I was planning on doing Naomi's final arc quite a few chapters ago, but put it a little further into the story. I was tempted to do it during Duelist kingdom, but it flowed better between Death-T and DK. The story took a strange, but fun turn to write. And thank you all for reading, following, and favoriting. I appreciate all of you!
20
"I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens." ― Woody Allen
"A water park?" Naomi asked Jounouchi as they walked around the hobby shop. "What's the catch?"
"Anzu asked Yugi out today, thought you might want to enjoy the park too," Jounouchi grumbled as she picked up a D&D book.
"As friends, right?" She asked, sending him a look.
"I'm not stupid enough to try and steal a taken girl," Jounouchi huffed, before giving her a fond look, "besides, you remind me of my little sister."
"You have a sister?" Naomi asked, and he gave her shoulder a light punch. "Right, it's not that unbelievable…all right I'll go with you."
"Let's get going then," Jounouchi said with a grin.
"I don't have my swimsuit," she informed him and his grin increased when they walked outside.
Naomi sat in the back of the vehicle with an obviously excited Jounouchi. He had somehow talked Fred into the water park plan. The drive was short, and soon they were paying for student tickets. Jounouchi scratched the back of his head as he looked at a map of the park. Naomi was noticing the sea of people, trying to ignore the churning of her stomach. The sea was bringing her discomfort. It grew when it stopped moving and the people turned to face her.
"Hey, they've got a giant slide," Jounouchi stated and the sea disappeared.
"Sounds great," Naomi agreed.
She heard Mana and Mahad speaking in hushed tones as she gathered their cards from her bag after changing into her bathing suit. Jounouchi was waiting by their rented locker and he rubbed the back of his head in thought when she stood next to him. They looked mismatched.
"Man, you don't do anything by halves," Jounouchi said as he motioned towards the men that were eyeing his friend.
"Comes with the job," she shrugged and he noted the scars on her shoulder, "the beams."
Right, he remembered her saying something about metal beams a while back. Jounouchi grasped onto her hand and quickly pulled her behind him to go down the biggest slide. It required two people to go down. He held onto their pool float as they went up the line and he snickered at the idea of knowing that Naomi was going to get drenched.
Naomi spared him a glance as they got ready to go down the slide. He seemed excited, but also nervous. Poor guy. She smiled a little as she waited for them to be pushed into the tunnel before using her magic to speed them up a bit. Jounouchi let out a yell of surprise and she cracked a grin. They hit the water with a bigger splash than the people before them. Naomi didn't mind the chlorinated water soaking her and getting into her eyes.
"No fair," Jounouchi stated as she started laughing.
He turned to look at her and noted how happy she was. She pushed her soaked hair back from her face and he realized that he had never seen her full face before. She looked younger when she smiled, something Yami had noticed before. He helped her to her feet as she continued to chuckle. They went down a few more of the slides before deciding to walk down the carnival game section of the park. He wanted to see if she could win at some of them.
"Why are you here, Jounouchi?!" Anzu's shout of surprise caught both their attention.
"I thought that Naomi could use some time out and away from work," Jounouchi shrugged and Naomi spared him a glance before nodding her confirmation when Anzu looked towards her.
"Oh, Naomi! Jounouchi!" Yugi greeted as he rejoined Anzu.
Yugi glanced between the two of them and felt the Pharaoh lament to himself. He sent feelings of understanding before noticing how Jounouchi and Naomi were looking at the games. It wasn't a date, not really. Besides, Naomi could be feeling the same way because he was out with Anzu. He got a thankful nudge out of the spirit.
"I'm going to kick your ass, Katsuya," Naomi informed Jounouchi as they quietly agreed to a game of strength.
"No magic," Jounouchi quietly stated, and she nodded.
"Those two," Anzu sighed as the two paid for their tries.
"At least Jounouchi and Naomi get along now," Yugi lightly said.
If someone were to figure out when the dynamics between them changed, it would've been when Naomi gamed Inogashira. Their similarities had started to show the longer they were around each other. Naomi, while a very quiet person, had hobbies and likes very similar to Jounouchi's. One trait they seemed to share was their competitiveness.
"How strong are you?" Jounouchi asked while she carried a giant plush blue-eyes under her arm.
"Fairly strong, but I'm not the strongest person I know of," Naomi admitted.
No, that would have to be the other seals. She felt her mood darken at the thought of her comrades. The seal had weakened further and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to finish off the darkness. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help but think it would be a little ironic if it broke on a day where she could finally feel like a kid her age should. She closed her eyes, that was unlikely to happen. She froze when something happened. A burst of energy went through the area.
The seal had broken, and not at the time she'd been expecting either.
"I need to get going, sorry Katsuya," Naomi apologized as she looked at her phone in a ploy to make them think Fred had texted her, "see you guys at school!"
"Hey, I could walk you home!" Jounouchi stated and she gave him a thankful smile before shaking her head.
"Fred's got me, don't worry just have fun with the others," she said, giving a quick wave and hurrying off.
"She seems worried about something," Anzu's words were what hit her when she rounded a corner and used her magic to hurry home.
"I don't think I can take you two with me," Naomi informed her two friends as she appeared in her room, placing the new plush on her bed where Bast had taken residence.
"It would call too much attention to you," Mahad agreed as they went to their portraits instead, "we'll see what we remember when you get back."
"Be careful," Mana warned before giving a smile, "and be kind."
Naomi was confused by that order before nodding with a small smile. The seal of time was still around, but there were no others that she could sense. Even death was finally gone. She looked down at the sword that had gotten her through the last fight she had with the darkness and let out a quiet sigh. She went into her closet and pulled out a pair of spandex shorts. The dress wouldn't make her stand out as much as the rest of her clothes would. Not to mention her skin color.
The rest of the world at that time had color to their skin, shades of olive, tans, browns and blacks. She would be an outsider trying to find someone that didn't belong. For once she cursed the fact that she couldn't tan to save her life, all she did was burn. She pulled on the shorts and fixed her sandals before grasping onto her sword and hurrying out of her room. Fred stood at the bottom of the stairs with a small frown on his face.
"The dice won't help you," he stated giving her a curious look, "it's like you burned out the shadow magic within."
Naomi's mouth opened just the slightest before she nodded her agreement. She pulled said dice from the inner pocket of her dress and handed it back to him. The red light that used to emanate from it was gone. The power inside it was no more.
"You'll have to delve into your despair," Fred quietly informed her and she looked down at her feet, "that form of yours will come into play, will you even be able to control it?"
"Probably not…but it has to be done even if I don't want it to," Naomi stated before looking towards the door, "I wish it had happened after I was done with everything."
"So do all who see such times," Fred quoted and her eyes grew wide in surprise, "fight till you can't fight anymore…I think you've finally learned to not give up."
Naomi smiled a little at that before heading out of the house. She put a hand up as the world around her came to a standstill. There, in the middle of the road, was a man wearing robes and carrying a good staff with an hourglass on it. She looked back towards the house and saw Fred frozen in time. The time seal had gotten stronger.
"It's just you," the man said, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at her with milky eyes, "you who carries the sands of time with them."
"Satoshi…why are you trying to be mysterious?" Naomi asked, a frown appearing on her face.
"You've changed," Satoshi stated as he nodded to himself, "this is good, you might make it out alive."
Naomi looked at him for a few seconds before looking to the side. He didn't see her, he saw the taller teenager she had once been. Naomi had to rethink that when she thought more about his comment of "sands of time". He saw that, not her at all. She was just a conundrum that caused him trouble. She would have to rectify that.
"What are you going to have me do?" Naomi asked and he gave her a tiny smile in response.
"Find him, and take him down for good," Satoshi stated and her eyes widened in slight disbelief, "the darkness cannot rise again, you only sealed him because of the despair you fell into. Channel that despair, and stop him forever."
Naomi went to say something when a tan cloak was wrapped around her and she was pushed back, the hood of the cloak covering her face and hair. She covered her eyes as bright light surrounded her. Of course, Satoshi made the move to get her going.
"Once you are done, I will bring you back," Satoshi's voice followed down the bright light she was in, "don't dally too much."
Dally? Who the hell said Dally these days? Naomi let that train of thought die as she hit the surface of water and panicked for a few seconds. She swiftly returned to the surface and pushed her soaked hair back from her face. The hood followed her movements and she watched as a reed fell from the heavy material. She swam to the bank and slowly stood up. It felt like she was being pulled down from all the material around her. She sighed and moved the hood back to cover her features. She was going to draw enough attention to herself just with what she was wearing.
"Where would he be hiding…" she muttered to herself, pausing when she realized why she was doing so.
She had gotten used to talking to others, gotten used to bouncing ideas off one another. She shook her head in thought and began to walk around the area. It was aimless travel, only done because she couldn't figure out where her foe was. She winced as hot sand entered her sandals, but continued to trudge through the desert. The sun overhead had dried her clothing, and she let out a quiet yawn. She should've slept a bit more before hanging out with Jounouchi for the day. She could've spent more time with Mana and their teacher. Hell, she should've played some Mario with Fred. She stopped walking for a few minutes as she looked around. Naomi was starting to slip back into horrible thought patterns. She glanced at the Nile and wondered just how far away Satoshi had dumped her from the nearest city.
The water reflecting the sunlight caused her to gaze at the water. Naomi shook her head before hurrying alongside the bank. Mia was going to be happy, her legs were going to look wonderful in the next pair of heels she would have to wear. Her feet would have quite a few blisters on them. She sighed, she didn't want to think about work while walking in the past.
Minutes ticked by and hours passed as she walked alongside the Nile. Sweat had begun to roll down her face as she walked in the heat. Naomi took a deep breath and looked for a place to stop for the night. She knew better than to travel in the dark. She found refuge under a date palm and pulled the hood down to run her hands through her hair.
"This will be quick," Naomi wryly stated to herself before sighing and looking up at the night sky.
The sight before her was amazing. The stars were all displayed and she could see constellations she hadn't in a long time. Not since her one time being reborn in the United Kingdom back when Boudicca was around. It had been too long. She heard something shifting in the sands and readied her sword. Whoever, or whatever, it was, was going to be in for a surprise. She waited for the sound to get closer before she swung out and found the tip of her sword at the neck of a familiar face.
Atem stood there with his eyes narrowed, and a hand raised. Naomi quickly lowered her sword and sheathed it. An apologetic look on her face. Still, what was he doing out in the middle of nowhere? She rubbed the tips of her fingers together and slowly drew something on her wrist, a translation spell that Mahad had taught her in case she didn't learn ancient Egyptian fast enough.
"Sorry about that," she softly apologized, slowly sitting back down, "I startle easy."
"Perhaps I should be thankful that you have some restraint," he dryly stated, seemingly accepting her apology, "why are you here?"
"Hm?" She asked, confused.
She tilted her head to accentuated that confusion and Atem gave her a serious stare. Naomi had to remind herself that this wasn't the Atem she knew, at least not yet. Yami seemed to like her more innocent moments. The version before her was too serious. His memories fully intact. He wanted answers, and she didn't want to know what he would do to get them.
"I'm looking for someone," she admitted watching as he crouched nearby, close enough to quietly talk but out of her reach, "and you? I haven't found a single city on my travels."
"I was hunting," he answered and he saw her blink in surprise before nodding a little.
She turned her attention towards the Nile and watched as the stars reflected on its surface. Naomi found it absolutely beautiful. She would have to ask Fred to find a planetarium. Yugi would love to see such a sight. Maybe she could jog Yami's memories by doing so. That was wishful thinking.
"This person, what do they look like?" Atem's question caused her to look his way.
"I don't know, he likes to change his face," it was difficult to lie to him, "it won't be the first time."
Naomi gathered it had to be his presence that made it nearly impossible to lie to him. That or the fondness she felt for him in the future. It had to be one of those two, she just wasn't sure which one. He closed his eyes at her words and she suddenly felt nervous. Why? Why did she feel nervous out of nowhere? It was like she was flustered.
"You traveled all this way for one person," he commented and she nodded.
"It's my duty," she stated, not shying away from the truth of those words.
Atem knew a thing or two about duty. His own roles within society drilled into his head since birth. Here he was, going against protocol by talking to a foreigner. One that wasn't of the same social standing. He watched as she gazed at the Nile's surface, watching the water flow. He closed his eyes again and made a sound that got her attention.
"Head west, you'll end up in the city," he instructed and the wide-eyed look he got made him inwardly chuckle.
"Thank you," she thanked, glad she would have a starting point.
It wouldn't be like the time she first entered Tokyo and had to try and find him to seal him for the first time. Or the times he showed up in different cities. It was odd, and worried her. Every time they crossed paths…she died. She couldn't help but hope, pray really, that she wouldn't die. She promised Mana she'd win and come back. She had people waiting for her before as well.
"I must return to my party," Atem informed her and she dipped her head in farewell.
"Have a nice night," she said, returning her gaze towards the stars.
Atem found the outsider strange, but also liked the fact that she was genuine about her wishes. He returned to his party with his waterskin over his shoulder. A few of the priests that protected him gave him curious glances, but said nothing. They were used to him taking extra time to himself. It was when he vanished for longer periods of time that they would panic. He was thoughtfully staring into the fire they had lit, his narrowed eyes had them minding their own business.
Naomi closed her eyes for a few seconds and enjoyed the slight breeze that went through the area. The smell coming from the Nile was enjoyable. She was distracting herself from her task at hand. She would rather be with her friends than dealing with the man that had killed her so many times. Images of them came to her mind and she ran a hand through her hair. She needed to get going, damn the caution while traveling at night. She could keep herself safe.
Traveling at night was more enjoyable than during the day. The sun wasn't bearing down on her, and the sand was warm, but not burning like it had been. It also helped that she knew he would be more powerful at night, therefore easier to sense. She would have to hide her presence so he wouldn't come after her. She wanted a fighting chance. She looked up when she started to grow closer to the city that Atem pointed her towards. The night sky was still as beautiful, but there was some light pollution from all the torches. She drew her hood up and entered the city, pulling her magic to her the best she could and hiding herself from everyone around her.
"Where is he…" she muttered as she kept her senses up.
There was a small trail, but not one that she would've noticed if she hadn't been looking. She reached forward and gently prodded the trail, her magic leaking into it and lighting it up for her eyes alone. It was a tracking spell that Mana had taught her when Mahad had taken a day of rest. She slowly followed the trail, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She would be prepared for any attack sent her way. Save for any dirty tricks that she knew he would try. Naomi brought her free hand up and blocked a shadow that was coming her way. It wrapped around her wrist and she clenched her jaw as she was thrown to the ground and slid across the dirt path.
"So, they sent just one person this time," the familiar voice drawled and her eyes narrowed in thought, "I guess you'll have to try again, huh?"
Naomi wondered what he meant by that when her word went completely black and she was floating in it. It was so cold, yet peaceful. He…He killed her? He didn't even let her attack him! That bastard! Naomi would huff out a sigh, but she knew she couldn't. She looked around the icy darkness and noted something different. Small particles of sand began to appear, floating upwards instead of down. Naomi reached out with a pale hand and touched one of the particles. She was forced to watch one of her previous lives and her mouth opened in surprise. She wasn't floating anymore, instead watching as she talked with someone about their feelings for a girl. She had always supported those she called friends and tried to give them the best advice she could. Her hand fell to her side and she gave a sad sigh.
"I wondered when we'd meet again," a voice stated and she turned to see a dark haired man standing far away.
"It's been a while," she agreed, holding her hand up again and shaking the man's hand, "I guess it's finally over?"
"You greet me like an old friend," the man chuckled before shaking his head, "no, it's not over for you, you've been vouched for, for quite a long time."
"By who?" She asked, frowning in thought.
"You know her quite well," he stated, holding a hand up and motioning towards a very familiar figure.
Naomi's eyes widened and she took off. Arms wrapped around her as she let out a loud cry. The man blinked in surprise, no one had heard her cry like that. Like a lost child that had finally been found. She was talking in Korean, blubbering really. He couldn't figure out what she was saying. The woman did, and gave a soft laugh holding Naomi closer.
"Umma," Naomi stated, her voice nasally as she stood back and wiped at her tears, "I'm sorry that I said I hated you."
"It's all right," her mother said, gently rubbing circles on her daughter's back, "I think you've more than apologized for it…I was never angry at you, never at you."
"Why do you want me to go back?" Naomi asked, holding onto her mother's hand.
"For one this," Umma stated, waving her hand and showing a scene of the city that Naomi had entered, "that man took control of that form of yours and is using it to destroy the city, and another is that you're happy. You have friends, you've fallen in love with someone and I want to see you happy."
Naomi watched as her hulking witch form destroyed a building while letting out a cry that made shivers go down her spine. Becoming a witch was painful, more than anyone knew. The soul being twisted and shaped into a new form was traumatic, she could feel her bones shifting and the pain echoing through her soul. She gave a physical shiver and Umma looked towards her. She grabbed onto her daughter's wrist and she looked towards her.
"You will win," Umma said as she closed her silver eyes, something that Naomi had never noticed about her mother, "but to do so you will have to confront yourself…can you do this?"
"I think so…but will I no longer remember you?" Naomi asked, wanting to be selfish and remember her mother.
"Oh, my baby," Umma softly said gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "it's the true nature of rebirthing. Just remember that you will always be my daughter even if you don't remember me. I am so proud of you for holding out for so long…and I'm pissed at the god for what he did, but also thankful."
"Thankful?" Naomi questioned, confused as to why.
"It allowed you to grow," Umma answered, pointing at the scars on her soul, "did you never notice the strange things that happened around you? I'm a light mage and you awoke to those abilities when you…died. Him interfering and you agreeing to the terms is what allowed you to grow as a mage, and a person."
"So…I was always supposed to be like this?" Naomi asked, looking at the scars on her soul, the open wounds where light was flowing from it.
"Yes, though I think you've grown past simple mage at this point," Umma dryly said before shaking her head, "my time is up…go and do what you have to and promise me that you'll be happy in your life, and have the family you want."
"I promise!" Naomi agreed.
She started to tear up as her mother vanished with a small smile. She turned towards the man and knew who it was. The seal of death had taken over as death itself. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before standing up straight and nodding at him. She needed to move forward if she were to beat the darkness.
"Then hold onto that confidence, you're going to go through it," he warned her, pushing a hand through her chest, "let's see how much you can grow and heal during this."
Naomi blanched for a few seconds before she was sitting by her body. She let out a sound of surprise as she took a look at how she used to look. Her dark hair was cropped short and barely touched her chin, the tattoo on her arm bloodied to the point where she couldn't tell what it once was. A child was crying nearby and she turned to see it. It was a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She was holding onto her arm as people swarmed them. Her Umma moved forward and gently led the girl away and towards her mother, her eyes glassy with tears. Naomi wanted to reach for her mother and comfort her, but knew she couldn't. She needed to come to terms with her deaths, and move forward from them. She looked at the wounds in her stomach and knew that it was going to take a while. Still, it had to be done.
"It was worth it…to save that girl…" Naomi admitted out loud, "I hope that she's doing well…but I need to focus on my future not my pasts."
She stood up from the ground and looked around. There had to be a way to keep going. She needed to make it back to the present so she could take care of the man so no one would get hurt. She saw a doorway and moved through it, not even looking back. She paused as she entered into a new scene. What did she just come from? She shook her head, right moving on through her lives was going to erase them from her current mind. And just leave Naomi, one with experience and power. She didn't doubt it was going to confuse her friends, but admitting to moving on was going to confuse them. As long as she ended up happy, she was okay with the loss of knowing who she used to be. She looked at her beheaded body and swallowed thickly. It was going to take a lot more courage than she originally thought to move forward. She leveled herself a glance and saw the moment where her hair was growing lighter. It looked like a dark blue. It made sense that she would end up with the pale blue she had now. She shook her head once more and moved from her spot.
It felt like hours had passed as she faced her past and moved past it. Her mind felt lighter than it had in so many years. Her body felt it as well, several of the wounds on her soul were gone, and only scars remained. She walked through the last door to her current self. Her body had been on the ground before the man she was chasing down waved his hand and forcibly shifted it. The hulking form that was currently destroying the ancient city swiped at a guard that tried to stop her. She was doing such damage, and it had to stop. She looked to the side when Death came to stand by her again.
"Peaceful isn't it?" He asked and she nodded. "You are aware of what you are, but you no longer have the memories…it'll be incredibly quiet upstairs for a while."
"It's nice…but now I can hear them," Naomi admitted, "the portrait with my friends in my soul room, I suppose that's changed as well now."
"It's cleaner inside, but you'll have to see it for yourself," he shrugged, "now, will you finally end this?"
"I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't see how he can be sealed," Naomi admitted, the facing of her past selves showing her true nature to everyone, not just her friends and family, "this is a sealing sword, it won't allow me to take care of him."
"Then leave it here and find a weapon you truly like," he offered, "now, go forward and fulfill your destiny."
Naomi gave a nod and he noted something that her friends would. Those violet eyes were now lilac colored. The healing of her soul made her light magic stay inside of her, no longer leaking out. He smiled at the sight as she vanished from where she stood with a confident look on her face. It was no longer a false confidence that she put on so people didn't notice that she wasn't confident at all. He turned his attention towards ancient Egypt where the prince and two magicians were trying to stop Naomi's witch form. It was going to be interesting.
Naomi opened her eyes to see sand floating around her. She looked down and saw that her dress had changed to her usual clothes. The colors were lighter than she was used to. She liked them, even with the purple ribbon tied around her neck. She stepped forward, the black oxfords shining even with the lack of a light source. Naomi looked up, noting that she was the light source, and narrowed her eyes. There, in the far distance was an end to the darkness engulfing her. The man was going to be in for a surprise when she popped back up, back to how she should've been. How she always should've been. She ran her hand through her pale hair and readied herself to fight. She would have to crawl her way out of the darkness, but she could do it! She wanted to protect those she loved and cared about. She turned to her right when something entered her peripheral. A scapegoat was floating there, in fact several of them were.
"Are you my familiars?" Naomi softly asked and they let out a chorus of confirmation. "Then…can you go and protect them? I know you can multiply by being destroyed…I'll try to make it quick so you aren't in constant pain."
Atem brought an arm up and dodged an attack sent his way by the monster. Where the hell did this come from? A small creature floated before him and his eyes widened. It was a tiny goat that was the color of a date, it let out a bleat of greeting and took a hit from the monster. His mouth opened in horror before he became confused when the small goat multiplied. One was the date colored one, and the other reminded him of a lily.
"These are familiars," Mahad said, and he turned towards his closest friend to see him studying the small purple goat that had taken a hit for him.
"They're adorable!" Mana exclaimed, holding onto a bright pink one as an orange one guarded her. "Master, are they not Ka?"
"No, they hold too much of a form compared to a ka," Mahad answered before looking towards the monster.
"I wonder where it came from," Mana thoughtfully said as more of the goats appeared to protect people.
"According to a guard he was sent to stop a fight between a girl and a man," Mahar relayed, "he says that she turned into that thing when the man killed her."
Atem froze and studied the monster a bit more. It couldn't be the strange outsider he had met not even a fortnight ago. They all let out surprised sounds as a hand appeared from the top of the monster, the bloody fingers spoke of a struggle. A man appeared from the area the monster had been in, landing on his feet with trouble. He glared at the monster in thought as one of the goats flew into his stomach.
"There's no way in hell she survived any of that," he snapped at the small goat that bleated angrily at him, "you're a left over from her magic."
A second goat slammed into him and Mana covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh at how harried he looked. Mahad shot her a look and she quickly stood up straight. Her master sensed something about the man that put him on alert. She looked at him and finally felt it. It felt as though he had been swathed in the darkness. It seeped from his person like a poison, it coated everything he touched. He straightened the strange clothes he was wearing and stabbed a hand through one of the goats, making it fly away as it multiplied. He let out a curse in a strange language they didn't recognize before he turned towards them. His black eyes narrowed at them. She felt a shiver go down her spine and almost took a step back, she stopped herself when Mahad stepped forward. He would protect their prince. The man was also eying them as though he wanted something.
"Well, you can try and stop me, but it won't work," the man informed them, switching back to the language they knew.
Naomi broke free from the monster, her hand reaching into the sky as she tried to crawl the rest of the way out. She could do it, her friends were waiting for her. She could almost see the part of the smiley face that had been on the back of her hand for weeks after Death-T. She refused to let them down. Her other hand joined and she used the top of her witch form to pull herself out of it. She closed her eyes as the sunlight made them burn for a few seconds. She got used to the light and looked around in thought. Where was he? She slammed a hand down on the witch form and it let out a cry of pain.
"It's time to stop causing such destruction," she told it, watching as it stopped attacking, "we need to move on…it's been long enough, yeah?"
Her witch form trembled for a few seconds before it started to dissolve into sand. Her powers had something to do with sand, and she gathered Fred knew why but was keeping quiet about it. Well, she'd eventually learn about it. She smiled a little, glad for things to have changed for her. She stood up on the top of her witch form as it dissolved completely, she brought a hand out and reached into the sand particles to pull out the weapon she'd rather use than the one she was forced to. A bow came out of the sand and she gave it a warm smile, her time in the archery club had been the best she could remember. Well, best before she became friends with the others.
Naomi didn't have any arrows, but that didn't matter. The little consciousness her witch form had, made sure to place her on the top of a building. She tied her hair back as she gave a sad smile towards the falling sand. It was time to move on. She turned towards the source of the darkness she was sensing and drew the bow string back with a familiar ease. She could feel her magic focusing and she aimed for that darkness. She let it build up for a few seconds before releasing it, a bright light coming from the bow as it raced through the air.
The man felt the light coming his way and quickly vanished before re-appearing nearby to look towards the source. Atem glanced at it and saw the pale hair of the girl he had talked to. She was holding a much different weapon than before. She drew the string back again as the goats surrounded the man. He looked around in surprise for a few seconds before scoffing. As though he didn't see the threat being sent his way.
"You think you can actually win?" He asked and Naomi didn't let him goad her, she simply released her next attack.
He moved to the side and the light clipped his shoulder and he narrowed his eyes as it slowly ate into the darkness he controlled. There was no way that she held that kind of power, she'd never been able to do any damage to him before. She had to focus on sealing him, never taking the initiative and attacking him. Naomi looked down as she took his distracted state to move closer. One of the scapegoats came by and held onto the back of her suit jacket as she jumped down, landing on her feet. She could tell that her silence was bothering the man, and it worked for her. It would make him sloppy.
"Why won't you say anything?" He snapped at her.
"Would that mean anything to you, Umbra?" Naomi asked and he flinched at the use of his name. "It wouldn't so why should I?"
He was looking at her in disbelief and she met his gaze with a calmness he'd only seen from one person before. The previous seal of life, the one before her. She brought the bow string back again and he knew she was incredibly serious. The sting of the attack she hit him with was still strong. He gritted his teeth in anger. How dare she survive and come back stronger than before!
"You should be dead," he hissed and she tilted her head to the side, not letting her gathering magic stop from growing in power.
"Should be and are, are completely different things," she commented, and she heard a soft sound of amusement.
She didn't want to look away from Umbra, not trusting him to fight fair. The scapegoats around him bleated their displeasure at him and she gave them fond looks. The familiars would always be summonable for her, if she needed the help she could call on them. She felt the magic growing in her attack and watched as Umbra faltered. He wasn't used to people standing up to him. He wasn't used to them attacking. His eyes grew wide and he let out a burst of shadows. She didn't stop her attack even as those shadows engulfed everything. She heard the sounds of Mana and Mahad trying to protect themselves from the shadows.
"It's over…" Naomi informed Umbra.
She released the large amount of magic that she had focused and it shot forward, and hit the mark. Umbra's eyes widened in horror as it took shape. The large mouth of a dragon came down on him and his darkness was dissolved as one of the seals finally defeated him. He let out a scoff of disbelief before he fell to his knees as the light attacked him. It was over for him. Strange, he was filled with a sense of peace and acceptance. He felt as though he could finally rest.
"Master!" Mana called as she checked on her teacher, noting the sweat going down his face.
"That was…" Mahad trailed off as he looked at the teenager that was putting the bow over her shoulder as the man she called 'Umbra' slowly dissolved into sand.
"Light magic," Atem finished for him and Mahad nodded.
"Sorry about the city, give me a couple of seconds and I'll set it right," the girl informed them, and Atem realized that he never got her name.
"I will hold you to that," Atem informed her and he watched as her eyes crinkled as she gave a chuckle, she was different from the night before but he didn't mind it.
Naomi didn't mind the prince following her as she moved some debris to the side. She had a spell that was taught to her so she could fix large scale damages. She couldn't help the people she hurt, but she could fix the city. Atem watched as she used the bow to scratch symbols into the dirt, he was fascinated by what magic she was going to pull. She brought a hand to her mouth in thought and scratched another symbol into the ground before nodding to herself with a tiny smile. A single word came to his mind.
"Cute."
She looked at him in surprise, her cheeks turning a bright pink. He had one hell of a poker face if Naomi were to be honest. She couldn't even tell if he was embarrassed or not. This was the moment that she had been told about, the one where she appeared and her friends didn't remember. Well, she was going to get a talking to by Mana when she got back. She pushed those thoughts to the side as one of the scapegoats came to sit on her shoulder and watch as she readied herself to perform time magic. She wasn't the best at it, and she knew very little but what she did know was useful.
Naomi wasn't surprised when Atem came to study what she was doing when she pushed her magic into the symbols on the ground, pulling them up into the air so she could place them over the ruins of the city. She twisted her hand to the side and time began to rewrite itself. It required more concentration than she thought. The debris started to float back and reform the buildings that had once been standing. She stopped the spell once everything looked as it should.
"I can't help the people, I don't know enough about healing to do so…but the city being put back together I can do," she admitted as she looked at the reformed buildings.
People came out from behind the buildings to look at everything being back to normal for them. She was a little relieved when several scapegoats followed suit. She brought a hand up for the one on her shoulder and gently ran a hand through its fleece. So, it was based on an angora goat. How sweet.
"What are they?" Atem asked and she tilted her head to the side as one of the goats decided to bump into her head.
"Familiars, but they're known as scapegoats by others," Naomi answered, another one coming up from inside her white blazer, "they multiply when destroyed so I tried to get them deployed as fast as I could to make sure injuries were kept to a minimum."
"That monster was you?" He asked and she rubbed the back of her head in thought.
"It's a witch's true form…the true form of a soul that's been sent into deep despair," she truthfully answered, "how he was able to get me to shift into that form, I don't even know…but it was me, if only technically."
"You have no control over it?" His disbelief was strong and she turned sheepish.
"I do…not when it's a forced transformation," she stated.
"Thank you," Atem stated, wanting to move past that, "for staying and fixing it."
"It was the right thing to do."
He glanced at her again and noted the way that she shone. More than before. The violet eyes he had known had lightened, and she seemed calmer than before. The clothes were interesting as well, just like Umbra's had been. The only dark spots on her were the pants and shoes. She blinked and he felt her gently prod at his arm.
"I may not know how to heal magically, but I can still wrap a cut," she stated, and he reluctantly held it out.
He couldn't figure out why he trusted her. There was something about her that should worry him, but she counteracted it by telling him the truth when he asked a question. She cleaned the cut on his arm before wrapping it in a soft cloth. She didn't have anything to keep it closed so she used the purple ribbon around her neck to keep it from coming unwrapped. He studied the wrapping when she released him with a small smile. A new form appeared and she let out a soft sigh.
"It's time for you to go back," Satoshi said as he looked at the light mage, noting the healed wounds in her soul and the bright light that came from her.
"Right," Naomi agreed and Atem stopped her from leaving by holding up a hand.
He pressed something into her hands and looked to the side. She got his meaning behind the lack of words and her smile turned shy before she slowly joined the seal of time. The gold choker in her hands a thanks for staying behind and fixing what she could. She closed her eyes as a hand landed on her shoulder and opened them when it left. She was back on her street and time was moving again. She looked down at the choker and chuckled a little. She would have to start wearing it, acknowledging his thanks. She doubted it would kickstart his memory, but it warmed her heart that she had something from him. She spun on her heel and calmly walked into the house. She was engulfed in a house, her confused look pulling a laugh from the hugger.
"You won," Fred stated, stepping back, "get some rest you've more than deserved it."
"I moved on," Naomi informed him without prompting, "I don't want to remember those lives, so please honor my request."
"Of course," Fred agreed, nodding, "be yourself, and I would talk to your teacher and friend, I think they're panicking."
Naomi nodded and hurried up the stairs to see Mahad and Mana rapidly talking. The second her door opened the second they relaxed. Mana let out a sound of relief before sending her friend a small glare. Mahad simply shook his head before giving his student a smile. He was just glad she survived.
"We remember," Mana stated, "do you know how scary that form is?"
"I'm sorry," Naomi apologized and Mana paused.
"You moved on," Mahad noted and she nodded her confirmation, "good, you will be able to use more magic with your soul intact."
"I don't seem to get tired anymore," Naomi stated, slowly sitting down at her desk and placing the choker on the desk.
"That's what he was missing," Mana said, "we didn't remember what had happened because of the time spell you used, he was right next to you, so he was spared the loss of memories."
"He had a touch of your magic with him at all times," Mahad added, "that ribbon you left behind."
"He healed then, I'm glad," Naomi said, a smile on her face before her eyes grew heavy.
"Sleep, you won a hard battle and moved through a difficult task," Mahad stated, "spend some time with your friends in the following days, you'll feel even better."
Naomi gave him a nod before wishing them both a good night and simply crashing onto her bed. Mana gave a soft giggle at the sight and used her magic the best she could to pull a blanket over her. Her friend had done a good job, and she couldn't be prouder of her for staying behind and helping the city. Mahad turned the lights off. His student was going to need that rest.
