Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ All Men head to Hell ( Chapter 13 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he doesn't approve of Ryou going to hell.
Ryou couldn't tell where Sami was heading. She seemed to stop randomly, look down, and then begin walking again. She did this four times, and soon, it began to get annoying. Ryou would've complained, but he knew she was looking for something. Perhaps it was a clue, but he couldn't see what she could've been trying to find. The wind had tempered a bit to a moderate level, and everyone else started following the two of them. But they were still a ways away. And abruptly, Ryou began to notice that Sami was sniffing the air again. She smelled something. Was it more magical traces?
When she stopped for the fifth time, Sami frowned. Ryou stopped alongside her, and they both glanced at each other. Without even speaking, Sami seemed to say that something wasn't right. Ryou nodded in silent agreement, and they both looked at the ground. Maybe it was to think, or perhaps they'd alerted each other to their movements, but both found what Sami had been looking for. Indeed, it was a trace of magic. At first, a fine spray seemed to come from the ground, but as Sami stood and watched, Ryou saw that spray thicken into a white, patchy mist that began to extend upwards and around, obscuring his view slightly. He could just barely see Yugi running toward them. The smaller boy must've seen the mist coming up, too. The mist continued to thicken, and soon Ryou had a hard time even seeing Sami, who was right next to him. But he heard her mumble something. Was she casting a spell? His nose twitched, but he just couldn't tell what energy was her and what wasn't. It all felt the same.
“Where the heck's all this fog coming from?” Joey asked, his voice sounding uncomfortably distant, “Yami, did you call up the Shadow Realm or something!?” Ryou heard Sami chuckle. He looked to his left, where her voice had come from. But he could just barely see her outline; he managed to see her tail whip the ground behind her.
“Looks like this `friend' of ours is getting stronger,” she commented, “This mist's pretty thick. We're probably lucky we're not dead yet.” Somehow, her words weren't comforting. Ryou didn't even know if that's what she was aiming for. He saw her move faintly. But just where was she headed? He couldn't even see which way she was facing.
“How long do we have until we're royally screwed?” Rex called in the distance, and Ryou heard Sami sigh heavily. She closed her eyes, and Ryou felt her tapping into some form of magic. The amount of strength she had was staggering! He could now see why she was able to do half the things she could. Then Ryou realized something was very wrong. He had never sensed her using magic before. He glanced around, wondering if anyone else felt it, too. He wished the fog would thin; he couldn't see anything now. The mist was way too thick.
“No idea! This fog's too much. I can't sense anything!” Sami called back after several minutes. Rex hummed, and then they all heard a loud thud, followed by an equally loud curse from Joey. Ryou snorted. Joey had just managed to slam into the limousine. He felt around for the door, but couldn't find the handle. Mokuba attempted to help him, feeling around where he heard Joey smack into. He managed to find the handle. And as soon as he touched it, he was jolted with electricity. Stumbling back, he screeched in surprise. Ryou saw Sami's outline rush forward. She began to look a little clearer now, but the further she ran, the blurrier she looked. Ryou quickly followed her.
“Damn it!” Mokuba hissed, scrambling as another bolt struck the ground near him, “What the hell!? Who's aiming at me!?” Sami reached to help him, and pulled him behind her as she muttered one word and put a barrier over them as another bolt slammed into them. Ryou screeched to a stop, and noticed a significant change now. He actually saw her with no difficulty. The lightning was actually clearing the mist! Her eyes darted across the scene, as though just noticing this for herself, and she looked at Yami. He seemed equally as perplexed.
“The mist,” she whispered, and he nodded, “This lightning is clearing it?”
“I'm getting the sense that this Mystic isn't the only one here,” he replied seriously, “Sami, do you smell any other magic?” Sami tilted her head. That was pretty much a given, and she couldn't see the point of him even asking her that. But she closed her eyes anyway. And quickly realized what he was getting at. One eye opened, looking at him squarely.
“Opposing magic,” she told him, “Someone else is trying to… help us? But why is he shooting at us?” She closed her eyes again, and they waited in anticipation. It took several more minutes before she said, “Someone's trying to help us out, but he doesn't realize what he's doing! He's widening the magical field around us!!” Her eyes flew open as another yellow bolt of lightning zapped the ground before her. Her voice had become so fearful, everyone scattered. Ryou pulled her out of the way, and the bolt barely reflected off of her shield.
“Sami, what do you mean the field's widening!?” he asked, but she didn't answer. She was staring up at Malik's roof. Ryou followed her gaze. And nearly screamed. The blonde man was there, and Ryou felt the source of lightning coming from him. But he looked at Sami for just a minute before looking toward the far north, toward another figure very far away. He aimed his Winchester gun and fired; instead of a bullet, lightning shot out. But it was purely magical. It smashed into the air, but the force was so devastating that it ripped a hole into nothingness. Ryou couldn't believe it. They were staring right into Oblivion!
“STOP!” Sami screamed, and the blonde man looked down at her, “Please, stop! You don't understand! You're…” She didn't finish. A black bolt of lightning slammed into her and Yami, sending them flying and smashing right into the car windows. Both slid onto the ground, Sami leaving a trail of sickly blue blood as Yami left a trail of red. It pooled on the ground between them.
“SHIT!” Joey screamed, as he and Ryou rushed to help Sami up. Yugi and Mokuba were working on Yami. Both had been knocked out cold. And both were severely wounded. Ryou held Sami close, looking up for the blonde man. But he was gone now. He ran away. Ryou cursed. He promised himself that if he ever saw him, he'd murder the man. And he let him get away. Distantly, he heard Rex order Joey and Mokuba aside.
“Are they all right!?” Rex asked worriedly, running over to him, “Damn it, they need medical attention. Who the hell aimed that!?” He looked up in the sky. Whatever Ryou and Sami saw beforehand was gone. But the tear into Oblivion remained. Rex stared at it. A tear into Oblivion was right there. Into that very void Tiamat spoke of. They were too late. Inadvertently, the blonde man blew open the link they were trying to avoid. And now that very link was sending whirls of wind everywhere, even more powerful than before. Dirt was being ripped right from the ground, and Rex heard trees cracking in the distant forest. They wouldn't live if they stayed out here.
“It's not safe! We have to get them inside!” Joey cried, and began to run back to Malik's house. He had to get help. Katt would be able to heal them… but as Joey reached the steps to the house, black lightning smashed him as well, and he fell to the ground. Mokuba screamed again as the wind dragged Joey toward where the tear was, and Rex grabbed Joey's wrist. He certainly wasn't being paid enough for this now.
“Everyone inside!” he screamed, “Hold onto each other, and make for the house! Most importantly, don't let go!” That was easier said than done, though. Mokuba took Joey's other wrist, using his other hand to grab the railing to the porch. Rex reached out to Ryou, who grabbed his hand, as Yugi took Sami's arm, keeping a tight grip on Yami was well. But it wasn't helping. The railing was ripped off, and Mokuba slipped, nearly letting go of Joey. Rex's plan wasn't working in the least.
“It's too much!” Yugi screamed over the wind, “We need Katt! We need someone to close the portal!” Ryou saw movement out of his eye, and he turned. The blonde man was falling into the portal, shooting at something as he did. The gunshots were muffled, but what he was trying to hit, Ryou didn't see. Ryou felt his stomach drop. As much as he hated the man, he couldn't stand to know the man might die now. It'd devastate Sami, too, if she ever woke up. Unconsciously, he stood up and let go of Rex. Which was a mistake. He meant to call the man, but instead, he realized too late what he'd done. Yugi screamed as he, Sami, and Yami were swept into the tear, and Ryou barely heard Rex yelling at him in fury. Ryou turned, and tried to reach Rex again, but he was swallowed up by the wind too quickly as well. They were losing an uphill battle against the elements.
“SHIT!” Rex screamed, knowing now that their attempts were utterly futile, “Mokuba, hang onto your pants and don't piss in them!” Mokuba just shivered, realizing with certainty what Rex meant. They were going into Oblivion. Nothing would be stopping them. He closed his eyes, wishing Kaiba were there so he wouldn't feel so terrified. But Kaiba was still inside. Mokuba finally regretted insisting that he go; he wanted to live. And he suddenly felt the pull of the mighty, angry wind as he, Rex, and Joey were thrown right into Oblivion.
Ryou didn't know just how long he laid, facedown on the cold pavement. It must've been some time, because it darkened considerably. He forced himself up, and looked around. Wherever he was, he couldn't recognize it. Clearly, he was on a road, but there were no houses. There were no trees, and only one streetlamp, an old, cast iron one that he would've found in an older time. It was burning brightly. Then he felt something slide slightly down his arm, and saw Sami. She was covered in blood; blue blood. Ryou's eyes widened, and gently, he felt the bandana in his hair. It was sticky. He winced. Her clothes were covered in blood, too. No doubt, his clothes probably had her blood on them. It was frightening to see, and what happened came rushing back into his head. She'd been struck with lightning and sent hurtling into a glass window. Its shards cut into her as she slid down to the ground. And now she might be dead.
“Oh my god… Sami, wake up,” he urged gently, shaking her as lightly as possible, “Sami, you need to get up. Please!” But she didn't awaken. He let go. Dead, he thought to himself, she's dead now. He stared at her. Now he just felt strangely detached. How could she just have died so easily? So suddenly? It couldn't be! Ryou shook his head. She couldn't have died just like that! No, it wasn't true! Ryou's eyes filled with tears. It just wasn't true! But with her body lying in his lap, what else could he think? He sensed no life. He couldn't even see her chest rising and falling with her breath. She had to be dead. The tears fell. He let her die. He didn't even do anything; he just held her and wished he did more. He disgusted himself! He even wished he'd died instead. Then the world would've had a chance.
“Ryou!” a voice called, breaking him out of his self-berating. He turned. It was Yugi, carrying Yami on his back. He looked ridiculous, of course, but he was clearly okay. And Yami was alive, miraculously. At least one of them survived the crash. Yugi smiled, and then came to a stop. Then his mouth dropped open at the sight of Sami, and he asked, “What happened to her!?” Ryou sniffled, clutching a lock of her black hair. It was matted with blood.
“Dead,” he said, emptily, “She's… dead. She's really… dead.” Yami opened his eyes, and Yugi set him down. He bent toward Ryou, who shook his head again. Then he broke down. She wasn't responding. He doubted she even was breathing. Just like that, Sami was dead. The woman who'd been there for him for two years, the woman who'd saved his life, the woman he was going to propose to… was dead. All it took was one bolt of lightning to snuff her life out.
“What do we do?” Yami asked Yugi, who shook his head. He motioned for the old spirit to be quiet, to let Ryou go through what he was going through. Yami just bit his lip. If he didn't do anything soon, Ryou would go into shock.
“She's dead… she's dead,” Ryou kept whispering, eyes widened as the tears fell, “She's dead… dead…” Yami took a deep breath. As much as he didn't like having to try reviving someone, he had to do something. They wouldn't be able to get out if Ryou was this out of it. That, and Sami couldn't have been dead. She just couldn't be. Yami closed his eyes, placing a hand on Sami's forehead. He felt an incredible wave of energy rush through his arm toward her. Likewise, he felt a returning wave of pain and nausea; most likely what she was feeling, or had felt if she was dead. He took his hand away, and waited. The effect of his spell didn't take long. He smiled. He knew she hadn't died.
“…shit,” Sami growled, “Feels like a truck rammed me into the ground.” Slowly, she sat up and looked around, her head swimming. Everything felt warped and wobbly. And then she remembered what happened. Considering the circumstances, that might've been the case. Slowly, her vision returned to normal, and she saw where she currently stood. Or sat. The sky was a dark gray, and a long, dark road stretched from the north to the south in a single, unbroken line. Gray grass grew along both sides of the road, and the only thing adorning such a lonely street was a single, old, cast-iron lamp. Her lips pursed. Then she heard Ryou calling her. At first, she couldn't recognize him; she had trouble remembering her own name due to the blow to the head she'd taken.
“Sami! You're alive!” he exclaimed, hugging her, “Oh, thank god! Thank all the gods! I thought that blast killed you! There was all of this blood and…”
“Ryou, be quiet,” she said grimly, and he fell silent, feeling slightly rejected by her, “Let me think… let me think…” Her voice trailed off, and the amount of concern caused Ryou to begin to worry. It finally dawned on him where they might've been. Which meant that the Mystic might've already leveled Domino.
“Sam, do you know where we are?” Yugi asked, looking up and down both sides of the road. Either way seemed endless. Sami looked up at him and nodded grimly, noticing that Rex and Mokuba were coming down the road, carrying a dizzy, but conscious Joey with them.
“…yes,” she replied, sounding almost a little confused now, “It appears… that we're in Winbourne.” Everyone looked at her. That definitely wasn't the answer any of them were expecting. Not that they expected to be in Domino, either. They clearly saw and felt the tear that had swallowed them into wherever this world was. But… they had never heard of a world called Winbourne. Then again, before Tiamat, they'd never heard of Teufel, either. Hell, before Sami, they never even knew that where their world sat was in a void called Oblivion. Yugi glanced at Ryou, and then back to Sami.
“Sami… don't you mean we're in Teufel?” he asked her pointedly, and she shook her head. Ryou had a huge feeling he'd hate this next explanation. And he found to his dismay that he was on the dot.
“No, we're definitely in Winbourne,” she replied calmly, almost amused, “Teufel's desolate and there's literally nothing there but the god of darkness himself, and the few demons he has as his servants. This place isn't… desolate, even if it's a little… empty.” She looked around again. Empty wasn't the best word to describe where they were; the only thing keeping the place from being desolate was the one, lone road they happened to be standing on. And the streetlamp. But there was no city to be seen for some time. Rex blinked profusely, and then snorted. Then he just laughed.
“Are you saying we're not even in Teufel!?” he asked, threatening to burst out in laughter, “That idiot of a Mystic didn't even get the right world!?” Sami grinned and nodded.
“No,” she replied slyly, “She didn't. That's good for us, too. The god of darkness doesn't particularly like visitors, and he really hates humans. I guess this means we get to live a little longer.” She finally stood up. Whatever confidence she did have slowly began to fade as she tried to look out into the distance, tried to find some semblance of where they should go next. She'd heard of Winbourne… but she'd never actually been here before. All that lay before them on every side was grassland, and the long, dark road that stretched to nowhere. She wondered if it even mattered which way they went.
“So how do we leave?” Mokuba asked her. She looked down at him. Obviously, he didn't understand what nervousness looked like. She looked down both sides of the road again. Just like before, they stretched on and on endlessly, until the road vanished over the horizon. And, there was nothing for miles to see. She turned back to them, and shrugged easily.
“Looks like there's only one way to go from here,” she said, “So let's choose a way and see where we end up. If we're lucky, this won't take us to hell.” Ryou twitched. He didn't think Sami should've been so calm about this, but she didn't appear the least bit disturbed that they couldn't go anywhere. But at least she'd have a clear head if something bad happened. And he just had this feeling that something bad would happen. Something always did. Likewise, no one else seemed the least bit convinced for their safety, either.
“Tell me you're joking here!” Rex exclaimed, as Joey cried, “I can't die yet! I still have to kick Kaiba's ass!” Sami raised a skeptical brow as she looked at them. In her mind, they shouldn't have been worrying so much. They weren't dead yet, though she had a feeling that'd change if they didn't settle down. She didn't particularly like crybabies, especially since there were things they could still do. Like look for a town or some sign of civilization. She knew there had to be one somewhere.
“Would you all shut up and let me think!?” she snapped, brows creasing in agitation, “You're acting like we're dying here! Look, we all die at some point, but now's not that point. Just give me a damn minute before you start freaking out.” Ryou just snorted, and Joey bit his lip, ceasing his cries of terror at once. But, Rex wasn't nearly as cooperative. He'd never actually worked with Sami before, so he had no idea just how impatient she was. It didn't help that he was stubborn as hell, too.
“But we still have things to do in our world!” Rex argued angrily, and Sami sighed, “We can't stay here! Besides, even if we don't have demons here, there's nothing! Grass and pavement! That's all we got!” He stomped on such pavement to prove his point. But Sami didn't buy it. She stared at him flatly. Ryou saw her hand move to the hilt of her sword, and he silently prayed she wouldn't kill Rex. Arguing with her wasn't a good reason to murder. But then, as he looked around, he wondered just who would've actually convicted her. No one aside from them would know, and if push came to shove, Sami might murder them, too. Damned crazy wench, she was.
“I don't know how many ways to spell this: we're not dying yet. I'm sure there's some city we can get help from,” she said, getting more and more irritated with each word, “I've heard a train winds through Winbourne. So do me a favor, shut that mouth of yours, and let me figure this out!” Rex just huffed and turned away. He didn't like being talked to that way, and he wished even more that they were back in Domino. He could've had Sami arrested for civil disobedience. Sami looked back down the road, seeming to wait for something. But whatever it was, Ryou couldn't see.
“So, when does the train come?” Yami asked, when several silent minutes passed. Sami's lips thinned. She didn't give him an answer. Technically, there was no set time; the train came when it came, and no one ever kept a track on it. As if to answer the old spirit, a horn sounded in the distance. But no one could tell just how far away it was. Ryou waited alongside Sami, and soon they heard the chugging of the engine, the screeching of old wheels. They looked at each other. The train was closer. Then, lights blinded them from one end of the road, and the roaring grew louder. They screamed, and everyone jumped away just as the train began to rumble to a loud stop. The horn whistled, and slowly, the door opened up. Ryou squinted his eyes. The train was black; it faded into the gray sky, which explained why they couldn't see it beforehand. Dim lights spilled from the windows. If Ryou ever saw a haunted train, that had to be it.
“That piece of shit nearly hit us!” Mokuba yelled angrily, as Sami boarded, “Are you crazy!? We can't go in there!” Sami just ignored him, and she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Ryou stepped up into the doorway.
“We've got nowhere else to go,” he reminded them, “It's either this or we stay outside.” That was enough to convince everyone else, who didn't want to be anywhere near the outdoors now. They rushed into the first car. It looked peaceful enough. Red velvet booths lined the car, with pale pink curtains hanging in the windows. The tables were made of rough oak, and the dim light was caused by the candles set into the wall. It had an older atmosphere to it that Ryou felt suited Sami in some odd way. He found her already sitting in a booth closest to the door, which slammed shut when they were all safely inside.
“What the hell?” Joey yelped, bumping into Yami when he scrambled away from the door. Sami chuckled.
“Ghosts are my first guess for that one,” she mused. Joey's skin paled. He'd never seen ghosts before, but he'd watched enough horror movies with Tristan to know that he hated all form of undead. Which consisted of zombies, vampires, wraiths, ghouls, phantoms, banshees, and ghosts. He cursed. That was just great news for him.
“You're saying there are ghosts on this train?” he questioned, “As in, those creepy sheet monsters you expect to see on Halloween?” Sami narrowed her eyes. Obviously, Joey had never dealt with a real ghost before. As usual, she had the misfortune to know what ghosts actually were; the essences of dead people as well as a pain in the ass.
“Technically speaking, ghosts are the essences of the dead condensed into an incorporeal form,” she replied easily, casually, “And yes, there are ghosts here. Winbourne, if I can remember, is a world full of demonic races and dark magic. Much like Teufel is, but of a lesser degree, and much bigger in size. I just hope my sword's enough to cut them all down.” Ryou's eyes widened when Sami slid her sword from her belt. It was already gaining a small, purple aura on the blade. The last time she used it was in a civilian area; he hoped the sword could actually tell the difference between a major threat and a minor one. And if it couldn't, then Ushio had been extremely lucky.
“Whoa, put that thing away!” Rex hissed, dropping his notebook, “We're going into civilian territory! You know brandishing a weapon could be the grounds for assault! That's going to land you in prison!” Sami just looked at Rex flatly again. Ryou guessed that she wasn't too afraid of going to prison. Not that there was a prison to put her in. Even if they got out of Winbourne, Domino might be destroyed when they returned anyway. She waved his worries away.
“What prison am I possibly going to go to?” she asked him, “If you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of nowhere. There's not a damn prison to be found.” And she left it at that. Rex found he couldn't even argue, because she happened to be right. There was nothing he could do. She glanced out the window and said, “Now, putting that problem aside, we need to figure out what to do next. If this train's haunted, we can't just assume there's an actual conductor. So… does anyone know how to drive a train?” This time, everyone looked at her like she was insane… again. Ryou could understand if she asked for assistance in driving this train, but asking if anyone actually knew was pushing it. Hardly any of them even knew how to drive a car.
“I thought you said you knew how to fly ships!” Rex exclaimed, throwing his arms up, “Are you telling me you don't even know how to drive!?”
“I know how to drive. I just don't have a license to prove it,” she retorted, and leaned back in her seat, “So I can probably drive this piece of shit, but I really don't want to wreck it and have the thing blow up in my face.” Considering that that's what happened the last time she piloted a ship, Ryou could see why she'd ask for help now. It suddenly made him realize that he should've been counting his lucky stars that she hadn't totaled his car yet. He glanced at Rex. The cop was watching Sami like she might've been planning to do something insane; his eyes had hardened and he had a hand on what looked like the holster for a pistol.
“You're an idiot for telling me you don't even have a license,” he growled, “I'm going to let it pass because there's nothing I can do anyway. So, putting that aside, it looks like our primary problem is getting to the controls. I hate to ask, but you do have a way to do this, right?” Sami just snorted. Rex didn't even need to ask that question. She nodded and pointed to the far end of the car, where a door sat to the outside. They could see the tracks rushing by underneath the car; currently, they were weaving around a mountainside.
“It's a simple concoction, if you ask me,” she said, a sly grin forming on her face, “We go to the end of the car, pass by, and keep going until we get to the front. And if anything gives us a problem, I chop their damn heads off.” Rex's eyes narrowed even further. That wasn't exactly what he considered a good plan. It wasn't even a plan, at that. He turned to Yami, silently begging the old spirit to do something. If anyone could put this situation into perspective, it was him. Yami sighed. He understood a request when he saw it. He leaned away from the wall, clearing his throat so Sami would look up at him.
“As much as your idea would work, just be serious about it,” he said, but before he could continue, Sami stopped him.
“I am being serious,” she interjected, her voice becoming frustrated, “Believe it or not, this isn't that hard. We go on. The only problem is the ghosts, and if we're lucky, I can take them out by myself.” Ryou's eyes fell on her sword again. He'd seen her skill in combat already. The ghosts would have to be pretty strong to take Sami down. But, they were also in a world where dark magic reigned supreme. He didn't even know if Sami's magic would have any effect. And she clearly didn't seem to worry about that. And if they were in a world full of demons, she ought to be. He frowned. She never seemed to worry enough.
“And what if you can't?” he asked her softly. She looked at him, and her grin faded. He looked gravely concerned. Rex and Joey were just whining, but Ryou was genuinely afraid. And she took that seriously. It dawned on her that not everyone was as cynical about magic as Rex.
“If I can't… then we'll have to run fast and hard,” she replied just as sadly, “But the basic plan is really that simple. So unless you have any alternatives, you have ten minutes before I open that door and do some ghost busting.” Ryou closed his mouth. He wanted to tell her that he didn't want her fighting again, but he knew that if she didn't, Rex would have to. And he knew a standard gun wouldn't do anything to ghosts. He doubted any department would issue magic-infused bullets for an investigation.
“Why only ten minutes?” Mokuba asked her, as she stood up and walked a little toward the back of the train. She glanced over her shoulder. Her sly smile appeared again.
“Because that's how long it's going to take before I get agitated enough to leave you all here,” she replied, and continued down toward the end of the train. Ryou just sighed. He should've known that Sami's time limit was to give her a peace of mind. He looked at his group of friends. Joey and Rex were already murmuring about the time limit she just set. Yugi, of course, didn't have a problem. He trusted Sami's judgment. Yami was looking out the window, pretending to be deciding even though Ryou knew his decision had been made. And Mokuba was just excited to be doing something. Ryou himself just sat next to Sami. He had mixed feelings over what to do next. But in the end, he knew it'd come down to their survival. And with that, he definitely trusted Sami. This was the same woman who'd been fighting what she labeled as evil magic for years now. Now Ryou would get to see just a scope of the evil she'd been battling. He just smiled when she gave him a questioning look. And then she left it at that.
-----------------------------(End Chapter)
Right before they can leave for the island, Ryou and his friends are thrown into what they thought was Teufel. When they discover that the Mystic couldn't even link the right world, they now must find a way out in order to continue. Can they stop the train, or will it take them to depths unknown? And will getting there really be as easy as Sami said it is? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!