Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Time Master! ❯ The Worst possible Scenario ( Chapter 22 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does, and he's interested in buying my patented ESB protection system. When he saw that it'd require the deed to his show, though, he backed out. So, I still don't own it.

 

“Okay, whoever thinks Ryou is completely insane for jumping off the ledge like that, raise a hand!” Honda huffed as the large group ran down the spiral staircase, with Katt and Gilden leading the way, “Because honestly, why can't he just wait for us!?” Luckily, there had been no signs of battle, but everyone knew Sith was injured, and Ryou might possibly be no better, either. And with a battle so inevitable and close, no one wanted to be without either of those two, for they were powerful enough to stop Rath once and for all. They stormed down the hall when the stairway ended, and Katt turned a sharp corner. They stood on an exposed balcony that overlooked the courtyard where Ryou stood, alone. Sith was farther behind, lying under Ryou's coat. Anzu gasped when she saw a smear of blue blood on the rocks, and Katt had a feeling Sith was much less healthy than the last time they'd seen her, not so long ago.

 

“She's not dead, is she!?” Jou asked, and when Yugi gave him a flat stare, he added, “Well, I mean, technically she's undead, but she's not… you know, dead-dead, is she?” Gilden narrowed his eyes as he looked over the battlefield, and to the general relief of the party, he shook his head.

 

“She's wounded, but far from dead,” he replied, “Some rest and she should be back up before we get down there.” Bakura wasn't entirely sure of that, but he didn't comment. He couldn't believe that Sith would recover that quickly. He saw what had slammed into her. It was Rath. He saw the blood Sith had lost, which was much more than he would've ever been comfortable to see. He knew she was alive, but he doubted she'd recover that quickly. He turned to the green-haired Mystic.

 

“Then stop wasting our time and get us down to them!” he snapped angrily. Gilden chuckled at the old thief's impatience, but a quick nudge from Katt sent them all running again. The closer they were to Ryou when Rath attacked, the better off they'd be. But, three of their ranks stayed behind, looking down where Ryou stood, clutching Sith's sword. One turned to his two brothers, his hair flailing from when Ryou snatched his cap away.

 

“My brothers, what do we do now?” he asked, finally forsaking his rhymes to make his point, “We hope not to win this, but we have been dispatched by our lord to assist with Lady Sith. Do we fight?” The two remaining bards looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. This was a difficult decision.

 

“I fear, my brothers, that we must,” one of them replied, “Thy lord won't be pleased if we return with news that even one link has been destroyed. We must at least do what we can.” The last bard nodded with agreement, also forsaking his natural urge to rhyme his words.

 

“Then let us join our allies. Sing as we like, but skilled we are with a sword,” he said, “And excuse my rhyming, but let thy blade sing thy word.” The other two seemed to agree as each bard produced a fine, thin, shimmer blade from their belts. They smiled, and touched the tips to each other.

 

“The bards Three! Erik, Derek, and Jimmy D!” they replied, “Thieves we once were, bards we shall be! For no one shall best, the beloved Bards Three!” Feeling that their cheer put in enough confidence, they followed the last of Yugi's group downward, abandoning the sight of Ryou standing alone in the courtyard, awaiting something they couldn't see just yet.

 

Ryou, meanwhile, continued to survey the scene with a tense anxiety weighing on him. He had no clue as to how Sith was faring behind him, injured as she had been, but he did know she'd survive the blow. That put a bit of comfort, but it was quickly dispersed with the knowledge that Rath was nearby, and he had to take down the mad Esper before she destroyed everything again. He clutched Sith's sword until his knuckles turned white, but he barely noticed the pain. All he wanted to focus on was stopping Rath.

 

“Ryou, don't do this,” Sith said, her voice slightly strained with the pain of movement as she shifted under his coat, “You don't understand her power.” Ryou glanced back at the Esper incredulously, not liking that she was begging him to stop his attack. He shook his head.

 

“Someone has to stop her, dear,” he replied calmly, looking away, “And it won't be you. Just rest.” He heard Sith snort in mock amusement, and glanced back again.

 

“You are truly crazy if you think I'm going to back out of this fight,” she replied at length, “Ryou, this began as a result of my actions. I know this answers many questions for you, but this also answers them for me. I will not leave because of a minor wound.” Ryou soon found himself laughing at that statement, despite it not being funny in the least. Sith was absolutely stubborn sometimes, something he had long learned to deal with at that point, but that always kicked them both when they didn't need it. Sith was patient; she took no offense at his laughter.

 

“Minor wound!?” he repeated, “Sith, your wing was snapped off and you lost at least a quart of blood. You honestly want to try to fight!? Now, of all times?” It was an absurd notion, even for Sith to suggest. He tried to remind himself of how many other afflictions she'd battled with, but this was different. She could be killed because of Rath. There was nothing mundane in Rath's assault; every one of her movements would involve Oblivion, the one way to silence Sith forever. Sith's expression turned grim.

 

“You understand so little of our race, Ryou,” she commented, and Ryou felt himself getting angry at such a remark, especially since she never wanted him to understand her race, “And even less of Oblivion. If I do not send her screaming there, she can come back again and again. Understand my adamancy; I must strike the final blow or we may live to see her again.” Ryou had to pause and consider her words carefully. She hadn't stricken the final blow before, but he knew that only Rath had been the one to open Oblivion. Only Rath carried a piece of Oblivion inside of her, and if Sith split her apart…

 

“Sith, what happened when you killed her?” he asked suddenly, surprising the woman, “Why did you need to do this? Responsibility aside, why you?” Sith blinked, and then slowly, a smile crept on her face.

 

“Because when I struck that blow, severing her body, I too was infected with Oblivion's vile magic,” she replied calmly, holding up one gloved hand, “You would never have noticed if you hadn't asked me, Ryou, but have you ever wondered why I wear just one glove some days?” Ryou blinked. He had never noticed that before. Then again, most of her sleeves had been so fanned out, he never actually noticed her hands before. He looked and saw that now, she was wearing one glove on her right hand. He looked up at her as she rose to stand.

 

“What happened?” he asked again.

 

“My right hand is cursed with the mark of Oblivion,” she replied, “You only receive it when you are infected by it. Many Mystics wear it, but no Chesiers do, and no Esper before me has, either. Look,” she replied, and removed the glove. Ryou winced as he looked at her right hand. On her palm sat a small hole, an orb revolving in it. His eye twitched; the last Mystic he had killed had that same mark. The only good thing was that Sith's hand wasn't skinless. It was normal, save for that terrible mark.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” he asked her softly, as she slipped her glove back on.

 

“…and what would you have done if I had?” was all she replied with. Ryou was about to retort, but forced himself to stop. He realized that if she had told him about this, and if Katt had told them both, he might very well have run away from her. He turned away, knowing that there were many times already that he told her he would have run away. But, again, Sith didn't bring that up. She awaited his answer patiently. He forced himself to look into those judging eyes, those steel green eyes that always judged him as fairly as she could have.

 

“I'm sorry,” he said sincerely, “Sith, you were right to keep it from me.” Sith smiled only slightly.

 

“Memory or not, my judgment has been with intent to be in our best interest as a whole,” she replied, “You have had your suspicions about me. Speak them while we have time.” Ryou blinked profusely. That was something he hadn't expected, but he didn't doubt that her calm would break. He nodded.

 

“I suspect that you did what you thought was best under your circumstances,” he said at first, and when she seemed to want him to continue, he did so, “The only suspicions I've had is that you did what you truly felt was best. And that whatever you were hiding, you did with a reason, even if I disliked or distrusted it. And I suspect that you wanted me to learn this before I asked you about it.” Sith's smile became a musing grin.

 

“And why would I want that?” she asked him.

 

“So I understood what your answers would mean. I hardly understood them when you gave them, and now, I do,” he replied, “You didn't think I was ready.” Sith nodded calmly.

 

“I did not,” she agreed, “And still, I do not, but as my husband, you deserve to know what you are dealing with, so I told you out of respect and care. What do you make of it, knowing that only one of us, between Rath and I, can survive this battle?” Ryou knew his answer before it even left his mouth. Even if Sith wasn't as pure as he wanted to think, she was far better than Rath would ever have been, both as a ruler, and as his closest friend. The words flew effortlessly.

 

“I want you to win,” he said, “I want you to win, and I want you to continue down the path you made for yourself.” He forced himself to accept that she might not be his wife much longer regardless as he finished with, “Even if that path no longer includes me.” There was no sadness in his voice, no pleading for her to stay. She could only smile as she clapped him on the back.

 

“You have, without a doubt, proven yourself worthy of the Espers,” she replied, “I will make sure I don't leave you until you are well past dead.” Ryou hid his laughter, and nodded. He didn't doubt Sith's words at all, but he knew very well he was the only reason she stayed in Domino City. Not wanting to dwell on that fact, he turned back toward the ruins of what used to be a fountain, with Sith taking just a step to be at his side. She could sense he was focusing on Rath.

 

“Where is she?” he asked, though he hadn't meant for Sith to actually answer him. She stroked her chin, but couldn't seem to find any traces of the older Esper herself.

 

“Either she fled or she's hiding,” Sith replied grimly, “My guess is the latter. She is a coward, but she's not stupid. She knows running would alert Bahamut and many of the other Espers we have posted in this world.” Ryou nodded, and when he began to hear a faint laugh, he knew Rath was waiting for them to start looking for her. But why? They had been vulnerable before Sith had stood up. Why wait?

 

“Who is hiding?” she asked, suddenly appearing in the air, “My dear cousin, I'm simply looking through your mind to see what attack you plan to use on me this time.” Ryou glanced at Sith, and saw she looked absolutely disgruntled at seeing Rath there, despite being so sure of her words. She snorted softly, and gave a soft smirk. Ryou knew that she had complete confidence in how this would go.

 

“My mind, eh?” Sith asked, perking an interested brow, “Then you understand there can only be one of us left to stand. You understand that you're not the only one whose life is lingering on Oblivion becoming stable.” Rath laughed, her chin pointing to Sith's gloved hand.

 

“Becoming stable? Dearest cousin, you have no idea of my intentions at all, do you? Have you become stupid with your old age?” Rath taunted, “We both know I plan to throw Oblivion into the entire universe and destroy all worlds connected to it. And we both know once I succeed, you'll be dead for good this time. Not even a zombie like you can stop Oblivion from claiming your long-due soul.” Ryou felt his angry grip hardening, wanting to slash Rath to scraps. He wanted to trust in Sith's words, but she had failed to attack Rath inside of the castle and end their battle there. And now, she continued her banter. He couldn't let Rath get the first strike. He had to move before she sent Sith to the void.

 

“I won't let you!” Ryou cried, and leapt into the air as Sith went to grab him, screaming, “Ryou, no! You can't!” But she was too late. He flew across the gap between himself and the mad Esper he had to destroy. Mercy for the Mystics had left him since before his own wedding, and now that he had just one shot, he aimed to take it. He didn't care if Sith disapproved; let her yell at him as much as she could after the battle. He had to stop Rath now. Rath just laughed at his attempt. And, it made his sword… Sith's sword, want to cut her tongue out all the more. The blow struck, but just as it grazed the Esper's face, Rath disappeared from view, and Ryou saw himself plunging downward. Sith ran to catch up to him, but a burst of energy slammed him in the back. He heard Sith scream, but saw nothing at that moment. Ryou Bakura disappeared from view, and Sith fell to the ground when she felt his energy slip.

 

“Ryou!?” she called, getting up as her sword clanged to the ground, “RYOU!!”

 

“What the hell happened!?” Gilden asked, flying out as Bakura and Yami burst from the tower behind her, “Lady Sith!?”

 

“Ryou is gone!” Sith spun around, looking directly at the green-haired Mystic, “Rath struck him. He is no longer in this world!” Bakura could hear the shakiness in the woman's voice, and laid a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. He agreed, Ryou wasn't in their world, but he wasn't dead, either. He reminded Sith of this, but she exclaimed, “Then where is he!? Where is my husband!?”

 

“Sith, what actually happened?” Malik asked her, as their friends began to encircle the small courtyard, each of them looking for the silver-skinned Mystic. Sith took a few deep breaths, the loss of Ryou on their plane still a shock to her. But, she eventually found her voice.

 

“Ryou went to strike her down,” Sith explained, clenching her fists as she looked at the ground, “He was furious when he heard I would die if Oblivion was released to the other worlds. I couldn't… stop him.” Her wings ruffled angrily, “Rath smashed him with energy… and he was gone.” She knelt down, clutching her sword. Ryou's energy was still lingering on the hilt, and that alone brought just a ray of comfort. He was still living.

 

“Is it possible he was sent to another world?” Yami asked her seriously. She shook her head.

 

“If he was, we're in a lot of trouble,” she replied, “Oblivion is unstable enough. To send him to another world without Bahamut's knowledge… that world could collapse.”

 

“Then thank me for not sending him there,” came Rath's voice, and Sith turned up to her, “He's perfectly fine.” Sith gripped her sword until her knuckles went completely white. Perfectly fine to Rath could've meant `dead' to Sith. Her ears lowered furiously, and Anzu noticed a growl to her voice that she had never gained before.

 

“Where is he!?” Sith demanded, her voice deeper than anyone thought could've been possible. Rath sneered down at her, crossing her arms proudly against her cloaked chest. It did nothing to lessen Sith's inner fury, which Malik knew had to be close to boiling point, if it wasn't already. When Sith received no answer, she abandoned her calm and screamed, “WHERE IS HE, DAMN IT!” Her voice rang throughout the entire Esper continent, and Malik felt the sheer power behind her words. She truly was the queen of these ruins, and the amount of force behind her convinced him of it.

 

“Safe,” Rath replied, technically not answering Sith's question, “But forget of him, my dear cousin. You and I have a score to settle, do we not? Thank me; he won't see you killed at my hands, and he won't be around to put himself in danger as you wish.” Sith's growl worsened. Rath was using her biggest problem against her now, but she had no choice but to comply. She had to give Ryou time; distract Rath before harm did befall him. She nodded, and then leapt into the air with the force of many different emotions inside of her.

 

This new place, wherever it could have been called, confused Ryou to no end. The last thing he remembered was hearing Sith screaming his name as he soared across the battlefield, and then… blank. Nothing remained. He was sure he was still alive, but where he was, he had no clue as to that. The place looked to be deserted; it was a small home with beautiful wooden furniture, but no human was in sight. When he had awoken, all that greeted him was hushed silence and the dim rays of an afternoon sun. Carefully, he finally stood up and looked around. Something about this place seemed familiar, but at the same time, felt so distant in his own mind. He felt as though he didn't truly belong here, as though he were intruding on, not just the person living in this house, but on this world in general.

 

“Where… am I?” he whispered, heading toward the stairs. He knew no one was with him; Rath's last attack was aimed solely at him, but what he couldn't understand was the intent behind her attack. There was no actual pain. He was simply teleported somewhere, but why would Rath do that to him? Just as he tried to piece an answer, he heard voices from the upper floor.

 

“I know she isn't a human, dear, but what choice do we have?” came the voice of a woman Ryou couldn't identify, “That old man said if we didn't raise her, we would be responsible for the world collapsing.”

 

“You believe that bullshit!?” came another, much less calm voice, and Ryou guessed that whoever was speaking was the woman's husband, “We can't! We can't have an Esper around your daughter! I don't care what that monster says! She is no branch-off!”

 

“Dear, calm down…”

 

“Look at her tail! No Chesier has a tail!” the man continued, and Ryou blinked, guessing at where he could have possibly been, “Does he think we're idiots!? We can't raise an Esper and call her what she isn't! What will we do if she blows something up!?”

 

“We have no choice. Either we raise this child or we send her out to live on the streets,” the woman spoke again, “Esper or not, we can't do that to her. Now, stop griping and help me choose a name for her.” Ryou bit his lip. The next few moments would confirm his suspicion of where he had ended up. There was a moment of silence before the man spoke again.

 

“Make sure it's a human name,” he said sternly, “Sith won't do at all. It's too out of the blue for her. People will definitely know if we use an Esper name like that.” Ryou let out an exhalation of air. He was in Sith's memories, and he was witnessing her first day in his world.

 

“…Sam,” the woman said softly, “We will name her Sam. That is a human name.” Ryou huffed at the thought. So long ago, it felt, he accepted that name, but now it just didn't seem to suit Sith at all. The man reluctantly agreed, and when Ryou didn't hear them again, he slowly ascended the stairs. He heard a door close farther off, but at the top, he found just one lone door opened. He carefully walked in, and wasn't surprised to find a small child sitting on her bed, looking at him with those piercing green eyes. Her ears were too large for her small frame, and they drooped as a result. Her hair had been cut; he could tell from the jagged ends, but her tail swiped at the wall in irritation. He smiled gently, but she turned away. She hissed something Ryou couldn't understand, and then realized she was speaking in Esper. He frowned; she distrusted him. And, if he comforted her, he'd mess up her life, most possibly. He slipped out of the room, and suddenly felt as though he were falling as he stepped right into a black hole. He tried to scream, but no words came out… until he slammed into the ground again. His eyes shot open. He was in the same house, but something was very, very wrong. It no longer felt peaceful as it once had.

 

“Leave me alone!” it was Sith's voice, and Ryou dove away just in time to see Sith storming down the stairs, looking up and screaming, “Get away from me!” He wondered what had been so terrible as to cause her so much distress, and got his answer when a much larger girl came crashing down the stairs after her. Ryou guessed this was one of her sisters. Adopted sisters.

 

“You little bitch!” the older girl screamed, grabbing Sith's arm, “You fucking broke my computer!”

 

“I broke nothing!” Sith shrieked back, “I was sitting there and it just happened! I swear of it!” Ryou knew at once that was a bad thing to say; he heard a hefty crunch, and then Sith was roaring in utter agony. She nearly fell down the stairs to get away, her lumbering sister coming after her, but then the woman from her last memory appeared, stopping the bigger girl instantly as Sith wiped her tears and bolted away, one tiny wing ruffled as she cradled her arm.

 

“Don't you ever touch her again, Irna!” the woman yelled, her eyes narrowing angrily, ignoring as Sith threw the front door open and ran off, “She's your sister! She is your sister and you broke her arm for nothing!” Ryou's eyes widened. Sith did suffer injuries. No wonder she was so protective of her arms.

 

“That little pile of filth broke my computer!” Irna screamed again, “Just like she broke your hair dryer! I'd have broken her other wing if you hadn't stopped me!” Ryou's fists clenched; this explained Sith's total lack of trust in humans, particularly women. It was pretty obvious Irna had given Sith hell when she was `younger.' Ryou heard a heavy smack, and snorted when he realized Irna received a slap on the face for that. He was glad someone was on Sith's side.

 

“Let it be, you selfish, little girl,” the woman scolded, “Sami can't control her power and you beating her won't help her! Leave her alone or you will be sent away!” Ryou growled as he watched Irna storm away, but their voices were already fading as the floor began to give way again. Ryou knew he was swimming in her memories again, but couldn't understand why or in what order he was viewing them. But at least he was beginning to understand her initial hatred of humans. It wasn't just a racial trait; Irna was the reason for most of it, and if Sith truly had no one to go to for safety from her… Ryou shook his head.

 

“No,” he hissed to himself, “Sith doesn't see it like that. She's no victim here. But… why didn't she tell me that… that… that creature broke her arm?” He didn't wait for an answer to appear. Her memories were focusing again, but this time, he was on the streets of Algon. It had to have been from before he'd ever met her. Nothing was ruined, but there was panic in the streets. He spotted Sith, accompanied by soldiers as they scanned the streets for something amidst the chaos. His eyes widened as he saw her; she looked as grim as she had become in the past years.

 

“These ranks are going straight for the gates of Domino!” she called out, her brow creasing as she seemed to be searching for another explanation, “We need to stop them! They're searching for something along the Domino-Algon borders, and we must not let them find it! Move out!” Ryou hummed. This was right before he had met her; he knew whatever the `ranks' were looking for was himself. The soldiers nodded, and obeyed her orders without question. Ryou slipped in among them, hoping to get closer to Sith, but she went in another direction alone. Quietly, he followed her, looking back just once to see that scores of undead were beginning to clash with the small group Sith had led out. She didn't appear to notice; she kept going, and Ryou kept following. They weaved through thin streets until Sith finally stopped in the middle of one large street, where people were running and screaming from various monsters.

 

“How… can they be here?” she whispered, and Ryou listened more intently, “You damned lizard… you never said… they would destroy me and my men. But why?” She shook her head, “There is no reason. Mystics are evil. I must… find what they want and hide it.” She nodded, looking down. But, right as she made the decision to move, a soldier ran toward her frantically, many others following him in the same frenzied terror. She looked at them sternly, her eyes unblinking.

 

“Sami!” he called, slowing down, “It's no use, there's too many of them! We need to retreat!” Sith growled. That was one thing she hated to hear. Ryou could feel something warping, but forced himself to stay. He wanted to see how this ended; he had to know if Sith actually knew he existed. She seemed to hesitate, and then nodded.

 

“Then we retreat,” she replied, as another guard asked, “Where!?”

 

“To Domino City,” she answered, and some of the soldiers recoiled in terror, “We must find what these bastards want and hide it before they get to it. We can't allow them to get it unless we wish to die.” She looked at each soldier squarely, “You all were selected because of your bravery and combat skill. Tell me… do you fear death?”

 

“Don't you?” someone else asked, and Sith turned. She shook her head, her eyes growing darker than normal.

 

“Not at all,” she replied, “Move out. Now.” Ryou shivered. He was used to Sith's dead-serious tone, but to see the effect she could give on others never failed to terrify him. And to hear it even now… he sighed. She had changed a great deal in such a time, but one thing he knew would never change was her ability to sway the masses to her favor. As a queen, he knew that was a useful skill to have. But he still didn't see the point in any of this; why was he swimming in her memory, and what was he supposed to find there? He felt he had to be getting close, though. It wasn't for Sith's sake; it was something in him that he needed to know, and as he watched Sith leading her troupe toward the road to Domino, that feeling became stronger. He went to follow, until a screech behind him caught him frozen in his tracks. Sith turned around sharply, eyes glaring as she saw a hideous, bear-like monster storming around, swiping viciously at the road as cars and trucks swerved to avoid it. One truck was unlucky enough to be swatted across the field, and then Ryou heard himself scream. It slammed into the road and kept revving, not stopping even as it collided with Sith's team. It skidded to a slow stop, but Ryou didn't need the door to open to know the driver was dead. Fear had ended his life, and frantically, Ryou ran to the rest of the scene. Men were scattered across the road, the sidewalk, and the grass covering the area. Their blood spilled into the earth, smearing the plants around them. Flesh burned where the exhaust pipe had ignited; it stung at Ryou's eyes.

 

“Sith!” he called, but the word sounded so muffled. He knew he couldn't help her, but he did see her. She got up, slowly, but she was in no condition to even try and move. Both wings had been broken, blue blood dripping down her back, staining her shirt and pants. She looked up feebly, shivering as she saw what became of her small force.

 

“All of them… dead,” she whispered, “Kat… sai… ga… will… pay for… this…” Ryou ran over to her, but she had slumped over. He knew this was when she was assumed dead and sent away to be buried. He touched her shoulder, but she was already stiffening from trauma. He shook his head. This was the hardest memory he had seen, simply due to the suddenness of such death. He wanted to help Sith, but he felt the ground fall away. He was already being sent to another memory. This one came quickly; it couldn't have been too far into the future from the last one. When the world, a cold, gray world, came into focus, he vaguely recognized where he was. The hall was dim, and a cold draft blasted in through the slits in the walls. He knew this place well; he'd been imprisoned here years before.

 

“So that's him,” came Sith's voice, and Ryou saw her standing outside of one room, either where she had stayed or where he had been, “…interesting that what they want is a human boy. But why? She's too smart to simply abduct humans, so there must be something else.” Ryou's lips thinned as she stroked her chin in thought. He was seeing snippets of their time together through her eyes. He began to wonder if this was Rath's intent as Sith finished with, “I'll have to ask her before I kill her. For now… I need to get him out of here. I just hope I can.” He saw her run down the hallway, but she passed him and didn't even glance up as she continued on. Perhaps she couldn't even see him. He looked down and wasn't surprised to find that the world was spiraling again. The memories were coming faster now, as though someone was trying to rush to get him to see the bigger picture. The world came back, this time within a moving ship. Ryou was in a dark room, and Sith was sitting on the bed, alone. Her face was pale, but a thin line of blush crossed it. He perked a confused brow.

 

“…this isn't right,” she whispered, “What do I do, you old fool? He's not going to let go of this, and it's getting worse. I've tried to detour him; it does nothing. What do you suggest I do now?” Ryou blinked, and heard Bakura talking in the next room, with himself getting irritated at Bakura's words. Ryou shook his head, focusing on Sith. He was beginning to understand; Rath was trying to get him to see why humans had to be destroyed. He was seeing how his choices were affecting Sith. No, how he was affecting her. “…is it wrong… to care for a human?” Ryou looked at Sith stiffly, surprised that she would ask, but before he could hear anything more, the world fell apart. He clenched his fists, wondering where the next thought could lead to. He still needed to see more. He knew he had more to learn, and slowly, the world came back to them. They were standing on a bridge, the water rushing underneath it violently as the sun was beginning to set. Dark clouds were circling around the sky, and Ryou immediately sensed the presence of evil. He was over toward the edge of the bridge, his friends around him… but Sith was farther off, looking ahead at the half-completed dome they stood at. He knew this memory; the first time he had told Sith he was getting second thoughts of her.

 

“…how can he ask me not to do this when it will give them all a fighting chance?” she asked herself, glancing over toward where Ryou stood, fuming as he spoke to Yugi, “I understand his anger… but this is what needs to be done. I need to seal those spells off before she releases them. If she does, she'll destroy us. Does he not see this?” Ryou remembered his own bitterness toward her for that, but now he felt foolish as he watched the memory rolling along. Sith had her reasons; very dire reasons at that. A Mystic was releasing Esper spells that could destroy the planet, and she had to do something. As an Esper, it was the only way. He frowned, wishing he had understood that, especially as Sith asked, “Does he not see that I'm doing this for him? For his life?” Ryou's eyes watered, wishing he could have read Sith's mind. He would never have been so bitter. More, he knew, more would come to him to make him see Sith wasn't the only one to create such disharmony. The bridge fell away, and this time, a tunnel replaced it. A dark tunnel, with barely enough light to see. Ryou found himself staring wide-eyed at Sith, as though a horrible blow had slammed him, and she had caused it. He found himself recognizing this scenario as well. It was one of their worst fights, one that Sith rattled him with until he forced himself to step up and take responsibility for what he felt.

 

`Damned idiot,' he heard her mind as clear as a bell, and knew that somewhere, Sith had wanted him to hear her, `Damned fucking idiot. I didn't commit myself to a human to be blamed for any of this, and he has the nerve to call me on it for what reason? Damned idiot. He had better learn before we face Falnika, or I won't marry him. I refuse to continue to take charge of his life. Not when he blames me for it. Damned idiot.' Ryou turned away, partly blown away with her fury, and partly relieved to know she had some for him. It obviously took great discipline for her to never rip him apart. He was really beginning to see it now. His head wasn't the only one spinning from all of this; Sith's was probably rocketing toward a complete breakdown when this happened. He wanted to curse himself for it, but that wouldn't take anything back. Not that he intended to. He knew he had to learn her lessons the hard way.

 

“I understand. I know I was childish,” he whispered, “Sith, I'm so sorry. I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry. I kept pushing these memories away, but you kept them. And never once did you try to hurt me with them. Thank you.” But, he received no response. At least, not an immediate one. He felt something rumbling, but it stopped within seconds. Was there something else he needed to see? He had no way to know, but something felt different again. It felt as though someone were watching him, but the memory had turned to darkness. There was nothing more for him to see. So why wasn't he going home?

 

`Ryou,' came a voice, gentle and hard to recognize at first, but eventually, he placed at as Sith's voice, `Ryou, I need your help. Finish your business and help me.' Her voice became more and more clear as time went on, and Ryou realized that she might very well be in serious trouble. He took a deep breath, letting it go slowly. He didn't know the point of his trip, but he'd ask her when he returned. If he could figure out how. It'd been minutes since anything more came to him, and he guessed Rath couldn't find any other memories, or perhaps Sith was blocking them out. Whatever one it was, he needed to hurry. He remembered that he'd left the others in the middle of trying to kill Rath, and she would have probably dealt with them all by now.

 

“Sith, what was your last thought? When you finally figured out who you were, when you finally knew the truth as to what's been going on, why you're here, and what happened,” Ryou began, “…how did you feel? What did you feel?” He needed to just hear that, just know what her final thoughts on herself were. What did she feel about all of it? At first, her voice didn't answer. Then, slowly, Ryou felt the words coming toward him.

 

`I am finally myself,' was all he heard. Then, the black began to lighten, and he felt he was falling. It lightened to a hazy, dark orange, and then the world materialized. He was falling, directly out of the sky. He slammed into the ground, causing gasps of shock all around. He felt someone help him up, and barely registered it as Malik. He was back to his own world; Sith's memories were no longer part of his surroundings. But something felt wrong. It was too quiet, too peaceful. There should have been ruins, or blasts of light, or even the sound of Sith's sword clashing into something, and yet there was nothing.

 

“Ryou, are you all right!?” Yugi asked him, as Malik gently sat him down, “Where did you go?” Anzu ran over, producing a flask of water, but Ryou shoved it away. He wanted no drink. Something was going on, something bad, but he couldn't place it. He looked around, and finally saw what was wrong. Neither Katt nor Sith were among the group anymore, and Gilden was gone as well. Ryou's eyes widened in horror, wondering what could have happened to them all.

 

“Where's Sith!?” he demanded, jumping up immediately. Anzu tried to get him to sit back down, but his body was rigid. He needed to know where Sith had gone to. He had a feeling that was where such a terrible feeling was coming from. Angrily, he asked, “Where is she!?”

 

“We… we don't know,” Miho replied, and Ryou looked at her skeptically, “She and Rath were fighting, and…”

 

“WHAT!?” Ryou screamed, unable to believe that, “She was what!? She… she can't!”

 

“She did,” Malik replied grimly, “They were really fighting. It was absolutely frightening. Everything started turning black, and then… this thing opened up in the courtyard. It sucked them all in. Katt and Gilden were thrown in as well.” Ryou's shoulders fell. That had to have been a portal, which meant only one thing. One thing Ryou was hoping to avoid at all costs, both for his world, for the other worlds, and for the Espers.

 

“Oblivion's been opened,” he whispered, and Malik nodded, forcing his tears to stop from falling. Ryou's body shook. It had taken the Espers in less than the few moments he had spent in Sith's mind… no, it must have been longer. Still, it had taken the only person who could close the portal up. Ryou couldn't accept that. He walked stiffly into the courtyard, but no sign of any portal had been left. It was as though they were never truly there at all.

 

“Sith…” he whispered, dropping to his knees, “I'm sorry it happened this way… she… she tricked you. She opened up Oblivion while I was gone.”

 

“Does that mean we've lost?” Jou asked, but Ryou couldn't answer. He had no idea what to even say anymore. After going through what they went through, this was how it was to end: failure. Ryou shook his head. There had to be more to it. He didn't feel Sith die, but she certainly wasn't with him anymore. But then, where was she, and who was winning the battle?

 

“Should we go home?” Kaiba asked, after the silence drudged on for nearly half an hour. No one wanted to say anything; the fact that they lost two of their friends was too silencing, too unbelievable. Ryou looked back at Kaiba. He wanted to get angry, but he saw Kaiba's point. There was no reason to stay unless they wanted to wait for the portal to open, which it might not. But Ryou felt no need to just leave. He had to know what happened to Sith and Katt.

 

“I'm not leaving,” Ryou said grimly, “I won't stop you all, but I need to know what happened.”

 

“I'm staying, too,” Malik added, crossing his arms, “Katt's got to be alive. I'll kill Rath if she shows up and Katt's not with her.” Ryou snorted. He didn't doubt a word of what Malik was saying. He turned to the granite walkway of the yard. He barely felt Yugi and the others closing around him, some of them sitting down as well. Only Forte seemed distant, but Ryou understood he was just lost, wondering where the hell Sith was. After all, he thought of her as his mother. What was he to actually do?

 

“We'll all stay,” Anzu offered, “Miho and I want to know Sith's okay.” Ryou turned away. He was grateful, but somehow, his friends were annoying him. The more of them stayed, the worse their odds if Rath came back, and proclaimed Sith dead for good. He could only wait for what the news would be. And, he didn't want to wait.

 

“Fine with me,” he said distantly. Malik patted his back comfortingly, but nothing could have stopped how quickly his heart was pounding right then. Nothing could help the flood of frenzied thoughts whirling through his mind as to what could have truly happened. Sighing, he closed his eyes tightly.

 

“How the hell did Oblivion open up?” That was the only thought he could voice right then, but unfortunately, no one had an answer. No one but Sith would.

 

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

 

And so, after swimming through Sith's memories for reasons only Rath would know, Ryou returns to the battlefield only to find that Sith and Rath aren't there. They aren't even in Ryou's world anymore. To his horror, Oblivion has been opened, with the two clashing races pitted inside, where no one else can reach them. Who is winning the battle, and what will the result be if and when someone emerges? Can Ryou handle the inevitable and just wait out his pain and worry? Will Oblivion be sealed up, and by whose hand? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!