Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Children of Destiny ❯ Path to the Past (Part 2) ( Chapter 14 )
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Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Thriller / Supernatural / Romance / Psychological / Martial Arts / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.04.2003 | Updated On: 05.23.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 10.2K | Visits: 919 | Status: Completed
Path to the Past (Part 2)
Sam: Hello people I'M BACK!!!!!
YGO bishies: ^_____________^
Sam: Well since you all must be thoroughly, thoroughly pissed off for me leaving I'll just keep this rant short before you set out to seek and kill me… To those who are wondering about the role of the new characters… well let's hope that this chapter will help answer a couple of questions or at least one of them… This chapter is totally, totally whacked… I mean… it's weird in the sense of disturbing in places…*looking anxious*
LS: Madyamisam don't own YGO but she will though one day she just needs to get the paperwork sorted out… and dominate the world and everything.
Seto: I'm getting a really bad feeling about this…
Sam: I know… you should…
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Twisting and turning in the long corroded underground tunnels of the temple ruins Yugi whimpered slightly as claustrophobia started to settle in. He hung on his dark's arm whilst Yami took extra vigilance as the group ventured the mysterious caverns.
"Looks like an opening up ahead" Ryou said squinting his brown eyes as the tunnel became a lot wider. They entered a huge room, which had suddenly sprung to life as torches around the hallways lit up in a fiery ring illuminating the cavern. Ryou switched off his torch
"What in Ra's name is this place?" Malik speculated in awe. Everyone else was just as baffled for the cavern was not what they had expected it to be. Lined all around were all sorts of weapons, from swords to poison darts, from spears to machetes. The runes of the walls were of some sort of ancient language that none of the yamis could decipher. Though the writings may have been Oriental origin yet they noticed decorated upon the floor was a mosaic of the Sennen Eye the same eye that was a mark of the seven mystical Millennium Items that they each carried staring at them from the ground. Wearily the group walked forward looking at any ominous shadow lurking between the cracks of the walls. They were nearing the centre of the room when a sudden rumble emitted down below. A flash of blinding light smothered the room before all went black.
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Andrin stared on as the mountain breeze weaved in his shaggy black hair, his single wisp of white fringe brushing past his face. They had been travelling for a good few hours and stopped many a time on their trek to the top of the mountain. Seto on occasion would notice Andrin glance at Joey there and then whenever they stopped and also seen the groups' new companion smile for the first time. It was a small polite one but a smile nonetheless. Seto stared cautiously upon Andrin's interaction around Joey who was now back to his usual puppy dog self after a good couple of days feeling under the weather. In fact Andrin almost seemed to show a completely new side from the emotionless mask when around the blond and much to Seto's confusion he felt… a tinge of red anger as how Joey seemed so cheerful around him. They had reached the summit where an ancient building stood as old as time itself, the brown walls crumbled and wrinkled like an old hermit lost in his thoughts in the dawn of time, a distant gong of the bell rung as tiny figures like ants scuttled across the walls of the monastery. The door was iron clad as Andrin waited. A tremendous groan echoed towards the heavens as Andrin led them in followed by the group of monks at the battle. On either side filed many of the bald headed men staring straight ahead as the air of discipline that had been drummed into them wafted around. The elders approached the travellers where the one in the middle and obviously the leader with his long beard reaching to his waist glanced at the group before he started up a conversation between himself and Andrin in their native language. Seto felt unnerved inside as the monk stared at him in an analytical way. It was a feeling that he was quite familiar with another certain millionaire who had silver long hair like a hippy. Of course Pegasus was a resolved man however Seto could never shake the feeling of being under watch like that and also he would always have a certain amount of distrust towards the one eyed hippy.
"Very well Andrin…" he said quietly. The monk then led them all into the inner chambers of the monastery where stand a huge statue of the Buddha. Andrin looked ahead as the monks took their positions. The hum of chanting began around the room. It was a while before they stopped and retired away… but nothing happened. There wasn't some sort of secret opening after it all and Joey could feel his face falter.
"Well…?" Tristan asked impatiently. Andrin glanced at the brunette but didn't speak. "Isn't there gonna be this big secret passageway that's suppose to open right about now...?"
"This is merely a daily custom in the monastery that the monks of Xia must go through…" Andrin replied earnestly.
"You said you were going to show us some information about the Dragon Sceptre" Isis said
"Yes `I' said I would but the monks never made such promises…" A growl of frustrated anger boiled from Mokuba. "If I recall… you were the ones that requested to come here and breaking the rules of the monastery, therefore it would be logical to think that one would have the courtesy to respect that no more customs be further disrupted. Patience is a virtue boy… Remember that…" Seto drew his little brother closer to him and relaying that though his representing the groups' frustration was much appreciated it was best not to argue further. Andrin led them to another chamber, which was empty this time with the exception of the many paintings on the walls. Above in the ceiling hung a kind of chandelier where the markings of Yugi's family crest were engraved upon the gold platelets. Seto then glanced around at the paintings. Each told a story of ancient times. Of the forgotten myths and legends lost in Chinese history long ago.
It was one painting that caught Seto's eye and as he noticed from the number of gasps from his comrades they had noticed too. There at the centre of the paintings stood three proud figures, each in their individual portraits.
"That one looks like Ryou…" Serenity whispered. "And Malik…" The Ryou look alike upon the painting was dressed in a white robe, his hair just as wild as the friend she knew whilst the sleek platinum blond and lavender eyes dressed in black silk stood hard and defiant. What was most striking was the one in the middle. "Big brother…"
"Katsuya…" Seto corrected. Katsuya in the painting stood proudly in the traditional oriental armour of the highest rank of the Chinese army. Plated with gold and a red cape flew wildly behind him. Katsuya's hair was tied up in a type of bun on the top of his head like a crown, decorated with two peacock feathers stuck up high and proud whilst the brooding blond fringe swayed to the wind in the painting and green eyes stared out towards them unblinking. However Seto noticed that the green in his eyes appeared to be of more natural than the florescence stare he had seen before. It was more down to earth… more like… Joey. Indeed the eyes belonging to Katsuya in this painting was definitely more honest and almost innocent than the cruel and sadistic person he had known. What had possibly changed him from this noble person in the painting to the malevolent being he knew?
"Katsuya Jounouchi, the general of the highest rank in the Emperor's Imperial army…" Andrin announced. "Since you wished to know more about the Dragon Sceptre and `your' involvement with it, I believe this is where we shall start" A hum suddenly sounded within the room as the chandelier glowed before the scene of the room changed slowly melting away to a different place. They were on a green hill where down below a huge battle had taken place where the bodies of many dead lay strewn upon the bloody floor. Two lone figures approached each other of what seemed to be two last standing survivors of the horrific war.
"You're alone… good…" drawled a huge burly Mongolian man Katsuya stood unblinking upon his opponent.
"Where's the girl?" Katsuya demanded. The group noticed that the painting wasn't false about Katsuya's eye but that it had indeed been an honest green/hazel with a angelic and noble purity around him that was fused with a powerful wisdom beyond his years.
"First your sceptre Katsuya…" rasped the man. Katsuya narrowed his eyes before he threw the gold staff to the man who threw back a person to him. A young girl no older than thirteen stumbled over to Katsuya and embraced him looking fearfully at the kidnapper. "Heh… you are indeed very noble Katsuya but oh yet so predictable…" the man cackled as the young girl's clothes were torn apart revealing scaly black skin. The snake monster morphed and wrapped herself around Katsuya. Katsuya grunted in his struggle against the bonds as the spectators on the hill gasped.
"…ugh…" he grunted glaring defiantly at the man who was howling with triumphant laughter whilst many figures of the man's army revealed themselves. Whatever was the bargain, the man had taken advantage over and had led Katsuya into a trap. The man gripped Katsuya's face smiling lustfully.
"Mmm… I shall enjoy myself with you tonight…" the man said with a lick upon Katsuya's cheek. Seto stared deep at the young general and somehow his heart seemed to race for no reason as if urgent to take on a sword and cut the scaly body to ribbons to free him. Indeed Katsuya's appearance complete with the green eyes was quite alluring, in fact his beautiful appearance would make any straight man think twice about his sexuality. A sudden ripping of flesh slashed in the putrid air of the desolate landscape as the snake like creature loosened her grip upon Katsuya and slid to the floor, a pool of blood starting to form whilst a sharp knife in Katsuya's hand was bloody red. "Wha?" the man gasped. "So… decided to go down fighting eh?"
"You could say that but the difference is I'm not the one who's going to go… down… Lai" Katsuya spat wiping his face from the trail of saliva upon his cheek.
"Really… and do you think you're able to take a whole army on your own?" Katsuya looked at him dully.
"Honestly do you take me for a fool?" he replied sarcastically. "NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he bellowed and a wave of arrows suddenly took flight killing the soldiers from above the mountains whilst an upheaval of men on horses veiled in sandy gold carpets leapt up from the ground followed by supposedly dead soldiers charging with spears and swords. The Mongol looked around all over the place and growled. "There's a big gap between nobility and stupidity Lai…"
"The girl will die for your trickery Katsuya…"
"Really?" Katsuya drawled as behind them two figures rode on from the distance. The one that looked like Ryou carried the young girl in his arms riding on the back of a stag whilst his friend and also the one that resembled Malik followed him upon the back of a black wolf who on his way snatched the sceptre and threw it back to Katsuya. A aura of gold surrounded Katsuya as the staff glowed metamorphing to what appeared to be a golden bow. In a swift movement Katsuya had drawn 6 arrows at the same time on the bow and let them fly each impaling one of Lai's soldiers right in the head. The battle ended quickly from the surprise attack and before he knew it Lai had been tied and bound like a pig before being dragged away along with many other prisoners. There was a cheer as the girl and her parents thanked Katsuya and his allies graciously and held a huge feast in their honour. The scene then started to melt and dissolve away before everything was returned back to the room that the group had entered to.
"So… the Dragon Sceptre not only has the power to summon armies to the user's aid but changes to a bow?" Isis mused over the recent scene.
"A weapon befitting to Katsuya only and his superior skills of wielding the bow and arrow of which you have just witnessed…" Andrin explained. "As it was the first gift from the Dragon elders to protect the royal family of Xia it was crucial that they had found the perfect suitor for the task"
"Let me guess they chose wrong?" Seto concluded. Andrin was silent for a moment before he answered.
"Yes and no… The dragons were most diligent upon the choice of the champion to wield the sceptre. They had put many suitors on trial for courage, loyalty and righteousness… however… even the most noble of men are subject to love and spite, a trait that is belonging to that of humanity which is both a weakness and strength but can never be ignored" Andrin glanced at Joey. "Even by Katsuya…" With that said the room began to dissolve again to another memory in the archives of the ancient lost history of Katsuya and the Dragon Sceptre.
"General Katsuya arrives milady…" A young maiden announced towards her mistress that sat solemnly staring at the scenic beauty of a lake framed by the wisps of bamboo trees. Her skin was pale and soft as velvet whilst the long black hair tinged with the flames of a phoenix and sunshine gold bangs limped over her forlorn face. Distant eyes of crimson stared out to the open of the field of flowers upon the bank of the lake, before her lay brushes and paper and ink. Joey gasped as he recognised the woman that had saved his life.
"Princess Ling…" Katsuya greeted. Ling smiled.
"Sit with me Katsuya," Ling said. Katsuya did so. She sighed staring out to the lake again whilst Katsuya dwelled in his own thoughts for a bit. "It's a beautiful sight this lake… brings a lot of memories. Could you paint it for me?" Katsuya forced himself out of thought and glanced at her before he started upon the laid out brushes. He looked ahead at the landscape capturing the imagery in his mind and projecting it by hand. Each stroke was so delicate with a slight flick of the wrist. Ling gazed over his shoulder watching the hand do it's work before glancing at him too. He had started upon the bamboo trees, which had come alive, the instant that the ink had touched the paper. He had finished as Ling smiled sadly upon the captured image. "Thank you old friend,"
"I presume that there is a lot more to you requesting my presence than merely painting a picture princess…" Katsuya said cocking his head towards her with a `Tell me right now' stare.
"I'm getting married" was the answer. Katsuya frowned.
"From what I last recall that event is not one that what would make a person so solemn…" the blond replied instantly.
"Really?" the princess said seeming monotonous but was to Katsuya a sign of despair.
"It's something of a celebration"
"Is it?" Katsuya raised an eyebrow before he looked ahead towards the lake.
"So who are you marrying?"
"The prince of Persia…" she replied. Katsuya's eyes shot wide open with horror and disgust.
"That great oaf? Surely the emperor can't be thinking of taking such a pathetic excuse for royalty as a son-in-law?" he said disbelieving the news.
"Father wouldn't, however when it comes to the marriage of his daughters, his decisions can be overruled by my grandmother…"
"I see and the Queen Mother was always swayed by the rustic charms of Persia…"
"Mother and son argued upon it day and night for my fate but even my father couldn't compete with her stubbornness"
"Well that's the first time that I've ever heard the emperor lose an argument but at least it's to such a worthy adversary…" Ling couldn't help but smile however the grief of having to leave upon such frivolous reasons had smite any happiness she had left completely. "I doubt you need to worry about this Ling… I'm sure the emperor will find a way to get you out of this proposal… and if he can't then `Yin' will" Katsuya flashed a smile as he leaned back. Ling although still doubtful, the heavy weight in her stomach seemed to have lifted a little. The scene shifted to Katsuya being called to by the emperor, the group stared on upon the two who were oblivious to their existence.
"Yes emperor?" he asked. The emperor was a strong-headed man with a military air around him, gold robes, a grey beard and the proud headdress of entwined gold and pearls of what a ruler of a powerful nation should be dressed as. "You do know of the princess's wedding I presume?"
"Yes… she has told me about it…"
"Then you know what you must do in your next mission…?" the emperor said staring down at Katsuya intensely. Katsuya met up with his gaze and took the hidden message behind his eyes.
"Of course… I shall protect her with my life…" Emperor Xia nodded and dismissed the young general. The scenery had changed again as the group sat in a coach watching as Katsuya rode on directing the way towards Persia followed by his two companions that were the Ryou and Malik look-alikes.
"So what has the emperor planned?" the white headed general asked.
"For us to protect the princess in our journey Rei (pronounced ree…) hasn't Ishizu told you…?" Rei glared briefly at platinum gold-headed youth behind who smiled sheepishly back. The small caravan had met up with the Persians in a fortress of a mutual province as a suspicious figure approached Princes Ling's cabin. Andrin led the group going through the door like a ghost with the rest following. There they saw Ling look up and towards the bloated man that she was about to marry.
"What are you doing here?"
"What no greeting from my future wife?"
"Emphasis on `future' Prince… I'm unfamiliar about your culture but do give some respect towards mine… It is a custom that the bride and groom not meet each other until they are `officially' bonded"
"Pah… tis but an old dying tradition…" the Prince scoffed as he sidled his way towards Ling. Ling glared as he advanced towards.
"Keep away from me…" she hissed in a harsh whisper but the bloated prince in his strange turban and curled moustache paid no heed as he grasped her tightly round the wrists.
"I don't give a damn of the customs wench. I go where I please and I take what I want… and right now…" he whispered lustfully stroking the porcelain face… "I'll take you… then your sister and finally the throne of your father's precious kingdom…" he licked his fat lips as he began ripping at her clothes. Ling yelped as a fingernail clawed her arm, whilst the prince started stripping the clothing away. With a flick Ling freed her wrists, she grabbed the beautiful, sharp needle beret in her hair and swiped it across his arm. The man squealed like the pig he was as he allowed her space to flip him and throwing him across the room using her body as a lever. Ling breathed sharply as she got up, covering herself up whilst glaring at the man. The man squealed and howled staring at his bleeding hand, which twitched from the pain of the needle impaled right through the palm whilst his other hand gripped hard on the wrist. "You… YOU LITTLE BITCH" he shrieked as he lunged forward. Ling spun with a lethal chop upon the neck before going into a series of punches and a flying kick to finish whilst landing gracefully on the floor like a cat whilst the Prince lay a huge crumpled heap on the floor.
"You even think about harming a hair on my father `or' my little sister and I swear I'll make the seven hells seem like a paradise compared to what I'll do to you…" the prince whimpered when someone behind her chuckled startling everyone that was there.
"Heh… a little slow on the uptake… you need to do some more training princess…" Katsuya smiled leaning upon the open doorway whilst Rei and Ishizu stared on. Ling tried to look annoyed.
"You could have helped…" she said playfully. Rei looked smug.
"But what would be the honour of four people picking on a pathetic louse like that?" Ishizu replied almost offended. Ling rolled her eyes.
"Oh I see now… a revolt between the emperor's daughter and his most loyal general… Oh I can see a perfect love story between you and blond boy here… dear, dear me what will you four do now when your father hears about this… Treason… perhaps?" the Prince laughed whilst Ling raised an incredulous eyebrow glancing at Katsuya. The four of them escaped the fortress and went on the run and onto the coach that Ling was travelling on. The group followed and had managed to get on to the huge space inside. It was morning when they reached upon a stream. Ishizu chuckled at them.
"So love birds…" he laughed. Ling went red upon that.
"Oh honestly you actually believe that stupid pig?" she snapped as the two generals rolled on their sides with laughter. "What will we do now?"
"You and I are heading south so we'll be in the safety of mutual territory whilst Rei and Ishizu have orders to head back towards Wudan Mountain where Yin is…" Katsuya replied as he gathered water from the river.
"Ooh… they've jumped from the wedding straight into the honeymoon…" Ishizu joked narrowly missing a swipe from Katsuya's hand. Soon the four separated as Katsuya had got the horse and cart with which he drove Ling across the country and headed down south. Crossing the boundaries they had purchased an old shack that an old woman used to live in with a nice plot of land to grow food and dressed themselves as young couple. One day Katsuya was out to collect firewood whilst Ling collected water where they noticed a disturbance in the distance. The rustle of trees brought their attention to a chase deep in the forest of a hill. Seto's heart began to thump painfully in his chest as the place looked so familiar. Katsuya and Ling headed towards it and hid low in staring up at an army running. Katsuya craned his neck up a little to look upon the scaly green faces and flickering forked tongues upon the soldiers. He ducked down so as not to be seen.
"What are they?" Ling whispered.
"Not sure… I'll need to look it up… in the meantime I'm gonna find out who they're after… " He looked up again finding that they had gone quite a distant ahead before he turned to the princess. "This path leads to the clearing on the cliff side. We'll go this way…" Katsuya said as ran back down to a clearing looking up at a cliff edge poking out of the trees. There stood in the distance a figure… Katsuya couldn't really see who it was for the person was too far away. The person was edging closer to falling down to the rough rapids down below. It was either death or capture as the figure turned and dived towards the bellowing whites of the rapids. Ling gasped. Katsuya bit his lip staring hard, he saw a hand poking out. He could see that it was a boy this time as he tried to keep afloat. "Come on!!!" he cried running as fast as they could towards an opening. Katsuya tied a rope round his waist and handed the other end to Ling before diving into the raging torrents. Kicking hard, he reached and grabbed the poor fool that was driven down to here by those serpentine creatures. He tugged on the line as Ling tied the end on the tree and using it as leverage pulled with all her might whilst Katsuya swam. They crawled from the banks as the boy coughed and spluttered before rolling on his back breathlessly. The group gasped as Seto saw himself wet and half naked. (A/N: Again… *drool*) The Seto look alike tried to see who his saviours were but the exhaustion and pain was overbearing as the darkness over took him. It all made sense now as Seto replayed the sequence of the dreams, it was all the same just only that it was viewed by a third person. He was being chased, he was finding himself drowning under water and rescued. After all this time, the dream wasn't a dream… but a memory. The scene had melted away and they found themselves in the room. Now it seemed that finding one answer led him to hundred more.
"So… my big brother is involved in this too?" Mokuba asked whispering a statement more than a question. Andrin closed his eyes as in deep thought. Seto too was lost in his own world before his brother asked a proper question and possibly the most important one upon this new mystery. "Why are they after him still?" he glanced up at Joey and then Andrin. Andrin opened his eyes.
"It is getting late… you should all rest before we continue on in here…" he stated.
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He opened his eyes staring up at blue. Blinking a few moments before finding out that he was staring at the clear sky. He turned his head to one side as the scene changed to blades of green and a gentle tickling upon his cheek and ears. He was lying on his back upon a beautiful surreal meadow where wild flowers bloomed like the Garden of Eden. A lock of his blond bang drooped upon his face as he pushed it back, brushing past his ebony hair singed with crimson, which despite it's being stuck up felt like silk to the touch. Yami finally sat up looking around the meadow, it was indeed beautiful, intoxicatingly beautiful in fact. He tried to think how he got here yet… there was a blank… he couldn't remember… there was nothing… he couldn't remember his name but what surprised him was… he didn't mind… not remembering. A soft breeze rustled in the distance as a heavenly voice sung.
"There's something beautiful… in your name…" it echoed. Yami blinked as he got up and walked towards the sound of the voice. There were the rushes of a bamboo forest where the wisps of the bamboo leaves swayed side to side. With a hesitation he wondered if he should enter. He bit his lip as the echoes of the voice sung once again in the wind and he walked on. He had seemed to enter straight into a maze and for a fleeting moment a sense of dread filled his heart but was quickly quelled by the singing voice. He headed forwards pushing past the leaves of the bamboo where a smoky light filtered through slowly revealing an opening at the end of this strange tunnel he found himself in. Yami pushed the leaves away looking on upon the ethereal light ahead, a simple white scarf fluttered alluringly towards him. He was reluctant but his hand seemed to automatically reach for it. Gently wrapping his fingers around the silky cloth he felt himself be tugged. Tugged over a cliff edge yet he felt no fear, as he seemed to float down towards a calm sea and into its watery depths. Yami found he could breath under water as beautiful tropical fish swam by and up to him eyeing him with a childlike curiosity. He tickled one of them. The little angelfish twisted and turned as if beckoning him to follow. `Well I've got nothing else to do…' he thought as he followed them. (A/N: o_o This is indeed a disturbing fanfic Yami: *sounding chibi* ^o^ I'm mwaking fwiends with da fishies!!! Sam: -,- I rest my case)
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"YAMI!!! YAMI!!!" Yugi screamed looking all over the place in the cavern.
"Where is he?" Ryou whimpered. "He just… disappeared…"
/YAMI!!!!/ Yugi started in his mental link but it felt as if the link had completely severed. `It's not possible… even when I take off the Millennium Puzzle I could still feel his presence but now…'
"Look here Pharaoh no baka, this is no time to play games!!!" Ishtar growled but at the same moment there was another rumble of heavy limestone scraping across each other. The small group glanced as a wall seemed to come apart like a huge doorway. They saw a figure standing behind the huge brick wall, which opened with an earth-shattering thud against the chamber walls. Yugi squinted through the shadow concealing the figure as it approached them. In the light of the many fires of the inner chamber a glint of gold, black and red could be seen. Yugi's heart went into a leap of joy and relief.
"Yami!!!! Oh Yami!!!!" he rushed to his lover but felt a slash of pain stop him on his track. He winced as his arm started bleeding, a horrible had appeared there turning the blue fabric purple, he looked up and saw Yami standing over him. A sword gripped menacingly in his hand whilst his eyes were shadowed by the lack of light and his bangs. "…Yami…" Yugi whispered. Yami lifted his head as a set of white eyes stared at him. There wasn't the beautiful shade of crimson that Yugi loved, it was completely white. Yugi backed away and yelped as Yami growled ready to impale him with the sword in his hand. Yugi noticed upon the sword look almost like a twin to Yin's yet with the difference of a different insignia inscribed on the hilt. Yugi couldn't figure what it said as Yami went to strike him again. He rolled out of the way again whilst his friends hurried to his aid whilst Yami took another swipe barely missing Bakura.
"What in Ra are you doing!?!?!?!?" Bakura shrieked reaching to a pitch he hadn't touched for over five thousand years. Yami was silent as the pupil less eyes seemed narrow. Bakura and Ishtar suddenly felt a white aura seemed to envelope them. Both cried in alarm as they found they couldn't control their bodies. Conflict between the two spirits own will and the aura forcing them to grab a weapon from the racks and ready to strike at their own hikaris. "GURGH!!!! STOP IT!!!!" Bakura screamed as Ryou shrieked ducking out of the way of a huge axe. Ishtar was also having the same problem with Malik and a two-hand sword (or long sword which ever way you take it).
"No fair… I'm the only who can manipulate people like this!!!" Ishtar protested as he swiped at Malik who squeaked like a mouse before rolling out of the way and blocking with his Millennium Rod, that turned into a knife. Yami stood ominously with Yugi who was still gripping his bleeding arm.
"…Yami… it's me…" Yugi said desperately to him as in the background Ryou and Malik were running to opposite sides of the chamber followed by their yamis who unwillingly chased them with the various weapons of swords, scythes, daggers, knives and (in the case of Bakura) some sort of medieval chainsaw. (o_0?… ^__^U) Yugi ducked as he managed to get a better glimpse of the insignia. Atemu. It had read. Yugi gripped Yin's sword and looked at it. "I see… you and Yin… you weren't just lovers… you were rivals…" he said as Yami struck again this time Yugi stood his ground blocking the attack with Yin's blade.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" Malik shrieked in an undignified way as his yami brought down a large sabre down to his head, which he blocked with Millennium Rod however the blow had made him drop it leaving him defenceless.
"MALIK GET OUT OF THERE!!!" Ishtar bellowed. Malik covered his head with his arms. "NOOOO!!!!!" he screamed as the sabre prepared to execute. Malik whimpered as the sabre hovered millimetres from his face, so close that the condensation from his breath upon the blade could be seen. Ishtar was sweating and panting as he fought against his body to do the unthinkable in the world. "Go… I can't control it any longer…" Ishtar said behind gritted teeth as Malik slipped under quickly grabbing a twin sword machete along the way as Ishtar growled losing control again and striking at Malik. Malik twisted and turned as the feel of the new weapon felt familiar. He flowed easily dodging every attack made by Ishtar. SWISH. One blade became two. One in each hand Malik felt more revved as the clashing of metal began. Ryou ran with his arms outstretched in front of him whilst Bakura gave chase with a huge Viking hammer. Ryou squealed in horror as he was about to run into the wall and get clobbered to death when he ran up the wall and flipped right behind Bakura. Bakura stopped and as if like a drunkard turned and started the chase all over again.
"BY THE GODS HOW DO YOU STOP!?!?!?!?" Bakura yelled desperately as Ryou did a back flip and grabbed a staff from the wall of weapons blocking his attack. Malik and Ryou were back to back as Ishtar and Bakura lunged forward. Both pairs set in a deadlock upon their weapons as a fiery aura from Malik and a blue one from Ryou started to flare fighting against the controlling force upon their yamis. Malik with all his might broke the deadlock and slammed a fist into his yami. There seemed to be a crash as the aura around Ishtar broke.
"Huh?" Ishtar grunted as he wiggled his fingers according to his own will. "I'm free… JUST HIT HIM RYOU… IT BREAKS THE SPELL!!!" Ryou and Bakura broke apart as Ryou suddenly without thinking kicked his yami right where it would hurt the most. The aura broke but so did Bakura. A choking sound emitted from his throat as he dropped to the floor. After the rush of aggressive adrenaline Ryou realise his mistake.
"OH YAMI I'M SO SORRY!!!!" he wailed as he knelt by Bakura's side who had his hand over his crotch. "Ishtar said to hit you would break the spell…" Bakura looked dully at him.
"He told you to hit me but not `there' specifically…" he rasped before went back to rocking himself back and forth reeling in pain. Ryou became quite teary.
"…I'm sorry…" he whispered. A series of clashing metal forced Ryou to look at the last fighting couple. Yugi was severely slashed whilst Yami was still on the rampage for nothing seemed to hold him back. The knowledge that the person standing in front of him was the love of his life seemed to have been wiped from his mind.
"YAMI!!!" Yugi screamed sobbing uncontrollably.
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"Huh?" Yami whispered as he turned from his watery friends. It was so beautiful here, so peaceful and yet… Yami felt this overwhelming emptiness in him, something he couldn't ignore. He sat alone upon the bedrock trying to think, trying to remember. The singing began again.
"There's something beautiful… in your name…" it sang almost lulling Yami back to his dreamlike and carefree state but Yami shook his head ignoring it.
"My name…" he whispered. "My name… is…" he closed his eyes screwing them tightly so to drown out the heavenly melodies of this paradise world. "My name is…"
/Atemu/…Y…a…m…i… /Atemu, Atemu, Atemu/ No not Atemu… Yami… Yami… My name is YAMI
He opened his eyes, gasping. "Yami… my name is Yami" and as if a light switch was flicked on, the memories flooded back towards him. "Yugi… where…?" Yami looked all around him desperately.
…Yami… The voice was now more defined than before and sounded… distressed. Yami looked up and ran towards it.
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"Yugi needs help!!!!" Ryou cried as the two platinum blonds rushed over. "Come on Yami!!!" he cried dragging Bakura to his feet. Ishtar went to interfere before `Yami' struck Yugi again gripping his arm but the new power to manipulate he found was not the only thing about the new Yami as Ishtar found himself fly across the chamber knocking out a row of weapons. Malik cried to him as `Yami' drew back to impale him. Ishtar quickly moved in the way as the sword stabbed him instead.
"YAMI!!!!" Malik screamed to his soul partner whilst Yami drew back. Ishtar looked down stunned before glaring at `Yami'.
"OOOWWWW!!!" he yelled. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT HURTS YOU JERK!?!?!?!?" he muttered Egyptian insults to himself as he dusted himself off to Malik's amazement.
"Are… are you ok?"
"Ok!?!?!? Of course I'm not ok!!! I mean look at this!!! The baka just ruined my best shirt!!!" Ishtar screamed. Malik stared incredulously before he rolled his eyes.
"Never mind… forget I asked…" Bakura lunged grabbing `Yami' under the arms and holding him in a headlock.
"I GOT HIM!!! I GOT HIM!!!!" He cried. Just at that moment `Yami' head butted him and kicked him in the crotch. "AAAAAAAOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!" he squealed again like a pig. (A/N: Hmm… that sure happens to you a lot doesn't it? Bakura: *ice pack on crotch* I hate you… I hate you soooo much…) "You b******" he rasped sounding a little more high pitched than normal as he fell to his knees and rolled away from Yami.
"Kura!!!" Ryou cried holding him up.
"That conniving royal midget…" Bakura hissed and in tears from pain. "I'm a frigging tomb robber and I don't go THAT low!!!" Bakura seemed to let out a strangled squeal as he gripped his partner's jumper. "I'll never be able to make love ever again…" (A/N: MUWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!) Ryou's hysterical worry turned to absolute rage.
"THAT'S IT YOU SON OF A B**** NOBODY HURTS MY KURA AND GETS AWAY WITH IT YOU M*********ING B******" he screamed storming towards Yami with his staff. Ishtar and Malik watched in amazement.
"I didn't know Ryou `knew' that type of language" Ishtar speculated whilst Malik looked over at the shocked Bakura, whose eyes were wider than humanely possible for a hardened ex-tomb robber.
"From the looks of things nor did Bakura" he said before he left his yami to join Ryou in a double assault. Yugi sat down exhausted and badly cut whilst the two cut in working as one. `Yami' dodged a slash from Malik's machete and a swipe from Ryou' staff. After a bout of dodging blades, Malik and Ryou were getting tired whilst `Yami' was still in top form. `Yami' rammed at Ryou and went to strike again with his sword but Malik blocked with his machete however the former pharaoh's (despite being a foot shorter) phenomenal strength was overpowering and drove Malik and Ryou pinned against the chamber wall. Malik gritted as the blades scraped against each other from the tension of the two forces.
"NNNNGGGGGGAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!" Malik screamed as he threw sword away with tremendous effort pushing `Yami' back whilst Malik forced his machete to impale the hard stone floor. A line of fiery explosions erupted upon the floor as if a great force from Malik channelled through the machete and across the floor struck `Yami' down. Breaking into a heavy sweat and tremendous exhaustion Malik was on his knees leaning on his sword completely drained of energy. Ishtar ran to his side as he tried to remain calm from the huge amount of energy spent. He expected to see an unconscious Yami but found the figure had sprung back up. "Oh, f*** you…" Malik whispered before he passed out in his yami's arms. `Yami' leapt again this time Ryou dove to block with his staff. Ryou dodged and blocked with his seemingly weak and pathetic staff, flipping back and forth using his staff as leverage for high kick. The fight carried towards the next chamber where `Yami' had come from. Bakura, with a badly slashed up Yugi in his arms, and Ishtar, who was carrying his hikari, followed the duelling two and found themselves in a wet underground cave with a lake nearby. `Yami' drove Ryou towards the lake where they sank knee deep in the water where Ryou threw off another strike from `Yami' with huge effort. As if instinct kicked in, Ryou spun his staff like a huge baton in an almost hypnotic way before stopping to impale the water. There was a huge rumble as if demonstrating an example of the separation of the Red Sea the lake thrashed apart where Ryou had struck. He flicked his staff once and the water turned into a snaky tornado. With the wind blowing his wild white hair, Ryou pointed his staff as if aiming towards Yami and in doing so the watery snake struck Yami driving him back to the wall of the cave. After a few moments the water died down and silently, serenely flowed back to its origins Ryou leaned on his staff panting heavily as Bakura put Yugi down and ran to his aibou.
"Hey… you all right…?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh I'm fine…" Ryou replied cheerfully. "I'm just… I'm just a little……… tired…" he managed to finish breathlessly before his knees buckled and caught by his yami in a dead faint.
"Aibou!!! Aibou!!!" Bakura yelped shaking Ryou who groaned.
"NO!!!" yelled Yugi as Bakura found his preoccupation on his unconscious hikari distracted him from the coming onslaught of `Yami' who still didn't look any worse for wear. There was a clash as Yugi's small body blocked the attack, Yin's sword in hand. Yugi blinked away the tears as he threw `Yami' off and slashed down upon his opening. The wound opened like a light as the Yami clone staggered back, the light in the wound grew widening it and then… he was gone… with only the echo of a clattering sword that he was holding. Yugi stared in the empty space where Yami stood. He had refused to hurt Yami in their last battle before but now he couldn't take seeing his friends being slaughtered by his lover's hand and he had done something that would plague his dreams forever. He dropped to his knees sobbing. He didn't want to hurt anybody especially the one he loved but if he didn't stop him then he would have killed Ryou.
"Let's go find the real Yami…" Ishtar said. Yugi looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "I know that was harsh Yugi but you have to believe that that guy was not Yami… he'd never hurt you or his friends…"
"Oh I wouldn't say that" Bakura snapped wading out of the water with his unconscious hikari still in his arms.
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"YUGI!!! YUGI!!!" Yami yelled after the voice calling his name. He ran back through the bamboo forest to where he first found himself in this strange place. `Where are you?' he thought to himself. A dim light shimmered nearby and started to grow. Yami noticed it and looked, the light had grown to about his height and with a sudden flash making Yami cover his eyes a girl with long floating auburn hair and a cloud silk gown appeared. "Hi… do you know where I am…?" The girl merely smiled cocking her head to one side as she stared at the former pharaoh. It appeared that she did but she wasn't inclined to be able to speak. "Doesn't matter right now… I just want to get back to where I was before I came here… Can you help me?" The girl blinked before she opened her mouth an ethereal sound came from her.
"Why do you wish to leave?"
"Because… I want to be with Yugi…" Yami replied.
"He is important to you… yet you should know that this is your time… you should let go…" she said. Yami stepped back in horror.
"No! This is a beautiful place but I can't stay here… I don't belong here…"
"Everyone deserves to belong here… you in particular," replied the girl.
"I…" Yami started but suddenly the singing began again. "I'm going to find a way to get out of here… with or without your help…"
"There's something beautiful… in your name…" It chimed before the angelic voices echoed louder than ever and yet so peaceful. `No… that music makes me forget who I am…' Yami thought. `My name is Yami… my name is Yami… I have to go back… Back to Yugi…' he repeated to himself to keep him focused, so much so that the silky scarf that he had followed was now wrapping around him and picking him up to lay him down on a soft patch of grass that seemed to grow to form some sort of bed. `I have to get back… I have to…'
"My name is…" he tried say out loud to keep a hold of his identity and yet he felt it fading away. "My…" he kept holding on but he couldn't remember.
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The five friends had explored the watery underground lake and found another chamber. It was a domed shape with a single slab table and there lay on top...
"Yami…" Yugi whispered as he approached cautiously looking cautiously for some other surprises. Knowing that the close was clear he ran towards him. He stared upon the sleeping former pharaoh and at the strange attire he was wearing. He was wearing a white tunic with a gold belt across his waist and grey boots whilst gold jewellery or gold armbands and rings. He had gold plating upon his shoulders and huge earrings shaped around his ears, upon his head wore a gold band of the Sennen eye like a crown of some sort whilst he lay upon a faded purple cloak. Yami's arms were crossed over his chest his right hand holding an Egyptian crook. Yugi touched him gingerly. His fingers brushed against the tanned skin. "He so cold…" he whimpered. He gently nudged at Yami… "Yami…? Yami…" he shook harder when there was no response. "Please wake up…"
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Yami… please wake up…