Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Enter Tiamat: Queen of the Espers ( Chapter 11 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he doesn't think it's safe letting anyone except Anzu drive a car.

 

The fight lasted much, much longer than Ryou thought. He was absolutely certain that, once ten minutes had passed, Sami would just take it upon herself to `remind' them that they had something to do. And her way of reminding them would've ended with a sword right up their asses. But she made no move to do anything. At least, not until they started whining about who was right again. That's when she finally had enough. She had gone over and smacked them both with the hilt of her sword, and that was when they got the message loud and clear. They immediately shut their mouths, and Sami beckoned for Ryou to follow them. She led them through the darkness and up the road, which began to wind out of the city.

 

The road ended up being much more peaceful than Ryou expected. The darkness was simply that: darkness. No monsters were around, and the rain had stopped entirely. Mist had formed due to the cold from heading upwards into the mountain range, but other than that, it was like hiking at night. Scary, dark, damp, and a little exciting. But at least they weren't in danger of being mauled. Only one monster appeared briefly, just a flicker of movement before them, but Sami was fast. She decimated it with a ball of fire before it even saw them coming, and it was only because the poor thing screeched in agony that they even knew what Sami was doing. Black blood dripped down the road, pooling a little behind them. Ryou looked back at it in worry, wondering what else would be lurking, but everyone else ignored it.

 

“So, why do you think they're not appearing any longer?” Yami asked, as they rounded a bend, the right side of it dropping off into a very large lake. Sami looked down into it. It looked pitch black, just like the sky. Only the sound of the waves crashing into the cliffs told her it wasn't a portal into absolute nothingness.

 

“Either they're hiding from me, or whoever sent them is too weak to keep up that sort of power for too long,” she guessed, “Whichever one it is, it's a pretty good sign for us. It means the idiot doing this is highly inexperienced.” Ryou looked over at her. Idiot wasn't exactly a term he'd use, especially since that same idiot nearly killed Sami. But she didn't offer much else of an explanation, and Ryou doubted she had any, so he let it alone. For a few minutes, they climbed up the road as it inclined, and he sourly wished now that she hadn't gone ballistic on the car engine. They'd probably be up there if they had the car.

 

“So… about what you found earlier,” Yugi started, “You seemed to be really freaked out by it. Do you know something?” Sami blinked, not expecting that question. Personally, she couldn't see how or why Yugi would want to know more. She couldn't exactly find a connection, but she explained what she did know. She explained that the war had gone on due to a struggle over the throne of Nesce, which was where Espers came from originally. According to her, it was the world most concentrated with magic, which was why Espers, and Chesiers, were so powerful. And it was rumored to be where Mystics came from as well. But, other than that, she knew nothing else. The reason she was terrified was because it meant another war might begin, and this time, it might take their world out if it did. Yugi just shivered. A war! And against Mystics. He didn't know who would be able to go against them if that were the case.

 

“But… why did you call this particular Mystic an idiot?” Ryou asked her, shivering from both the thought of a war and from the cold, “Is she starting this war?” Sami snorted softly, shaking her head. There was a smirk on her face again.

 

“No, but she's definitely not skilled enough for this level of power,” she replied calmly, “This is sloppy work. It's almost laughable, really. Sending out a storm to stop us? And then it dissipates relatively quickly. Ryou, I highly doubt this idiot of a woman knows just who she's playing with. Either she's stupid, or she's young.” There was a note that sounded as though Sami couldn't actually tell the difference. Ryou wanted to laugh. She was perfectly calm about this, in the sense that she could probably destroy this woman in a few seconds. But the warning of a war was still too strong for him to find it in any way funny. He bit his lip as the road slowly sloped upwards. Trees were growing a bit thicker now, blocking out what little moonlight managed to get past the clouds.

 

“So, what do we do?” he asked her, as Yugi ran ahead to try and climb up the rock wall. Yami dragged him down, scolding him. Sami watched for about two seconds before replying.

 

“What can we do?” she countered, and shrugged, “Ryou, we're on the brink of magical warfare. Katsaiga was trying to warn us all along, and Rath made sure she silenced the poor woman for eternity.” Ryou looked down, closing his eyes. He remembered Katsaiga's last words; she pled eternal loyalty to Sith… to Sami, in her last dying breath. It broke his heart to kill her. But if he hadn't, Rath would have. Rath would've destroyed her soul. And he couldn't let that happen, no matter what Katsaiga was. Yugi looked back at Sami as she spoke to Ryou, and in the moonlight, his skin looked sallow. Sami watched as he walked up to her, his eyes glistening with worry. Obviously, the news was scaring him.

 

“So… we are going to war?” he whispered, shivering, “Like… murdering and pillaging? War?” Sami looked down at him, raising a quizzical brow. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and felt him tremble. He was terrified, but slowly, he calmed down. Sami had a mellowing effect. A strength poured off of her that reassured Yugi. And her smile, which was gentle, only added to it. But why was she smiling?

 

“Looks that way, my friend,” she said grimly, just a touch of sadness coloring her tone, “As it is, we've already received the battle flag. I have no mortal enemies other than Mystics, and Rath's already contacted us. She's using someone, and that someone's going to put Domino in a panic for her. Now, imagine how the officials are going to act if they find out we have a magical terrorist on our hands. You think they won't do anything?” Yugi looked over at Ryou, and the two had nearly identical expressions. They were horrified with the thought. Magic still wasn't widely accepted, and if the government thought it was a threat, hell would break loose. And that'd put Sami and Katt, and quite possibly the three spirits, in jeopardy. It might even cost them their lives. All from one person. And all for a reason they didn't see yet. Ryou shook his head in disbelief.

 

“They're going to persecute everyone who has even an ounce of magic in them!” he cried, his voice shaking, “Sami, they're going to destroy themselves!” Her sly smile appeared again. Just when things were going in the crapper. Ryou didn't feel she should be smiling at that thought, but he could understand her humor. She didn't like humans, and they'd be the ones destroying their own world if Rath succeeded. Which would make taking it all the more easier for her. It was a good plan.

 

“Exactly, Ryou,” she replied darkly, her eyes gleaming for just a second, “Without resistance, and with this world's influential monarchy distracted with the threat of magic, looking for something they won't find, Rath can move right in and take complete control. She'll use humans to get rid of us, and then she'll take over. She's playing really well, but she's missing something.” Sami clicked her fingers on the broken pistol she seemed to keep permanently to her hip, and Ryou knew what was coming, “My good friend, the blonde man. He's pissed off about this, and I know he's going to put up a fight with her. I don't know who he is, but he's powerful. We can depend on him if things get rough.” Ryou's eyes narrowed. He certainly didn't feel that way. Sure, he trusted the man would kill him if they ever saw each other alone again, but help them? He trusted Rath a little more than he trusted the man.

 

“But can even he stop the forbidden spells?” Yami questioned. Sami stopped now, for the first time, and she looked down. She must've forgotten about those. Her lips thinned, forming a small frown on her face.

 

“…no,” she finally said, “Damn it. If whoever this is unleashes them, Rath won't even need to get the government involved. We're royally screwed now. Those spells are powerful enough to wipe out entire worlds. Even one can kill every living thing in Domino City.” Ryou wanted to know just how powerful such a spell was. It just didn't seem possible. Espers were responsible for nearly every connection of magic every world had. Why would they make spells that could destroy Oblivion? He asked her this, but her only answer was, “I don't know.” And if she didn't know, Ryou doubted anyone in Oblivion would. At least, anyone who'd be able to actually tell them about it.

 

“W-wait… so they definitely have these spells!?” Yugi asked, his voice threatening to crack, “And you're thinking they'll use them!?” He was on the verge of a breakdown. If it wouldn't hurt him, Sami would've lied and said she doubted they would. But in the end, if it came down to cornering this person, they'd stop at nothing. She knew they would. She'd seen the tenacity the Mystics used; when it came to winning, they did anything they could just short of killing themselves. Even if they had to, Sami didn't think it'd be impossible that they would. It would depend on how close they were to a take-over.

 

“Not only do I think they'd use them, I know for certain they would,” she replied calmly, much more so than Ryou felt was appropriate, “If they've gone this far, and if Rath has those orbs, the possibility of using a bluff is low. They'd go for a full onslaught. What we need to know is how close they've come and what this storm is supposed to actually mean. I'm not entirely sure if the person we're looking for is the one who physically has the orbs, because of her low threshold for power. But if we can even find her, we may find a lead from her, too.” Ryou and Yugi had a hard time following at that point. Not because Sami wasn't making sense, but because they had no idea where to even begin. From how it sounded, whoever was causing this was just a pawn. And that pawn was going to be expended soon. And as much as Ryou hated the thought of it, they needed her as much as they wanted her dead, too. If anyone could use her, it would be Sami.

 

“So from what you're suggesting, we're going to be battling these Mystics in tiers,” Yami stated. Sami just grinned now.

 

“Now you're understanding my thinking. I was worried I'd have to spell it out,” she replied, and as they came to a cliff wall, she stopped. Putting a hand on the black rocks, she found the wall was slippery. Slippery, but not entirely lethal yet. They could climb it. She looked back and said, “I hope your rock climbing skills are up to snuff, because we're going this way.” Then, she heaved herself up.

 

When Ryou was smaller, he remembered with disdain when his father would take him camping and insist they climb up rocks together. He remembered the many times he skinned a knee or broke an arm because of his father's dumb idea. He hated rock climbing then, and he hated it now, as they traveled vertically up the cliff face. At the bottom, it'd been damp; the mud was just thick enough to provide some decent cohesion for handholds. But as they climbed higher, not only was it much colder, but the rocks were more jagged, and the angles were steeper. It was like climbing a wall of knives. Sharp, pointy knives that Bakura would've loved to use on Sami for this idea. Ryou kept praying the summit would come into view, but he knew they had much longer to go. And Sami wasn't one to stop and rest unless they were about to actually die from exhaustion. He personally wanted to know who actually raised her so he could kick them for hardening her. Finally, though, the rock began to flatten out, and the summit was finally beginning to unfold before them. Salvation had been reached.

 

“We're finally up here,” Ryou breathed, shivering profusely from the damp mist. It was soaking right through his skin. Sami nodded as she helped him up, and then she took a good look around. The fog was thick up here, she noticed, and it smelled of burning ash. Which wasn't too surprising. They were on top of an inactive volcano. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. To Ryou, it looked like she was trying to calm down, but she was actually hoping to pick up a trace of magic. The Esper should've been leaving one. Except that the traces she did find were incredibly small. She frowned.

 

“We might be, but something's wrong,” she told him, “I can't sense the Esper. I'm sensing something, but it's miniscule. You think it left?” Ryou's face fell. If it did, then their work was for nothing. And he doubted Shadi or Ishizu would be interested in a three-thousand year war. At least, not one that wouldn't involve Egypt. Sami hummed and turned, and froze. She saw a figure, partly obscured in mist, and she squinted her eyes to make out his features more accurately. She knew it was male; females had a specific type of energy this figure was lacking. Only when it spoke, did she actually recognize the voice.

 

“It's here,” the voice belonged to Rex Raptor as he stepped into focus, his long coat billowing, “It's probably inside the volcano, though. The heat seems to be acting as a barrier against the storm. I wouldn't be surprised if it was asleep, either.” Everyone just stared at him. Of all the people they'd expect to help them, Rex wasn't on any of their lists. But, then again, Ishizu did say she asked for his help. Yami smiled, but there was a cautiousness to him that Ryou was acutely aware of. He didn't trust Rex.

 

“Barrier, eh?” Yami asked, raising a brow, “Nice theory. But it begs the question… just how did you get up here?” Rex gave him a smirk of his own. Matching smug with smug wasn't the best battle plan Ryou would've executed, but he didn't make a move to stop them. And Sami didn't seem the least bit upset, either.

 

“I've been sent here to do some investigations on recent events, such as the storm. My boss is an Esper, and he's growing damn suspicious of it,” Rex replied, showing them his badge, “And I wanted to ask your crazy friend about her assault. I'm not so sure the two aren't connected somehow, and I'm hoping some facts can help `paint' the killer, if you will.” Sami gave Ryou a stare that seemed to ask if she should've been taking the man seriously. Ryou honestly didn't know how to respond. No one really took Rex seriously. Mainly because he wasn't exactly good at his job. Then again, half the cops in Domino were pretty lousy at solving crime. Rex couldn't be too much worse than them.

 

“First of all, there was no killer. I'm alive, in case you can't see that,” Sami replied calmly, but not without annoyance, “Second, how the hell did you know about that? I certainly didn't report it, and neither did Ryou.” She looked over at Yugi, but he also shook his head to indicate that he didn't call the police. Rex seemed mildly bewildered, and he took out his notes. To his dismay, he found that the reporter hadn't actually given a name. It could've been anyone. He bit his lip.

 

“Well, someone reported it,” he told her, putting the notebook back in his pocket, “Not sure who, since they didn't leave a name. I assumed it must've been someone you knew, though.” Sami just raised an amused brow. That was quite an assumption, given their current situation now. Ryou just snorted. He wasn't much better at guesswork and even he could tell this was suspicious. He leaned against a rock, looking Rex over carefully.

 

“Did you find anything about her attack?” he asked the would-be detective, who looked absolutely flustered now. He knew Ryou didn't trust his credentials, even if his boss seemed fine with them. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his lips thin with hesitation. Whatever his answer was, Ryou knew he wouldn't like it.

 

“Well… I kind of couldn't investigate before getting moved to this, so… I found nothing,” Rex told them regretfully, and Ryou groaned, “But wait! I might be able to find something if I ask you some questions! Please, just give me a damn chance!” Ryou looked back at Sami. Neither trusted Rex implicitly, but she nodded for them to continue. It'd give her time to think about what they should be doing next. Rex took out his notebook and a pen and asked, “Okay, how was she attacked? I questioned Pierre, and he said he heard a gunshot. Can you verify this?” Ryou nodded.

 

“Yes. She was shot,” he replied blandly, and then added, “There was a man who may have been shot, too. He ran after them. I mean, Sami was dragged off, and the man ran after whoever was attacking her. I found a lot of blood when I tried to follow.” Rex nodded and wrote all of that down quickly. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but a loud screech from behind them alerted them that they weren't alone. Sami turned, and a black limousine rumbled toward them. It came to a slow stop, and Kaiba climbed out. Mokuba, Joey, and Tea were with him. And all of them looked either worried or excited.

 

“What the hell are they doing here!?” Yami demanded, turning to Rex as though he were the sole reason this happened. Never mind that Ishizu told them Kaiba was coming. Rex raised an equally demanding brow and turned away. It wasn't his problem, and he wasn't about to let some old husk of a man blame him for it. Ryou just looked, and saw Mokuba looking around excitedly, breathing in the mist as though it smelled of something enticing. Ryou didn't feel that burning rocks smelled particularly good.

 

“So this is the summit! I've never been up here before!” Mokuba exclaimed, “It's all misty! It's awesome!” Sami frowned slightly. She was fine with Kaiba, but did he have to take Mokuba with him? They were in the middle of an investigation, and having to watch a child would only take away from their purpose. She didn't exactly approve. Walking toward the older man, she crossed her arms, glancing back only fractionally to issue a warning before Mokuba really disrupted something.

 

“I'd advise you to stay where you are unless you like falling off cliffs, little boy,” she stated, and turned forward to Kaiba, “You surprise me. I thought you felt magic was a load of bullshit.” There was just enough sarcasm in her voice to enrage Kaiba. He snorted, his mouth slanting. There were some people Sami never got along with, and Kaiba was definitely on the top of her list. Likewise, she was on the top of his.

 

“Oh, I do,” he assured her, “But if you losers are going to come here and play in the dirt, someone needs to make sure you don't walk off the cliffs.” Ryou could tell Sami didn't like the insinuation of stupidity. And if she thought she could've gotten away with it, she'd be throwing Kaiba off those same cliffs. But Rex was right there, and she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun him, not with the path being as treacherous as it was. Her mouth twitched in agitation. Sometimes, working with the ESB sucked. They had too many morals.

 

“Likewise, I guess you brought Tea so no one pushed you off, asshole,” she retorted, a slim smile crossing her face, “So, are you going to help us or are you going to insult me? Be careful, one of them will get you killed quicker.” She didn't say which one would do that, but Kaiba just grinned. Maybe they did get along better than Ryou thought. But right then, no matter how friendly either were, there was still the problem of getting inside the mountain. The summit was completely flat, and there weren't any paths to go down; you have to climb up a sheer cliff face in order to reach the top. Or to get down. Kaiba's implication wasn't actually too far off the mark, however insulting it was.

 

“Sami, how're we getting down into the mountain?” Yugi asked Ryou's unspoken question, “Isn't the cliff covered with moisture?” Sami nodded grimly. They'd have to be really careful if they planned on backtracking. Though, she did realize that Kaiba drove onto the summit. She looked at him questioningly. How did he manage that when the entire summit was surrounded by cliffs? That was why he was grinning. He knew something.

 

“No worries, my idiots,” he said, and walked over, “Sure, Joey isn't exactly Driver McGee, but he did nearly run into a pothole and collapse into it. That's our ticket in.” That also explained how they drove up a cliff. Joey was willing to do things like that, no matter how dangerous it was. At least he had bravery going for him. Kaiba used Rex's flashlight and showed them the hole. It was huge, easily admitting all of them at once if they wished. Joey and Rex jumped in first, followed by Yugi, Tea, Yami, and Mokuba. Kaiba just shot a smug glance Sami's way before entering himself. Ryou could just hear the `haha' he didn't say. Likewise, so did Sami. She turned to him.

 

“I'm not sure I should do this,” she said, and he stared at her in shock, “If I go down there, I might actually kill him.” Ryou laughed. That'd just improve their odds of actually finding anything. As much as Kaiba had his uses, he was insulting as all hell. If he even looked at this Esper the wrong way, they all would die. He patted her back.

 

“You won't kill him,” he assured her gently, “Rex will arrest you, and I know you want to save your sword for the Mystics.” Sami just grinned, and together, they jumped into the hole. Ryou expected it to be pitch black once they landed, but to his surprise, the cavern was amazingly well lit. He could see every rock, every crack in the wall, and every withering tree root. Albeit, it was all in a red tint due to the heat, but it was visible. Good. They could easily find their way down here. Sami was sniffing the air again, and her nose wrinkled. Ryou noted that the smell of sulfur was overwhelming him. Sami's senses were even sharper; it must've been nerve-racking to her.

 

“…we're closer,” she said solemnly, and grinned, “The fog's acting as ventilation. It's blocking out the stronger traces I'm smelling down here. But we're definitely close.” Ryou and Yugi watched for a moment, and she pointed out a very thick line of wispy smoke. It was blue, which was odd considering they were in a volcano. “The thicker these waves of energies are, the stronger this Esper is. Damn it, who lives down here?”

 

“What does it mean when they're that thick?” Yugi asked, as the smoke vanished an instant later. Sami led them toward where the others were already walking. The ledge soon overlooked a large pool of lava far below them. Ryou was glad they were higher up; any closer and they'd be cooking alive.

 

“That we're going to meet a very strong, very old Esper,” she replied, as Kaiba and Rex stopped outside what looked like a large, bronze door, “Older than I am, depending on how old I'm supposed to be.” Ryou shivered. Sami was already powerful enough to begin with. She walked up to the door, and looked at it. Two dragons adorned either side, and Sami noted that they resembled Chinese dragons, not the western dragons she had become accustomed to reading of. Taking a deep breath, she held out her hand. Drawing on the traces she felt, she opened the doorway for them. For just a split second, Ryou thought he saw her hair gray. But it vanished within that second. Without another word, she walked inside.

 

The chamber was large, and very warm. Ryou had expected that, because it was in the very center of the volcano; they'd gone in relatively close to the crater. But the walls had been stripped of dirt. Crystals of all colors replaced the rocks and grime he expected. Light filtered through each crystal with a luminosity he hadn't seen before, either. Magic was incredibly potent here, and even he could feel it. And lying in the middle of it all was a large dragon, its scales a deep, midnight blue. It was curled up, but at the sound of an entrance, it snaked its head toward the door. Sami was the first to enter, and though he felt cowardly for it, Ryou also felt reassured by it. Sami was both a warrior and a negotiator. If she failed the latter, the former would see her through.

 

“…a dragon,” Sami breathed, and knelt down, “An Esper.”

 

“Welcome, Sith,” the dragon said gently, though her mouth didn't move an inch, “I've been waiting for you to come. Thy name is Tiamat, the dragoness of the skies and queen of all Espers.”

 

“It is a great honor to be in thy presence,” Sami replied, holding her sword out, as was customary in a time so long ago, Ryou wondered who even taught her the gesture, “So, it is true that we're on the brink of warfare.” The dragon nodded as the others entered as well. She appeared clearly amused at having such a small audience, or perhaps a large one if she only expected Sami to arrive.

 

“Ah, so you've come for that particular reason,” the dragon mused, her teeth showing in a grin, “How… unsurprising. For such a fragmented soul, dear, you are easy to understand. I should have guessed that, in the sense of danger, you would seek the Espers out.” Sami blinked. That sort of response clearly wasn't what she thought she'd get. She put her sword away and stood, looking up at the dragon critically. It appeared to be in no mortal danger whatsoever, she now noted.

 

“Fragmented,” she repeated, and snorted, “I've heard I've been called that. Tell me, then, what I must do to get these answers I seek, and if I'll receive them by saving this world again.” So much for being a negotiator. Ryou began to worry. When it came to her past, and anything even remotely pointing to it, Sami became stubborn and almost unreasonable. If she got uppity with Tiamat, he could only imagine the dragon's response. No matter how calm it appeared now, Sami was still powerful enough to be a threat. It would probably kill her. But, for now, the dragon seemed calm.

 

“No, you will not,” the dragon told her gently, “But you will come a step closer to finding the woman who has those answers.” Sami knew she meant Rath. The dragon continued, “This time, you will have no help from Mystics. This time, they have summoned another portal to another world where the darkest magic exists to create balance in Oblivion. The world of Teufel. Otherwise known as the `Hell of Oblivion.” Sami's eyes hardened. She must've known of the place. Ryou glanced at her, but she didn't speak. She was shocked. Rex, slightly behind them, gasped. Hell! They were going to fight Hell!

 

“Hell in Oblivion!?” he repeated, “As in where demons and nightmares LIVE!?” Everyone else behind him whispered and murmured in fear, and Ryou caught Sami moving her hand to her sword. Tiamat was the only one who wasn't the least bit concerned. Considering that she was a dragon, Ryou could see why. He had read that dragons were the strongest creatures on the planet. A dragon Esper must've been ten times that. Tiamat merely nodded an affirmative.

 

“Correct, young human,” she said, amused again, “You will be encountering the inhabitants of Teufel, no doubt.” Sami's eyes narrowed flatly. Now she simply seemed annoyed. Ryou was curious to know if she'd battled actual demons before.

 

“Wonderful. Demons and the god of darkness,” she said flatly, “Just what this world needs. Who is controlling it? Do they actually have this kind of power?” Ryou almost burst out laughing. Her calmness toward this was unbelievable. Anyone else, even Katt, would've been shitting their pants. She was just annoyed. But then again, she was non-human, and she was speaking with Tiamat. Tiamat didn't appear afraid in the least, and her tone suggested they still had some time before hell literally broke loose.

 

“They do not, and I don't know who it may be,” the dragon replied, “But they are attempting a very dangerous thing to take this world and destroy it. I do not believe this person wishes to let your world continue.” That ruled Rath out, then. Rath made it clear she'd be controlling this world, not destroying it. But then, who did that leave? Ryou's thoughts flashed to the blonde man. He talked about killing a lot. And he seemed powerful enough. Could he have done this? He was human, but was it possible?

 

“Is this person a Mystic?” Ryou asked, and the dragon, along with everyone else, looked at him. They had already established that it was. He could feel Sami's annoyance turned on him now. But he had to ask. They had to be sure. She could deal with her anger later. Tiamat nodded again.

 

“Yes,” Tiamat said, “A Mystic you will know quite well, for you both have met her already.” Ryou and Sami glanced at each other. Tiamat had been specific; she meant the two of them. But they knew so many people, it was difficult to tell which one she was speaking of. Who did only they know of?

 

“I'm going to guess you won't tell us who,” Sami said simply, crossing her arms, “Can you tell us how we can stop her before she does anything cosmically idiotic?” Ryou stared in disbelief again. He'd have thought she'd do better to have a little bit more diplomacy in her speech, but clearly Sami didn't feel like playing nice. He couldn't entirely blame her. Time was essential if this Mystic was truly so close to them. But still, it'd be nice not to have an Esper angry at them, as well as a whole nation of Mystics.

 

“Retrieve the five orbs of the forbidden spells and break them,” Tiamat told her sternly, becoming much more serious than she'd been before, “It will release those terrible spells into Oblivion, but it will be better than to let Teufel receive them and destroy Oblivion that way.” Sami had to agree with that. And she knew Domino would be the first on the target list. These Mystics wanted her dead. And she was living in Domino. She looked at Ryou. Mentally, he told her not to worry. But she couldn't help it. In a chain reaction, he and his friends would be slaughtered as well. He turned to Tiamat again.

 

“Where is this Mystic?” he asked her, “We'll kill her before she does this.” He saw Sami smirk. She must not have thought he'd actually back the promise up. He ignored her. Tiamat just smiled sadly.

 

“Do not let your anger blind you into foolishness,” she warned, “I have given you all that I know. It is up to you how you do this, lady Sith. Do be careful… and trust in him to help you.” Sami's eyes widened, but Tiamat spoke no further. She was glowing, her body disappearing slowly in a swirl of white lights. Ryou looked at Sami as the silence fell, with Tiamat vanishing altogether. Then, she knelt down again. Tiamat was an Esper. Tiamat treated her as an equal. That meant something, but she didn't understand. Was she an Esper, too? She wished to hell she knew. She didn't know how much time passed, but after a while, she became aware that Ryou was with her, his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Sami, we need to go,” he whispered, “The others are already leaving.” Sami nodded, and stood. It was useless to dwell on this instance, but she was confused. Ryou took her arm and led her toward the doorway. She felt limp.

 

“…we go back and we tell Malik what happened,” she said slowly, as they walked out of the chamber, the bronze doors sealing upon their exit, rocks caving to prevent further entrance inside, “And then we make way for Domino proper. If there's a Mystic, the ESB will have files on her living here.” Ryou nodded. He didn't exactly trust that they'd find anything, but Sami needed to do something. They had no leads, and Rex wouldn't find one for some time. Warning the others right now was probably best. The only question was who would actually believe them.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After meeting the Esper in question and finding the answers they need to continue on, Ryou and Sami now leave to warn of the danger the world could be facing. With Teufel just a step away from them, the Mystic must be close to destroying the world. Can they find her and stop her before she does so? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!