The Magicians' Realm Chapter 127: The Last Halloween, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Chapter 127, everybody! Chunks of this one were written way in advance—I knew where I wanted to go, it was just all that middle part that was causing some problems. Now that we're here...it did require a bit of rewriting and some bits ended up being dummied out: the mention of trying to access spellbooks was also meant to refer to a side plot where the brothers try Hallowed Fields, but when I ended up cutting it out to try and place it elsewhere it just...worked better without it.

As for the bit with Greg and Sumbinix...first half was written out ahead, second half wasn't, and my goodness if this isn't how politics goes. Also understand that I really would have rather this been in October but too many things conspired against me. :\

References:

Pirates of the Caribbean 2003 disney ("I'm curious")

"Greatest Show Unearthed" ©Creature Feature

Original characters, + setting © Kineil D. Wicks (myself, not the girl in the story)

Yami woke Halloween morning with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He felt like he had swallowed a huge ball of lead.

Yuki woke an hour later to see him staring out the window.

"Maybe nothing will happen," Yuki said. "Maybe they'll keep their promise."

"Would you, in their position?" Yami asked.

Yuki was quiet at that, Yami debating their options—attempting a sealing might work, but that level of magic was securely locked behind Administrator doors, and he already knew the issue with accessing any spellbooks anymore. Besides, it was called Sheut's Machina for a reason—no manner of magic could actually stop the Dimensional Tower once it was set in motion.

"Maybe…maybe we could warn everybody," Yuki said. "Like—we don't have to say it's Skellington, just—like a premonition or something—"

"Premonitions are usually dismissed."

"Well we have to do something!" Yami turned to watch his usually unflappable little brother stomping around. "We can't just leave everybody in danger like this! Even if those guys don't do anything bad—the Administrators would start a fight when they see the dead denizens."

This was unfortunately an accurate assessment—coming face-to-face with your old ghosts like that…well you didn't get in the dead denizens' position and have nice things to say about the Administration.

Grit his teeth, clench his fists—head for the door.

"Where are you going?" Yuki asked.

"I'm going to find Dad and tell him," Yami said. "We've exhausted everything else we can think of—maybe we'll be lucky and he'll take this seriously instead of thinking we're doing some prank."

"Oh," Yuki noised. "Maybe we get dressed first, he's probably already at work."

Oh good grief he didn't have time for this—quick hand motion, clothes poofed onto them with their jammies neatly folded on their beds—summoned the Millennium Puzzle to his hand, was out the door and looping it around his neck before Yuki could react.

"Cool," he heard him mutter—sure, right, pretty sure his magic didn't get a boost from a certain someone.

Now it was just a matter of stopping that certain someone.

*\*/*

She wasn't going to make it—that was the long and the short of it.

Scumbers was tied up and staked out, much to his horror, and the only reason he wasn't being untied was the simple statement that he was bait for Skellington. Considering what the counterstrike against the Administrators' forces was looking like, they were more than happy to give up the one man.

Thomas, meanwhile, returned to the hospital, inquired as to Teana's status, found an empty office and sat and wrote a letter. Debated about what to say, finally decided to go with the straightforward information. Detail could come later.

That done, Thomas sought out an owl to give the letter to.

"I need you to deliver this to Skellington," Thomas said, holding the letter out to a barn owl—which gave him such a disdainful look Thomas was surprised he didn't combust.

"And why should I help you?" the owl asked.

"Because time is of the essence, and this is something Skellington is going to want to know," Thomas said. "It's Teana. She's dying."

That—made the owl freeze.

Thomas held the letter out again. "Take this to him," he ordered.

The owl did so.

He watched it go, reflecting on the information, on how this was going to go. The letter really only had the pertinent information: who Scumbers was, why he was tied up, and the hospital she was at. And at the end, one order.

When you're done with him, come see me.

*/*\*

Last-minute Halloween preparations were in full swing, and Greg felt like he had a ball of lead in his stomach.

It was everything, to be honest—from Yami getting passed over for a promotion to the reduced celebrations to those folders to this—he hadn't heard from Hotch yet, but he knew from his own cursory scans of that folder that it would be something that painted the Administration in a horrible light.

And then there were these bundles in the bonfires.

"What are these bundles?" he asked, pointing at wrapped bales of…something.

"They're for the bonfire," Sumbinix said calmly, giving him a look normally reserved for teachers talking to idiot children. "So it catches better."

Greg reached over to unwrap one.

"Mr. Montgau," Sumbinix said. "May I see you for a moment?"

Greg gritted his teeth, but crossed over. As Sumbinix turned to walk, Greg waved at Ravel and pointed at the bundles. Ravel nodded.

"What did you want?" Greg asked Sumbinix, falling into step next to him. "Keep in mind, today's a busy day for me."

Granted, he was busy trying to get to the bottom of whatever the Administrators were planning, but Sumbinix didn't need to know that. But those bundles told Greg that there was something that the Administrators wanted hidden.

"I just wanted to wax sentimental," Sumbinix told him. "Did you know that it was on this very day that the criminal Skellington was burned at the stake? I dare say, that was your grandfather's finest hour."

Greg knew this. And he dared to say that his grandfather had finer hours than that. "There's a point here, I hope."

Sumbinix narrowed his eyes at him. "No point—I just thought it prudent to point out how appropriate the day was for the event."

"You're not trying to threaten me, are you?"

"Since when did you suddenly get so antagonistic?"

"Greg!" Ravel called.

They turned to see Ravel next to a ripped-open bundle.

He was holding up a book.

Greg turned to Dr. Sumbinix.

"Since when is it appropriate to burn books?" Greg returned.

Dr. Sumbinix looked like he was about to blow a gasket.

Greg ignored him and turned to the workers. "Take these bundles and put them in the Delvaire Public Library," he commanded, working a counter-spell with his left hand, in case Dr. Sumbinix tried to silence him. "If I find one book in that burn pile, it'll be your fat in the fire."

The workers scrambled quickly, Ravel supervising.

Greg turned to Sumbinix, who had turned an interesting shade of purple.

"You've overstepped your position," Sumbinix growled.

"Something just occurred to me," Greg said. "You were Head Administrator back when Skellington was Head Mage as well—did he overstep his position too?"

"That is none of your concern!"

"I'll take that as a yes," Greg said, walking away. "I'd like all the files on Skellington and his cohorts on my desk by the end of the day," he added, turning his head slightly. "I get the feeling there's a cold case there that needs addressing."

"Like that missing one on Gardenier?" Sumbinix spat. "You and Carter are playing a dangerous game, digging up those old bones."

"Oh?" Greg asked, rounding back to him. "Enlighten me. After all, last I checked every last one of you were there back when it happened."

"Should I start with her dying on your grandfather's watch—"

"And last I checked you made him Head Mage," Greg said flatly. "So obviously you didn't have a problem with it then."

Sumbinix balked—Greg took the opportunity to get nose-to-nose to him.

"If there's nothing untoward, then you have nothing to worry about, do you," he said evenly. "But the way you're acting, I'd say there is. So tell me, right now, man to man: what old bones are in your closet?"

Dead silence around them—Ravel was frozen not too far from them, as was anyone within earshot, prepping a counter-spell in his left hand—for Greg or Sumbinix, he wasn't sure.

Sumbinix finally broke the standoff.

"I hope you enjoy this Halloween," he told Greg. "Because it's your last as Head Mage."

"That's not the heartbreaking news you think it is," Greg said, watching as Sumbinix stalked off—liar. Him without this job, this title—that was his family without the status they had enjoyed, the security, the stability…Jenna and her father could handle it, they knew that lifestyle before. The boys….

After this Yami would never be Head Mage, and he was pretty sure that news would crush him.

"So," Ravel said finally, sidling up to him and keeping an eye on Sumbinix talking with the other Administrators—Carter was pointedly absent. "That was brassy."

"My last act as Head Mage is to order the cold cases open," Greg told him—if it had to go down this way, then it was going down on his terms. "And the Administrators investigated. I don't care if you have to involve the Civil Branch to do it, just make sure it gets done."

"And end up next on the chopping block?" Ravel asked him, tone serious.

"Ask yourself which option has you sleeping at night."

"Ask me which one ends with me in a pine box."

Hard exhale, trying to parse through that simmering fury, the injustice of this system the Administrators had rigged up pointedly obvious—there was no fighting them. Short of some miracle, they were going to continue on as they had been, consolidating power for themselves and hang everyone else.

Ravel was watching him with concern now. "What are you going to do?"

Good question. "See this last Halloween out," he said. "Then talk to my family. We have some serious decisions to make. Maybe travel." Nod at him, walk away to try to compose himself. Later, maybe, he could go out to one of the fallow fields and burn off the weeds, excise his frustration in a way that was useful. It had made him popular with the farmers, showed that even the Head Mage wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Now he wondered if he was the only one in the building with clean hands.

*\*/*

Bakura Necromancer was dead.

So was Marik, so were most of the Gypsians who had been camped in the forest—huge swaths of it was smoldering in the rain, boats fleeing downriver as fast as they could, Administrative goons screaming under furious assault from above. Fury-fueled Fryngrot kept them put long enough for shadowy spears to do the rest of the work, and under normal circumstances he'd be having a horrorstricken moment at causing that sort of grievous injury.

Right now though it was an eye for an eye—Railside was destroyed, as was the River's Run—from his view up here everything about Delvaire was being destroyed—why? What did they gain from this?

He had to put a stop to this—had to find Teana and get her somewhere safe, had to find the Administrators and stop this madness—

"Yami!"

Spin around, spot Cory flying up to him—"I don't think now's a good time for a letter!" he told him. Unless—"Teana?"

Cory was wilfed down thin enough to go yeep as he shook his head. "The guy—he said to give this to you. She's—she's dying."

No.

Next clear recollection was being sprawled out on the pavement, watching Cory spiral down to him—yeep, he had gone yeep, managed to suck a breath in—

"Here," Cory said, giving him the letter. "The information's in there—" Look at him with those big dark eyes. "You can fix her, right?"

If he got there in time—brief letter, where she was—

How she got there.

Stood, barreled off—didn't have time to waste on anything—

Did slow to a stalk when he went through the square.

The guy tied to the stake started panicking at the sight of him. "No—please—"

Lashed out and struck him in the face without missing a step.

"Bet you heard that before, didn't you?" Yami seethed. "You're lucky I don't have time to waste on you." Noted the man start to relax as he passed—"Besides, you have your eternal rewards to get to, don't you?" One sharp wave of his hand—

He didn't stick around to hear the screams.

*/*\*

Yami and Yuki were both scrambling to try and find their father, not having much luck despite asking everyone—the town was packed, people happily seizing the chance to revel with both hands after their bare fall. Even trying the Administrators with the excuse that their mother was looking for him didn't fly—the only one who might have been inclined to be helpful was Carter, and that particular Administrator seemed to be absent, from the sounds of the dark mutterings they overheard Serpine and Unger elicit.

"Why would Administrator Carter be gone?" Yuki asked him.

"Good question," Yami said, still scanning—would Carter suspect? Did the Administrators suspect? They had to know what was on the scroll—why were none of them panicking?

"Hey wait—kids!"

"Grand Mage Ravel," Yami identified, startled at being hailed by him. "Why—"

"No time—either one of you seen your dad?"

"No, we're looking for him. Why?" Took note of the fact that Ravel had several thick folders in his grip. "What's that?"

Ravel looked grim, glanced over to the Administrators. "Something I paid Balthazar healthily to bag up on his way to the hills—listen, when you see him, tell him those folders he wanted were in the bonfires. Also tell him his last suggestion was a good idea."

"What? What are you talking about—"

"No time, gotta go," Ravel said, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Why became clear when Unger loomed up, gaunt face shadowed as he looked down on them. "What was Ravel telling you?"

"Asking us if we were enjoying the festivities," Yami told him. "They're definitely something."

Unger narrowed his eyes at them but continued on, tracking Ravel. Yami watched him, barely noting as Yuki tugged on his arm.

"I—I think something bad is gonna happen," Yuki told him.

Yes that seemed to be the state of things—drag Yuki along, ran into Jonouchi and Honda, got them to help look for their father, scowl at the news that Bakura had employed the better part of valor and skedaddled—

"Granted I don't blame him," Jonouchi said. "The thought of those guys maybe following us—"

"Don't look now, but some guys are following us," Honda said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Great, just what we don't need," Yami muttered. "Why are they—"

"Dad!" Yuki exclaimed, tugging on Yami's arm and pointing.

Deep gust of relief, wend through the crowd towards him as Sumbinix got on stage and started up one of his dry, boring speeches—

"You want to tell me why you were busy burning a field?" their mom was asking him when they got close.

"Not right now," he told her, eyeing them as they came up. "Hey boys, what's happening?"

"Grand Mage Ravel said the folders you wanted were in the bonfires," Yuki said, before Yami could marshal himself. "And something about how your last suggestion was a good idea."

That had Jenna looking sharply at Greg, who looked sour. "You want to stand by your original statement?"

"Get your dad, go home, start packing," he told her quietly. "Head for Abby and Larry's. Boys, go with her."

"Yuki, you go," Yami said, shoving Yuki at her—she gave them both a sharp look before grabbing Yuki's wrist and tugging him away from the crowd. "Dad we need to talk."

"I said both of you."

"I have worse news."

Greg didn't look like he could handle worse news right now. "What now?"

It was at that time that Sumbinix's dry speech was interrupted by the bonfire behind him bursting into green flame—

And Yami Skellington himself leaped out and struck a pose.

"Oh no," Yami Montgau moaned.

Skellington, meanwhile, was bowing to the smattering of applause he was receiving, doffing a top hat he had acquired somewhere. It took a moment for Yami to realize why—very few people nowadays actually knew what Skellington looked like. They probably thought this was part of the show.

That Yami was doing this….

"Thank you, thank you very much," Skellington was saying, bowing repeatedly.

"Whoever plotted this did it in bad taste," Greg said, glaring at Sumbinix.

Yami knew it wasn't Sumbinix that did it, and Greg shortly did too, once he saw Sumbinix's thunderstruck expression.

"How?" Sumbinix hissed.

"What's the matter?" Skellington asked, holding the top hat to his chest and smiling. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Someone get rid of this thing!" Sumbinix commanded, pointing at Skellington.

"Well, that's not very nice—"

Crux, boot-licker that he was, wasted no time in running up and stabbing Skellington in the chest—Yami recognized the design as a dispeller. That done, he stepped back, probably waiting for Skellington to dissipate.

He didn't.

Skellington looked down at the sword, then pulled it out and examined it, the blade turning black as he did so.

"I'm curious," Skellington noised, making sure his voice could carry. "After killing me, what was your next move? 'It's all part of the show'? Well then!"

He threw the sword down, impaling it in the stage, before turning to the crowd, all dramatic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," Skellington announced in his very best stage voice, tossing his hat up. "Step right up—for you're about to see every single nightmare and bad dream that these liars fed you come to life! You'll be introduced to every last spook and specter banished by these maggots over the years—and trust me, there are a lot of them! Welcome, to the greatest show unearthed!"

And with that, he flung his arms up and out, the green flame flared as a glowing seam was ripped in the air behind Skellington—

And every last dead denizen poured forth, expressions of absolute malice and menace plastered on their faces, letting out a frightful war cry:

"Trick or treat!"