Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Lethally Hot ❯ Completion of the Seventh ( Chapter 14 )

Toboe LoneWolf: Kwee! I come forth and offer this next chapter of Lethally Hot! May it appease those who wait way too long for my sad attempts to write.

Djanil: *nodnod*

Toboe LoneWolf: -_-; Well, carrying on I suppose…

Disclaimer: Toboe LoneWolf in no way shape or form owns YGO, ancient Egypt, or the works cited:
Faulkner, Raymond O. The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ed. Carol Andrews. New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1972.
Stetter, Cornelius. The Secret Medicine of the Pharaohs: Ancient Egyptian Healing. Carol Stream, IL: Edition Q, 1993.
…Or any other snippet of anything she quotes. But she does have a devious mind. Muhaha. *thud*

LoneWolf: ^_~ So, back to the past, eh? Considering that it's been two chapters since memory time, you might want to re-read the memory from chapter 11. …Then again you might not; because Jonouchi died…*looks at mad readers* Meep! I told you, there's a reason! And it's in this chapter!

Chapter Fourteen: Completion of the Seventh

Seven is the Perfect Number. The number of perfection and completion. The perfect, magical number of completion, of closure, of ending. Fiat.

Standing before them are the seven. Seven in the past, seven in the present. Seven of the yet to come.

Seven Millenium Items. Seven memories.

Let it be completed. ~

Dead.

It wasn't possible. He couldn't be. He wasn't supposed to be. He was supposed to bounce back up and laugh it off and tease Seto and Seto would retort right back and everything would be the same. I managed to deceive myself until I felt warm liquid trickle down my neck. Then I could not hide from the truth anymore.

Jonouchi…was dead.

I rolled over from underneath his body. Stared at it, seeing the blood puddle grow from Jonouchi's body. My own hand crept behind me and felt the wetness on my back. Drawing it back, I could see blood on my hands. Jonouchi's blood.

It should have been mine.

"No," I whispered in horror. "He's not…"

"He is."

I did not need to look up to know that Seto had turned his back to us all. Shoulders tense, voice hardened.

"The fool." Seto's voice cracked. "Schti. Always trying to play damned heroics. Jonouchi, you--" He bit off his sentence, stiffening, and said no more.

Through the Puzzle I can feel the Shadows pulse in the presence of death. I clenched my fists, fighting tears. I cannot afford to cry. I am Pharaoh, and I must…not…show weakness. I cannot. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the scene before me.

A single tear escaped.

"Death stands before me
like the smell of myrrh,
as if one
on a windy day sits under the sail."

I turned to see Shadi softly singing, the Millenium Ankh glowing. His voice trailed off, and Mahado took up the next phrase.

"Death stands before me
like the smell of lotus blossoms,
as if one
sits drunk on the shore."

To my surprise, Seto joined in the song, his low voice harmonizing with Mahado's and Shadi's. I could hear faint music, coming from Isis, or perhaps it was a lone musician out in the night, singing his own song of lament…

"Death stands before me
like a worn path,
as if one
comes home from war."

We sang our friend home.

Home, to the Fields of Reeds, where the sun is ever warm and bright, where all is well, and all is joy, and all is clear at last.

"Death stands before me
like a clear sky,
as one comes to that
which he does not know."

The last notes faded into silence, calm, into peace.

But in the land of the living, there could be no such thing.

Wordlessly Seto walked over to the black-clad man. Bending down he roughly pushed the dead body over with his staff. Flicking his staff once more, the limp arm flopped off the chest and revealed a tattoo etched on the inside of the forearm.

The mark of the snake.

I stood up and looked closer. The snake seemed to glow in the night, curled around the man's arm; its silvery scales etched with ink and the eyes black as kohl. I bent down and summoned a small amount of Shadow to my hand, stretching it out to sense if there was anything of the magical realm that linked this mark.

And the snake hissed, and its eyes turned red, and for a second I swore it writhed in anger.

Like the mark was alive…

I pulled back my hand and dispatched the Shadows.

"Sobek's belly," Karim swore. "The mark…lives."

Shadi frowned, and summoned another one of his searching light-globes. It chirped, and hovered over to the dead man where it touched the black mask. The light-globe darkened, and chirped sadly.

"It cannot identify the man," Shadi translated. "All it can find is that he was sent." The light-ball chirped agreement before disappearing.

"They must have been covering up their trail," Mahado said. Then his eyes widened. "Then that means--"

Seto summed it up. "They're coming."

"Now?" Karim pressed.

Akunadin's Millenium Eye glowed, and he Saw what we could not see. His face paled. "They come, Pharaoh. I know not what they are, but they come."

Isis hissed. I turned to see Isis clutching the Tauk with one hand, rays of light shining from clenched fingers. Her back was ramrod straight, though quivering. "They come with anger and revenge…and lust for blood," Isis spoke in a trance. "They come to stop He Who Heals…" Then with a sigh the Tauk released her.

Isis shook her head. "A thousand images, a thousand paths…"

"And which one is the true one?" Seto pressed.

Isis glared at him. "I cannot tell. The future is fluid. All that I can see is the shifting patterns, the balance that rides on man's decisions." Her eyes met mine, and refocused, all intensity meeting with mine. "And you are the fulcrum on which it balances."

Its weighted meaning hung in the air for a long moment before settling on my shoulders.

I closed my eyes. Breathed. Felt the heavy weight of leadership hanging from my neck, shadows circling the Puzzle, my symbol, my power, my bane.

What now? What now, Father?

"Son, listen to me. One day I shall become Osiris and you the new Horus, reborn. You will become the protector and leader of Egypt. The people will look to you. Do not fail them."

I clenched my fist. "Let's go."

Akunadin frowned. "To where, Pharaoh?"

"To the temple of Amun." I turned at the doorway. "We have what we came for."

To save Jonouchi, only to lose him.

"I will not allow another one of my people to fall. Now. We must go."

Slowly my priests got up and gathered around me. Mahado stamped his staff against the ground, and the blood receded and vanished. The blood on our clothes seeped out and disappeared. Then Mahado bowed his head and raised his staff. A soft golden glow surrounded Jonouchi's body.

"His ba will not be defiled." Mahado said softy.

I bowed my head as well. Stretching out my hand I whispered,

"May Ra grant that you see the sun-disc and behold the moon unceasingly every day; may your soul go forth to travel to every place which it desires…"

Be free, Jonouchi. Be free. May your soul find its rest in the heart of light.

I swear that I will save this land of mine.

+ + + + +

The Great Temple of Amun lies in the outskirts of the city, close to the Nile, and thankfully away from where people slept, with an enclosure wall further separating the temple. The priests that stood watch over this temple had either fled or been persuaded to leave. It would not be good for them to witness what was to occur.

We stood inside the depths of the temple, past the sixth pylon, in the center of the Chapel of Amun. Bordering the court stood two great granite pillars within the court bearing the floral emblems of Upper and Lower Egypt, one to the north, the other to the south. The walls are painted with exotic animals and plants. At the north side are two great statues of Amun and his wife Amaunet.

I knelt in front of the majestic statue of Amun. There he sat in human form, seated upon a throne, skin as blue as lapis lazuli, serene as a calm breeze.

"Amun give me strength," I whispered before the alabaster altar at Amun's feet.

"What are we doing here?" Akunadin asked. He crossed his arms. "Yami, how in Ra's name are you going to protect Egypt against the Ravager when it requires us to individually to alter the defense in every citizen of Egypt?"

I turned to face Akunadin. "You forget that I Am Egypt."

The priests were silent as my decision sank in. Seto gasped. "Pharaoh, that's insane. To be the conduit of all that Power? It will kill you, or at best drive you mad."

I stared into Seto's eyes. They glared back, defying me, pleading with me to not do this thing. I turned away.

"I am Horus on Earth. I am the son of Ra. I am the falcon, invisible as the wind, darkness of Ra. I swore that I would protect my people, and I will not break my oath."

Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for what was to come. I, as Pharaoh, was linked to every grain of sand of Egypt. Through the link that bonded me to Egypt I would protect my people. Through me, my people would live.

I drew the dagger at my side and held it out in front of me. "I come with heart of righteousness."

Behind me my priests spoke the words of ritual. "Medew-ef ma'at." He speaks truth.

"I come in the name of the Light."

Again, my priests chanted, "Medew-ef ma'at." He speaks truth.

"I come so that the Sacred Way will be opened."

"Medew-ef ma'at." He speaks truth.

Magic swirled around us with each cycle, filling the air, summoned by the words of old. They sparkled with light and shadows, flickering around me. The shadows writhed, questioning the one who summoned them.

With that I slashed open my left forearm, letting crimson blood fall onto the pedestal at the feet of Amun. "Ii'ee ten r'hat em Heru Athelas, Nebti Ammon, Heru en Nebu Tehuti, Nesew Beet Yami-Ra, Sa Ra Atem, that I may deliver my people!"

"Hail!"

Bound by calling and by blood, the shadows flocked to the open flesh in my arm—

—and entered me.

A torrent of shadow magic coursed through me, surging down every vein and particle of me. From there my six priests linked in with me, pouring down their own magic. The blood that stained the pedestal at Amun's feet called forth the stored magic that came from the sacrifices laid before it--

—and all of it, all the magic, poured down and into and through me. With a cry I melded the magics together, and then reached out for the link that bonded me to Egypt, the link that had been forged when I became Pharaoh—

With a snap the two parts connected. Pain seared through me with blistering agony so great it stopped being "pain" and became something else.

I could see nothing now, nothing but color and light, swirls and cascades and light-shadows reflecting in my mind. The light was something I could hear, the rushing and roaring of dragons. The colors I could taste, of blood, of copper, and scorched stone.

I became a vessel for the power, able to only direct its flow. It burst open the barrier that kept me separate from the land of Egypt, and I became Egypt. I was Egypt. I heard every cry, every wail, every tear that fell on the Black Land. I felt their fear and despair, their terror that came from things unknown, that Ra would never rise and we would live under a blood-red moon in darkness.

The land itself cried out to me, burdened with the weight of years of bloodshed and fighting, years of being torn by monsters of another realm, and now with this fresh deluge of blood of its own people the land struggled to stay…sane.

The earth can only bear so much.

And I, as Egypt, took Egypt's burden as my own.

My priests buckled under the weight of magic, struggling to control its flow. The magic was no tame stream, for it was the magic that flowed through all of Egypt -- through me. It was if the Nile was flooding down my veins, powerful and untamable.

I fell to my knees, under the strain of so much magic bearing down on me. The Puzzle glowed almost white-hot against my chest, blazing as it focused the magic. I held out my arms to hold the magic steady.

The magic flooded like a torrent of rain. I poured it into the ground, deep into the bedrock, letting it merge with the foundation of Egypt. I felt the stone tilts beneath me buckle and rupture open, blowing up dirt and sand, showering my face. Still my priests chanted.

Vaguely I could feel my six priests shaping the magic that ran through me. They chanted once more, and with each resounding succession the magic…shifted inside me. Something new, something different, something the land had never experienced before. The land did not welcome this change, for it was strange, and with each refrain the earth convulsed.

"Let the waters run forth!"
     "Hail!"
"Let the earth shake!"
     "Hail!"
"Let the fire blaze!"
     "Hail!"
"Let the wind howl!"
     "Hail!"
"Let the waters be still!"
     "Hail!"
"Let the Darkness come forth!"
     "Hail!"
"And may the Light endure forever!"
     "Hail!"

Focusing the energies together, straining against the resistance to change, I completed the spell.

"So let it be!"

With a quiver, the earth subsided. The tension that had built up ran out, letting the flow of magic shift and run through all of Egypt. Like rain the magic softly poured down, soaking through the earth, restoring that which was lost. I dropped my outstretched arms and simply knelt, letting the intangible rain run, soft and sweet against my soul.

Slowly, the magic released its hold on me. It still lingered in the air though, residue from the powerful magic we had just worked.

I opened my eyes to find myself kneeling in a small crater. The sheer amount of power focused in one spot had shattered the stone tiles and dug a small hole to about the level of my waist. I stood up, trembling. Bringing my hands together I closed my eyes and spoke the words of closure.

"It is finished, Amun the Completed One. A'b, sha-i."

The magic sighed and dissipated. With effort I managed to pull myself out of the hole at Amun's feet. I picked up the dagger I had dropped on the side of the hole, sheathing it at my waist. I turned to see my priests in varying states of exhaustion.

"Well, we did it," Seto panted.

Mahado pulled himself up with his staff, leaning heavily. "Do you sense it, Yami?"

I cocked my head, listening to the invisible. "The flow? Hai. Like the inundation it goes. Soon all of my people will be protected."

Seto stared at me. "Yami, what is with you and foreign words?"

"Eh?"

He shook his head, and as he did so his eyes lowered. "Your arm—!"

I looked down at my left arm, where I had cut myself. The cut had healed, though it left a pale scar. On the outer edges it was lined in black, reminders of the shadows that I had called.

I traced the faint scar. "Healed, Seto. This will fade in time."

Shakily we walked out the temple. It was still dark out, though the ominous red moon was fading. Soon Ra would rise upon a new day. We made our way to where we had tied our horses, outside the courtyard of the temple. The horses were restless, tugging against the binds. We were about to mount and ride back to the palace when suddenly Wahankh reared and screamed a challenge, facing the east.

"Whoa!" I struggled to pull Wahankh down as he strained to break free. "Wahankh, hold!" The other horses began to shift, fighting my priests.

A piercing scream ripped through the air. It howled, so loud that nothing else existed except that raging fury. Fury of being thwarted…

"What is it?" Seto yelled. The horses screamed in panic, rearing against their traces. "Akunadin, what do you See?" He fought to control his horse.

"I cannot! The way is blocked!" Akunadin covered his face, the Millenium Eye blazing through. "A shield of magic—"

Wind thrashed around us, whipping our clothes around. Then the earth began to rumble and quake. The horses, their eyes bulging with fear, ripped the reins out of our hands and ran wildly. Even Wahankh turned and ran—

"Tyelar!"

The horses froze, and stopped moving. Mahado turned with his staff still glowing with magic. The earth continued to shake, the sands rolling in its shudder, and with each passing moment it seemed that the earth itself quivered in fear of what was approaching…

Then, a man emerged from the shadows of the east. He was clothed in the robes of foreigners, though his robes were ebony-black. Every part of him was sheathed in clothes of black. Only his face was uncovered, showing pale-white skin, as if he never walked under the sun. The face was narrow, pale and piercing; his eyes burned with rage.

"You dare." He spat out. "You dare defy my working." He walked forward three steps, and then raised his right arm. Shadows swirled around his black-gloved fist.

I stepped forward. "Who are you?"

The man barked a harsh laugh, like a raven. "I?" He swept down his arm, and shadows flamed around him before circling upward. Then the shadows condensed, and slowly the form of the Ravager appeared. It unfurled its wings and gave a silent cry to its brethren.

To my horror, they answered.

Emerging from fallen bodies and the mouths of dead babes the Ravager came, ranks upon ranks of the Beast. They floated in the air behind the man, staring with dead eyes.

The man held out his arms. "I am he who created these."

Seto stepped forward, holding out the Rod in warning. His eyes flashed. "Your creation is nothing."

"Oh?" The rage returned. "My creation is more than mere nothing." Again, his swept down his arm. The Ravager gave a collective, silent cry. Then they broke apart, and dove down into the earth—

—opening their mouths wide—

—biting, and holding—

I inhaled sharply as the flow of magic, the magic we had created to protect my people, was jarred to a stop. Seto looked back furtively.

The man laughed again. "You may have found a way to bar my creation, true. But my creation can bar your own defense before it can take effect."

"Who are you, shem'a?" Seto demanded. "Speak!"

"Foreigner? I think not." The man held out his hands, a single dragon-beast slithering around him, fangs glistening in the red moonlight. "Once, I was one of your people. Once I was the son of a poor herdsman in the village of Kuruelna."

Behind me I heard Akunadin's robes rustle.

"And on a dark day, at the height of the night, everyone of any worth in that village was sacrificed in death to summon powers they should not have." The man spat. "Those with worth. My family was worth nothing, and they were thrown to the side. They had no burial, no ceremony to lead their ka back, and only I survived.

"You ask who I am? I am no one. I am worth nothing in your eyes, son of a herdsman.

"But in the future, when you have died and your sons have died and not a single stone remains on your grave, your name forgotten to the ages, you will know me as Marad."

My eyes widened.

I knew that name.

It came in the dreams, of a young boy with an innocent face. Of a white-haired thief and a game of death.

Seto frowned in confusion. "Marad? What is the meaning of that?"

Marad's eyes flickered to mine. "He knows."

I answered, not taking my own eyes off his. "Yes, I know you, Marad, Disease."

Marad bowed mockingly. "The Hunter recognizes his own. But enough of this," Marad gestured. "Pharaoh, we seem to be at an impasse. You cannot allow me to unleash the Ravager, and I cannot allow you and your people to walk free." Marad smiled. "So I challenge thee, Pharaoh."

"What?" Seto glared. "You dare challenge the King of Games?"

Marad looked at him, amused. "I can and I will, foreign child of a foreign whore." He ignored Seto's low growl. Drawing up his hand, he cast aside his cloak. Beneath he wore clothes that lay tight against his thin body, and once again were dyed as black as the night around us.

"I challenge thee, King of Games, Son of Ra, Wielder of Shadows. I challenge thee to a game of skill." His hand reached to his waist. "I challenge thee to sword and sorcery."

"You. Would. Dare."

Seto stood in front of me, trembling with rage. "Yami, let me. I will gut him." He brought the Millenium Rod up and unsheathed it, revealing the long dagger.

"No."

Seto looked back at me, incredulous. I nodded, slowly. "This is my fight."

"Pharaoh…" Isis breathed.

The rest of my priests protested, arguing that it was too dangerous to fight Marad alone. Both Mahado and Karim stepped forward, intent on fighting Marad themselves. Magic cracked around Mahado's staff, and Karim drew his own sword.

I shook my head. How could I tell them? I had seen this before in my dreams. In the dreams, he had come from the shadows and challenged me, and I had always answered. What was the outcome, I did not know. This, though, was the beginning. This was the beginning of my fate…

Seto turned around and grabbed my shoulders. "Yami, do you know what you're saying?" He hissed. "You are going to fight him one-on-one? Are you insane?"

My mouth twitched. "You have always answered in the affirmative to that question."

"Yami!"

"Seto, I know what I am doing." My voice hardened. "I know what lies before me." My eyes turned to Mahado and Karim. "This is my fight."

The two bowed and stepped back. Seto's eyes pleaded with me, begging.

Yami, please.
Not today, Seto.
You go to your death.
This is not my time.
…Pharaoh…
High Priest.
Damnit Atem, I won't let you do this!
I know.
…Tell me.
Athelas.

"Hem-netjer-tepey, I will heal my people."

Seto stepped aside. "Then so be it, per-a'a."

As I walked forward, the Ravager increased its howls. The one serpent that had curled around Marad unwrapped itself and unfurled its wings, challenging. Marad spread his arms. "So what say you?"

I raised my right hand. Magic flashed around my fist. "Ii en-wi!"

From the west came the cry of the falcon, diving out of the sky and swooping down in its unstoppable dive. It flared its fiery wings and screamed defiance.

Calling forth my avatar was my formal answer to Marad's formal challenge; now we were both bound to the duel. Both of our avatars dissipated, though I could feel the Ravager's waiting presence hovering around us. Marad grinned, fangs bared as I clasped my hands together and called forth the shadows, forming them into a half-dome behind me. Marad did the same. Where the shadows met they writhed feverishly, and altogether the two of us stood on opposite sides of a dark dome of about five horse lengths in diameter. Now we were bound to this duel, trapped and shielded from the outside world until one of us died at the hands of the other.

Drawing my sword I dropped the scabbard onto the ground. It would not be needed in this duel. I gripped the handle with both hands, with the blade held at the vertical in front of me, taking a wide-legged stance. The Puzzle swung slightly from my neck.

Mockingly, Marad did the same, casting his scabbard aside into the sand, revealing a strangely curved sword.

A word echoed through my mind, words that I knew only in dreams.

Katana.

Marad shifted his feet, and smiled. "So come, Pharaoh. Let us play. Let us see if Khepri will rise this day."

For one brief moment, everything was still.

The next, nothing was.

+ + + + +

Marad had challenged me not only to a duel of swords, but a duel of sorcery.

Only a few are able to wield both sword and magic. Each requires years of rigorous study and practice, and it is rare that a person can master both. There are connections, of course, between the two, such as channeling magic through swords or forging magical properties into weapons, but usually a person masters one and learns only a little in the other, enough to be able to defend against the opposite learning.

The time and skill required to learn both meant it was a rarity for someone to do so; it required intense training almost after birth (it is astounding how much one can learn in sleep). I was one of those few, as befitting as the future Pharaoh. Seto was another. I knew of no one else; my teachers were masters in one school and not the other. Seto and I would have to integrate lessons ourselves, creating our own theories and strategies on the fly. In the practice ring we tested each other, honing both sword skill and shadow skill, and trying not to kill anyone else in the process.

The thought that this person, who was the son of a herdsman, and most likely had no formal training, could wield both sword and magic was almost impossible. That he had learned such spoke of dangerous prospects.

That he held a sword that I knew only in dreams was another.

Katana, I knew of. Long, slightly curved, two handled; made of steel, a metal unknown to Egypt. On the other hand, curved swords themselves are not foreign to Egypt; we use them hand in hand with the straight-bladed swords. My own sword was a straight, two-bladed sword; forged with the same metal as the Millenium Items. I knew my blade's possibilities – thrusting, stabbing, crossguard and half-sword techniques, along with the slashing style – but of this foreign sword, I could only infer that it would be used for slashing like our own curved blades.

Still…how Marad had managed to acquire a sword I only knew in dreams troubled me.

I knew very little of this man, nothing of his sword style or his school of magic, and yet I was to duel him—to the death.

+ + + + +

We clashed with the sound of metal against metal. I lunged with a straight thrust, and he blocked it swiftly, turning his blade over. Whipping his katana back around, he rained swift overhand blows, staccato sparks digging into metal. Stepping forward into Marad's attack, I trapped his blade with my hilt.

Our faces were a palm's width apart, locked blades straining. Marad's keen blade scraped against mine. My arms strained.

"Like what you see?" Marad spoke conversationally. "I had this blade made specifically for you, Pharaoh. Nice edge, hmmm?"

I glared back, my feet trying to find a better foothold against shifting sand. "And what should I have expected, Marad?"

"Something worse?" Marad smiled. Trapped body-to-body, Marad began to use his superior height and weight to bear down on me, pushing me to one knee. "After all, it was I who killed your dear friends—"

Gasping I broke away, dropping to the ground and rolling. Marad struck as I got up, swiping at my exposed shoulder. Bringing my own sword up I managed to block his with a clang.

"It was you!" I snarled. "It was you who killed Jonouchi, and Anzu, and Honda—"

Batting his sword away I lunged forward again. He sidestepped and returned with a slash at my chest.

"Oh, only two of the three, I'm afraid. One of my accomplices did the other." Marad continued smiling, even as his attack was parried. He turned and slashed again. "But it was a brilliant plan, I must say. Killing off your friends, so that you would lose faith, and become enraged—"

Growling I beat back his sword, and making a half turn I reversed my grip and attacked Marad in the opposite direction. Marad's eyes widened as he hastily withdrew. Back and forth we parried and countered, foreign metal singing against foreign metal in the dance of death. Parry, riposte, and counter. I dodged Marad's swipe at my right leg—

—What?

I barely managed to dodge Marad's second blade. It sliced through my tunic. I slid back, regaining my footing.

Marad stepped back, now holding two swords. One forged of steel, the other of magic.

"What, Pharaoh? Surprised?"

I smiled back grimly as I backed away, trying to get more distance. "Hardly."

This time Marad charged at me, using a two-sword style. I stood firm, grasping the hilt with both hands, choosing to met Marad only one blade.

My mind was the other.

As Marad reached me, I called down lightning, letting the metal in my hands bring out its greater brother. The hand of Obelisk crashed down and split against my sword, turning into a multitude of electrical, grasping fingers. Thunder reverberated and boomed around us, arcing towards the target.

In response Marad called for the earth to rise, creating tall pillars of rock that absorbed my attack. Maneuvering around the shifting dirt, he continued his offensive. As he moved forward, huge cracks made their way towards me, widening and shaking as the earth cracked open, threatening to swallow me.

I reached deeper, and called for the sleeping rivers of the earth to rise up. Geysers of boiling hot water burst through the cracks Marad had opened, flooding towards him. The water turned the broken ground into mud, filling in the cracks. Twisting my hand I turned the water into whirlpools and waterspouts, rushing to trap Marad.

With a shout Marad changed the field again, summoning vegetation to grow and choke off the water supply, vines lengthening and tangling. Strange plants grew feverishly, branching and thickening with sharp tines, weaving themselves together into a mat, with reaching vines grasping for something to grip, choke, and impale.

Whipping my sword around and hacking off the heads of a few bloodthirsty plants, I summoned fire to the field. It tore through the plants like a ravenous dragon, roaring with rage and flame and hunger. Little blossoms of flame danced around me, floating in the air, twirling around my fingertips. Choking black smoke filled the field, and Marad cried out as the flames licked at his feet.

Marad was only two sword lengths away. Snarling Marad threw his hand down and drew out the heat of the fire by the power of sheer will. Choked, the fires burned down to embers, then to cold coals. By then he had reached me.

He came at me with whirling blades at my throat. I blocked one, his blade skittering down to stop at my hilt, and called forth Chain Energy to bind his other hand. Breaking free, for a moment I had a breath's respite. Marad shattered his bonds with a wrenching of his wrists. Twisting, I turned my sword down and over, blocking Marad's cut to my side.

Taking one step even closer, Marad used the rebound of his blocked attack to come around in a circle to my other side. At the same time he dismissed his magical sword, using his free hand to summon more of the Ravager. Emerging up from the ground they moved to bind me.

Stepping back, I raised my blade to block his, letting it slide past. As the Ravager began to curl around my legs, I pushed outward with my mind. The Ravager burst into little pieces.

We slid apart, heaving for air. Pulling back my sword I stood in half-guard. Marad did the same, shifting his weight to his back foot. Crackling balls of shadow energy surrounded our clenched fists.

The hordes of the Ravager returned, gathering behind Marad. I summoned multitudes from the realm of nothingness. With a collective cry our summoned armies joined battle.

All around us were the cries of dying creatures, flesh being ripped open or blasted apart. A howl by Silver Fang haunted above the carnage, before stopping suddenly as the silver wolf snarled and slashed open one of the Ravager who veered too close to pointed fangs.

I lunged forward, breaking Marad's attack. Recovering, Marad swiped at my face. I ducked, feeling the whish of a lethally sharp blade over my head. Pulling my sword back, I charged at Marad. I heard a satisfying oof as my shoulder rammed into Marad's stomach.

On the other hand, the Ravager was winning against my army of monsters. I saw Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast fall, the Ravager wrapped around its wings, fangs sunk into the chimera's shoulder. Celtic Guardian fell, the sword dropping from his fingers as the Ravager hissed amusingly.

In desperation I called upon the Swords of Revealing Light to stall. For a moment, it seemed as if it worked, the Swords freezing the Ravager. Then the Swords shattered, and the Ravager moved once more.

Marad laughed as he got up from the ground. "Ah Pharaoh, will you never learn? The Ravager was made to destroy, to hunger for blood. It will not be denied."

"Neither will I." I hefted my sword and faced Marad. "Behold, traitor. I will not let my people die."

Holding the sword vertical I cried to the heavens, "I summon Osiris, the Sky Dragon!"

A bolt of lightning cracked down in answer.

The air filled with red as the Egyptian god emerged. Great wings unfurled, and the wind howled as Osiris whipped his tail around.

I fell to one knee, gasping. The magic required to summon one of the gods drained a great deal of me. I would not be using any magic anytime soon.

Marad froze and stared. But then he began to laugh. Slowly at first, then louder and wilder. Arching his back he crowed in hysterics.

"Pharaoh! Do you think that the gods will save you?" He turned feverish eyes on mine. "Even the gods fall to sickness!"

In horror I saw the Ravager undauntedly attacking Osiris. Osiris roared, and many of the Ravager fell, but the Ravager dug deep scores into Osiris' flesh.

Marad turned and leveled his katana. He spoke now in a calmer voice. "Disease is the Great Leveler. Everything falls in its path; there is nothing that can stop its wake. This is what it has been for centuries; this is what will be for centuries more."

I struggled to my feet. I did not have much longer. Osiris may or may not win against the Ravager. I had to slay the source.

Narrowing my eyes I calculated quickly. Marad wielded the katana in a quick-flowing manner, using the torque of his grip as well as the turning of his waist. His footwork was short and almost shuffling at times, letting him work inward where the katana's sharp blade would be deadliest. On the other hand, my sword had more reach – barely – and Marad did not seem to defend well against the half-sword techniques, where I would grip the blade itself and use the hilt and pommel.

Gripping my sword two-handed, I shifted to the offensive. I came at Marad in a whirling pattern-dance, gambling on one last attempt. Marad backpedaled furiously to get out of the way of shining circles of forged gold, greater and lesser circles threatening to slice off his head.

Snarling Marad held his ground, the swords clashing with a jarring screech of metal. Sliding sideways he made an over-and-under cut, moving to disarm me. Whipping my sword down and up I trapped his blade. Shifting to the left I turned my hand, gripping my sword with the pommel. Inside his guard I punched Marad in the chest. Marad stumbled back, stunned. Reversing my sword I ran Marad through in the chest.

Marad collapsed, taking my sword with him. He looked at the blade in his chest with glazed eyes.

"Ah. You win, Pharaoh."

The Ravager screamed as they disintegrated. My hand twitched as the magic was released. Once again the healing magic flowed. The shadow walls faded. The monsters who had come to my aid bent their heads in a miniscule bow, and then returned to the shadows. I raised my hand to Osiris in acknowledgment. Furling his wings Osiris disappeared.

I turned to Marad. He twitched once. His voice came hollow, empty, dead. "Read the prophecies, fool. I am only the messenger."

With that magic flared around Marad. In one huge conflagration his body burned until only a few blackened scraps remained. Gripping the hilt I wrenched my sword out of the earth.

The last of the shadow barrier died away. Turning back I saw Seto grinning like a fool.

In shock, I saw the crowds behind him.

The people stood in awe, tear stained and silent. The people I had saved. A mother raised her baby up in the air. The babe giggled and pointed his chubby fingers to the east.

"Ra! Ra!"

The mother beamed. Behind me I felt Khepri's welcoming rays on my back. Ra had safely traveled through the night. He had not been devoured by Apep, serpent of the night.

Seto raised his fist. "Athelas!"

The people answered. "Athelas! Athelas!"

I raised my right hand. My eyes met with Seto's.

You did it.
Of course I did. What did I tell you?

"Athelas!" ~

At the level of tiny proportions, the final cell was unlocked. Silently it emerged from the shadows, the mark of the Rod branded in its center. It gathered its folds and moved outward.

It ruthlessly destroyed the Ravager as it passed by, calling forth ancient power. Dark and prone to brooding, the last of the seven came to stand at the Commander's side.

Here I am. Send me.

The Commander nodded briefly. Finally, they were all here.

Finally, true war would be unleashed…

~ * * * * * ~

Malik browsed his family's underground library, fingering the spines of old, translated texts and worn manuscripts.

That warning. It was so…odd. For one, the script was fairly modern – the warning had been a mixture of old hieroglyphs and modern thief-code. Why in the world would anyone do that? Someone must be after the Pharaoh; after all the media hype and that warning, there could be no doubt. But with that ancient writing…that someone must have ancient knowledge, along with connections with modern thieves. Someone else other than Bakura and himself who knew of the ancient past?

Thus, the reason Malik was roaming the library. Perhaps there was something in here…

His candle wavered, and as the light flickered, Marik glanced down at a thin volume.

A History of Plagues and Diseases Afflicting the Black Land. By the scribe Aker. Translated by Abasi Ishtar.

That had been his father…

Intrigued, Marik reached down and pulled out the book. Perhaps this would have some connection to the modern disease attacking the Pharaoh now. He walked over to a nearby desk, placing the candle into a holder for some light. He sat down and opened the covers.

Inside was a translator's note. Pushing away unwanted memories, Marik skimmed his father's brief summery.

An interesting account of various plagues and afflictions of Egypt, along with a documentary of cures and medicines for them. The scribe Aker seems to have a background in the field in medicine to write so authoritatively.

Hmm… Marik flipped through the pages, searching for some section around the time of the unnamed Pharaoh. Ah, there.

In the second year of his reign, a terrible disease ravaged Egypt. It is said that people died by the hundreds. Accounts have described symptoms such as coughing with blood, vomiting, diarrhea, and curious descriptions of people dying within days, blood spreading everywhere. How this was possible is unknown, for as suddenly as this disease appeared that the disease vanished. Documents record the disease lasting from two to three weeks. It is said that the Pharaoh delivered his people and healed the land, and thus the disease left.

Due to the short duration of this plague, not much is known. This is a song that was written shortly after the disease's sweep, and apparently exalts the Pharaoh's healing abilities.

"When the black breath blows
and death's shadow grows
and all lights pass…
Come Athelas! Come Athelas!
     Life to the dying
In the king's hand lying!"

Marik closed the book. This was interesting. Picking up the candle he walked towards the stairs, carrying the book.

"Ishizu? I found something interesting…"

* * * * *

The Way is shut.

Tick. Tock. Time.

Their time is up.

Ding!

Footnotes/Explanations:

(1) Song clip has heading title of "My Pharaoh" and ending note of "Song of Ipuwer." O_o Don't know how that works. Full song is in the Cornelius Stetter book.

(2) "May Ra grant…" This comes from the "Introductory Hymn to the Sun God Re." I've probably put this horribly out-of-context, but the text is the same, though since Yami is saying it, I changed "me" and "I" to "his" and "he" to refer to Jonouchi.

Elvish (Quenya):
Tyelar! – Cease!, third person plural (I hope)

Egyptian:
Schti: transliteration = sxty; translation = peasant.
I'ee ten r'hat em — : transliteration = ii-i Tn r-Hat m; translation = I come before you as –
medew'ef ma'at: transliteration = mdw-f mAat; translation = He speaks truth
A-b, sha-I!: translation = Cease, I command!
Shem'a: Transliteration = Sm3; translation = Foreigner
hem-netjer-tepey: transliteration = Hm-nTr-tp.y; translation = High Priest
per-a'a: transliteration = pr-93; translation = Pharaoh
Ii en-wi: transliteration = ii n-wi; translation = Come to me
Abasi: (name) Stern

On the Subject of Swords:
Yami uses a European style, two-bladed, hand-and-a-half sword. Marad uses a katana. Before anyone says that one or the other would totally pulverize the other, may I remind you that Yami is not a knight, and Marad is not a samurai, and neither use a "typical" sword or typical "style." Also, katanas, though famed for "cutting through metal," cannot cut through everything like butter. With that said, I have done hours of research on the Internet and books from the library. General consensus on the outcome of a knight vs. samurai is…you can't tell. A nice link about this is: www . thearma . org / essays / knightvs . htm (remove spaces).

On the Subject of Pharaoh Yami's Full Name:
Heru Athelas, Nebti Ammon, Heru en Nebu Tehuti, Nesew Beet Yami-Ra, Sa Ra Atem
Ah. The full royal name of the Pharaoh; the royal titulary. By the 5th dynasty, Pharaohs had five names. The Horus Name, the Nebti (Two Ladies) name, the golden Horus name, the prenomen (throne name), and the nomen (birth name). Therefore, the above titulary can be translated to:
Horus Athelas, Two Ladies Ammon, Horus of Gold Tehuti, King of Upper and Lower Egypt Yami-Ra, Son of Ra Atem
Each name has religious and cultural significance. Three of them are the most emphasized, however: the Horus name was the first royal name. The prenomen, which almost always had the name "Ra" in it (early dynasties did not) is the name predominantly used in most affairs of Egypt. The nomen is the "unique" birth name and thus the ones used by Egyptologists.

Now, for the name's actual translation.
Athelas – "Healer." Made-up meaning and is not an Egyptian word. It is from Lord of the Rings (don't own). Yep, the language last chapter was Quenya Elvish, and this name is a direct correlation to the healing powers of the king. Note: seven letters. XD
Ammon – The Hidden. Comes from the god Amun, with variations of Amon, Amen, Amoun.
Tehuti – According to a baby name site, it means 'God of earth; sky; air and sea.' In Egyptian web sites, it is supposed to be the Egyptian form of 'Thoth,' (or Tathuti) god of wisdom and knowledge; also god of the moon, time, magic, and writing. Titles given to Thoth are Lord of Time, Lord of Sacred Words, Counter of Stars, etc.
Yami-Ra – "Darkness of Ra." Made-up combo of Japanese and Egyptian. As I have referred to him as "Pharaoh Yami," and the fact that it is the prenomen that is chiefly used, I just "egyptized" it. In "real" Egyptian this would most likely be "kekewy-Ra", transliteration kkw(y)-r9.
Atem – controversial name given by Takahashi. Other possibilities are Aten, Aton (the sun-disk) or Atum, Atemu, Tem, Temu (primordial creator god).

As for the usage of "Atem" over "Atemu." In a very, very, very condensed version, I use "Atem" because the hieroglyphs Takahashi wrote for Yami's past name are not correct for the name "Atemu." Egyptians called hieroglyphs medju-netjer, or "words of the gods." Because Egyptians revered hieroglyphic writing as sacred and holy, to incorrectly portray this name, which Takahashi has had over a year to research and study, is disrespectful to the language. In a nutshell: lack of full royal titulary, use of vowels, incorrect glyph for "e," incorrect glyph for "a." Trust me, if I elaborated this chapter would be two pages longer. If you are truly dedicated to the Egyptian language, e-mail me and I can tell you.
Basically, "Atemu" was what Takahashi meant to write but messed up. I suppose that one can forgive Takahashi and say he meant to use Atemu, so use it; but for those that actually take the time and effort to learn this ancient language, in protest, use Atem.

And yes, I purposely tried picking names that began with "A." XD

Bloopers and Author's Weird Thoughts:

Holding the sword vertical I cried to the heavens, "I summon Osiris, the Sky Dragon!"
And thousands of Kuribohs came down.
Marad died in fits of laughter.

"MUHAHAH! Impaled on your own sword!" (…I won't say which…)

Author's End Notes:

Toboe LoneWolf: *falls over* It. Is. Finished!

Djanil: *twitches*

Toboe LoneWolf: Yeah, yeah, I know. *bashes head* GAH! This chapter. Ohmyword. If the last chapter was bad…this ranked right up there. All first person? A huge battle scene? GAH! I thought I was done, until I read my outline notes! I had to think of some creative way to describe a magic-and-sword battle! *thud* If I have made the battle scene the appropriate length, I will have succeeded. If I have made this not cheesy, I will have surpassed.

Djanil: If you continue to wail, I shall bite you.

Toboe LoneWolf: *looks up* …I would say, "You wouldn't," but I know you would. Dang. (Djanil: *grins*) So anyway. Hope y'all liked it. I would say more but this "end-note" stuff is getting pretty long. This chapter is chock-full of references.

Next chapter…Yami time! Biology time! …WAR! (Djanil: *facepalms*) Will our beloved yami survive, or is it too late? The clock has rung. The time is running low. The gang is stuck. XD Prepareth for a battle of microorganismal proportions! Ja ne!