Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Attack of the Killer Rhobites ( Chapter 17 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Death Note, Castlevania, or Final Fantasy. Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and he doesn't want Ryou fighting a Rhobite. SquareSoft owns Final Fantasy, and they don't want that either. Ohba owns Death Note, and he doesn't know what a rhobite is. Konami owns Castlevania, and Dracula killed all of the rhobites there.

 

Ryou wasn't sure where Sith was trying to lead him, but as they came through the denser parts of the capital, he began to see that even the fields beyond the city were beginning to decay. Though it was midnight and the sky was dark to begin with, it had nothing to do with the thick scent of musk in the air, and Sith could already see the shrouds of darkness that formed whenever evil was about. Ryou saw her reach for her blade. And he sighed. She had just come out of a coma; was she honestly going to fight now?

 

“Be on your guard,” she warned him, “I do not like the looks of this.” By now, this was a standard state to see anywhere they'd gone, in Ryou's mind. But Sith was worried, and he wasn't about to argue. He took out his gun and glanced about. The night hid whatever threat Sith was warning him against.

 

“What's wrong?” he asked her, his voice low as to not attract attention. Her ears twitched a bit.

 

“Do you feel that?” she asked instead, and Ryou closed his eyes to heighten his other senses. At first, he didn't feel anything. Then, he felt a pulling sensation, and a shudder up his spine. It grew cold, and he opened his eyes. Something felt vacuous, as though trying to suck the life out of everything at once. And it was more powerful than anything else he'd ever felt before.

 

“What is that?” he demanded, brows creasing in concentration, “Is it Oblivion?”

 

“I wouldn't think so,” Sith replied seriously, and frowned as she looked up over the horizon, toward the north, “But I'm getting a bad feeling. Something is here, but I don't know where it's coming from. As if a great evil is attacking from all directions at once, but not actually harming anything in our sight.” Ryou glanced back at her. That was an interesting description. But there must've been some truth to her words.

 

“Think you could hit whatever it is?” he joked. But Sith didn't get it. She shook her head.

 

“Definitely not. It's no physical being,” she said, and suddenly, she screamed. Ryou backed away in horror, and saw Sith fall to her knees, clutching her arm. Without even knowing why, Ryou ducked for cover, and saw a bright blast of light cut across the air just inches from his head; it would have hit him if he still stood. He crawled to Sith, and pulled her to the ground with him as another blast cut across the air, this one hitting a tall structure within the capital. It crashed to the ground with a mighty thud, and the ground shook in tremors. Ryou waited several seconds before even beginning to ask.

 

“W-what was that!?” he cried, “Sith!?”

 

“The Light of Judgment,” Sith whispered, half in awe, half in terror, “She's… she's gotten to it…” Ryou's eyes bulged. That was the terrible weapon the bards warned them of, and one even Sith was loathe to stop. And it was going to kill them all.

 

“What!? Now!? This quickly!?” Ryou exclaimed, unable to believe anyone moved so fast. Sith growled and nodded gravely. Obviously, she didn't believe it, either.

 

“I do not think we fought the `real' Falnika back there,” Sith explained angrily, her breathing ragged, “Rather, we've defeated a clone. A servant, no doubt. But I didn't think she would sacrifice herself. Not with so much more to gain from this world.” Ryou stared. That made so little sense, and yet it explained the entire outcome of the battle in so many ways. That was why Mello wanted to leave. He knew Falnika was in two places at once. A clone would definitely explain why. Ryou shook his head. He wished he understood magic as well as Sith did.

 

“Sith,” he began sternly, and she looked over at him, “Tell me honestly. What will happen now that she has the Light of Judgment? Can you still stop her?” Sith's lips thinned. Ryou knew that look too well. Sith was having her doubts.

 

“I cannot answer,” she replied truthfully, and looked down, “The Light of Judgment is made entirely of crystallized magic. Condensed in such a form, it would be impossible for a mortal to stop it. As it stands, Aeon was powerless against her. I myself couldn't hurt the servant; she had to harm herself to do any damage.” Her tone made Ryou shiver. She seemed convinced that this might be the end. But as Ryou looked up and realized the blasts hadn't come back, he understood they still had some time. Not a lot, but enough. He looked back at Sith. The best thing to do was to be calm.

 

“What do we do?” he asked her. She looked up with grave eyes. In the dark, they looked black, not green.

 

“We run,” Sith replied, and Ryou saw that there was a light charging behind her, “Or we die.” Ryou barely heard the last word, and after that, he heard nothing at all as the light brightened, blinding him until he felt himself crash onto the ground. He was only vaguely aware that he was screaming, and yet he heard none of it. But he felt everything, from the heat of the blast to the cracking of the ground underneath him. He felt shards of earth rise up and split apart, whisking around in the air, slicing the air around him. He felt life all around him just die, in a single second, and could not be sure if Sith was even alive or not. Had she been hit? She was right in the path of that bright light. And so was he, but he knew he had lived, somehow.

 

Then, all at once, Ryou heard the tumult of noise that had previously been silenced. It was a deafening roar, a conglomeration of screams and moans, of explosions and destruction, of the wind howling in defiance of the entire barrage. He heard the buildings in Vector fall, one by one, crushing the life of whatever they landed on or in. He heard the screams of far off victims, all of them being killed by that terrible light, and not one being able to save themselves. But worst of all was what he felt. Inside, he knew the world was being torn apart, and that soon, it would go on to breaking apart another world, and another, until every world in Oblivion was destroyed. He felt it in the very air, that the world was going to end soon.

 

And so, Ryou shut his eyes. He was already blinded, but he couldn't bear to see. He couldn't bear to see the rips in space, the warps of time, and the death of Sith right next to him, the one person who offered him even a shred of protection, and the one person he felt even remotely related to. He shut his eyes to the blinding light, to the screaming, to the pain. And calmly, he waited for the world to end.

 

But the world didn't end. Ryou waited, and waited for quite some time. How long, he didn't know, but eventually he found courage enough to open his eyes. And what he saw terrified him. No longer were they on the continent of Vector, nor were they in the plains Sith had led them to. Now, they were on a peninsula of nearly barren land, with only a bit of forest to offer the slightest bit of shelter. And as it stood, they were stranded on the coast of that peninsula. The ocean, once a sparkling blue, but turned purple with corruption, spread out before him.

 

“What… what happened?” he breathed, eyes wide with fear, “Where are we?” He looked down and saw Sith was unconscious again. But she had also survived the assault. He felt relieved, until he looked behind to see if anyone else had lived. There was no one else there. And Vector was no more.

 

“Malik!? Yugi?” Ryou called, and walked toward the forest, just a few steps, “Where is everyone?” He stopped, not wanting to get too far from Sith. Now he just felt insecure. Once again, he was alone, and he had no idea what happened or where he was. He felt his eyes water.

 

“You guys…” he whispered, and knelt, “I… can't believe it. Dead… all of them!” The truth was, he didn't believe it. It had all happened so suddenly. But that blast wasn't his imagination. He saw it destroy Vector. Even worse, he saw it hit Sith dead on. And he glanced at her again. Was she even breathing? He didn't know, and he didn't want to check. If she wasn't, that was the end of it. He stood. No, he couldn't let that be the end. They had to be alive, and if they weren't, then they had to be remembered.

 

“I'll avenge you all, I promise,” he said to no one, and looked down, “At least until I learn the truth.”

 

“That's a good resolve to have. Personally, I didn't think you had it in you,” someone behind him said, and Ryou turned. Sith wasn't dead, after all. She was trying to raise her head, but the effort looked too much for her at the moment, and with a resigned sigh, she laid on the ground and looked at him. He stared back.

 

“Sith!?” he finally exclaimed, more in shock than anything else, “You're alive?”

 

“You sound so happy about it,” she replied flatly, and Ryou blushed. He was happy. He just didn't like being tricked or teased about it. But for the moment, that problem had to wait. Much more pressing matters had to be attended to. His expression hardened a bit.

 

“We have a few problems with getting to Nikeah,” he told her, but if he meant to affect her, he hadn't. She didn't seem to be reacting at all, except to look around for a brief moment. She wasn't even surprised by what she saw: ocean and a whole lot of shit that shouldn't be there.

 

“So she's corrupted this entire world already,” Sith said distantly, and her ears lowered sadly, “I suppose this means we'll be swimming there now.”

 

“Sith, be serious!” Ryou scolded harshly, and she looked up at him. He was about to say more, but the look on her face was challenging. He wasn't quite sure what to say that wouldn't get him killed.

 

“I am serious,” she replied simply, and stood slowly, “We're stuck on an island, and we've no ship. Nor do we have time to craft one from the trees. We'll have to swim.” Ryou's eyes widened a bit in disbelief. He had already found so many things wrong with that idea, the main one being sharks. Even with Sith's speed, her movement with a sword would be drastically slowed by the water. A shark would easily tear her arm off regardless of what she was.

 

“I'm not swimming, not with a bunch of monsters waiting to eat us,” he said, and took her arm, “Come on. We'll find something.” Sith yelped, but didn't protest as he dragged her toward the woods along the west side of the coast. Besides, she admitted silently that she wasn't really much of a swimmer anyway.

 

The woods were a peaceful place to be, after seeing the horrifying power of the Light of Judgment. Ryou just wished they weren't currently on a mission to save themselves so he could enjoy it. Every so often he's stop and look up, hoping to see a ray of moonlight or a patch of dark blue sky, but every time, he was disappointed. The corrupted world offered no such beauty any longer, and it made the woods seem sinister underneath a black sky. And every time, Sith would simply go on ahead. Ryou could tell she was getting annoyed. But at what, he couldn't distinguish.

 

They came to a small clearing after only a short distance, and it was there that Sith stopped. Ryou halted as well, and when he asked her what was wrong, her response was that she had heard something. To him, that could've meant anything, good or bad. But he didn't question it, because he understood that if she deemed it important, it usually was. Then, he actually did hear something. A rustling in the bushes next to him, and he turned, aiming his gun. Without hesitation, he shot a blast of plasma and burned the bush into ash. Along with the tiny creature that was hiding within it. Sith came over, and snorted.

 

“You killed a Rhobite,” she said with a laugh, “Nice.”

 

“Why is one here?” he asked her, and she tilted her head, “They're weak creatures. I didn't even think they existed near Vector.” Sith frowned. She realized he was right; they were considered too low-leveled to be in such a dangerous place. Then again, they were hearty things, capable of adaptation.

 

“I don't know,” she replied honestly, “Ouch!” She looked down, and saw one more had appeared and nipped her ankle. Brows creasing, she roasted it alive and let its corpse burn as she added, “But let me kill them anyway.” She meant it to be a joke, but as Ryou looked and saw that there were more hiding around them, he was inclined to let it become serious. Sith saw them, too; immediately, she let loose another blast of fire. Already, she had killed over ten of them. Yet more kept coming.

 

“Where are they coming from!?” Ryou asked, taking his gun and frying any that Sith's spells happened to miss. Sith herself was becoming more and more exhausted as the battle continued. Each spell was draining her strength at an alarming rate. And the rhobite horde wasn't slowing. In fact, the more they slaughtered, the more seemed to replace them.

 

“From hell, for all we know,” she growled, and Ryou saw her wings shake as she faced the innocent-looking rabbits, “You bastards want a fight? I'll wage you a fiery war. Now DIE!” To Ryou, it sounded like a typical villainous threat. Until, of course, Sith unleashed the biggest sea of fire he'd ever seen her use. It engulfed the trees and brush, searing them like the flimsiest of paper, lighting everything in its path with no effort. Ryou screeched, backing away to stand close to her. The fire, he knew, wouldn't harm her. But it was definitely going to kill everything else, and he twitched as he heard yips and hisses as the green rabbits were caught and seared alive, causing the hungry fire to roar in victory.

 

And when it was all said and done, nothing was left of the forest anymore. At least, not the section they were currently standing in. Sith's fire had branded the forest bare, and Ryou smelled cooking fur as he looked at the massive destruction. For moments, he stood staring. That was the true power of an Esper's spell. And with no effort, Sith used it. He looked back at her. She didn't even seem the least bit disturbed that she destroyed an entire ecosystem. She probably wasn't.

 

“Do you understand what overkill is?” he asked her sarcastically as she lowered her sword. She rose an amused brow. To her, he should've been thanking her for saving his ass again.

 

“At least those sons of bitches are dead,” she replied casually, and snorted, “So, what was this idea of yours?” Ryou hummed, almost forgetting what she meant, until he realized he was the one who dragged her over to the field of death. He blushed a bit, understanding that if he told her he had no idea, he'd be adding to that pile quite easily. But with the distraction of those little nuisances, he truly had forgotten. It had something to do with escape…

 

A loud roar in the not-so-far distance caught both of their attention again. Ryou turned, and Sith drew Zealacht again, eyes narrowed as she tried to see where the noise came from. But in the dark, even her vision was limited. She was lucky if she saw the edges of the forest beyond. The roar sounded again, and this time, it was closer. Sith looked behind her; still nothing.

 

“What do you think it is?” Ryou asked quietly, taking his gun and silently loading it. Sith didn't answer. Whatever it was, it sounded much bigger than she, and right then, she didn't want to fight anything if she could avoid it. Then she felt the ground rumble, and she glanced down. Pebbles reverberated against tremors too light for her to actually feel, but she saw it nonetheless. And she heard it, too. Something large, something very, very large, was storming toward them. Her ears twitched. And it caught a whoosh just past her shoulder.

 

“RUN!” she screamed, turning and grabbing Ryou just as a gigantic, green monster of a hare slammed into the ground, roaring as it saw them flee before it. Ryou glanced back just once to see it. And he knew now why Sith was so terrified. That creature, whatever the hell it was, was easily four times his height, easily ten times his weight from the looks of it. A hulking, mutated beast, it was hare-like in appearance, with arms as thick as tree trunks, and a chest as broad as Atma's had been. But there would be no communicating with it, as Sith had done with Atma. This thing was not made of magic.

 

“Sith, what's happening!?” he cried, as she dragged him and plunged right into the thickets. He yelped as branches and thorns cut at them, but it barely slowed Sith as she charged right through, going for what felt like the worst spots in the range. She must've been trying to slow the giant beast down.

 

But it did absolutely nothing. The hulking Rhobite gave a mighty cry and charged straight into the thicket, crushing and breaking every branch and plant in its path. Whereas Sith was forced to carefully pick and choose their path, the Rhobite was simply stomping through, and no amount of pain seemed to slow it. It gained on them too quickly.

 

“Sith, what do we do!?” Ryou exclaimed in horror, when he heard a tree collapse under the horrifying creature. Sith didn't answer. She looked back and cast a spell to see just how powerful it was. She wished she hadn't. She pulled Ryou even harder, and began to weave through the thickets even faster.

 

“I've never fought a Were-Rhobite before,” she informed him, her breath becoming scarily ragged, “God damn it, where did it come from!?”

 

“Can you kill it?” Ryou asked her, as they climbed up over a fallen log. There was a ravine before them now, and Sith jumped in, dragging Ryou with her. Using her tail, she clasped a tree branch as they went over the side. It kept them from falling to their graves, and she brought them to a hidden niche in the cliff wall.

 

“I don't even know,” she said, and shivered as she heard the beast's stomping steps directly above them, “Weres are tricky. Werewolves and were-panthers are not so rare, but to encounter a Were-Rhobite…” She shook her head, and peeked out as she saw the hulking, green shape jump over the edge, and land with a crash at the bottom. She turned back to Ryou, “Such abominations shouldn't exist.” Ryou had to admit he fully agreed. Alongside Sith, he peeked out as well. The giant had definitely slammed into the earth, and had made a nice crater to prove it, too.

 

“So what do we do?” he asked her. Considering her years versus his, surely she must've had to run from one of those monsters at some point. She hummed slowly, tapping her chin.

 

“Well, we could just let it wander off and then swim, like I wanted to,” she finally said, and Ryou knew it was pointed, “I just want to know why it's here at all.” Ryou's eyes narrowed. That reason should've been obvious.

 

“What would you have done if all of us had been roasted alive?” he asked flatly. Sith just stared at him for a long second. Now wasn't the time for `what ifs,' in her mind. Besides, if that ever happened, she'd just murder whoever did it and then kill anyone who might've seen it.

 

“Funny, but I meant why is it alive? There are some worlds where Were-creatures were never introduced. This is one of them,” she explained, and then another thought came to her, “Wait… Ryou, what is the biggest cause of mutation in your world?” Ryou's brow perked. That seemed like a random question, and why she thought he'd know was a mystery to him. He wasn't a chemist.

 

“Sith, I don't think…”

 

“Just tell me!” she demanded, and Ryou froze for a minute. Maybe the question wasn't as random as he thought. He took a minute to try and figure it out, but mutation was rare. And mostly unreported; who'd even want to know of it?

 

“I believe it's from nuclear radiation,” he replied, and was quick to add, “But I don't actually know. Why?”

 

“Because if there is a way to create weres, and Falnika found it, we're eternally screwed,” Sith said grimly, and Ryou's eyes widened, “A Were is basically a mutated variant of an existing creature with unnatural attributes, such as added strength or a `glow.' If Falnika knows how to mutate it, or has figured out a way to, we'll be dealing with more than that hulking bastard.” Ryou didn't like that, especially since the Rhobite looked strong enough to kill Sith in one hit. But how did Falnika do it?

 

“You think it was her?” he asked. Sith nodded, and he exclaimed, “How!?” Sith's smile became apparent, and Ryou got a flash of that powerful light. His worry heightened, and she nodded as if to confirm his thought.

 

“There must be radioactive substances within the Light,” she answered darkly, “It certainly explains why everything is in ruins.” Ryou now understood why Sith was so terrified of this weapon. Putting two and two together, along with what had previously happened, Rath would be set to conquer the entire universe and beyond that.

 

“And if she reports this finding to Rath, Rath will immediately have access,” he concluded, and Sith nodded again.

 

“We must dispose of this mutant before she comes to see what's become of Vector,” Sith said, and looked out again, “But I don't know what could be done. Normally, a were's magic defense is too high. They are the banes of all Espers, next to Mystics.” Ryou's worry turned to unadulterated fear. Did this mean Sith wouldn't be fighting it? When he asked, she grinned and said, “I'll definitely fight it. I just need a good plan, first.”

 

Ryou wasn't always sure what constituted a good plan or a bad one. He should've known where Sith's was heading when she had gone out, in the open, and right into the newly formed crater. At the moment, the monster was gone; it had left in wild pursuit and hadn't yet caught on that its prey was behind it now. But still, to Ryou, it now looked like Sith was going to try committing suicide. Her basic plan, if it could be called that, was this: she was going to lure the creature back to the crater, and it was Ryou's job to finish the rest. Which was essentially to push a very large boulder - crafted by Sith's `Grund-Hackmesser' spell, nonetheless - over the ledge, right on top of the Rhobite. And he wasn't confident just how likely she thought this'd work. For one thing, he wasn't that strong. How she even expected this of him was something he couldn't quite understand.

 

But he didn't complain regardless. She had said if anything went wrong, she'd fix it. But what that entailed, Ryou didn't know. All he knew was that Sith was trying really hard to dump something into the crater. Was it water? From this angle, he couldn't even see, but a crackling sound, as well as a thud or two, told him whatever it was wasn't a liquid.

 

“Sith, what are you doing!?” he called, half in wonder, half in terror. It wasn't often that he doubted Sith, but she'd been through a lot lately. It was possible her mind wasn't what it used to be. She looked up.

 

“Setting a very large rabbit trap,” she replied simply, and shrugged, “I've seen it on your movies, anyway. Perhaps there's a level of truth to its design.” Ryou felt himself twitch. Sith might have been in his world for some time, but some things she just never got. Movies were obviously one of them; to even believe that a rabbit trap would work was certifiable insanity. But he didn't say that, because Ryou wanted to live.

 

“Want any help?” he offered. But Sith seemed to be doing all right on her own. She shook her head and continued pouring something into the pit. Ryou grumbled, and using his magic again, decided to see if there was a spell that could zoom in on her. There was, surprisingly enough. And he saw she was dumping a bunch of rocks into the pit. A bunch of useless, ordinary rocks.

 

Then he saw something else. After a minute, Sith stood back to examine the pit. It wasn't even half full, but for a hack job, she thought she did okay. Now was the final step: to burn it all to hell. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and focused. It had been, as far as her weak memory could serve, perhaps twenty six years since she last summoned her own beast. Did she still have the strength for it?

 

“Aered der Wind, beherzigen mich!” she cried, and Ryou winced at her accent. Sometimes, it was so much more apparent than others. But he didn't dwell on it for long; already, he felt the magic rushing around and solidifying near Sith. Whatever she was doing, it was working very quickly. Then Ryou heard an ear-splitting roar, and out of nowhere was a giant wyvern. Ryou shook visibly. Sith summoned it! But before he could call out, the wyvern reared back and spat a searing jet of fire. It ran right into the rocks, and at the same time, Sith unleashed her own destructive inferno. Both fires berated the rocks, and Ryou saw, with his spell, that the rocks were melting. Was this, Sith's plan?

 

“Nur ein bißchen länger, mein Freund. Dann sind Sie gehen können,” Sith spoke again. The wyvern nodded its head and kept the flame strong. The rocks were now a pool of red-hot lava. And in a minute more, the wyvern began to fade and then disappear. Sith was left alone, but Ryou felt one last blast of magic. But it hadn't exactly come from Sith. It came from her vicinity, but it hadn't been cast by her. And a second later, she was back on the ledge with him. He blinked. Had all of that really even happened?

 

“Sith?” he prompted. She laughed, and took out Aeon's watch. There was still some blood on it, but it worked. Had Aeon repaired it earlier? Or had someone else?

 

“Mello did it,” Sith said without his asking, “And handed it to me to use. These time lords are pretty good. I can actually keep the lava from cooling now.” Ryou's skepticism became so much more clear now. He eyed the watch, and then looked at her.

 

“Which begs how you made it at all,” he said suspiciously, “Sith, magma takes thousands of years to create.” She grinned mischievously and held the watch higher.

 

“I've sped the fire's lifespan and the rock's melting point up a bit,” she admitted, “And then halted the lava to prevent cooling. Aeon wouldn't be too proud, but I am.” Ryou had to laugh. Sith didn't have normal access to time magic, so this must've been absolutely amazing for her. He shook his head. That was quite an explanation.

 

“Now what?” he asked, wanting to know the rest of her bizarre little plan. She smiled again, and went to the edge of the cliff again.

 

“Now you watch as I make that son of a bitch appear,” she replied, and hopped right off. Ryou watched with wide eyes, wondering just what suicidal move she'd use now.

 

He didn't have to wait too long. As soon as Sith landed, the small stumps that had once been her wings burst open. And when they did, a fluid that wasn't exactly blood spilled out upon the ground, letting loose a very sweet smell. Ryou backed away. Whatever this was, he knew it might drive him insane. He also knew Sith probably put herself in pain to do that; her wings weren't ready to open up like that. But they did, and she was trying to flutter them, possibly to scatter more of that sickly liquid. That was what attracted the Rhobite, and Ryou heard it grunt in wonder, and then he heard its stomping footsteps, with trees and rocks alike crackling underneath it.

 

Sith saw the monster long before it even reached the crater, but in order to keep its interest, she was forced to stay at the edge until the very end. As soon as it saw her, its fury came back and it came charging through like a mad, soulless brute, and it barely caught on when Ryou saw Sith suddenly disappear from sight. He blinked, and realized it was his cue to do his part. The monster screamed as it skidded and slid right off the edge of the crater, into the lava. Ryou instantly smelled cooking meat and burning fur, and knew he had to act before the creature escaped. Sith did say its defense was outrageous.

 

But the boulder was heavier than he thought, and he found moving it was impossible. Even with magic, it barely budged. His power, no matter how strong, would never rival Sith's. And she used magic to create this stone. He dared to look down; the beast was already trying to climb out the edge, though the poor thing's bones were beginning to show as more of its fur and skin burned off. If he didn't move, Sith's plan would go to hell.

 

Luckily, he didn't have to do anything. Sith reappeared right next to him, holding Aeon's watch. That explained her sudden disappearance. He stepped aside to let her through, and she stopped right at the boulder, raising her hand. Ryou felt a sort of pressure wash over him.

 

“Zwheikraff,” she said, and Ryou ducked as he felt a sonic blast so powerful that it pushed the boulder with no difficulty. It fell down… and landed with a horrific crack right on top of the beast. The resulting roar of agony split through the night sky, but it faded as rapidly as it came. And when Ryou edged closer and looked down, he saw the boulder had crashed right on the crater, covering it completely. Lava oozed from underneath.

 

“Is it… dead?” he whispered, concerned that any loud noise might make the beast spring back to life. Sith just smiled.

 

“If it isn't, it will be,” she replied, and pocketed Aeon's watch, “So, ready to get going?” Ryou stared at her. They just killed a were-monster and she wasn't the least bit weary for it. Not to mention they were still stranded on the island. He looked out toward the ocean.

 

“And where are we going to go!?” he blurted out. Sith blinked dully for a moment. Didn't he see her wings? Sure, they weren't big and they were still damp, but she should be strong enough to get them across the ocean. Should be, anyway.

 

“I'm going to try flying for once,” she told him, “It's about time I learned how.” Ryou's mouth dropped. She hadn't flown before!? And now, when they were in danger, stranded, and thousands of miles from ANYTHING, was the best time to try it!? Sith really had lost it. That last blow to her head shook more than Ryou wanted to admit. Whatever Mello did to help her out earlier, it really hadn't worked well. Any sane human… no, any sane person, would never have tried flying on newly hatched wings.

 

“Sith, no!” Ryou protested, but Sith grabbed his wrist and jumped up, “SITH!!!” She flapped her wings, and while the dampness still weighed her down, she was airborne and climbing higher with each wing flap. In two minutes, she was above the cliff, and in three, she was over the ocean.

 

The ocean was beautiful. In the moonlight, it sparkled silver and the current was calm. But underneath that calm was the knowledge that the water was tainted; amidst the silver, Sith could see the purple tint in the water, and could smell the poison in it. Falnika was doing a good job of tearing this world up. Sith feared for how their world was faring. But as she flew, she didn't speak of it. Mainly because there was no one to speak to. Ryou had fallen limp, the sheer terror of flight causing him to lose consciousness. And perhaps that was for the best. Sith needed time to think.

 

“So then,” she said quietly, to herself, looking down into the water as she continued north, “Her conquest is beginning again. How do I even begin to stop it?” She had no idea what might lay ahead to the north, but that was their original plan, so she followed it. She just hoped that it led to somewhere. Ryou couldn't live off of nothing, and her wings were new. She could only remain in the air for so long before her body gave out.

 

“Mello,” she said calmly, looking toward wherever it was she was heading, “Please, be alive.” Giving her wings another powerful flap, Sith flew up a few more feet. Altitude would be good to dry her wings off. And it'd give her a better vantage point. For once, Sith did not like heading out blindly. Not with the Light so close by.

 

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

 

With no allies and no township for miles, Sith is forced to trek across the ocean alone, save for an unconscious Ryou. As they head closer to where the final encounter will take place, is Domino going to begin suffering a similar fate? Will the Light of Judgment pierce the barriers of Oblivion and begin destroying other worlds? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!