Why hello everyone! Well, not much happened yesterday. I mostly worked on my Inuyasha fic some last night and gathered up more ideas on it. Other than that, not much happened since my mate had work till 10, which sucked, lol. She left a while ago for a job interview with a company she got a job offer from before. Hopefully, she'll get it, but if she does, that means I'll be moving… Joy, lol.

Well, I've gotten a good bit written on my Inuyasha fic, but have yet to be inspired to work on the sequel to this story. Heh, I just can't find the inspiration for some reason. I had it this past weekend, but now I've lost it and am back to writing on Inuyasha, lol. At least it's coming along nicely. I've already finished a chapter on it, plus I've outlined some more stuff on it, like who the villains are, and what they are after. Oh yeah, I'm receiving some help from a great author off this site also. Her pen name is Sorry Charlie, and I suggest that if you're an Inuyasha fan or KH's fan, that you read her story Starset. It's a lovely crossover, and I can't get enough it seems. Anyways, I will try and work on the sequel to this story sometime in the near future. It's just the fact I have to get inspired for it, lol.

Last time, Illidan found out Zell had kidnapped Marie, and is now holding her hostage and using her to blackmail Illidan into killing Yami. Shadi is searching for a cure, but is there one? And more importantly, what will become of Marie?

Alright, time for some great review reading time! I know, that made absolutely no sense, lol.

ardee: Thanks. Yeah, I figured that chapter explained stuff, but it had to be said, lol. True, Raijin was a tyrant who ruled with an iron fist. You should read my mate's story, The History of the Millennium Items to find out more on how much of a tyrant he really was. There is a way there through my profile if you're interested. But yes, it's hard to tell who is more despicable, Zell or Raijin. Heh, it's kind of funny, Zell killed Raijin in cold blooded murder, yet says he's helping. Eh, he's not that cool now, lol. Yeah, coming onto Marie while she's unable to fight back is rather evil. Truthfully, when I wrote that part in, it did burn me up as well. I hate people who do stuff like that in real life. It's something I'm just totally appalled to and would demand the death penalty on, lol. Seriously, it's something that goes against everything I stand for. Why I wrote it, well, just to illustrate how bad off Zell really was. The present day struggle will come, but it takes time. Thanks for the review!

x-knight20: Thanks, and yes, she's in trouble once more. Lol, seems like she can't stay out of it.

Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I saw the one you were talking about, but I decided to leave it. Thanks for the review!

pink-kiss-candy: Yeah, a bit scary, lol. LOL! That's good to know Ryon. (/Watches dozens of clay birds land on Ryon's shoulder. Ducks and covers head.\) FIRE IN THE HOLE!

Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks. Heh, yeah, it is a semi confusing chapter, but it explains out everything. Thanks, and it was no problem to post a bonus chapter.

Alright, that's all for the reviews today. I'm glad everyone liked the bonus chapter. Now then, I'm going to give you all a chance to get another one, hehe. That is, if anyone can answer this question.

Where did I get the character Zell from? I'm talking anime, game, etc, etc. Post the answer in your review, and if you're right, I'll post another chapter today! Or tomorrow, lol, if I don't get the answer immediately, hehe. Good luck to you all.

Well, I'm done for today. Enjoy the chapter everyone. Later!

Chapter 41

"Any luck yet?" Illidan asked for the twentieth time in the last two hours. Shadi had been at it nonstop for four hours since Illidan had returned, but with Illidan and Yami asking every few minutes, he never could keep his concentration.

Groaning, Shadi irritably growled out "No, and I won't if you don't stop disturbing me!"

Sighing, Illidan softly said "Sorry."

Walking across the room to where Yami sat, Illidan examined a set of scrolls sitting on the table before him. They looked rather ancient, but seemed inviting to be looked through.

As Illidan reached out to pick one up, Shadi sharply said "Don't touch those."

Looking back at Shadi, Illidan saw he has his back to him still, and had not moved an inch. "How the heck did he know I was looking?"

"AHA!" Shadi yelled, making Illidan and Yami slightly jump.

Both quickly rushed to Shadi's side, with Illidan asking "Did you find it?"

"Yes, I finally did. This poison is known as Serqet's Milk."

Raising an eyebrow, Illidan asked "Could you be a little clearer?"

Sighing at his friend, Shadi replied "In simplest terms, this is a type of scorpion's poison. This specific scorpion died out around fifteen hundred years ago. They're poison was infamous for paralyzing people and making it look like an accident. Actually, a few …"

"This is fascinating and all Shadi, but time is important here! Is there a cure?" Yami asked with some irritation.

Reading further, Shadi finally nodded, saying "Yes, there is. It appears that the cure was made in mass quantities up to a thousand years ago."

"We need to make a vial quick. What do we need?!" Illidan asked quickly.

"It would do us no good." Shadi replied immediately.

Shocked, Yami roughly asked "Why is that!?"

"The cure takes two days to make. There is no way to make the cure in time to save her, and you said she'd die at the end of tomorrow, so it's pointless to make some."

Hearing this, Illidan softly mumbled "No…"

Yami, somewhat distraught at this fell to his knees, muttering "Marie…"

"There is hope though." Shadi said as he turned to the two. A smile had formed on his face, making both Illidan and Yami frown.

"How can you smile at a time like this!? Marie is going to die because I couldn't save her in time!" Illidan screamed.

"Actually, no, she won't." Shadi calmly stated.

Standing up, Yami asked "How?"

Walking over to the near wall, Shadi opened a small chest. After a few minutes of looking, Shadi finally pulled a vial out, saying "Due that we have the cure on stock."

Both Yami and Illidan's eyes lit up, with Illidan asking "Are you serious!?"

Nodding, Shadi showed the vial, saying "Even though the scorpion has been dead for nearly two millennia, and the cure hasn't been needed, the cure has been preserved. It was just in case something like this would happen."

Illidan and Yami both let out a sigh of relief, with Yami asking "We can save her then?"

"Yes, so long as she drinks this before the time is up." Shadi reiterated.

"Good." Illidan said with a happy sigh.

Reaching out, Shadi carefully handed Illidan the vial, saying "Just make sure not to lose or smash this vial. It's the only antidote that is made up as of right now."

Placing it within his cloak, Illidan nodded, saying "Thanks, and I will be careful with it. It holds Marie's life within it."

Turning to Yami, he said "We should leave soon so we can find Set."

"Agreed. Let's go get him and head out."

Running down the hallway away from Shadi, Illidan called out "Thanks Shadi!"

Shadi only stood in the room for a moment, and finally said to himself "No problem. And good luck."

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Nearly eleven hours after leaving the palace, Yami called for the others to stop at a nearby cave. Dismounting, Yami walked into it, with a fuming Illidan following.

"Why are we stopping!?" Illidan demanded.

"We need to rest before the battle Illidan. If we're tired and worn out, it'll do us no good to fight Zell. Plus, we need to come up with a strategy to beat him." Yami explained.

"Marie doesn't have much time left Yami! We need to continue on!" Illidan argued back.

Grunting, Set interjected "Quit acting like a child. We'll save Marie, but we need rest first. I highly doubt even you could win a battle when you're exhausted. Surely the nomads taught you better than that."

"Do not tempt me right now Set." Illidan warned with a growl.

"Silence!" yelled Yami.

The three quieted, with Yami finally saying "We'll rest for two hours. That should give us enough time to recoup for the battle. Also, when we wake up, we'll decide a battle strategy."

"Feh…" Illidan replied as he walked over to a corner of the cave and sank to the ground.

Grunting once more, Set walked over to his own corner and sat down. Sighing, Yami picked a place out and sat down as well.

Yami sat still for a few moments, thinking he'd never fall asleep, but sleep soon fell over him. Set eventually nodded off after ten minutes. Illidan though, sat wide awake.

Sitting in his spot, Illidan's thoughts turned to Marie. "I hope she's alright…"

Sighing, he silently said to himself "I know she'll be fine. I promised to save her, and I will."

Without even realizing it, his eyelids began to droop heavily. Within another few minutes, sleep overcame him.

Illidan awoke soon enough nearly an hour and half later from a nightmare. Visions of his past raced through his mind over the last moments he had been with his father.

Trying to clear his mind, he closed his eyes, only to find the nightmare still there even when he was awake. There he saw his father's broken and bleeding body, burned from the scorching attack by the flaming monster. Squall had soon blasted the monster apart with his own creature, but Illidan had lost all interest in the fight. Just seeing his father like that had shaken him to the core.

Squall had worked with Illidan for years to rid him of these nightmares that filled him with so much pain, and had succeeded, so they thought. The memories were still fresh, but not as painful. Illidan had not had a nightmare about that night for nearly seven, going on eight, years now.

"Why now?" he softly questioned to himself while opening his eyes.

Let out a long exhale, Illidan closed his eyes once again. He saw the nightmare once more, but now things were different. Instead of his fallen father in front of him, there laid Marie, seemingly barely breathing. Looking up, instead of seeing Squall and the others approaching, there was Zell, laughing manically.

"You should have done what I asked Illidan. Now she is dead thanks to you, just like your father!" Zell said as he burst out loud laughing manically.

Illidan's eyes immediately opened wide. He wanted to scream in pain from the nightmare, but didn't dare. Taking deep breaths, he tried hard to reign in his emotions.

"I'll be no good to anyone if I don't get my focus back." he scolded himself.

Finally, after a few minutes, Illidan managed to calm his emotions. Letting out a loud sigh, Illidan leaned back against the wall and waited for the others to awaken.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, both Set and Yami began to stir. Opening his eyes, Illidan saw the pair slowly rise up and stretch back out.

"Are you two rested up enough?" Yami asked with a yawn.

Smirking, Illidan replied "As good as I'll get for now."

"I'll survive." Set remarked.

Both Illidan and Yami lightly chuckled at Set's comment, earning each a glare from Set. Silence soon fell upon the group till Yami finally made a move.

"We need to discuss a strategy." Yami finally announced.

Nodding, Illidan replied "Right. What do you have in mind?"

Thinking for a moment, Yami asked "You know the layout of the cave, so you have an idea where Marie might be, right?"

"Yeah, I have an idea of where Zell is holding her. It's probably in the very back of the cave. There was a chamber in the back that is large enough for at most three people to comfortably sleep. I'd guess Zell has her in there, since she needs to lay still. Plus, it's in the very back, tucked away from the main room of the cave."

Yami began pondering on those words, giving Set a chance to ask "How shall we handle this battle?"

Immediately answering, Yami said "One of us needs to get to Marie, and fast. The time is nearly up, and I imagine that her body is nearly fully paralyzed. She may not be able to handle the stress, so it's imperative that we get to her quickly."

"Agreed. She hopefully is still alright, but the sooner we get to her, the better." Illidan added.

"The question is who goes?" Set asked.

Looking to Illidan, Yami said "Illidan, you know your way around that cave far better than either of us. I think it'd be better if you went to Marie while we fight Zell."

Quickly shaking his head, Illidan replied "No, that's not a good idea! I have no idea how strong Zell is right now, so there is no guarantee that the two of you can hold him that long, let alone survive."

"You give us far little credit Illidan. Together, me and the Pharaoh will be more than enough of a match for Zell." Set boldly stated.

"Set is right Illidan. The two of us working together should be able to take on Zell." Yami affirmed.

"But…" Illidan began.

Interrupting, Set replied "But nothing! Marie needs that cure, and your job is to give it to her immediately. Besides, she is your student and you swore to protect her."

Looking to Yami for help, Illidan saw in his face that he had made up his mind. Sighing, Illidan said in defeat "Very well, I'll take the cure to Marie. You two be careful though. Zell is unstable. I doubt he'll listen to reason, so be on guard."

Both nodded in reply to Illidan, and Yami then said "Let's go save Marie and put an end to this pointless battle with Zell!"

Illidan and Set both replied "Right!" and followed Yami as he led them out of the cave. The three quickly mounted their horses and began riding off in the direction of the cave once more.

Riding along, Illidan silently said "We're coming Marie. Just hang on a little longer."

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Nearly an hour passed as the group finally arrived at the front of the designated cave. The outside of the cave had a few recent tracks going in and out of the cave, confirming that someone was within it.

The three slowly ventured in, each with their guard up. Torches covered the walls of the cave, illuminating it, making it easier to see. Following Illidan, Yami and Set continued to glance around, checking for any signs of Zell.

In the middle of the cave, the three found a large chamber, with Zell standing in the middle of it. He evilly smirked at the sight of the three and began to laugh manically.

"So good of you to come Pharaoh Yami. And I see my faithful servant even brought the High Priest Set along. Very nice work Illidan, my loyal servant." Zell boasted.

"I'm not your servant Zell." Illidan coldly stated. "Where is Marie?"

Chuckling darkly, Zell replied "She's safe. Once I dispose of these two, you shall have the cure."

Nodding to Illidan, Yami said "Go, we'll take care of this."

"Be careful." Illidan warned.

"We will. Now, go!" Yami called out.

Upon those words, Illidan summoned up a burst of his Shadow Powers. Using them on the soles of his feet, he increased his speed to inhuman and ran towards the cavern he figured held Marie.

Seeing this, Zell moved intercept, but Yami and Set were on him before he could attack. Wagging a finger at him, Set arrogantly said "Now, now, your fight is with me and the Pharaoh, not Illidan."

Growling at the pair, Zell backed away. Smirking evilly, Zell calmly stated "Very well, I'll just have to execute the two of you first."

"We'll see about who executes who." Yami stated. "I spared your life once, but I see now it was a mistake. I will not spare it again!"

Laughing evilly, Zell replied "I will avenge Shando's death and finish what I began eight years ago. You will fall on this day Pharaoh, son of Raijin."

"Enough talk!" Set interjected with his Shadow Powers instantly flaring up.

"Don't you shush me boy!" Zell growled out, calling up his own Shadow Powers.

Yami responded with a rise of his own powers and looked over at Set. Nodding at Yami, Set called out "Come forth my Vorse Raider!"

An olive ogre like creature with black and blue leather clothing with a large lance appeared in front of Set. The creature let out a small grunt, seemingly ready for battle.

"Dark Magician Girl, come lend me a hand." Yami called out.

A blonde haired young woman with blue eyes, a revealing blue and pink mage's outfit, and a small golden staff formed in front of Yami.

Chuckling darkly, Zell said "Summoning two mediocre monsters against me is a pure insult. Now the two of you shall experience true fear! I summon you, almighty Five God Dragon!"

The ground instantly began shaking drastically as a large, powerful dragon with five very different heads appeared behind Zell. It had pale yellow skin with some brown spots on it from it's chest down, and it's large wings were the same colors. The heads were each very different. The first on the left was a head made of brown earth like material, with the second seemingly formed form electricity. The middle one had a head of flames, with the one beside it made up of darkness. Finally, the last head was made up of water. Each head roared loudly, making the cave shake greatly, along with the two weaker monsters.

Knowing this creature had great strength, Set looked at Yami, who was somewhat shocked at the strength of the creature as well. "Yami, what now?" he asked, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Gathering his composure, Yami called out "Dark Magician Girl, blast that dragon with Burning Magic Attack!"

Following Yami's lead, Set turned to his monster, saying "Vorse Raider, attack with Axe Slash!"

Both monsters leapt into action with the female mage first firing a sphere of black energy at the dragon. The ogre followed up by throwing his large lance directly at the dragon as well.

"Fools, your creatures stand no chance! Five God Dragon, use your Elemental Burst to show them true power at work!" ordered Zell.

The five heads of the dragon roared loudly as each formed a sphere of energy within their mouths. A sphere of water, darkness, fire, lightning, and earth were each released at the oncoming attacks. The five spheres easily tore threw the attacks and continued on towards the two stunned monsters. The blasts made contact immediately, completely obliterating the two creatures and making both Yami and Set scream out in pain as they each fell to one knee, lightly panting.

Growling in frustration, Set stood, yelling "I'm far from done! Blue-Eyes White Dragons, I summon the three of you!"

Three powerful white metallic dragons with sharp fangs, claws, and strong wings appeared around Set. Each dragon roared loudly, showing they were a power to reckon with.

"Set, you're using up too much energy!" Yami warned.

"Pharaoh, we must put out a true force that can take down Zell, so I suggest we throw what we have at him! No more holding back!" Set argued back.

Chuckling instantly disrupted the two's fight, with Zell saying "It doesn't matter what you try, you cannot escape the fact you're doomed to lose to me!"

Knowing Set was right, Yami called out "Dark Magician, rise up to help defeat this evil!"

A mage in purple robes with a long green scepter made his presence known beside of Yami.

"This should be interesting." Zell said with a smirk.