
Seto looked up at her, his eyes clouded with a saddened mist. "I don't give a fuck what happens to this world. Not if Jou's not in it. He's the only one who have kept me anchored to this world. Without him...I'm not whole anymore.."
Dulcina surged with power and the earth shook from this force. "THEN SO BE IT! IF I CAN'T HAVE THE PERFECT WORLD...I'LL DESTROY IT!"
The nearby shoreline thrusted and gyrated out of control. Ryou looked at it with an eerie calm. "A tsunami?"
"I'LL BURY THIS LAND DEEP IN THE OCEAN AND STOP THE UNNATURALS BY KILLING YOU ALL OFF!"
All three Yamis struggled to summon their Shadow Magic, but to no avail. They were too tired. Was this the end?
Seto remained unmoved as Mokuba ran to him. "Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed. "We have to do something!"
He looked at him, but his eyes weren't really looking at him. "Is this the end of the world? Is this the feeling of emptiness the same as what happens if we all die? I let him die. I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect my most important person..."
"Snap out of it, Mr. Kaiba!" Monique grabbed the front of his collar and shook him. "Jou wouldn't want the world to be destroyed! If you want to let his sacrifice MEAN something, then save us all!"
Seto shook his head as if he was shaking something off and slowly rose and took a close look at what was going on. "It's impossible." He said dismissively. "There's no way to stop a goddess."
"Think!" Monique chided roughly. "Yami, Bakura, and Marik are all tired out. They can't help us. Yugi and Malik is wounded, and Ryou's having a shock of his life. What are we going to do!"
He took a breath and began to think. Thinking was always his forte, it had always got him out of tough situations, but the impossible?
"The Dragons," Seto breathed. Weren't they demi-gods? "Both may be enough to cancel her out." He walked up to the Red Eyes. It stared at him almost innocently with it's big red eyes, kind of like what Jou did. "I need you Red Eyes. And your sister. Defend what's left of this world."
The Red Eyes nodded and roared for his sister to join him and soon they were side by side with Seto.
I want to protect the ones I love... Was Jou's last request.
I want to repent for my actions and do the right thing... Was Kisara's last wish.
Soon, they were glowing with a great white light that seemed to seep through the dark clouds and the Red Eyes and the Blue Eyes merged as one.
Dulcina screamed in anger and Seto and the rest had gasped.
"The legendary Obsidian Eyes Silver Dragon..." Bakura's jaw was hung open.
The Obsidian Eyes Silver Dragon bent his head down so Seto can climb on and with a great rush of it's feathered wings, it took flight. Dulcina followed him and transformed into a scaly sea monster.
The battle lasted for ten minutes with bites, smacks, and roars. But it was a stalemate. No one was winning.
"Even if you are equal to my power!" Dulcina roared. "It won't stop me from destroying this world!"
Seto growled. "Go to Hell. I'm not letting you win!" His merged dragon roared along with him.
It's no use, they were done for!
Dulcina, let us show you the real force of this world. No one truly leaves this world without leaving an imprint of themselves to protect the ones they love.
"Nadia!" She yelled. "Show yourself you coward!"
Monique gasped and turned to Jou's body. It glowed with a brilliant white light and disappeared.
Seto sat back. "I need a weapon to slice through her..." He clenched his hands then flinched at the warmth in his right hand...
...he was holding something.
He opened his palm and revealed Jou's collar. "Jou..." He clenched the collar. "I couldn't protect you! I need you."
The collar disappeared and in it's place was a black and blood red sword. The Sword of the Red Eyes Black Dragon.
Holding it tightly, he brought the dragon to aim straight towards the sea monster and sliced it in half.
It was weakened.
Doing a 180, the dragon began to unleash it's most devastating attack.
"Obsidian Eyes Silver Dragon! Finish her off with Leap of Blinding Faith!" Seto yelled as the dragon roared and unleashed a flash of white light from it's jaws.
Dulcina screamed as the bright light illuminated her and she fell from the sky and landed back on the roof. Brilliant, silver chains trapping her.
The dragon landed and separated once again to two separate dragons. Seto looked up and saw the skies finally clearing.
"You did it." Malik said.
"That fuckin' sucks!" Marik grumbled. "We didn't even get to fuckin' fight."
"Be glad you're alive." Yami warned then turned to a grimace. "Some of us weren't lucky to survive this."
Ryou sniffled and Yugi's tears acted up again.
"Jou..." Monique whispered sadly.
"What's the point of it all if Jou's gone!" Mokuba sobbed angrily. "It's not fair!"
"Hey, stop the tears..." They all jumped at the familiar voice and snapped their heads to the Red Eyes. Jou was there, glowing in front of the Red Eyes' chest. Kisara was there as well, glowing at the Blue Eyes' chest.
They were all speechless. Jou had a somewhat Egyptian attire with no shirt on. His hair had black ends and his eyes were a bright red. Kisara was in an Egyptian attire as well.
"Kisara, you redeemed yourself." Jou said smiling slightly. "You're free."
Kisara shook her head gracefully with a smile of her own. "Yes, but I must repair the damage. I'm taking Dulcina with me to the Shadow Realm until one day, she'll change and her curse will be lifted."
Jou stared. "No. Kisara–"
"I've already decided, Katsuya. This is the only way I will repay you for everything I did. I'm so sorry brother."
Jou snorted. "You were always such a goody two shoes..."
Kisara's bright blue eyes lit up. "And you were always the arrogant, mean brat that you are."
He frowned. "You shouldn't go, Kisara."
Tears flowed from her eyes. "I can't tell you how much I want you to forgive me for all that I've done to you and Seto. I was out of control with my emotions, and let a monster take over me and end up hurting you." She pulled the sleeping Dulcina in her arms and smiled through her tears as the Shadow Realm vortex opened behind them.
"Kisara!" Jou exclaimed.
"I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me, big brother...I'm so sorry." Kisara cried.
"I have always forgave you, Kisara..." Jou said softly. They looked to the direction of Seto and the others and they smiled at them. The two looked like angels with the halo of light around them.
"I believe..." Kisara continued. "That you and Seto truly do belong together, regardless of what you are, but more of who you are."
"Yeah," Jou casually replied back. "That's what I've been telling you people this whole entire episode."
Kisara laughed. A true, happy laugh. It warmed them all.
It's time to go...
The two demi-gods turned the other way to see a beautiful golden woman hovering next to them.
"Who are you?" Yugi asked.
I am Nadia, the Goddess of Love and Justice. Dulcina's younger sister. I am here to take these two with me.
"No!" Seto yelled. "You can't take them!"
Jou and Kisara smiled in a good-natured way. Nadia smiled as well.
Don't be so scared, Seto Kaiba. As long as you keep their memories alive, they would never truly go away.
"Don't pull that shit on me." Seto growled. "Give them back!"
They had thought that Nadia would lash out at him but she merely smiled.
Very well then. We shall see. In the meantime, it is time for us to go.
"Jou!" Seto called. "Don't you dare say goodbye to me, because you're going to come back, goddammit!"
Jou laughed, his rich voice putting Seto into a euphoria.
"No goodbye. Promise!"
And that was it. They disappeared, leaving the group behind with the skies alive with a bright blue hue. Not a cloud in sight.
TBC?
A/N: Should I put an epilogue, or should I leave it to your imaginations? The decision's yours, because technically, either way is fine.
(1): If anybody can understand what Nadia meant by this, I'll give you the unofficial lemon chapter you guys are crazy for!
Review!