Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Silenced Legacy ❯ Realm Battle ( Chapter 19 )

Episode #19- Realm Battle

Everyone departed from the Dueling arena slowly. The platform whirred its way to the bottom with Yami and Miran; Miran still on her knees from the defeat. I stood beside Yami Marik as Kaiba and Mokuba were one of the last to disembark.

"Now do you understand? The reason Yugi has a future is because not only was he destined to receive Yami as a spirit ally, but Yami also is successful. Miran on the other hand, isn't so fortunate. She lived her life as a coward by running to Egypt because of Seideigo 5000 years ago." Yami Marik stated, "You will never have a future if she remains your partner, Miranda. How can you ever expect a future if your protector leaves you open in terms of death?" I watched them as Miran's emotions reached me. Yami Marik sighed and faded from my sight. I stayed on the Dueling platform, watching Miran and Yami.

"No, I lost." Miran muttered to herself. Yami stepped towards her and kneeled with a hand extended.

"Miran." Yami got her attention. She looked up with tears welling at the bottom of her emerald irises. "I can assure you, Miranda will be freed from Yami Marik. You just have to trust me."

"I know, but what will Miranda say if I wasn't the one who protected her?" Miran began to blame herself, "I was supposed to guard her like you guard Yugi. But my foolishness ended her in Yami Marik's twisted grip." I gazed on, unnoticed by the two of them. "I don't know what to do anymore. I've failed." Yami got fed up and drew a fist back. I jolted my head away before I heard a sickening crack behind my closed eyes. I looked again to see Yami at his feet and Miran down on the metal floor rubbing her left cheek.

"Miran, I know it's hard to accept reality, but you cannot change what has happened." Yami boasted, "I may not know what has happened to Miranda now, but she'd be disappointed in you with your response."

"Yugi..." Miran mumbled under her breath.

"You know it, and I know it, Yami Marik must be stopped one way or another. And if I know the connection that used to befall Marik and his darker half, Miranda will be kept safe until the last round." Yami explained, "Now, come on."

"Yugi!" A voice shouted from the elevator. Yami and Miran both looked up to see Duke standing inside, breathing harshly like he just did a long sprint.

"Duke, what's wrong?" Yami turned towards him with Miran coming to a jump over the rail.

"It's Serenity and Miranda, they won't wake up!" Duke informed.

"That cursed sonova-" Miran growled in a quick-growing anger. She sprinted out past Yami with him coming down the platform behind her. They both hustled in and Duke operated the elevator to the second floor.

"Would you have any idea, Miran?" Duke asked the swordsman.

"I can think of a few things..." Miran replied and the doors opened. Looking into the hallway, Rooms 6 and 7 were open. Yami forced a switch back to Yugi before the three of them exited out.

They first went to Room 7, where one of the victors was sound asleep, her black cape covering most of her body like a quilt. In front of Miran was Ashley's bowling ball bag, open with Ashley's farfetched ball in it. "Miranda..." Miran whispered and stepped in first from the doorway. Already, she felt a cold draft of a dark presence.

Yugi stood by the door momentarily before proceeding to Joey's room. He tilted his head as he made his way to his room. He peeked in to see almost everyone else in there, including one of Kaiba's well-trained physicians. He saw Marik pacing out of the room, ignoring Yugi, and entered in to Room 7.

"What? What do you want?" Duke's voice outraged the hall. Yugi turned around and saw Duke opposing Marik from entering in.

"I only wish to see Miranda's condition." Marik stated.

"She wouldn't be in this state of damage if you hadn't have come." Duke argued. Marik still kept the Millennium Rod behind his back on one of his belt loops, refusing to use it. Yugi fast-walked down the hall to stop next to Marik.

"Duke, let Marik go in." Yugi stood up to Duke.

"You're siding with him, too?" Duke questioned.

"I know this is crazy, but Marik is the only person that knows how to break Miranda from the Shadow Realm." Yugi answered.

"So why hasn't he released Serenity?" Duke grabbed Marik's shirt collar, "If he knows how to wake up Miranda, then he can wake Serenity as well."

"I don't know how to wake any of them; they're trapped in the Shadow Realm by another incantation. I've already freed Miranda from the Shadow Realm once. If she's in there again-not by my doings-then I can't reverse it." Marik explained and forced Duke to let go.

"If anyone knows about Miranda than any of us, it would be Marik or Ashley." Yugi commented, "And as far as I'm concerned, I don't think Ashley's gonna be much help to us now." Duke acknowledged and stepped back. He followed Yugi back to Joey's room and Marik walked into the room.

In front of him were two of his rivals, one sleeping soullessly and the other depressing it. Marik stepped towards her, past the bowling ball, and kneeled along bedside. 'Miranda, I've never meant this to go this far.' He thought, 'I knew your mother, a kind spirit of which shown me the light once. But my father ordered her death, I still can't forget that day now that I had relived it.'

"So, you're not happy about all this, Marik?" Miran asked.

"I had a better relation with one of Miranda's relatives." Marik simply replied, "This is not my doing, it's the spirit that now resides in her soul rather than her spirit residing in the Millennium Sword." Miran just glanced at him before getting up and pacing out.

Kikaita was staring at Marik, in a confused gaze like she remembered him. She remained unnoticed with Raikoukou at her right side. Kikaita kneeled to Raikoukou's height and spoke softly into one of its ears, "If you know Marik, reintroduce yourself." She whispered and the fox-demon nodded.

Raikoukou took one step towards Marik and he spun his head towards it. His eyes shot wide as he saw the fox-demon. "Raikoukou?" He questioned. Kikaita stood back undetected as Raikoukou nodded in answer. Raikoukou stepped forward up to the bed and gazed at its youngest Master.

'Master Miranda has been in this state for a long time, hasn't she?' Raikoukou asked in telekinesis.

"You can talk?" Marik wondered.

'Telepathy is pretty much the best way to talk to you. I haven't seen you in almost eight years since my Master Kikaita's death.' Raikoukou sat down next to him with its tails at rest.

Marik looked back to Raikoukou's new Master, "She's been this way since before the second round." He replied, "Is there anything you can do?"

'I cannot. My magic alignment has left me unreachable to the real demon. Because of Miranda's birthright to the Chinese Zodiac Dragon, I can't use my magic to revive her.' Raikoukou admitted, 'Dragons, like her, are impervious to magic, but the Shadow Realm is a magic made by lost souls, spirits, and ghosts, a subject of which Pisces are extremely vulnerable to. That's how she became tainted by that dark spirit so easily, and how it is hard for any of us to bring her back.' The creature explained its reasons.

"What about Serenity, then?" Marik asked further, "She can't possibly be a Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac if what you say is true." Raikoukou gazed up to Marik with wide silver eyes.

__________

I finally pulled myself together and returned to the Shadow Realm. As soon as I came to it, I felt the embrace of the Darkness. How Yami Marik finds this Darkness pleasurable is beyond me.

"Hello?" Serenity's voice shivered in the darkness, "Joey? Ashley? Yugi?" She cried out. Her voice echoed in the Shadow Realm but I managed to see a figure disturbing the area; Serenity, no doubt. I saw her nearly completely in the dark abyss when she found me. "Miranda!" she regained some of her courage and rushed towards me.

"Serenity, how?" I asked before she hung herself around my neck.

"Miranda, there was this scary man who appeared when I tried to wake you." Serenity shook in her words. "He had this real creepy voice and everything. Miranda, I wanna go back to Joey now." Serenity began to cry over my shoulder.

I breathed deeply through Serenity's arms, "Serenity, I know. But I don't know of a way out of here." I replied, "I wish I could rid myself of the demon that still poisons my soul."

"A little difficulty adjusting, perhaps?" Yami Marik's voice took us both to look in the same direction. Yami Marik waited distant in shadow, giving him the more of a fearful look than before.

Serenity hugged tighter around my neck, "That's him." She shuddered.

"Well, you're new to the Shadow Realm, aren't you?" Yami Marik smirked.

"Make him go away." Serenity murmured in her embrace.

"Yami Marik, enough. I'm the one you want." I boasted.

"But you no longer corner yourself in fear. I am in need of a new host for the moment, and Serenity is perfect. A divorce, an eye surgery, dependency on her older brother: all of this emotion is delicious to my soul." came his response as he drew a hand to his chest during his explanation, "Now stand down, Dragon. Your usefulness has ended...for now." Yami Marik held the Millennium Rod at hand and stood it out. Behind us was a thick stone tablet with two sets of chain links. The links grew longer as they maneuvered around Serenity to connect to my shackles. I felt their jolt as they made Serenity release me. The pull of the chains slammed me to the clay wall and shackled my ankles with heavy clamps, all in a matter of seconds with hardly any resistance.

"Miranda!" Serenity called for me.

"She can do nothing for you." Yami Marik answered and drew in closer.

* * * * * *

"How'd she wind up like this?" Yugi asked behind Joey. In Joey's room, everyone crammed themselves in, including Kaiba and Mokuba.

"I'm not sure, but I bet it has to do with Yami Marik that's still floating around here." Joey replied, "Serenity had the exact same stare like Mokuba did when Pegasus took his soul."

"This is bad, now I realize the threat of that guy." Mai commented, "But are we talking about Marik who just left the room?"

"No, this is Marik's darker half that now possesses Miranda." Yugi answered and turned towards Ashley. She still kept her distance from the crowd around the bed.

Marik paced out of Room 7 with Raikoukou at his side. He hoped this might at least free Serenity. "Raikoukou, are you sure about this?" Marik asked in a low tone.

'Of course, Serenity doesn't near as old or twelve years younger than Master Miranda.' Raikoukou replied in telepathy as they approached Joey's room.

Mokuba appeared beyond the doorway and freaked when he saw Raikoukou, "What in the world is that thing?!" Mokuba questioned in panic.

"Mokuba, what's going on?" Kaiba stepped out next and saw the fox-demon next to Marik, "What IS that?"

"Probably our only hope to wake Serenity. Now step aside." Marik took charge and walked past the two Kaiba's into the room. Everyone looked to Marik in the room, either that or the white, striped fox-demon that was beside him.

"You're Duel Disc isn't even active. How could you have Raikoukou out?" Kaiba objected.

"Because this is no Duel Monster." Marik replied.

"Marik's right." Mokuba agreed as he petted Raikoukou's white fur. Marik returned a gaze towards Miran.

"Miran, remember Raikoukou?" Marik asked.

"I vaguely remember an ally like that back in the Past." Miran answered, "But why do you have it?"

"I remember Raikoukou very well, though I haven't seen it for eight years now." Marik continued, "Raikoukou came to me with Kikaita, Miranda's late mother."

'Her late mother?!' Yugi questioned in thought.

"No way. You mean both of her parents are...gone?" Joey looked away from Serenity.

"Gone, but not forgotten." Ashley answered, "Remember Uncle Eddie? He's in the bowling ball."

"I knew Kikaita since she continued the age-old tradition of her clan, the Zodiacs." Marik resumed, "It was eight years ago, a week after I received the Tomb-Keepers Initiation that forced me to live in darkness for the rest of my life, but that didn't stop me from seeing Kikaita one last time. However, the night Kikaita invited me to stay at her homestead was the last I saw of her, my father ordered her death for no apparent reason." He told his story.

"But why tell us now?" Miran questioned, "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because my darker half forbidden it to come from me, especially to you, Miran." Marik nodded in answer, "The demon that now possesses Miranda, and he was revived somehow from 5000 years ago, on the day the Millennium Items were created."

"I've heard enough! Already we're behind schedule of the third round." Kaiba burst out and knocked everyone from his or her interest in Marik's story.

'Go ahead.' Raikoukou spoke, 'I'll manage Serenity myself.' Marik was last to leave the room behind Joey and Ashley.

"Are you sure?" Marik asked after he stepped outside the door.

'I'm positive.' Raikoukou replied in telekinesis.

"Then you might need this." Marik dug into his slacks-pocket and pulled out a glass-beaded necklace and underhand tossed it to Raikoukou. Raikoukou caught it in its teeth. Marik left last and the door slid shut.

'Well, here's hoping.' Raikoukou prayed and turned towards Serenity. Serenity seemed peaceful, but Raikoukou felt a danger in her soul. She sat down on bedside before shutting its eyes and falling into a trance.

__________

"Well, what about the God Cards?" I tried talking him out of it while I was still chained to a stone brick, "You know Serenity isn't in the Finals." Yami Marik looked to me as he drew Serenity into a corner.

"Miranda, I think I've made my point when I switched from Marik to you. Though that was my first time, this one will be a lot easier. And when I'm finished or if your Duel comes around, I'll return to your body. That sounds like a fair deal, don't you think?" He looked back down on Serenity as a dark aura grew around him.

"Serenity!" I cried and tried to free myself of the shackles.

'Blue Lightning Crash!' A voice in telepathy screamed in all of our minds. A crack of blue lightning dropped down towards the three of us, but was heading for Yami Marik.

"Serenity, shield your eyes." I warned and Yami Marik leaped back the second before the lightning struck down. He landed feet from his last position after the lightning faded as a being flew over the tablet.

"Raikoukou?!" Yami Marik questioned as the fox-demon spread its nine tails to full extent.

'I am here to prevent you from spreading.' Raikoukou growled and shot another blast of sparks, pushing Yami Marik back farther.

"What is that?" Serenity panicked.

"A friend." I replied. Raikoukou glanced behind its shoulder with a necklace clamped in its teeth.

'Don't worry, Serenity. I'll help you out of the Shadow Realm.' Raikoukou assured.

"But what about Miranda?" Serenity asked as she looked up to me, worried in my condition.

"Miranda's with me!" Yami Marik cried as he charged in.

'Serenity, get on!' Raikoukou commanded and opened it back to her. Serenity swung one leg over and Raikoukou darted out a split second before Yami Marik tried to attack with the Millennium Rod.

'Good. If Raikoukou can get Serenity out of here, at least she'll be all right.' I thought in little relief.

"Raikoukou, how are we supposed to get out of here?" Serenity asked through the demon's running.

'Got it covered.' Raikoukou stated as the white fang beads on the necklace began to glow, 'If you can hear my voice, mortal shell...If you can see my beads of light... Let thy soul and body...become one and unite!' Raikoukou chanted and they disappeared into the shadows.

"I was so close." Yami Marik growled in bitter anger, "That fox-demon has showed its nine tails for the last time."

* * * * * *

Raikoukou broke its trance and its mind returned back to the Kaiba Craft. It still had the necklace in its mouth and hope in its silver eyes the curse breaker worked. 'Serenity?' Raikoukou nudged its nose at her arm. Serenity grunted lightly and her hazel eyes slowly opened. She tipped her head to her left.

"Rai...koukou?" she whispered.

'Serenity.' Raikoukou sighed and stepped back to let Serenity off the bed, 'You feel all right?'

"Yes, I am. But what about Miranda?" Serenity asked again.

'I'm afraid there's nothing I can do.' Raikoukou admitted, 'But Yugi assured Master Miran that Master Miranda will be freed from that monster.'

"Both of them are your masters?" Serenity queried.

'Master Miran is actually a spirit I once followed order to. As we spirits live immortally without a mortal body, we can assist if we a truly needed. Now I think you need to head to the main concourse. I believe they're starting to call the third match-up.' Serenity opened the door and looked back behind her, 'Don't worry about it, the monster will keep Miranda safe until she is needed no more, and that's if she wins the Battle City tournament.' Serenity nodded in Raikoukou response and fled towards the elevator.

Serenity waited as the elevator descended, 'I'm glad my brother has these great friends. Even if some of them are a little off of this world.' Serenity thought with glee and the doors opened.

Everyone stared blankly towards the elevator, all of them standing speechless. Joey managed a step forward for a closer look.

"Serenity?" Joey mumbled which gave off some silence.

"Big Brother." Serenity replied and rushed out of the elevator with a wide smile.

"Serenity!" Joey returned call and sprinted up to meet her.

Yugi was still shocked with Miran beside him, "I thought Serenity was in the Shadow Realm." He mumbled, "Did Yami Marik release her?"

"Not likely." Miran replied, "I can sense traces of Raikoukou on Serenity. Raikoukou helped her out, though it had to leave Miranda behind."

'Don't worry.' Yami spoke up. Miran saw him clearly, even if Yugi had the control. 'I assure you, we'll free Miranda by the end of the tournament, if not sooner. Yami Marik wants the God Cards; however, he's going to need a host that is still in the tournament.'

"Alright, let's get round three started." Kaiba demanded and looked back to the machine. Four yellow balls remained.

"Duelists, remember your number. Selector, begin." Roland declared as the four balls launched up simultaneously around the clear globe. One sphere clumsily dropped through the dragon's mouth and landed out first. "And our first Duelist of the third round is Duelist Number 1, Seto Kaiba will compete in the third round."

'Yes, now, let me see Marik's number in there.' Kaiba hoped in thought.

"Now to see Mr. Kaiba's opponent. Selector, start." Roland exclaimed that again as the remaining three spheres bounced off in different directions in the dome. Everyone held their breath until another sphere dropped through, "And Kaiba's opponent will be...Duelist Number 3."

To be continued...