Sorry for the long silence. Hope this chapter was worth it. Special thanks to cyberbee15, link faron 2006, hinatagirl18 for their help with my story. Thanks to battousaisgirl16 for proofreading.
Don't own Yugioh. Only my Airi and my OCs
Enjoy:)
Chapter 70
Time slowed as light flooded all around. Yami shielded his eyes and squinted at the opening appeared in the sky above them. Expletives came from the others behind them as the light constricted into two familiar figures landed in front of them. The crazed eyes and hair on the Bakura were all too familiar. Yami gripped Yugi's shoulder, ready to pull the boy behind him if things went wrong. The other, with his back to them, shoved Bakura towards Zorc before stepping back to stand with Yami and Yugi. Both versions of the pharaoh looked at each other.
"Pharaoh Atem?" Yugi guessed.
The newcomer nodded.
"Great, three of them." Yami heard Kaiba from behind them.
"Worthless." Zorc's voice rumbled over them in waves. "Completely worthless."
"No, master. Please. No." Evil Bakura glanced around, but there was nowhere to run.
Zorc's second headshot forward clamping down on the figure of Bakura. His screams died in a flash of light as he was absorbed into the original monster.
"Now I am complete." both of Zorc's heads leaned down at them. "You are so weak you have to bring two extra's to save you, pharaoh? Pathetic."
"My friends." Atem turned to the other two. "I ask for your help. We must summon the Egyptian gods and our three strengths combined with increasing the power of the attack. Will you assist me?"
Both nodded.
Zorc roared and sent a blast shooting at the group. Blue Eyes and Red eyes dragons blasted towards them. More blast blasted over them to shoot the group behind them. Surprised shouts were drowned with Airi's screams and shrieks from the destroyed monsters. Looking back Yami watched in horror as the others dissolved from sight.
Yugi gripped his arm. "They'll be fine." his voice cracking. "Let's end this."
Atem stood in front of the other two raising his arms up. Yugi and Yami placed their hands on the pharaoh's shoulders allowing him to draw from their power. Again, Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra appeared in the sky before them,
"In the name of the pharaohs of Egypt and the gods." Atem began chanting. "I offer the power of my name to combine the three Egyptian gods and summon the Creator of Light!"
The three Egyptian gods dissolved into a bright light in the center of the column until a figure appeared in the center. The light appeared to be sucked into the figure until fully from a glowing figure of a woman in white and gold. Zorc recoiled from the light heads hissing in hatred and fear.
Atem raised both arms. "Destroy!"
The light blinded all of them and the wind rose into a torrent. Yami closed his eyes against the blinding light and wind. Zorc's death screams felt like ripping the skin off them.
Then suddenly everything stopped. Opening his eyes Yami looked around to see he was still standing with Atem and Yugi. They weren't in the shadow game past but in a stone room with a stone sarcophagus in the center. Sounds could be heard from the other side of a stone wall. Yami recognized his friends' voices. At least they were alright.
Atem turned to Yami. the two stood looking at each other, two halves of a whole.
The realization hit Yami; this was the man who did everything and endured all he had the last few days to save the world.
He sank to his knees. "Pharaoh."
Atem knelt too, hand on his shoulder. "Yami, Pharaohs don't bow to themselves." his hand gripped his shoulder. "You have done well."
Yami nodded. Atem helped him up then turned to Yugi.
"You've fought valiantly, Yugioh."
Yugi looked down in embarrassment. "Thanks, but I didn't do that much really."
"Humility is a virtue of a true hero." Atem placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I am forever in your debt, my friend."
There was a movement behind them and a figure appeared through the stone wall. Atem turned and his eyes widened.
"Ess?"
The former queen nodded, eyes shining. In a few steps, he was to her, clasping her in his arms. Soft light glowed around them, the spirits becoming more translucent until they faded away into the light disappearing with them.
Yugi turned to Yami. "You're not going too?"
Yami looked down at his hands. Nothing seemed to be glowing neither were there any tugs. He did feel drained, and even Yugi needed to get back to his body as soon as possible. He motioned towards the wall of the tomb. Both walked towards the wall, Yami walking through while Yugi vanished as his body called him back.
Yami appeared next to Yugi as his host opened his eyes. It looked like everyone else was awake. Joey seemed to have been telling the rest of them what had just happened. Kaiba sat on the ground near Airi, who for some reason was still lying on the ground. A few others stood in a circle around them.
"Yugi." Tea left the others and was at his side in an instant. "Thank goodness. We thought you and Airi were not coming back."
"Wait, Airi's not awake?"
"She was with you right?"
"Idiots," Kaiba muttered, leaning back over Airi's. "She's not breathing."
Yugi staggered forward, pushing passed the others kneel at his sister's side. Yami's mind grew numb with panic seeing Airi lying motionless on the floor, color draining from her face. Kaiba was on the other side, his face gaunt, checking her vitals again in succession as if refusing to admit defeat.
Yugi was near hysterical, calling his sister's name over and over, face close to hers as if that would reach her. His hand stroked back some of her fair from her pale face, touching her diadem. Something clicked in Yami's mind.
"Yugi!" Yami shouted. "Yugi, switch."
Yugi was too in shock to resist as Yami taking control. Supporting her head he turned the diadem to the center of her forehead. The ankh still glowed gold. He traced it allows his memory to take over as he recited the chant he's learned from Mana.
Gold light flowed from the headpiece engulfing her entire body. The light faded seeping into her body. Yami leaned in close waiting for any hint of life.
Airi gasped, sucking in her air. Yami could hear Yugi's gasp of relief inside his spirit room. She gave a groan as she shifted on the stone. The others stood silently around them shocked at what had just happened. Relieved, Yami allowed his grip on Yugi's body to slip and he retreated to his spirit room. He didn't care, neither did he pay attention to which part of his puzzle he retreated. Leaning against the wall he allowed everything he'd just been through close in on him until he faded into a dark stupor.
Thankfully this time Yugi holding his puzzle up to the chamber doors opened them. Kaiba refused to let anyone else carry Airi from the tomb. The waiting Ishtars were surprised to see Ryu leaning on Joey. Yugi's brain spun as he followed Kaiba and his sister out of the stifling tomb into the starlit night and onto the boat. Kaiba was lead by Yugi to Airi's cabin where she was deposited gently on the bed. Yugi hadn't been allowed to stay as Nasira and Kelilia pushed everyone out so Ishiezu could make sure her coming back to life didn't have any unexpected side effects. Ryu disappeared with Tristan and Joey to get some food. Yugi and Tea waited outside the cabin door, talking small talk to attempt to stay warm in the chilly desert night air. Kaiba was on his fifth patrol of the deck, never wandering too far from the cabin.
After a short while, Ishizu came out saying Airi was fine but would need to rest because of the direct attacks to her soul. Ishizu refused to let Yugi or Kaiba see her, despite the latter being very vocal about him wanting to see Airi.
Yugi wanted to argue as well, but one look at the Egyptian woman caused him to only ask her to tell him if anything changed with his sister. Tea walked him back to his room, leaving him with a kiss on his forehead and repeating she was so glad he was alright. Yugi collapsed on the bed. His mind spun too much for him to consider sleep. After everything he'd been through doubted he'd be able to sleep again.
Yami hadn't appeared since after bringing Airi back to life. Yugi had allowed the spirit some space not really sure what to say. 'Thank you,' felt cheap and there was the revelation that his sister and closest friend had fallen in love. He didn't know if Kaiba had figured that out already or how he was taking it. Yugi still wasn't sure how he himself felt about it. He wanted to be angry at all the secrets. Weren't he and Yami suppose to be a team? Then again, Yami was usually wiser and focused on succeeding in the mission. That was probably the main reason he hadn't been told.
After an hour he decided sleep wasn't an option after all. He paced around his spirit room gathering up the courage to go across the hall to the other half of his mind. He found the door was closed but something had definitely changed about it. It had been more cracked and forbidding before. Instead, the cracks were gone and even the eye carved into it wasn't glaring at him as he approached.
Pushing the door open Yugi found that the puzzle had changed as well. There were still endless stairs but somehow there were less of them and the dark corners seemed brighter than before. There was also a new door right in front of him. Yugi hesitated but then pushed it open. The entrance showed a dim room with another door across.
Sitting on the ground with his back against the stone wall was Yami. His head was down and he didn't seem to be aware of anything around him. As Yugi watched, the spirit's clothes kept changing. One moment they were the usual uniform then shift to a black tunic. Along with this shift, his hair would go from the multi-color to completely black before reverting back to look like Yugi's again.
After a few moments, Yami looked up. Seeing Yugi caused his appearance to permanently fix on the uniform and multi-color hair.
"Ya-" Yugi stopped. "Sorry I guess I should call you Atem now, right?"
The spirit smiled. "It's still Yami. Atem is my other half. Even with some of his memories I still don't feel like I really belong to that past."
Yugi smiled. "On the bright side, it saves me from learning a new name." Yugi sat next to him. "I didn't get to thank you for saving Airi."
"I'm thankful my hunch was correct."
Yugi wanted to ask how he accomplished this but from his friend's expression, he didn't dare ask. Both sat in silence, studying the slight coloration differences in the golden brick across from them. Neither knew how to voice any of what had just happened and the last few years seemed impossible to form into words.
"Thank you." Yugi's voice cracked.
Yami smiled, inclining his head.
Airi's eyes opened to sunlight shining through the blinds. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room. She had a vague recollection of being brought here. She frowned, trying to remember what had happened in the shadow game. She remembered the blast coming at them. A blinding light. A ripping sensation and she faded out. No matter how much she tried to visualize what happened after that she couldn't hold on to it. Clips of colors and images slipped in and out of her head before sliding away to black. Next thing she was being carried in Seto's arms to her cabin.
Pushing herself up she sat up. From what she could tell no one else was awake. Yugi might not be up yet, but she felt she had to check on him. Going to the door she opened and nearly crashed into Seto. Both stared at each other. How long had he been standing here? Something about his expression kept Airi from speaking. She hadn't seen a look like that in years, possibly since they had been kids. She felt a twinge of guilt. It must have been hard for him, watching someone looking like Mokuba burning, realizing her brother's crazy claims were real, and seeing her dead.
"Seto, I-"
His arms were around her so fast it shocked her into silence.
"Never do that again," he whispered in her ear. Suddenly he released her and he was gone before she had a chance to reply.
Yugi was summoned to the lounge on the boat. Everyone was there, except for Ryu who was sleeping in his cabin. Airi insisted on coming with Yugi, walking arm in arm into the main room where everyone else waited. Marik, Ishizu, and Kelilia stood at the head of the room while the others waited in chairs or leaned against the walls. Yugi led his sister to an armchair and sat on the arm. Kaiba watched from the side door, leaning against the frame uncharacteristically quiet. Yugi could sense Yami standing in the spirit room to watch. Why he hadn't detached, Yugi wasn't sure.
"I congratulate all of you for defeating the darkness." Ishizu said.
"Thankfully we all made it." Yugi said.
"It's important that the items be returned to the place they were created." Ishizu continued. "Each of us Item Holders must return our items to their resting places in the Millenium Stone. That way your connection can be broken with the item."
"Make sense." Joey said.
Yugi nodded. It was odd thinking of no longer having the puzzle or Yami with him any longer. A thought struck him. "Wait, what about Yami?"
Everyone looked confused except Airi who clarified. "If the pieces are being returned, then what happens to Yami's spirit. He's still attached to the puzzle."
Marik and Ishizu exchanged glances. Nasira stared at the carpet. Kelilia finally broke the silence.
"Now that the darkness is banished, there is no longer a need for a spirit of the puzzle. There is no mention of him after. So . . . "she trailed off.
"We're just going to let him stay in the puzzle alone?" Airi's voice threatened to break. "After everything he's done for us, he'll still be trapped in the puzzle forever?"
"He's a fragment," Marik said. "He doesn't have anybody to return to, and since he's not exactly the same spirit as he was before he won't be recognized as the pharaoh in the afterlife." he didn't seem thrilled about what he just said.
There was a long silence. Everyone seemed to be trying to comprehend what they'd just been told. Yugi watched his sister's clenched knuckles turning white as she tried to think of something. He placed his hand on the puzzle. It seemed colder than usual. Picturing the endless maze-like corridors inside the puzzle made the pit in his stomach grow. There had to be a solution but there didn't seem to be any solution. Darkness seems to close in on his mind reminding him too much of being trapped in the orichalcos
"What if I duel him?".
Yugi blinked realizing the voice had been him. Everyone was staring at him, from his tone or what he said he wasn't sure.
"Sorry?" Ishizu asked.
Yugi cleared his throat. "I'm not an expert on shadow games, but I know from what I've seen. They are able to detach spirits from multiple locations, like minds. If I duel Yami will I be able to detach him from his puzzle and allow him to move on to the afterlife?"
All five Ishtars looked at each other. Ishizu, Kelilia, and Marik excused themselves from the room. Yugi could hear their muffled voices through the door.
"Are you sure about this Yugi." Tea said. "I mean, duel him to banish him. Won't that be too painful for you?"
"More like impossible." Kaiba had been standing silently in the back of the room during all of this. Now his eyes shone with an intensity Yugi had never seen before. "It's clear now that all those victories you've had during the last few years were all cheating."
"What'd you say?" Joey shouted. "Those were all Yugi's victories."
"Were they?" Kaiba snarled. "You've had two minds instead of one, a clear advantage. You're not the real king of games. He clearly has more talent if you needed him in the first place."
"Knock it off Seto." Airi said. "Yami hasn't dueled for Yugi during every duel."
"It doesn't have to be every duel to be cheating," Kaiba said. "Wake up Airi. You think showing me multiple Yugi's wouldn't make his rise to power null and void. Now I don't believe any of the Yugi's I've duel have been the real one."
The words pounded inside Yugi's mind. He could feel Yami in the back of his mind growing angry but he motioned for the spirit not to get involved. Airi looked about ready to speak again but he placed a hand on her shoulder. He stood looking up into Kaiba's menacing gaze.
"What do you propose to do about this, Kaiba?" Yugi forced his voice from shaking.
"If they're to be one last chance to duel this pharaoh, I'm taking it," Kaiba said. "It's the least I deserve after all the fake ones I've been a part of all this time."
Indignant shouts came from the others. Yugi waited for them to die down before he replied. "And what will that prove in the long run? Are you going to tell everyone that I've cheated? They won't believe you and all it will cause is a distraction from future duels."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow, glancing at Airi. "Is this your brother or the pharaoh talking?"
"Yugi."
"It is me, and that's why I have to face the pharaoh on my own. I owe him a chance to go to the afterlife and you deserve to know if I'm good enough duelist to keep my title as king of games."
"And if you lose?" Kaiba said.
Yugi looked Kaiba right in the eye. "Then I'll tell everyone I've been cheating all along."
Nasira gasped.
"No." Tea said.
"Yugi, you crazy pal?" Joey said.
"Airi, talk sense into him," Tristan said.
"Yugi, are you sure?" Airi asked over the mind link.
"Yes."
Airi shook her head. "It's his decision."
Neither Kaiba or Yugi looked away from each other. Finally, Kaiba nodded. "Fair enough, it will be more devastating if you admit it." he glanced at Airi as he said it.
Marik cleared his throat from the doorway. Everyone turned to the three Egyptian standing in the doorway.
"We believe invoking a shadow game with clear directions to detach the spirit of the puzzle will be possible."
"It's settled then," Kaiba said. "We'll see who the real king of games soon."
"How long will it take to get to the Millenium stone?" Tea asked.
"We've been sailing for it since we left the tomb. We should be there by noon tomorrow."
Airi made excuses to stay in her room for the rest of the afternoon. Having died and come back was a draining experience and the exchange in the lounge didn't give her any peace. Seto's allegations had shocked her. Technically, he was right about how Yami had been there at Yugi's side and often taking control during duels for the past few years but there had been a reason for their connection. Explaining that to anyone in the dueling world would be impossible. Then Yugi had to go bet his reputation on this duel tomorrow. Washout was humiliating, but admitting to cheating was worse. She might be able to come back despite the looks and whispers, but cheaters were never free of the stigma.
A realization made her skin crawl. If Yugi lost, not only would he lose everything but Yami would be trapped inside his puzzle forever. With their connection being broken there was no way he'd be able to leave and would be stuck inside that maze forever. Her visits to the puzzle had been unpleasant. She couldn't bear the idea of him being alone again.
She dug her fingers into her arm. Everything rode on this duel. But Yami didn't lose. The only two she could remember was the Duelist Kingdom, where Yugi had intervened, and against the orichalcos when he'd been irrational. Every other time he'd been a calculated unbeatable force. Maybe it was something placed inside him when he was split from the pharaoh or a superhuman level of stubbornness.
A movement from the corner of her eye made Airi turn. Yami's detached form stood in front of the joint wall to Yugi's room.
She rose, stepping forward but stopping before she reached him. It suddenly hit her this was their last night together. She started shaking trying to hold her emotions back. She wasn't going to waste any of this time by their time by crying.
"Need some air?" she inwardly kicked herself.
He shrugged. "Yugi's putting his deck together."
"First pick of the deck. Generous of you."
"They are his cards. It's only polite."
She sat on the bed, motioning to the spot next to her. Both sat in silence.
"How did you bring me back?" Airi asked.
Yami closed his eyes. "It was a guess. Esset put her life force inside the diadem centuries ago in case, I suppose, if the pharaoh died before completing his mission there was a backup. I just hoped it was still there."
She looked at her hands trying to process what he'd just said. "You could have used that life for yourself."
"How? It's a life force. It's not a new body."
"But what if it could?" her voice shook. "You could have a life away from all this. Why did you have to save me?"
"Airi." Yami's voice was firm. "This is just speculation."
"What's wrong with that? What's wrong with wanting things to be different?"
Yami gave her a sharp look. "Could you leave Yugi like that?"
Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened then closed. Turning away she covered her eyes with her hand.
"No." she whispered. "Of course not."
Light through the blinds created longer shadows as the sun descended to the horizon. Already the sky was beginning to shift from blues to lighter colors. Yami suddenly rose, pulling Airi to her feet."
"Yami?"
"I have an idea."
She let him lead her onto the deck. It was deserted as they made their way to the highest part of the ship. On the top deck was also deserted as Yami led her to the railing. The Nile stretched forward mirroring the evening haze. Already pink and orange reached forward blending effortlessly with the blues. It was so close to the sky from the Muto's house back home it was unnerving.
Airi's eyes widened with realization before Yami whispered in her ear. "Sunset frame."
She smiled despite the stinging in her eyes. "You remembered."
His fingers intertwined with hers. They watched as the colors in the sky grew and the sun descended farther behind the distant cliffs. It was a perfect representation of everything they'd gone through. Growing colors of feelings crescendo in a display of vibrant joy before slipping away too quickly.
Airi realized Yami was no longer looking at the sunset. She turned to find his fire-red eyes watching her. His expression was a mix of sad and mesmerized. His hand pushed back a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He leaned in until their faces were inches apart.
"Wait." she gently pulled away, face growing red. "Sorry, but, it's just." she tried to think of a way to voice the awkwardness of this situation. "You, you still look too close to Yugi."
He leaned back, nodding at her statement. After a mood breaker like that she wouldn't blame him to pull away completely pull away, but neither moved.
After a moment he spoke. "Close your eyes."
She frowned. "That's not going to change anything."
"Trust me."
She closed her eyes. It felt silly but she waited for instructions.
"Open them."
She opened them and gasped. Yami's appearance had changed. The familiar spikes of hair were completely black from bangs to tips contrasting his bronze skin perfectly. The school uniform was gone replaced by a black tunic similar to what she'd seen in the shadow game. The difference between the spirit and her brother stood more pronounced in features of the jaw and eyes were quite a shock. She placed her hand on his cheek to reassure herself the figure before she was still a spirit.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Do I pass."
"How?"
"Memories are the only treasure I'm allowed to take to the next life. Memories I've made here, in this time, are my most treasured possessions."
Airi's mouth opened then closed, words failing her. Her hand on his cheek slipped behind his neck. He let her pulled him forward. She leaned up to close the gap between them her lips meeting his.
She closed her eyes and allowed the electricity to spread through her lips and through her body. Unlike any kiss, she'd shared in her life.
Finally, she pulled away, blinking back the tears she didn't realize had fallen. Their foreheads continued to touch as if the idea of breaking apart was unbearable.
"Don't forget about us," she whispered. "About me."
"Never."
"Promise."
He gently pulled away so their eyes met again. The remnants of the sunset reflected in the blood-red irises. She felt the light prickle of his fingers caressing her face as he cupped her face in his hands.
"I swear."
A/N: FINALLY THEY KISS, and now I have to write the final duel. Snap. I will go back and edit the chapters when I finish the DSOD Movie arch of this story so if there is a part that needs more work on let me know.
Thank you for reading. Please review. Thank you for sticking with this story this long.
