Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.
Chapter Sixty-One
Dria
Ra returned to the field in Phoenix form once again, and with the 1000 Life Points he'd gained from the Swallowtail Spiked Lizard, Marik commanded him to destroy Obelisk. Much to even my surprise, the attack failed.
"What? Slifer the Sky Dragon? But where did he come from, Pharaoh?"
"I played Monster Reborn. I used it to revive Slifer and save Obelisk."
Delighted laughter escaped from my otherwise silent mouth, completely enjoying the turn of events. Obelisk would never let Slifer forget this moment, and I looked forward to seeing that conversation between them. Ra would probably join his side in that argument as well. Marik, of course, was furious, but he buried that anger quickly. Ra vanished to the graveyard for the third time this duel, but he wouldn't stay there long.
"Surprise Attack from Beyond?"
"This card allows me to replay the attack I just made against Obelisk."
I held my breath as history repeated itself and Ra reappeared. Only this time, Ra had locked himself within the sphere that required his special chant to release the creature within. Marik fused himself once more with my golden brother, sacrificing his monsters as well. Now, Ra had nearly 7000 attack points, but the Pharaoh already had a plan in mind.
"I activate the magic card, Soul Taker!"
I smiled once again as the Pharaoh's card took action. Even if it granted Marik extra Life Points, that part didn't matter; it was the sacrifice of one monster from Marik's side of the field.
"Does this mean you'll sacrifice Ra?"
"Anything is possible."
I started giggling as Marik panicked about Ra being sacrificed. There was no point in doing that. The Pharaoh had planned something much smarter, much more unexpected, that would lead to the end of this duel.
"I choose your Indestructible God Slime."
It was a double sacrifice since that creature was made up of two monsters already. The look of confusion on Marik's face was so sweet to behold, and I finally felt like myself once more. He had tried his best to destroy the woman I was in front of the man I loved, but this moment only confirmed that I had placed my faith and my heart with the right man.
"Obelisk the Tormentor's special ability requires two sacrifices."
"You can't do this!"
My gentle brother's ability allowed his power to become infinite when two monsters were sacrificed. He didn't use it often, and he never liked the way the extra power made him feel, but for the first time in many years, Obelisk willingly accepted the sacrifices. His eyes, now a blazing red, stared at me as his power increased. He wanted to save me, just like the Pharaoh did. As Obelisk attacked, Marik sacrificed his additional monsters, raising the power of Ra once more. I saw a facedown card activate as well, but because of the force of Obelisk's attack, I couldn't tell which card it was.
"I activated the magic card, Class System. Only a monster with more stars than the Winged Dragon of Ra can destroy it. I'm afraid your Obelisk doesn't qualify."
Even though the odds weren't in his favor, any doubt I'd previously held about the Pharaoh winning this duel was gone. Although I couldn't tell exactly what made me feel that way, something had happened while this duel was going on. I felt a change in the magical current around us, and it was alerting me that additional help would soon arrive. Marik wouldn't have the opportunity to end the duel before then. The Pharaoh glanced back at me, anxiety trying to worm its way into his mind.
Stay the course.
He paused a moment, as if surprised that I was so calm after his otherwise brilliant strategy had failed. After staring for a few moments, the tension in his shoulders vanished, and I could see his mind relax. He still had cards on the field, and he knew exactly which one to activate.
"This duel is done! Winged Dragon of Ra, destroy him! I win!"
"Not exactly. I activate this, Magical Dimension!"
As Dark Magician Girl activated the spell, Gazelle and Obelisk were sacrificed. Though it was unthinkable that an Egyptian god would be sacrificed, it would give the Pharaoh the last opportunity he needed for defeating Marik. At long last, Dark Magician was able to join the game. The one who had always guarded the Pharaoh from danger would be the one to end this duel; I felt it deep in my soul. It was rather poetic to see the two of them together in such a setting.
"Now I play my final card. Behold, Ragnarok!"
I cheered in excitement as the two magicians prepared to activate the card. True to its namesake, it would destroy every monster on Marik's side of the field, and this time, that would include Marik himself.
"The devastation caused by your attack will also destroy what's left of my weak side."
I turned my gaze back towards the good Marik; he needed one more burst of resolve if he wanted to have a chance at surviving. Even if the attack left Marik with 1 Life Point remaining, the shadows would be too strong at that point. What could I do? How could I ensure that Marik was able to return to his body? Chained as I was now, there was nothing I could do physically, and the rules of Marik's Shadow Game would prevent me from stopping him with magic. The bell of the elevator brought me out of my musings. Could it be? I had to take the chance and hope that my instincts were right.
I shouted as loudly as I could, "Odion!"
His voice echoed back, "Master Marik, I shall protect you!"
Tears gathered in my eyes upon seeing this kindhearted man once more. The good Marik's remaining eye opened widely, life returning to his gaze once more. Finally, the additional help the Pharaoh needed had arrived. Now, Marik himself needed to regain control of his body if he truly wanted this madness to end. His evil side wouldn't back down without a fight.
"You have no business being here, Odion."
"I've returned to ensure that your gentle spirit prevails."
Marik lashed out against Odion, using the power of the Millennium Rod to throw him back across the dueling platform. A cry escaped my mouth in concern for Odion as his body was slammed against the Tower, but I had to hold back from reacting in any other way. This was something only Odion could accomplish, and I had no business interfering. Though my head could understand the logic, my fists clenched as my heart wished there was something I could do. Time and again, Marik attacked Odion, and the loving guardian stood back up. He wouldn't quit until either his master was saved, or he were dead.
"Please, master, you have the power to stop your dark side. You're the one that created him, and you can destroy him!"
"I've heard enough! Now take this!"
Marik raised the Millennium Rod to attack once more, and I couldn't hold myself back any longer as I felt the Pendant activate as well. However, before I could do anything, Marik suddenly stopped and shouted in pain. He clutched his missing eye as if he were literally losing his mind.
"Let your Tomb Keepers' heritage give you strength!"
The good Marik was trying to retake his body using the thin thread of magic the Ishtar family still possessed through the Rod and Necklace. After a few moments of struggle, Marik was able to reclaim a portion of himself long enough to make one final plea towards the Pharaoh.
"I need your help to banish my dark side forever. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you, to Lady Alexandria, and to your friends. What I did was wrong, but I'm ready to take responsibility and correct the wrongs I've committed."
Yugi wanted to hold back, concerned that Marik wouldn't make it through. The Pharaoh glanced towards me one final time, again seeking any advice I was willing to give. There was no other option available anymore. Tightening the muscles in my arms, I felt the Eye of Horus appear on my forehead, and my vision became slightly cloudy as my eyes turned red. I would do everything in my power to help Marik survive the Pharaoh's final attack. He nodded in response and called out his final attack.
"I activate my Ragnarok card!"
Every monster in the Pharaoh's deck, hand, and graveyard was removed, and soon their ghostly figures took the field. They swirled around the platform as one unstoppable army, all headed directly towards the Winged Dragon of Ra. Slifer and Obelisk tightly grabbed hold of Ra's body, making it impossible for him to escape. I giggled a little at the sight; at least Slifer would have something to use against Ra the next time they debated who was the better monster in battle. Kuriboh even added in his two cents, providing a few cheers for both Obelisk and Slifer.
As the magic of Ragnarok took the Egyptian gods into the sky, I threw my own magic from my right hand into the shadows, hoping to provide a link for the good Marik to grab onto and pull himself back into this world. The thin red thread vanished into the surrounding light, searching for my target on the other side. Ragnarok caused a blinding explosion on the field, forcing everyone to close their eyes in response. I pushed the force of my magic as far as I could, waiting to feel a tug on the other end. Finally, there was a strong response from the one I sought, and I grasped my thread as tightly as I could in my right hand. With one final burst of strength, I ripped my left hand free from its bond and pulled back hard. Finally, the light faded from the sky, and the dust settled across the platform. My body felt physically drained of energy from the force of the spell and emotionally weary from my special role in this duel.
"Brother! Please tell me you're alright!"
Marik's exhaustion mirrored my own. He panted heavily, sweat coating his forehead and his legs quaking. The good Marik had pulled himself through the darkness and regained control over his body. He had been stronger than his dark side, and at long last, his hatred and anger had run its course.
"Pharaoh, I still have 1 Life Point left."
Much to my delight, the evil side of Marik reappeared on the field as well, only this time, he was the victim waiting to be sacrificed to the shadows. Only his left eye remained, and pure fear and panic overtook him.
"This can't be happening! You can't do this, Marik. Listen, we can still crush the Pharaoh together! It's not too late to destroy him and take what you deserve. We'll rule the world!"
There was nothing he could say to convince Marik to join forces with him again. While Marik still accepted responsibility for what he'd done, he also wanted to look forward to the future, leaving his rage and mistakes far behind him.
"I'm proud to be a Tomb Keeper, and I'm proud of my sister and my brother."
Placing his hand over the Duel Disk, Marik surrendered the duel, losing the final Life Point he had remaining. His evil side disappeared, banished to the Shadow Realm forever. His consequences for all his actions, including the offenses he committed against me, would soon follow. I looked forward to passing that judgment on him as soon as possible.
The darkness surrounding the Duel Tower finally cleared, the Shadow Game completed. Yugi was released from his chains, and his body completely returned from the shadows. The remaining manacles around my body also vanished, and I felt myself falling forward, unable to stop my momentum. I closed my eyes and threw my hands out, anticipating a rapid and painful meeting with the ground below. When my expectation wasn't fulfilled, I slowly opened my eyes to see Marik in front of me, my body hanging loosely in his arms as if I were giving him a hug. He quickly set me on the ground, waiting until my feet were somewhat stable beneath me before he moved to release me. I tightened my arms around his neck, giving him an actual hug, relieved that he had returned to normal. He hesitated for a few moments, clearly uncertain of how he should respond at first, but his arms soon gently wrapped around my waist, returning my embrace.
"Thank you, my Lady."
I released him and nodded happily. He stepped away from me to return to his side of the duel. Roland announced Yugi as the Battle City Champion, and the platform lowered for the final time. The gang joyfully ran towards Yugi, giving him high fives and adulations. They were relieved that he had not only won, but also that the madness was finally over. I smiled, feeling my eyes grow misty at the sight. There had been many times throughout my life that matched this moment, where peace and joy had finally returned, and it made the suffering I'd endured worth it every time. This was a scene I would always fight for, no matter what happened to me.
As the group surrounded Yugi, Seto slowly made his way over to me. He didn't say anything at first, but as he gently touched the two wounds that Marik had left behind on my neck and the one that I'd left on my own lip, I thought I saw his eyes water with tears. He pulled his hand back, closing it into a fist as a look of remorse crossed his features, and he started to turn away from me. I quickly grabbed his hand and placed it against my cheek, even though it was still clenched. After a few moments, his hand softened, and he held my cheek like he had many times in the past.
"It's ok, Seto. I'm alright."
His body tensed once more at my words. I wondered if he had changed his mind concerning his earlier words, that I wasn't his friend, and he didn't want me holding him back. I almost asked him but decided against it; I wanted him to make the decision, not force it upon him. He released me without another word and walked away, so I could only hope that we could soon repair what had been damaged.
As I turned back towards my friends, I saw the Pharaoh striding purposefully in my direction. Tears slid down my face as he approached, and when he took my face into his hands to touch my forehead against his, I finally felt safe once more. The fear I had seen in his eyes faded as relief filled them, and we stared at one another in silence for a few moments. Then, as if he couldn't resist any longer, he released my face and, bending down briefly, wrapped his arms around my legs to hoist me up into the air. My arms responded by grabbing his neck, and my ankles hooked together behind his back. Time seemed to stop as his lips met mine, and any remaining pain faded away. He had done it, just as I knew he would. He held me against his body tightly, like he was promising that he'd never let me go again. Even when the kiss ended, the Pharaoh didn't release me. We smiled at one another as I laid my head against his. Yugi's form floated beside us, a joyous look across his face as he threw his arms around the both of us.
"Sorry to interrupt, but as the organizer of the Battle City Tournament, I guess I should congratulate the winner. Even though you only won the duel due to Marik's forfeit."
Irritation seeped through every word Seto spoke; he had clearly not gotten over his loss at Yugi's hands again. The Pharaoh set me back onto the ground and took my hand into his firm grip. Even though Seto would never acknowledge it, the Pharaoh was completely aware that had Seto not provided him with Fiend's Sanctuary, he would have lost the duel. I wished there was some way I could convey my gratitude to Seto, but I knew that he would never accept it.
"As the winner, you get to keep the rarest card in your opponent's deck."
"Make sure he doesn't give you the fake one."
Marik crossed the platform to us and willingly handed over the Winged Dragon of Ra. Finally, all three of my god cards were in the deck of one of the few people I would trust to wield them. I couldn't wait to see them together again. Now, it was only a matter of time before his memories returned.
"Rest assured that everyone who was banished to the Shadow Realm by my dark side will return."
Marik then proceeded to remove his shirt and show us his back, onto which the secret of the Pharaoh had been placed. The images of my three brothers clearly stood out on his skin, along with the ancient script that detailed how the Pharaoh could regain what he'd lost.
"We were taught that when the ancient Pharaoh saved the world from destruction, he wiped his own memory clean, but he knew that he would return someday and would need his memory back. So…"
Ishizu paused for a moment and turned to look at me. If she told the story the way I anticipated, the others would quickly realize what my position in the Pharaoh's court had truly been. I smiled and nodded at her question; it was time.
"So, he and Lady Alexandria entrusted one family with the greatest secret: the key to unlocking his mind and his power. Now that you hold the three Egyptian god cards and the Millennium Puzzle, all you need to do is read the words on Marik's back."
The Pharaoh looked towards me at first, wondering if I could still read the language. I playfully shrugged in return, communicating that it didn't matter if I could or not; he needed to be able to do it himself. He stared at the image for a few moments before his eyes widened in realization, and I smiled in response. He had recognized the pattern as that of the tablet from the museum. I couldn't wait to return to the exhibit with him and have him remember me entirely at last. Before departing, Marik handed over the Millennium Rod and Ring. They were far safer with us, and if I could manage it, I would keep the Ring from returning to Bakura's side once more.
"Alright, you geeks, this victory celebration has gone on long enough. The Battle City Tournament is over. So, if you'd like a free ride home, I'd suggest you board my aircraft right now. If anyone's left behind on the island, the Kaiba Corporation will not be responsible for your safety. In one hour, this island will explode. Goodbye."
Though I disagreed entirely with his decision, I was almost glad that Seto would completely submerge what was left of this wretched place. It belonged beneath the waves where no one could ever see it again. Perhaps at last, Seto would be able to move ahead and focus on a goal other than defeating Yugi in a duel; maybe he would finally build the Kaiba Land amusement parks. Seto, Mokuba, and Roland promptly vanished from the tower, leaving the rest of us to make our way to the plane. As we proceeded to the elevator, Ishizu's words finally seemed to click for the others in the group.
"Wait a minute. Dria, why did Ishizu say you passed down the Pharaoh's secret to their family? How did you come to know it in the first place? Was it because you were the Vizier?"
Though I wished it hadn't been Tea who'd asked the question, I was grateful that someone had. I was tired of keeping secrets from them, even though I had many more to reveal. The Pharaoh sent me a worried look, wondering how I would answer the question.
I briefly hesitated, taking a deep breath, before I smiled and responded, "For one, I helped cast the spell, so I already knew what to expect. Second, because I was the Queen of Egypt at the time, I was responsible for ensuring that the information was never lost."
The Ishtars continued walking down the halls, completely unperturbed by my revelation, and disappeared. The Pharaoh and I continued for a few steps before we realized the rest of the group had stopped. We both turned back toward them, reaching out for the other's hand as we mentally prepared for the onslaught of questions. Joey recovered from the surprise answer first.
"Wait, if you were the Queen, doesn't that mean that you were married to the King?"
I nodded, anticipating that he would connect the dots in a few more seconds. "Then that means," his eyes widened in realization, "you were married to the Pharaoh?" I valiantly tried to hold back my laughter as his voice cracked on the last word of his question, but a few giggles escaped, and I smiled in response, "Yes. I was his vizier and his wife."
It was clear that they all had more questions for me, but we needed to hurry to the plane to get off the island before it vanished beneath the waves. I promised to address as many questions as I could upon our return home. As we got closer to the aircraft, Joey took off in front, wanting to check on Mai as quickly as possible. The rest of us followed closely behind him.
"Serenity, is Mai ok now?"
"She's not up."
Mai still hadn't moved since losing to Marik, but she should have woken up by now. At first, I panicked that we'd been too late, and that the shadows had consumed her entirely. But, as I looked closely, I noticed a slight twitch on the side of her mouth, as if she were resisting the urge to smile. Keeping my own face as neutral as possible, I watched as Joey called out to her, pleading that she wake up and return to this world.
"I'd give anything in the world to have you back. Anything!"
My theory was confirmed as Mai discretely opened one eye while Joey wasn't looking. Eventually, she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and admitted to playing a joke on Joey. It was such a relief that she was back to normal, and it seemed like the shadows hadn't taken their toll on her. I had no way of knowing if that were true mentally, but at least physically she was safe. The others weren't as amused as I was by the joke, but that was probably because it was a joke I had played once before myself. As that thought crossed my mind, the Pharaoh glanced at me, questioning whether the Pendant could show him that memory later. I smiled as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, gently kissing my forehead. I had no idea whether I could summon a specific memory, but it would certainly be fun to try now that I was at his side again.
Releasing myself from his grasp, I wandered over to the small mirror in the corner of the room. Marik had left several wounds on my body, and it was time to heal them and to begin moving on from his torment. Shifting my hair aside, I examined the ones on my neck first. There were two bite wounds and two bruises. The bites were deep enough to have drawn blood, but shallow enough to have already stopped bleeding. The final injury was one I'd done to myself when I'd bitten my lip too hard, and it was in a similar state as my neck.
Lifting my left hand, my fingers began to glow with a soft white light, as I had shown the others earlier when I had revealed my magical abilities. Placing my fingers over each spot, I healed each wound and bruise on my mouth and neck. I repeated the same process across my hips, which bore marks like fingertips where Marik had gripped me with too much force. In nearly no time at all, all the physical injuries were gone. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I knew the mental wounds would likely take longer. I expected to have nightmares for some time in the future and made a mental note to myself to give those around me reassurances. The Pharaoh appeared behind me, gently placing his hand on my back. I turned my head to face him directly and smiled. He lowered his head to rest on my shoulder, taking his gaze away from me.
Dria, how can I even begin to apologize for what I let happen to you? I never should have allowed you to take part in Marik's twisted game.
I laid my head against his, and his hand moved from my back to my waist. It's not about who allows me, but who's brazen enough to stop me, Pharaoh. I felt his small smile against my shoulder as a light chuckle left his lips. I will heal from this, Principino. We all will in time.
His breath caught at my use of Aristokles' term for him, likely remembering where we'd found ourselves later.
"Let's go, you lovebirds! We only have an hour to get off this island."
We quickly unwound from one another and followed our friends, our hands intertwined once more. I wasn't completely sure of where Joey was heading, but at the lightest scent of food, he declared we should take a lunch break. Here I'd thought we only had an hour to escape from this place. But when we arrived at the kitchen, Bakura had already eaten about everything that was left, saying that there had been no food in the Shadow Realm. We then made our way to the flight deck, where Roland was dispensing orders to the other employees of Kaiba Corp.
"Are we taking off or what?"
"We can't seem to locate Mokuba or Mr. Kaiba."
Roland's surprising statement caught me completely off guard. What did he mean that they couldn't locate the Kaibas? Did they not head here after leaving the Tower? This island wasn't that big, so where else could they have possibly gone? My mind was spinning with so many questions that it was hard to arrive at a logical answer. The Pharaoh tightened his grip, and his thumb began to stroke my hand. He knew I would be beside myself with worry if we didn't find the Kaibas.
"Kaiba's not that dumb. I'm sure he's hopping on board his private jet right now."
"Well, we can't take that chance."
To make matters worse, as we headed out to find Seto and Mokuba, one of the other employees announced that the engines weren't functioning properly, even after they had supposedly been fixed. Contingency plans began running through my head in anticipation of what might happen next. We had to get off this island before it was too late, and we were quickly running out of time.