Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Sith's Assault ( Chapter 25 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he wants to know why Ryou almost dies in every one of my stories.

 

Ryou didn't know just where he was ending up, but as he flew through the portal, and flew through what felt like darkness, he became aware that wherever this was, it wasn't killing him. But he knew enough that it wasn't his world. Why Amber had let him live, let him run off to find Sami, he didn't know. But finding her was imperative; he didn't want to know what would happen if he lost her. Finally, he began to descend. He didn't see how, as the ground wasn't visible. It was as black as the sky. Yet he felt himself descending. And finally, he managed to crumple to the ground. He wasn't entirely surprised that it hurt, either.

 

“Ouch,” he growled, slowly getting up to look around. It felt neither hot nor cold, but it looked dark enough. Wherever he was, it stretched on forever in every direction, and when he looked up, he saw weak stars burning dimly above him. For a second, he wondered where he actually went. This couldn't have been Oblivion; he had thought Oblivion was generally the same as `outer space.'

 

“So you made it here, too,” came that same voice Ryou hated. He turned. The blonde man was right there, his face half hidden in shadow. His good eye burned again with that ferocious fire Ryou had seen, but he looked much more gaunt than before. Perhaps it was just the lack of light. Then Ryou noticed the man was missing something. Sami was no longer in his arms. Ryou's mouth dropped. He had been certain he saw the man leap with Sami still cradled close to him.

 

“Where is she!?” Ryou suddenly demanded, knowing he had seen right, “Tell me!” He rushed over and grabbed the blonde man's coat angrily, but the man shoved him away. Ryou fell back, and crashed onto the floor again. He looked up, his eyes colored with hate. This bastard of a man lost her! Sami could be anywhere now! Ryou scrambled up. He would find her. And he'd do it without the man. He threw a punch, which the man blocked without a sweat. But Ryou kept coming. He didn't know exactly what was drawing his rage, but he wanted to pummel something. He wanted to beat something to death, and the blonde man made the perfect target. Except that Ryou wasn't hurting him. The man threw him back again.

 

“Do that once more,” the man growled, “I dare you. I want to see you do it so I can murder you already. Come on.” Ryou wanted to scream. Why was he the bad guy? The blonde man was taunting him! And he fell for it. He scrambled and ran again, throwing all of his weight into body slamming the man six feet under. They both fell this time, snarling at each other. Ryou was clawing his way into the man's good eye. And for once, the blonde man was having a hard time shaking him off.

 

“And just what… do you humans think you are doing!?” Ryou stopped trying to strangle the man as he heard that voice. He didn't recognize it; it was gruff, deep… almost what you'd hear if dogs could have a voice. And when he turned, he saw it was a wolf speaking to him. A very large, silver wolf. With two large, piercing golden eyes. The wolf growled and said, “First we come here to seek refuge and now we find you pitiful creatures killing each other! What a joke, to have our homeland fall into your world!” Ryou just blinked. He was sure wolves couldn't talk, but this one had more than enough words for him. He got off of the blonde man, and looked at the wolf closely. Even standing, he was still shorter than the large creature. His guess was it wasn't friendly, either.

 

“…” It suddenly dawned on Ryou just why this wolf was talking. His body shook. Sami wasn't the only Esper alive, after all. Gently, he said, “Esper.” The wolf tossed his massive head back, looking sharply at Ryou. His fangs glistened despite the darkness of the black sky.

 

“So you aren't as stupid as you look. A relief, to be sure,” the wolf growled, “My name is Fenrir.” Ryou wasn't quite sure how to reply to that. He wasn't used to being insulted, and he certainly didn't know how to address an Esper. Unfortunately, the blonde man was much, much quicker. And he wasn't nearly as polite. Ryou saw him take a pistol and load it, though he didn't shoot. Yet.

 

“Nice name, dog. Now move,” the man growled, “We're looking for Sith. I'm sure you've heard of her.” Ryou stared at the man. Not only did he insult an Esper, but he threw Sami into the fire, too. But the name produced a surprising effect. Fenrir's eyes widened, and his feral rage was gone. General worry replaced it, and he stepped back a few paces. Ryou turned to him. That was something he didn't think he'd see. The wolf grunted and growled, and then tossed his head back again.

 

“We all know of Sith Winchester. Rest assured she is not forgotten,” the wolf said in a low voice, “I suggest, humans, you refrain from finding her.” Ryou snorted. He'd need more than that to give up looking for Sami. And he knew the blonde man would need more, too. At least that was one thing they had in common. Ironically, it was the one thing they wanted to kill each other for, too. But irony could be considered when they were safe.

 

“Give us a damn good reason to do that!” the blonde man demanded as Ryou asked, “What could Sami have possibly done?” The wolf regarded them both with piercing eyes. He normally didn't divulge information to such peons like humans. But to hear they had connection to Sith Winchester… that was a story he'd have never thought possible.

 

“If only you knew who she truly was,” the wolf said, though it was more to himself than to the boys. Then he seemed to chuckle. “Sith Winchester was once a mighty Esper. But, long ago, she was forced to do something so terrible, it would have destroyed your world if she had succeeded. And, as her elders, we were forced to act. It was… a terrible move on our parts.” Ryou's eyes widened. Whatever had happened, it really must've rattled Sami's mind worse than he thought. She had never spoken of this. And that was because she probably didn't even remember it. But it'd explain so much about her if it was true. Her conquest against the Mystics, her amazing ability with magic, and even her own personality. But what was the actual connection?

 

“But it was a move we had to make, lest it destroy us,” said another Esper, this one being a goat with a green mane, “Had we not sent her running, she would never have been able to control the forbidden spells.” The spells! Ryou frowned. Sami said those spells had terrible effects. She must've used them. It explained why she knew of them at all. And if they had the ability to erase memory…

 

“She used them, didn't she?” Ryou asked, “Sith. She used the orbs, didn't she?”

 

“Yes. She used but one,” Fenrir said darkly, and Ryou thought he felt the hairs on his neck prickle, “And it nearly destroyed both worlds in one shot. We were forced to remove her. But… she escaped before we could detain her.” Ryou didn't know whether that made him happy or sick. He shook his head. That couldn't be the same woman he'd come to know. Sami detested those terrible spells. Why would she ever use one herself!? He looked at the blonde man. He was listening intently, his eyes gleaming. Ryou thought he saw a hungry look in them. He shivered and turned back to the two Espers.

 

“What happened to her?” he asked, and at that, silence fell. Ryou tensed. The answer was obvious. She came to him. He dared a look at them all. Fenrir was simply watching him carefully, and the second Esper said nothing, looking away. But the blonde man was grinning as he looked down at Ryou. The look was smug. Ryou felt anxiety well up in him, and he asked, “Well!?”

 

“We do not even know the answer,” the second Esper replied after a long moment, “She escaped to another world. We lost her… after he appeared.” Ryou glanced at the blonde man. That hungry look returned, but it was even stronger. Right then, Ryou was glad Sami wasn't with them.

 

“Who is she?” Ryou asked quietly, eyes watering, “Sami… she's Sith, isn't she? That's why… that's why everyone calls her Sith. That's her. She's the same one, isn't she?” The second Esper closed his eyes, but Fenrir nodded grimly. Now Ryou felt ready to faint. That meant this all was truly real. The Mystics had a perfectly good reason to destroy his world. The blonde man had a reason to be there. And Sami had a reason to run. No, Sith had a reason to run.

 

“The only one who can truly confirm her is Bahamut,” the second Esper said, “He knows Sith's identity far better, and he's been searching for her for over three thousand years. He will… tell you when he finds her.” Ryou didn't want that at all. If the Espers found Sith, she would be done for. He knew whatever she had done, it was serious. Likewise, the blonde man looked absolutely flustered. He lowered the pistol, his eyes quite wide with terror.

 

“You're going to summon that snake on her!?” he spat in disbelief, “You Espers have got to be kidding! Sith doesn't deserve that!”

 

“SILENCE!” Fenrir roared, bearing down on the man, “Who are you to decide what is fair and unfair for Sith Winchester!? You, who have so far hidden her from us, you who have taken it upon yourself to thwart us so majestically! I shall devour you for that slander!” Ryou shook visibly from the hatred in the wolf's words. But the blonde man didn't falter a bit. Even as the wolf's sharp fangs came just inches from his slender form, the man was well-composed. Either he was very stupid, or very strong. Ryou took an educated guess that he was both.

 

“Do it, then. It's not like before,” the man replied softly, almost sadly, “As for deciding, why shouldn't it be me? Why should it be Ryou?” Everyone turned to Ryou this time, and the boy staggered back. He was able to choose for Sami? That seemed entirely unlikely, since she never once listened to him anyway. Fenrir looked back at the man, still pinned beneath his massive paws.

 

“If the choice were mine, it would be neither of you,” the wolf growled angrily, and the man winced at the smell of the Esper's breath, “For you both are pathetic men. But alas, only Sith's own heart will tell us what to do. As if that could possibly save you.” Ryou thought Fenrir would eat the man right there, but the wolf got off and stormed away a bit farther back. The blonde man sat slowly, his head spinning from the wolf. But when he went for his pistol, the second Esper intervened with a raised hoof. The man froze.

 

“Do not hate us because we cannot help you,” the Esper said gently, yet firmly, “Let Sith decide for you.” The man nodded, but Ryou could tell that wasn't enough.

 

Suddenly, a terrible force shook Ryou, one he had never felt before. He looked up, hearing a whistle just beyond human hearing. The others heard it as well. And there, they saw a bright star. Or what looked like one. But clearly, it was more than that; it was coming closer with each passing second. And with each of those seconds, the force Ryou felt grew doubly powerful. It felt as if his bones would shatter, should it continue to grow. He squinted. The star took form now. It was no normal Esper; it was a huge beast of an Esper, and Ryou saw that the `star' was from the light radiating off of the halo adorning its head. Black wings spanned from either side of its body; the inside pockets of the wings shone with every imaginable hue. But what truly caught Ryou was the head. It was serpentine in nature, but its bulk was much heavier than any serpent Ryou had read, either in school or among Sami's books. Two horns protruded from its long snout, and mist issued from that same snout. Even without the books, Ryou knew what he now beheld. A dragon. A giant dragon of holy power. And it was close to landing.

 

“Lord Bahamut!” the second Esper breathed, “In all my years, it has been far too long!” The dragon landed with a loud thud that echoed across the empty plains. Up close, it seemed even bigger than the mountains that surrounded Domino. And its power felt all too intimidating. Ryou fell back in terror. But the dragon didn't feel hostile. It regarded him with golden orbs. Then, it spoke.

 

“In my many years, in the millennia I have spent, only few have been able to worry me as Sith Winchester has,” he said gently, his voice driving whatever fear Ryou held away, “But I see now that the situation has not improved. I am… not surprised to see you here, Mihael.” Ryou looked at the man. Now he looked terrified. The blonde man backed away, shaking his head. He had dropped his pistol. But he said nothing. Ryou chose to ignore him, turning back to the dragon.

 

“Where is she?” he asked the dragon worriedly, “We… Amber sent us here, but we lost her. She's here, right?”

 

“It appears she no longer carries the identity of Sith Winchester,” Fenrir warned the giant Esper, “That human insists that her name is Sami, however pathetic that human name may be.” Bahamut nodded, but didn't seem too disturbed by that news. Ryou wasn't surprised. Sami did work for the ESB, after all. The dragon looked up at the sky for a long moment. Ryou couldn't find what he was looking at; it was pitch black and the stars were too dim to be of interest.

 

“But she acknowledges that her name is Sith,” the dragon mused, “The advent is arising, after all.”

 

“What advent?” Ryou asked. All three Espers turned to him quickly, and he suddenly felt very small amidst their presence. Whatever the `advent' was, it was important. But only he seemed the least bit unknown to it. Even the blonde man, who was once so scared and pale, seemed immediately concerned at Bahamut's words. He turned to Ryou. Ryou was surprised the blonde man would even answer him.

 

“You probably don't know, but a long time ago, the throne of Nesce used to be ruled by a woman named Sith,” he explained, “Sith's not a common name. We're pretty sure my Sith is the Sith they want. As you can imagine, the Mystics don't want her on the throne. It'd mean a shitload of trouble for them. So, they kind of want her dead, even if she's not the right one.” Ryou didn't believe for a second that Sami was the wrong one. Amber alone was enough to convince him. The only problem was if Sami didn't believe it. And a story this outrageous, she might not believe. He turned to the dragon again.

 

“Fenrir said that Sith did something that caused her to run away. What did she do?” he asked, and the dragon blinked, “Please, sir. I know Sami, so I think I know Sith, too. She wouldn't do anything that'd hurt anyone.” At least, he was sure she wouldn't. Maybe. Bahamut chuckled. Ryou knew nothing about Sith, this much the dragon was sure. But he found no harm in telling the boy. For now, the boy was part of her life. He deserved to know.

 

“She killed the only one who could unleash and seal the forbidden spells,” the dragon replied simply, but it didn't lessen Ryou's absolute confusion, “That is all you need to know until she learns more about herself.” Ryou nodded, wondering how long that would be. But the blonde man clearly wasn't up to the wait. He had regained his courage. Or his stupidity, considering that he picked up his gun and aimed it right at Bahamut again. Damn idiot never knew when to just do nothing.

 

“Yeah, and until you sons of bitches take her away again, too!” the man spat furiously, his good eye burning in outrage, “I'm not letting that happen again, so you all can go to hell and shit yourselves!” Ryou's mouth dropped. Even Rex wouldn't have said that, and he hated Espers more than the blonde man could have. At that point, it wouldn't have even mattered, anyway. Fenrir lunged and pinned the blonde man again, his eyes gleaming as he bared his fangs. The blonde man smelled the fumes of fetid flesh. He retched.

 

“I'm sorry, pathetic whelp. I didn't realize that you wanted to DIE!” the wolf roared, and Ryou swore he saw drool issuing off of its oversized fangs, “Insulting Lord Bahamut is going to be the LEAST of your troubles when I devour your disgusting soul!”

 

“That is enough, Fenrir,” Bahamut said seriously, knocking the wolf away like a puppy. Then, he turned to Ryou, “Sith Winchester is an enigma to us all. It's been some time since any of us have seen her, so forgive us for how we responded to her name.” Ryou saw he glanced at the blonde man for a split second. The poor guy was currently trying to avoid lying in his own vomit. Ryou felt pity well up in him again. Even if the man was a conceited jackass, he didn't deserve such a humiliating endeavor. He turned to the dragon.

 

“But do you know where she is?” he asked calmly, and said, “Please, Espers, I beg of you. Help us find her! She might be able to save our world.” Bahamut glanced at the two smaller Espers. Fenrir didn't seem entirely keen on helping them, but the second Esper did. Bahamut took in a deep breath, and looked back at Ryou. It took little effort to find Sith; she was very, very powerful. But the devastation at seeing them… Bahamut had to risk it. Ryou wasn't lying to him, and he knew from Tiamat that their world was close to collapse. They needed Sith.

 

“Sith Winchester is fine,” he replied gently, and pointed a claw due north, “She is ahead.” With that, Fenrir and the other Esper vanished entirely. Bahamut stayed for just a moment longer. He eyed Ryou carefully, and then looked at the blonde man. Ryou had the feeling he understood the battle between the two men. And when Bahamut spoke again, Ryou found he was right. “I wish not to know who will win your own war, Ryou.” Ryou frowned, but before he could ask, Bahamut was already out of sight. His shoulders dropped. That was more confusing than it was informative. He turned to the blonde man.

 

“You know about Sith,” he said, neither angrily or jealously, “Do you think we can tell her what we know?” The blonde man retched one last time and finally rolled away, shrugging his leather coat off. Underneath, he wore still more leather attire. And he didn't look any less intimidating from it. He turned to Ryou and shook his head as he folded his coat up.

 

“No. She has to learn on her own,” he replied grimly, and then frowned, “Ryou, look. I know you want to help Sith, but this isn't the way we do things. We can't tell her. She wouldn't believe us anyway. Her story's too sketchy, and way too damn old.” That didn't mean they couldn't try. Ryou looked to where Bahamut had directed them. Like all the other directions, it was dark and black and empty. He couldn't feel Sami anywhere. He shook his head.

 

“So we don't do anything?” Ryou asked, and when the blonde man nodded and turned away, he exclaimed, “Why!? That's… that's stupid! We have to tell her!” He wanted to argue, but when he took a step forward, he felt a hand shoot out of nowhere and turn him around. He yelped. And then he saw what grabbed him. It was Sami. Or was it Sami? She looked the same, but her clothes were different now. Ryou wondered just where she got her new attire; she looked like a warrior straight out of a SaGa game.

 

“Feel free to,” she told him calmly, and he saw the remnants of a sly grin, “I already know.” Ryou just stared, at first unable to believe it was her. Last time he saw her, she was down for the count. But this was Sami, after all.

 

“You're alive!” he breathed, and when she nodded, he asked, “But what do you mean, you already know? What do you know?” Sami just chuckled, and pointed her chin toward the darkness. Ryou looked, but couldn't quite understand what she was getting at. The blonde man was much quicker, and he laughed. Ryou just stared at them both, continuously perplexed by the encounter. Sami's smile grew.

 

“I overheard you all talking,” she told him, “I liked the part about Sith. I like that name. I never thought Sami was a good name for me. Not so keen on the ruling of Nesce, but I like the name.” Ryou could only shake his head. Sami was craftier than he thought. Not even Bahamut detected her presence. Or perhaps he had? She did come out of absolutely nowhere. For all they knew, she had been northbound. Ryou couldn't fathom it.

 

“I don't know whether to be surprised or amused,” he mumbled in disbelief. Sami chuckled again, and crossed her arms.

 

“Bank on being amused. I find it's easier,” she replied, amusement clearly coloring her voice. Then she went serious again, “But now a more pressing problem. If the Mystics are after me, there's a chance they think they've won. I want to kick their asses for it, so as soon as we get whatever else we need, let's get the hell out of Dodge.” Ryou couldn't agree more, but with the Espers gone, they weren't likely to get anything else that might help them. He would've relayed what they learned, but if Sami already overheard, there wasn't too much point. He looked at her.

 

“So, if you and Sith are one and the same, which name should you take?” he asked her, and she tilted her head, “I mean, we don't know for sure, but everyone seemed pretty sure that you're the Sith they're looking for.” Sami nodded wryly, and looked out over the barren darkness. Her eyes narrowed for just a moment.

 

“Might as well go with Sith,” she finally said, “At the very least, it'll throw Amber off a little. She won't be expecting it. And even if I'm not her, I'm sure she won't mind my borrowing the name.” Ryou frowned. He doubted that was the case, and likewise, she didn't go any further into that particular scenario. The blonde man just seemed relieved to finally hear her call herself that. He clapped his hands, then stood by her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ryou felt his stomach churn.

 

“I say we get this show moving, Sith,” he told her with a grin. Ryou wished Fenrir had devoured him; he looked so damn smug. Sith just nodded, but Ryou noticed she was hesitating now. He asked her what was wrong. The problem, as it turned out, wasn't so little. Nothing ever was, when it came to her.

 

“Because I personally don't have the spell, there's not much I can do to counteract X-Borgen,” Sith said grimly, “The best bet is to wait for Amber to use the spell again and take advantage of the portal she'll open.” The blonde man seemed to go for this idea, but Ryou felt that, unless Malik actually stayed, the chance of Amber using the spell was slim. And he knew Malik wasn't that stupid. He shook his head. He didn't like going against Sith, but this idea wouldn't work out.

 

“How did Bahamut get out?” he asked her. Sith's lips thinned. She'd seen pretty much what Ryou had witnessed. And that wasn't much to begin with. They literally vanished.

 

“My guess is he flew,” the blonde man joked, earning a sharp rap on the head from Sith. She obviously didn't like his sarcasm. Ryou couldn't say he disagreed.

 

“I'd ask for their help, but I don't think they liked us,” Ryou admitted timidly, and then added, “Or you, for that matter.”

 

“I'm not surprised by any of that,” Sith replied calmly, shifting her weight a bit, “Espers in general don't like humans, and I'm not exactly the nicest or law-abiding of the bunch.” Ryou could only snort. Rex, Kaiba, and many others could easily attest to that, but he didn't bring it up. No matter who agreed on what, the fact of the matter was that the Espers wouldn't be helping them. They had to find a new way out.

 

“Is there any spell that could help?” he asked again, and Sith frowned, “Bahamut said you killed the person who released them in the first place. You have to have done something, right?” That was definitely the wrong thing to ask. Sith's eyes narrowed, and the blonde man clicked a gun, aiming right at Ryou. But Sith held a hand, and the man reluctantly lowered the weapon. She shook her head.

 

“I must have, and in time, we'll learn,” she said, her voice barely breaking as she tapped her chin, “We know that for every spell and element, there's an adjacent one that counteracts it. We just need… to know what to do to manipulate Amber's power. It shouldn't be hard; she's not particularly skilled.” Ryou didn't want to tell her that Amber did this part on purpose, so he didn't. He looked at the blonde man, but the man seemed just as confused as he stared off into the black. Ryou turned back to Sith.

 

“Got any ideas, Sith?” he asked her. She nodded grimly, which he wasn't sure he should've liked. That usually meant her ideas were very bad.

 

“Portals are like doorways. They can't differentiate between letting one in and letting them out. We can use that,” she replied after a moment of thought, pacing around, “Amber will use the spell again. I know it. It'll be the only way to dispose of Yami and Bakura, both of whom she seems as equally a threat as myself. When she does, we may be able to get out through there.” Ryou didn't know much about how powerful X-Borgen was supposed to be, but he didn't want to believe it'd be that simple. For one thing, it might take some time for Amber to even find Yami, and that's assuming she didn't kill Yugi first. And for the second, even if Sith was right, they might still escape too late to save themselves. He shook his head.

 

“Are you certain she'll actually use the spell again?” he asked her in what she took as skepticism. She nodded, her sly smile returning.

 

“This is Amber. She'll do whatever she can to cause whatever hell she wants,” she replied truthfully, “I know she will. It's just a matter of when.” Magic must've liked Sith then, because right after she spoke, there was a ripple in the sky. It was slow and small at first, but eventually it widened out and spun in on itself, like a tornado hanging in mid-air. She laughed heartily and said, “Speak of the devil!”

 

“Let's kick ass,” the blonde man said. And then they leapt into the portal.

 

Sith had been right when she said the portal was like a doorway. The transition had been easy. Hell, it barely felt like anything at all before it ended. In one instance, they were diving through darkness, passing abruptly beyond veils of bright stars and flashing lights, the voids of Oblivion passing beneath them. And in the next, they were in the room, just as before. The inferno had died down, the red haze dissipating from the passing time. Ryou was both relieved and worried to see that neither Yugi nor Malik were there. And he wasn't surprised that the room was in complete disarray. Sith really had destroyed the place with her spell, and the portal seemed only to complete the disaster. In the middle of the wreckage stood Amber. And she seemed quite shocked to see all three of them there.

 

“Why am I not surprised by this?” she asked almost mockingly as she strode forward, expression grim, “Well, now, I suppose this means I'll need to unleash another spell.”

 

“Go ahead and try. You'll probably just kill yourself in the process,” Sith retorted, drawing her sword, “But if you're willing to risk that, I say go for it. Hell, you probably already killed our friends by now. What's three more corpses for you?” Ryou stared at her in complete and utter disbelief. That was how she'd end the battle? By asking to die? Right then, Ryou didn't trust her sanity. Amber just snorted, shaking her head. Obviously, someone was knocked a bit too hard in Oblivion. She shrugged.

 

“I may or may not have done that,” Amber remarked, and then grinned, “As for death, it'll be a good price if it means ridding the world of you for once.” Sith smirked. To actually assume anything could really kill her, after she lived through most of this, was actually pretty funny to her. Amber was highly unskilled, but Amber herself seemed to not really see this. That would most likely be her downfall. That, and Sith's sword. It was Sith's turn to shrug this time, though her sword never left her hand.

 

“So you'll save me a few thousand years of personal hell. I'm not sure I'm seeing the overall difficulty you're thinking,” the older woman said. Ryou shook his head. This wasn't exactly what he thought `kicking ass' was like, and he knew this wasn't what the blonde man intended, either. But for whatever reason, Sith and Amber were bantering. Maybe it was in Encounters for Dummies somewhere. Ryou wasn't exactly an expert with death matches, after all. But the insult had stricken home. Amber grew outraged.

 

“I have to admit, Winchester, you're honest. I guess that's what mother liked best in you,” Amber commented, her voice dropping to a hiss, “But honesty won't help you.” Sith's brow quirked. Then without warning, Amber body-slammed her into the ground. Sith yelped, surprised at the strength in the smaller girl. But they crashed to the floor, Amber clawing at Sith. Sith kicked her off effortlessly, though, and sent her flying.

 

“You've gotten stronger, but that's not going to help,” Sith wheezed, the air having been knocked right out of her during her fall, “Damn, Ryou, get out of here. She's toying. Leave her to…” Amber was much faster at recovering. She slammed Sith again, and this time she slammed the woman's head into the floor. Sith screamed, and then smelled blood running down her face. She heard a gunshot somewhere above, but didn't know who fired what, or where. She closed her eyes as someone pushed Amber off of her.

 

“Ryou, what the fuck are you doing!?” she barely heard the blonde man screaming, “Fight already! She got Sith!” Sith tried to look up and see just what was happening. But her vision was too blurry now. Damn it all, she was losing too much blood. She heard two clangs of a sword, and hoped to all hell that Ryou was safe.

 

“Keep her alive!” Ryou called back, and Sith knew he was all right. He had drawn his own sword, the blade alive with blue fire as he faced Amber now. Sith realized quickly that she'd been down longing than she expected; what she could see of the battle, she barely comprehended. But she felt five points of powerful energy, and she felt tremors in the ground. Neither were a particularly good sign.

 

Ryou simply stood, sword held out in front of him to deflect as he tried to figure out how to move next. It hadn't taken long, but Amber had anticipated at least one of them coming back. He saw all five orbs allocated in five different points of the room. And all of them were glowing. Amber must've just been talking to stall long enough for their cores to strengthen. And now she could release them. She'd been waiting. That was probably why she let him go so easily. And like an idiot, he took it.

 

“Are you scared yet?” Amber asked slowly, her voice wavering oddly, “You should be, Ryou Bakura. As soon as I give the word, Winchester dies. It's only a matter of time before she bleeds to death, and even if she doesn't… as soon as I release these spells, their power will kill her off before she can seal them again.” Ryou had no doubt that any of the spells would do that to Sith. His lips thinned. The orbs weren't just glowing. They were pulsing. The energy in them was too powerful; they really would shatter, and he took a guess that if they did, it'd take all three of them out. He acted without thinking and threw his sword to the closest one. It merely bounced off. Amber just laughed, “You can't possibly do anything about it!” Ryou glanced behind him. The blonde man was trying to keep Sith up, but it was clear it wasn't going well. Ryou had to do something. He turned back to Amber. Each passing second seemed to warp her further from humanity.

 

“Why?” he asked her, “Why are you doing this!? Your mother wouldn't have wanted this! Not for you!”

 

“What could you possibly know, Ryou Bakura!?” Amber spat venomously. There was no mistaking the evil in her voice; she was tainted by Oblivion. “You know nothing. You know nothing about us, nor about her! And to think, you, the one to stop me?” Amber laughed hysterically, and one of the orbs imploded, releasing red dust as it did so. “You, who hated us so palpably! You, who can't even let well enough alone!” Another orb exploded behind him, and he heard the blonde man shriek in pain. But this time, Amber didn't speak to him. She was looking behind Ryou as well, and Ryou understood now that she wasn't speaking to him, but to the blonde man. “And now look at you. You can't save her, you can't even save yourself. You will always be a loser!” That was the last word Amber spoke before Sith reacted.

 

Ryou wasn't quite sure what happened; it had happened so quickly that he was half-wondering if he dreamt the entire thing up. He saw Sith stand, despite her injury and the blood coating half her face, and he saw her mouth move. But it went so quickly, he couldn't make out the words. Then, he felt a powerful blast of energy, one he had never, ever felt before. It knocked him out of himself. He hadn't exactly fallen unconscious, but after he crashed into the floor, he had a hard time remembering the facts afterward. He remembered a bright blue light, blinding, flashing, pulsating where Sith stood, extending outward like a mystical shockwave as it crashed into everything around her. He remembered hearing crates exploding. He remembered Amber screaming. And then he remembered hearing just one word from Sith. Her voice was calm, and normally he could never remember her spells after she cast them. But this time, he remembered. Oregashyn was the word. And after Sith spoke it, the entire place lit up.

 

Even to the point of being outside, Ryou couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. But he did know he was safe. As he sat up, feeling his hair for matted blood, of which there was none, he remembered seeing one last image before passing out. A white-haired feline creature carrying him, moving more swiftly than he thought was humanly possible. He couldn't place who it was, but it was gone now. And it saved his life. But where was the blonde man? And where was Sith? Ryou couldn't see them, either.

 

“I didn't honestly think you'd be up so soon,” came Sith's voice, and Ryou turned. She was standing near a tree, using it for support. Her overcoat and shirt were covered with blood, both blue and black, and her face looked worse for the wear. Her hair, normally tied with a bandana, was let loose like a feral mane around her face. She looked both beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

 

“Sith, what happened!?” he asked her frantically, “What happened to the man? What about Amber!? What of…”

 

“Rest assured that Amber is dead,” Sith told him, but something in her voice didn't sound quite right, “And that the orbs are gone.” Ryou frowned. He knew something was wrong. He stood up and walked over to her. And as he came close, he realized he couldn't feel her power. He stopped.

 

“Your magic,” he whispered. Sith nodded, her face gaunt now. She looked exhausted.

 

“I unleashed them,” she replied tiredly, “And lost my magic. But now the Mystics can't use them. That's enough… for me.” Ryou took her arm and led her to the closest thing to sit on. It was a broken table.

 

“Maybe you should rest for now,” he told her. She didn't object, and he found himself sitting with her as well. For a time, neither spoke. It grew eerily silent, and when minutes passed, Ryou wasn't sure Sith would speak. So, they sat and waited. What they were actually waiting for, Ryou didn't know. But until he knew Sith was all right, he didn't want to try scouting for other survivors. So, as usual, he didn't. And for right then, he didn't entirely mind that.

 

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

 

After finding Sith and the blonde man, Ryou escapes from Oblivion and finally faces off against Amber. When she goes too far, however, Sith steps in and does the one thing that can kill her: unleashing all of the spells at once. But what is the cost of such a move? What happened to everyone else after Amber let Malik leave? And how will Domino recover from such a brutal assault? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!