+Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!+

Rose D.: -clears throat- Ahem, greetings readers (dare I venture to say) fans of "Undead in Throe". At last this 'epic' is drawing to its close. This story has been quite a ride since its inception in 2004, and its writer (namely me) has changed a lot. As a matter of fact, I became sidetracked as a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh, and had to bring myself 'round again so I could do what I'm doing now. I'm glad I did though.

Believe me when I say there were many times I thought I'd never finish this story. Despite this, my mom never let me give up (my dad either, as he's a fan of this fiction like you and was constantly asking me if I'd finished it yet). -smiles- My parents are great.

Along with them, I wanted to thank Soularia Reed for leaving such an kind, inspiring Review. Thank you Soularia! It's great to know people really actually care about this thing.

But also I wanted to let my friend Shining Charizard know that reading chapters her own YGO epic "Falsebound Kingdom" is what helped me get the cobwebs out of my head, and my ideas back to leaking on the page. Thank you SC.

If it weren't for these people, this and the next chapter wouldn't even exist. Arigato meena!–Thank you everyone!

And last of all, but certainly not least, I wanted to thank God above, because without Him I wouldn't be able to do anything at all! -big smile-

The story picks up right where I left off, and I'm also updating the previous Chapters a bit.

Oh, and heads up Silver! Happy reading guys!!

--

D. Crisis Chapter 12

A Shaft of Silver Light

Bakura chuckled, shrugging. "If you'd given me more time, I would have erected an altar for his majesty, so that he might die in a position of ultimate grandeur."

"Oh yeah, like I believe that!" snapped Yugi with a bitter tongue, "Knowing you, you would've used it to offer his dying breath to some heathen god. So - NO, I don't think so. Not on my watch buster!"

Bakura's eyes became almost as slits, and he smiled. "Then by all means, don't watch."

Yugi's face tightened, as well as his fists.

A disbelieving gasp suddenly sounded from T'ea's mouth. "The Tomb Robber's right." Yugi glanced back to see the Vampyress pressing her ear to the Pharaoh's chest. "But he can't be! No—!" she cried, jerking up, "T-there's no warmth coming from it!!"

"What?? What 'it'?!"

"Yami'sheart—! His beating heart – it's like ice!" The Vampyress trembled, her eyes all at once glistening with tears.

Yugi Mutoh stiffened. 'Ice.. ?'

T'ea's stared down at the dilapidated Pharaoh, and reached out her hand, placing it against the skin under which lay his heart. 'He's so cold inside.'

Like a mourner at funeral, T'ea bowed her head, her brown hair falling about her face. And when she spoke, she spoke with finality. "Yugi. . ." she murmured, "The chill of death has already embraced his soul." her voice hardened, "He will be dead within the hour."

Liken to a statue of stone Yugi became, unable to blink, unable to breath, and even the heart in his chest ceased to beat. He dared not react to T'ea's words, he wouldn't, he couldn't–! for to do so, he feared, would bring him to instant insanity. 'Dead . . ? No,'

Bakura puffed out a bored sigh and folded his arms. 'What's happened with this twit?' he wondered, his gaze coming to focus on the White Vampyr, 'He's as stiff as a statue! What did he do? Die on his feet??'

T'ea raised her head suddenly, eyes flashing dangerously toward Bakura. "You did this!!" she roared, jutting her finger at the Tomb Robber. "What did you DO to him?!"

Bakura straightened up with a jerk. "I didn't do anything to the goyt! He was already like that!"

The red-cloaked Vampyress growled, and in a move quick as lightning, bounded forward. Bakura yelped as he came down hard against the pavement. "What did you do?!" T'ea demanded, holding fast to his jacket lapels.

"Get off me!!" hollered Bakura, trying to shove her off. The pair growled and hissed, and sprang suddenly to their feet, beginning a bout that looked like some deranged dance.

Yugi didn't see the maddened pair tussling before him; his staring eyes were wide, and hollow. For it seemed T'ea's last words concerning the Pharaoh were still echoing in his mind, echoing like a dying cry.

Listlessly the young Mutoh's irises began to refocus. Of a sudden his chest heaved, and air spilled back into his lungs; he was aware his heart had started beating again, little more than a dull thumping in his chest. He unclenched his fists . . . and turned to face his Shadow.

His glassy eyes came to rest on Yami, laying pale and broken amid the detritus. 'Here you are, almost dead, and I didn't even notice . . .' The White Vampyr blinked, and saw abruptly with magic eyes, the pallid glow of his soul-brother's evanescing life-force.

'No—!' Yugi felt his heart quicken, 'NO!' He jerked forward mechanically, falling to his knees beside the languishing Pharaoh. He grabbed Yami and sat him up, the Pharaoh's head flopping to the side. 'I can't let you die!! I won't!!'

Yugi's jaw jerked suddenly downward, his stubby little fangs flashing out from behind his lips. And with a savage growl he lunged forward — straight into Yami's neck.

Yugi's virgin fangs plunged into Yami's blood — and the air cracked.

At once a shockwave rolled out from Yugi Mutoh, a wave of utter cold that went throughout the city in an ever expanding circle. It struck everyone and everything as it slid through the atmosphere, and suddenly the air was dead.

The air around the Twins however, grew suddenly dark and thick as if night itself had reached down to enclose them behind a wall of impermeable shadow.

Yugi's head was down, his eyes painfully wide. "Mmgh!!" He faltered, almost collapsing full upon the ground. 'Cold–! So cold—!' He cringed, struggling to hold himself up and yet hold to Yami at the same time. 'Oh Yami–! Your blood, i-it's freezing!'

Trembling, Yugi tried to push himself up. 'I'm glad I'm not trying to drink it!' he thought wryly, 'I j-just need to infuse it with my Alos! I-I hope I can make it work inside you. Oh God, please let it heal him inside! Let it–save him!'

A tremor ran through the ground, an ominous shudder that Yugi felt stir deep in the earth below. He frowned and blinked down, oddly finding the pavement under his hand had cracked. 'Huh?'

Then, before his eyes, the cracks spread outward, jagged black lines shooting through the tarmac on all sides. 'What in the world?!'

Again the ground lurched, and this time the look of horror spread over Yugi's face. For between the cracks oozed shadows, thick and black,bleeding up from the earth like living pitch.

A thrill of fear cut through Yugi's heart, and he lurched backward. 'What's happening?!' He groaned, wanting to retract his teeth from Yami's icy jugular; but he quickly remembered his heart-brother's very survival depended on the Alos flowing from his fangs: healing Alos, being the absolute antithesis of Bane Venom.

Yugi turned, wrapping his arms tight around his soul-brother, and struggled to his feet. He trembled as he rose, and cringed, realizing only then how very cold he was. 'Gotta – get away!'

He staggered forward, his feet almost dragging themselves along the ground. Yet then he halted, wincing, for every muscle in his body was beginning to seize up, as though frost had gathered along each tendon and penetrated each bone, making them rigid and immovable.

A disparaging moan swelled from Yugi's throat as he tried to force himself to take another step; he failed. He had come to a dead stop. 'Wha-t?' He glanced out of the corner of his eye, daring to be witness as still more shadows rose from between the broken tarmac, rippling outward to form a great pool of living darkness.

Yugi shivered violently as he stood amid them; the shadows rolling over his feet, and lapping against his ankles. He couldn't move, which meant he couldn't escape.

And still the shadows came.

A tear rolled down Yugi's chilled cheek. 'The shadows — they're alive!' He couldn't feel his feet, in fact his own legs didn't feel like they were a part of him.

A great sense of despair surmounted the White Vampyr then, his soul at once being overcome with sadness, hopelessness, and the want for death. . .

Yugi jerked, greatly startled by this sense. 'No–! I don't want to die!' The look of pain swept his face: he didn't understand these feelings he felt. Where were they coming from?? This overwhelming cold, this inescapable darkness. . .

'I don't understand! I don't want—'

Yugi stopped, cognizance descending like an assassin in the night. 'No, it can't be,' he peered at Yami through the corner of his eye, 'It can't be—!' Yugi stood thunderstruck. 'This cold, the darkness—! Everything! This, ALL of this, is Yami—!'

Yugi lurched suddenly, grabbing at his chest. 'It's you Yami!!' he cringed, 'The moment I made contact with your blood I became a part of you. So whatever is happening to you on the inside. . .' Yugi's eyes widened, 'Is also happening to me—!'

The White Vampyr's heart began to pound, fear rising within him like the black shadows around his feet. 'You're dying,' Yugi shuddered, 'Which means we're dying–! I'm dying with you!! No!!'

Yugi bit harder into his Twin's neck. 'Yami!' he called out from his mind, 'Don't do this Yami! Please! I didn't come to die with you — I came to save you!!' A sob strangled in Yugi's throat; he could hardly breath, desperately gasping breaths in through his nose. Tears streamed down from his tightly-shut eyes. 'Yami, please — FIGHT!'

Yugi wanted to scream for the Pharaoh to live, and not to drag the pair of them down into the mouth of death. But, it was too late. . .

With macabre fingers the black mist reached upward, creeping along Yugi's trembling legs, and fingering its way up his back. 'This—! Can't— Be, happening–!' Yugi's thoughts struggled within his mind, becoming sluggish with the encroaching darkness. 'We're gonna die!'

The mist mounted his shoulders, and he felt its terrible grip at the back of his neck. He fought to breathe. 'Yam–i!'

The grip tightened, and started to pull him downward.

'No—!' Yugi tried to raise his head, without success; his jaw was locked in place. Yet, his hand, the frosted hand he held over his heart, against all the forces compelling him to remain still, he jerked it outward and stretched it toward the sky — reaching.

'GOD! Please God—! Help us!!'

A call from the heart never goes unheard. And with that, a pin-prick of light appeared in the swirling night overhead. Yugi couldn't see it, but what he felt was a sudden warmth as the heavenly portal began to open. In glad shock, Yugi reached for it, trembling fingers dancing in the waves of warmth and chill swirling in the air.

The amazing, beautiful warmth began to curl down around him, and lift him from the pooled blackness. Yugi felt the shadows slip from him as he rose upward. But, something was wrong; Yugi's brow creased.

Yet before he could put even one thought towards this, the darkness below rebelled. With a spastic jerk, the breathing shadows lunged up, seizing hold to Yami. The White Vampyr gasped as the Pharaoh was wrenched suddenly from his healing bite. Yugi scrabbled to catch hold, rigid fingers managing to grasp an arm and a wrist.

"What's going on?!" he cried aloud, the air cold in his mouth. Yugi clung to his brother, his weary hands unable to get a hold of any more than he already had. And then it came to him: he knew what was wrong. 'The light,' Yugi thought numbly, 'It's not taking Yami.'

The fingers of the White Vampyr strained to keep their clutch as the shadows steadily dragged the defeated Pharaoh downward. "I don't understand," Yugi looked up, passed his feet, at the light above, "Can't you save us both?" His plea was labored; he felt exhausted.

The brilliant light swirled in shades of yellow and white. And somehow Yugi sensed the answer was simply 'no'. Yami was jerked another inch lower, his form vanishing down into the blackness as though it were eating him alive.

Forsooth, the pair-bonded Twins were being pulled in opposite directions: Yugi towards the Light, and Yami towards the Darkness.

Yugi's fingernails dug into the fibers of the Ancient King's clothes, his other hand clutching only fingers. Groaning with frustration, the young Mutoh looked passed the Pharaoh.

As the shadows below were death, so the light above was life. And to descend would be to die, and no longer be a part of the living world.

Yugi peered at Yami's drawn face—the face of a shattered warrior. "I can't leave him." he spake. He was talking to himself as much as to the warmth around him. Yugi glanced back at the light out of the corner of his eye; he couldn't believe what he was about to say. He swallowed.

"Please let go." he muttered, "I can't leave him. . . Something inside me is telling me I have to follow him. I don't know why, but, somehow I feel like there's still a chance I can save him. But," he choked, "Even if there's not, well," he smiled sadly, "At least he won't be alone."

The light pulsed with soft sparks.

"I have to try." Yugi looked back at the radiance, and smiled warmly. "Thanks anyway. But please, never mind."

The shadows trembled excitedly, for now they would be able to claim them both. So as the warmth slowly withdrew from Yugi, the chill eagerly took its place. Yugi shivered as the last of the warmth faded from him.

A great horror came over the White Vampyr then, as Yami sank down into the shadows, and he followed. The blackened mist filled the whole of Yugi's vision. A lament, a sob, a squeak of fear escaped his throat, and he turned his face away, taking one last look at the distant light above before he was consumed.

Darkness.

Yugi jerked, and was suddenly alone; somehow Yami had fallen away. Yugi squirmed, trying to understand why he had let go. But, the more his mind struggled to think, the harder it became; his thoughts were smothering.

His mind, his body, his soul, all of these were drowning. Everything he was, or had ever been, was becoming as nothing. No memories, no feelings, everything devoured in its entirety by the all-consuming darkness.

Yugi closed his eyes, and fell — straight down into the Great Void.

He was dead.

—–—

There was a great cracking boom like dying thunder. T'ea and Bakura gasped, and were suddenly thrown back against the street as a brilliant explosion erupted not far away. A team of streaming light beams launched upward into the dome of night, forming one great column of radiance.

"What is it?!" cried a Human Tainted. Every being in Domino could see the column, for its glow was as intense as the sun. Those closest to it stumbled back, shielding their eyes from its glare; they could feel the raw power coursing through the atmosphere—the very air in their lungs charged with electricity.

"It's making daylight in the night!" bellowed one of the Monsters.

T'ea gasped, jerking her eyes upward; blinded though she was, she saw the power cutting right through the cloud cover. 'YUGI?'

It was Yugi, T'ea could feel it; the spectacle had the White Vampyr's signature written all over it—and what T'ea sensed it signified wasn't good.

T'ea's heart was thumping in her chest: Yami was gone. He had been laying right where the column of light now stood, yet, now the Vampyress could no longer sense his presence. Had he merely vanished with the appearance of the light? Or had he died, his last breath being nothing more than a slight rush of air escaping passed his lips?

The Vampyress stared, her fangs clenched. The column was being generated by the power of the White Vampyr, this much T'ea had worked out. Yet, despite this fact, she couldn't sense his presence either — they were gone, both of them. Yami, and Yugi.

What had happened? What was going to happen?

'This can't be!' thought T'ea, twitching with sudden rage. This was all Yugi's doing. Wrath as hot as flame lighted within the Vampyress. Yugi had taken Yami away. The wrath burned inside her chest. It wasn't fair, Yugi had cheated. Like a firestorm, T'ea's rage gushed forth, and liken to a banshee she screamed into the air. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YUGI?!"

The assembled crowd gasped as the flaring column began to heave and jerk, its power seeming to shake the earth. All watched as it sparked, violently, and broke into a thousand light strands that instantly vanished like stardust.

Dead silence would have followed the spectacle, except for the fact that something was amiss. The light had gone and yet the ground was still trembling. What was at first only a low rumbling deep in the earth, quickly became something else—something which grew 'til the city of Domino lurched in its foundations.

Screams and terrified roars filled the already raucous clamor of the air. Half of the standing buildings crumbled to dust, the expelled detritus filling the air in great gritty plumes. The earthquake was definitely not a side effect of the evanescent light however.

Being unwilling to fly into the chaos overhead, the Tomb Robber and T'ea had remained on the ground, and they could see something the rest of the city could not. For as they stared at the smoldering circle that had been seared into the tarmac by the radiant column, they saw cracks forming at its heart, cracks that quickly gave way to a jagged black pike that suddenly jutted upward from under the ground.

The earth shuddered as the pike continued to rise, four more appearing at each corner. The five pikes were atop a great black structure that reached toward the sky like a giant arm, its base ever widening. T'ea and Bakura sat up, watching as spikes then came up from the earth, first in front of them, then behind them.

"Oh no!!" In fear the pair turned to escape, seeking to jump quickly over the great palisade that had lunged up behind them. But it was already too late. They were caught against the rising battlements, watching helplessly as the ground feel away.

T'ea screamed; Bakura tumbled backward, holding fast to the Vampyress' cloak as she grabbed hold of the nearest object, a thing which appeared to be a stone gargoyle. 'What??'

And upward into the air they were thrust, high above the city. Soon it was revealed that what was emerging from the earth was a tremendous black tower, vile and grotesquely constructed, its innumerable spikes like claws jabbing at the dawn sky.

Dawn sky! The vampyric creatures amid the destroyed city screamed when they realized the sun was rising, the first rays piercing through the dissipating storm clouds. Deathly afraid of being touched by the sunlight, the already chaotic streets were filled with panic as each creature, Human Tainted and Monster alike, scrambled for cover. But the quake made fleeing on foot very difficult, and those who became airborne to escape were immediately lost in the billowing dust plumes.

The rumble was deafening. And still the Tower arose, a gruesome eyesore to mock the light of the surface-world. Though buried alive for centuries the Tower had waited patiently, yearning for that moment it would once again make its presence known among the living.

The last of its jagged ramparts were disgorged from the bowels Domino, and it planted its foundations atop the earth with the force of a titan's footstep. The ground trembled and at last the quake subsided; slowly, all din faded into silence.

Like a jewel in a crooked crown, the sun appeared along the rocky tips of the mountains surrounding Domino. And, for the first time in 400 years, lighted the massive monstrous Tower, black as death itself. The Tower gloated, looming tall and pompous over the demolished landscape at its feet. Nothing could stop it from fulfilling its purpose now.

Nonetheless, in the shadow of the uppermost parts of the Tower, the highjacked Vampyrs found themselves temporarily safe from the sun's rays. Catching their breath, the pair began to gather themselves. Shakily T'ea pushed herself up and blinked curiously at the stone gargoyle she had been hugging.

Bakura let go her cloak, and began yanking at his own jacket, which had been speared through at the back by one of the upward spikes. Curious as to what lay beyond the jagged palisade, T'ea scooted herself toward the edge and took hold of the spikes; she leaned her head over—and saw the ground several miles beneath her.

She squeaked in alarm and threw herself back from the edge, momentarily absentminded as to the fact that she could actually fly. "Where are we?!" she sounded, "What happened?? Is this a tower? But where did it come from?!"

"From beneath the ground obviously!" snapped the Tomb Robber, "Now will you stop blathering and give me a chance to see for myself!" Bakura gave one more great yank on his jacket, and it pulled it free. He fell back with a rude smack and T'ea couldn't help but laugh snidely. Bakura glared, picking himself up. Acting like he'd meant to look so utterly ridiculous, he moved toward the palisade and peered over; he blinked.

"Well, big mouth?" asked T'ea. Far below, Bakura could see there was a myriad of Vampyrs sheltering in the shadow of the black Tower. With there being hardly anything left standing in which to shelter, the Tower's shadow was an effective albeit temporary solution to the sunlight.

"Heh, idiots," smirked the Tomb Robber, "Don't they realize once the sun is overhead there will no longer be a shadow for them to hide in?"

"Huh?" T'ea came back over to the edge and carefully looked over. Those huddled near the ramparts were craning their necks in wary study of the Tower's loathsome visage.

T'ea looked on the Tomb Robber dumbly. "Moron!" she slapped his shoulder, "We're in the same boat, in case you hadn't noticed! Or can't your brain think that far?"

Bakura growled like a junkyard dog. "Of course I noticed you imbecile!! What you haven't noticed is the fact that there's a door behind us!" He jerked his arm out, pointing toward the aperture.

T'ea blinked. "Oh."

Insulted and annoyed, Bakura stood and went to the door. Yet in taking hold of the handle, the thief found it was stuck hard against the stony doorframe. Bakura wrenched backward on the door, to no avail.

T'ea gave a mock round of clapping. "Wow," she said, "I didn't know you were so strong."

"Shut up!!" spat the Tomb Robber.

"HERE." T'ea came up beside him and likewise seized hold of the elongated door handle. "Now!"

Loath to cooperate yet short on options, Bakura pulled backward with T'ea. They groaned as they struggled to move the door, the sinew of their muscles straining with the effort. "Don't give up!" T'ea gasped, as she took another breath.

Bakura's fingers tightened against the handle. "No ruddy door's going to get the best of me!" he proclaimed. A slight glow alight along the metal of his Millennium Ring.

The pair jerked backward slightly, as the door began to slide from its mooring. "Almost – there!" T'ea piped. With a growl, Bakura slammed his foot forward against the doorframe. Instantly the door sprang open, knocking the Vampyrs back against the craggy stage.

A cold gust of air greeted them, wafting outward from the dark entry. The pair rose; Bakura went forward first. Cautiously he looked in, and all that met the sharp inquiry of his gaze was a short flight of steps.

"Anything?" asked T'ea, as she edge up beside him.

"No. Not really." answered the white-haired thief, moving out onto the landing and starting down the steps. T'ea followed, taking hold of the door handle and pulling it after her.

"OH," began Bakura, "And don't close the door—"

T'ea gasped. THUDOOM! She looked nervously at Bakura, holding her hand over her mouth.

"–because we might just need to make a swift exit." he grumbled. He looked back at her, narrowing his eyes. Sighing, he continued down to the next landing, which was much wider than the first. "Oh well," he said, as T'ea came down the steps after him, "I guess it doesn't matter whether we get killed out there in the sunlight, or down here by whatever's lurking in this tower."

"You really think there is something?" quizzed the Vampyress. Passed the landing the pair saw an innumerable amount of steps spiraling down into infinity.

Bakura shrugged. "Why else rise out of the ground in such dramatic fashion?"

T'ea smirked. "Well I guess you'd be the expert on that."

Bakura snuffed. "Well," he lauded, "I don't suppose there's any reason to postpone meeting our Maker!" He jumped off the landing, but of course, didn't fall – at least not very fast. With relative balance, he descended straight down the center of the tower, bypassing the circular stair-path.

T'ea blinked, "Hmph." ,and, deciding to do the same, seized the loose corners of her cloak and jumped after him. She caught up with him before too long, and they glared playfully at one another.

"In that much of a rush to meet death, eh?" queried the Tomb Robber.

T'ea Gardener pulled her lips into a crooked smile. "Actually, I think something entirely different awaits." She immediately loosed her command of gravity, and fell straight passed the Ancient Thief.

Bakura barked angrily and fell after her. Hundreds of feet the pair descended, privy to the fact that the Tower was broadening ever outward. Finally they espied the end of the stairs, but, they were broken, the remnant lying in a crumbled heap against the floor of the dark chamber below.

Bakura and T'ea stopped just short of actually entering the room. They looked, but couldn't see much beyond the width of the vertical tunnel they had come down; apparently the darkling chamber was much bigger.

"Well, go on!" said Bakura, "Ladies first!"

"OH for sure!"griped T'ea. But, swallowing nervously, she leaned down, peeking into the room; there was no one, and nothing for that matter, at least not that she could see. She let herself drop down; Bakura wasn't far behind.

They stood for a moment, looking around. The room they had come into was circular, with high menacing pilasters that struck up into the ceiling on a curve. All of them were the same, except two. Instead of being comprised of solid black stone, these two had glass centers; T'ea frowned curiously.

Bakura watched her move toward them, having only just noticed them himself. "Now, why do you suppose they're different?"

T'ea stepped right up to the nearest of them, and began wiping away the thick dust that had gathered over the centuries. She gasped. "There's someone in here!"

"Eh?" Bakura came over. He reached, wiping more of the dust away. "It's a girl." he said.

"I can see that." T'ea answered, looking at the fair features; her eyes scanned down. "What kind of outfit do you suppose that is?"

Bakura folded his arms, regarding the sleeping girl behind the glass. "It looks like a type of uniform. Black with silver trimming, and a silver metal cross."

"A cross??" exclaimed T'ea, "That's the last thing we need! She's probably human."

"Well," said Bakura, strolling over to the other glass-centered pilaster, "If she's a human, who's behind glass number two?" He swirled a clear patch amid the dusty exterior. "Well," he gibed, "Here's a handsome fellow."

T'ea came quickly over, and frowned. "What?"

The Tomb Robber snorted. "Certainly an ugly chap isn't he? Lithe and yellow, he looks dead."

Tea' sucked in her bottom lip. "I'll say!"

"But he's not."

T'ea blinked at Bakura. "He's not?" Bakura shook his head. The Vampyress looked over to the sleeping girl. "Then is she not, too? Why do you think they're both here?"

"I don't know." Bakura fingered his chin. "This whole tower, just for these two?" Bakura looked closer at the sallow-faced man. "Or, perhaps just for him."

"Huh?"

"Don't you think he looks more like he belongs here than she does?"

"Well, yeah. Kinda." T'ea scratched her head. What a conundrum!

Bakura smiled, and widened his stance. "Well, enough theorizing!" He pulled back the jacket sleeve of his right arm, and balled his fist.

"What are going to do?!" sounded T'ea, jumping back a pace.

"In another second you won't have to ask me." Bakura slung back his arm, and hurled his fist forward into the glass. T'ea gave a slight shriek as she turned her face from the flying glass shards. Bakura smiled, his cuts healing instantly. He leaned in to the dormant figure, sniffing. "Ah! I thought so." He grinned, his fangs stretching down over his bottom lip. "You're a Vampyr, my friend." he whispered.

There came a sudden crash as the glass panel over the sleeping girl abruptly ejected from its moorings and shattered against the floor. T'ea blinked, holding a broken release-lever in her upraised hand.

"What DID you do??" Bakura frowned.

T'ea adopted a slightly snide expression. "What? You thought you were the only one gonna have any fun around here?" She threw the lever aside and moved to get a better look at the girl. Curious, she stepped into the hollow pilaster to see if she couldn't figure out how the girl was affixed to the wall.

Bakura stopped suddenly, and frowned: a shadow had fallen over his heart. Much to his confusion, Bakura found the muscles in his throat had started to tighten; quickly he began pulling at his shirt collar, only to see something move out of the corner of his eye.

The Tomb Robber turned, jerking with surprise when he saw the Vampyr beyond the broken glass was awake. But there was something very wrong about him.

The creature's dead black eyes were wide, and his pasty lips had parted, revealing a mouth like a cavern. Bakura took a step back when the Vampyr reached out its hands toward him, the creature's yellowed fangs gleaming as a withered tongue ran across them.

Bakura's heart was pounding, and his brow creased worriedly. Was he actually frightened? But why?? What made this Vampyr different than any other? Surly he wasn't more powerful than himself!

"What do you want?" Bakura said, trying to draw confidence from the tone of his words. But still, the fear remained.

"Huh?" T'ea glanced toward the white-haired thief.

The sickly Vampyr in the broken casement stretched his fingers toward Bakura. His lips began to move in speech, but they moved like they were numb. "Ffresshh. . ." he slurred.

Bakura felt his gut tighten, his heart drumming against his ribs. 'Me,' he thought, eyes widening, 'He means me!'

With a somewhat surprised look, T'ea stepped out of the girl's casement. "What? That guy's actually awake??"

Something snapped. T'ea gasped as the creature lunged forward from the pilaster, tackling Bakura to the floor. The Tomb Robber gave a cry of fright and immediately began punching his attacker, for the creature had buried his fangs deep in his neck.

"Get off of me!!" Bakura choked, grabbing the Vampyr's shoulders and driving his knee hard into his stomach. Again Bakura did this, and again; but he couldn't shake the creature upon him, for the Vampyr was stealing his blood — blood he had already stolen. And used though it was, the creature knew the blood would serve its purpose.

The Tomb Robber began to panic as he felt his strength draining away. His eyes became painfully wide then, for his mind was suddenly bombarded with a barrage of terrible memories. He remembered when both he & Ryou had been attacked –all those months ago– by a gang of Vampyrs who had left Ryou for dead, and he a night-stalker like themselves.

Like an avenging devil, Bakura had hunted each of them down, one by one, mercilessly banishing them to the Shadow Realm. That's when Vampire Lord had seen him, and seeing that he was a powerful enemy of the Human Tainted, had recruited him as an ally – and spy. But V. Lord's promise to sustain Ryou and bring him back to life, had been lie.

'This can't be happening!' thought Bakura, waking from his memories, 'What is this monster that I cannot fight him off like I've fought off countless others?!'

Bakura cringed as his heart began to slow. 'NO.' He glanced toward T'ea, who stood apart, semi-frightened but mostly appalled. The Tomb Robber dropped his arm out to the side, reaching toward her. In utter spite of his own helplessness, he opened his mouth, and pleaded: "Help me!"

T'ea felt her heart lurch, and deep inside she felt an emotion she hadn't felt since before Domino had become a domain of chaos; a feeling she had long embodied before becoming a selfish narrowminded Vampyress. And that was: the desire to help someone.

For T'ea had known the Tomb Robber for ages it seemed, and never had she seen him so desperate. Quickly she nodded at Bakura and spun, seeking to find a weapon amongst the shattered glass at her feet. But, she didn't know she was too late.

Bakura's innards tightened all at once, a moan escaping his throat. His eyes suddenly rolled back, and his outstretched arm fell slack.

T'ea stopped abruptly as she stooped to search through the glass; her eyes widened. The girl, the sleeping girl, she was awake and kneeling at the foot of her casement! "You," T'ea blurted, "Who are you?"

Gasping at the dusty air like a newborn, the uniformed girl was agonized by her lungs stretching in and out for the first time in several centuries. Tears were in her eyes as she raised her head; coughing, she frowned at the sight of T'ea.

The girl tried to gather herself sooner than she should have, and her subsequent attempt to stand was met with am overwhelming dizziness; she grasped her head in her hands.

Suddenly remembering Bakura, T'ea turned back—only to freeze in place. The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end, for the creature, wiping his mouth, had finished with Bakura and was now turning to face her.

T'ea looked down at the white-haired thief. 'He's dead–' The Vampyress felt anger and fear flash in her heart. "Why did you kill him?!" she called, "Why did you even drink his blood?? He was a vampire like you!"

The creature smiled wickedly.

"Because," came the answer, "He is Nosferatu!"

T'ea turned at the sound of the girl's cracking voice; she was standing now. The Vampyress made a quick decision to retreat to where she could more easily observe the cryptic pair. "Nosferatu?" she asked, pulling her cloak closer 'round her.

The creature chuckled deep in his throat, glancing briefly at T'ea before settling his eyes on the uniformed girl. "So Slayer," he said, his voice like the depths of a well, "You followed me. I thought I had lost you, no actually, I thought I had killed you. But it appears I was mistaken."

The girl narrowed her eyes, her voice graveled and dry. "I knew one day you would awaken, Nosferatu. That your sanctuary would preserve you through the ages. But I couldn't let you escape. If I hadn't preserved myself beside you, time would have killed me. And I couldn't allow you to rise and go forth as you did in the past, infecting the world with your poison blood."

"Heh heh heh," Nosferatu smiled mockingly, "The only slayer in all the world with power enough to stop me, eh?" He raised his arms upward, and shadows like the night grew out of the cracks of the chamber. "But you are in MY sanctuary now Slayer, and therefore at a mortal disadvantage!" The creature hissed and, like a mad composer, directed the shadows to strike at the girl.

"Metal Silver Armor - 23!" she cried. The shadows attacked, yet were instantly met by a brilliant flash of light. T'ea had to shield her eyes so bright was the silver flare.

The shadows vaporized, and as the light died down the girl stepped forward, donning what appeared to be armor – gleaming silver armor. T'ea stared.

"Care to try again?" asked the girl of her assailant, her voice finally able to carry with strength. There was a spear-tipped staff in her hand, and she gripped it tighter.

"Ooh," cooed Nosferatu, "I was forgetting the beauty of your alchemy, Silver."

Out of the blue, a dull boom issued from up above, and all around them the Tower trembled, shuddering down to its foundations. It sounded like something large had come against the top of the Tower. T'ea noted that even Nosferatu looked confused.

The trio stared upward suddenly, as a great clamor then resounded down to their ears. Something was moving upon the spiral-stairs, in fact, several things.

Nosferatu glared at the girl. "Is this your doing wench?!"

Silver swallowed nervously. "I haven't need of an army to destroy you, caitiff!" she shouted, trying to hide her apprehension of what was approaching.

Instinctively, T'ea knew death was drawing near. In the blink of an eye she shrouded herself within the folds of her cloak, instantly becoming invisible. She looked up as a figure descended through the portal in the ceiling as gracefully as she and Bakura had done — it was Vampire Lord.

The purple-suited Duel Monster looked with casual interest between Silver and Nosferatu. "And who might you be?" he asked, his army making their way down the stairs above him.

"Is this an invasion?" asked Nosferatu, narrowing his eyes.

V. Lord landed down in front of him. "Is this your Tower?" he queried enthusiastically.

"Aha ha hah!" laughed Nosferatu, grinning with his yellow teeth; he backswept and spread his arms wide. "This is the Tower of Throe, where death is life and life is death!" he announced with pride, "It is my Tower, my crowning achievement!! HAH!"

V. Lord blinked. "You don't say?" He looked around. "Well, I must admit I like the name. And you do have a pretty impressive slogan to go with it – 'Life is death, death is life.' A pity I didn't think of it."

The Monsters of V. Lord's horde began to descend, leaping from the broken steps above and down into the chamber. Nosferatu eyed the new arrivals critically. "As you are rather trespassing in MY Tower, it leaves with formidable standing to ask you why you are here?"

Vampire Lord leered playfully. "Forgive me my manners." said he, bowing gratuitously, "To be frightfully honest, I just couldn't resist. Your Tower is so very beautiful. And I thought it was rather strategically positioned. You see, I'm in the middle of a war, and, not knowing whether or not it belonged to anyone, determined it to be a insuperable base from which I could release my final assault upon the humans."

Nosferatu cocked his eyebrow with sudden interest. "Humans?"

V. Lord's face darkened as he smiled. "INDEED."

There came an abrupt female grunt, followed by several flashes of light. Nosferatu and V. Lord turned to see the silver-armored slayer striking at the Monsters closing in around her. Much to her surprise, Silver was discovering her weapon had very little effect upon them.

Nosferatu growled as he looked at her. V. Lord studied him through the corner of his eye. "Who is she?" he asked.

"She is a slayer." snorted the owner of the Tower.

"OH HO!" lauded V. Lord, "A slayer! I LOVE slayers. They think they're so powerful! Ha! Not judging by the looks on their faces when they die."

"This one IS powerful." snuffed Nosferatu. "Forsooth?" asked V. Lord. The pair continued to watch Silver swiping at the Monsters with her spear, an action which did very little to deter them from advancing towards her. "I'll make you a deal," said Nosferatu out of the blue, "I will aid you in your final gambit against the humans. In fact you and your entire army may use my Tower as your base of operations,"

"Oh yes?"

"If you will do for me ONE favor."

"And what's that?" Vampire Lord's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Kill her."

V. Lord looked at Silver, and smiled knowingly. "This request leads me to assume you yourself cannot."

"I would be very hard put to it, yes. I shan't go into details why. Now, will you do it?"

V. Lord cracked an insane grin. "Of course!" The fiendish Duel Monster leapt into the air. "Now my minions, hear this!" he jutted his thin finger forward, "That girl is the only thing standing between us and our victory! I want you to kill her, NOW!"

Silver gasped as the entire horde turned to face her, smiling at her with their vile twisted fangs. 'I'm dead!' she thought. She grit her teeth as they began to move; she widened her stance, tightening her grip upon her steel-tipped rod.

As one, the Monsters lunged forward. Silver would have raised her spear, in a futile effort to save her life, that is, had she not suddenly found herself enveloped in something she didn't quite understand.

She felt herself flying upwards, and someone was hugging her. Silver had half a mind to struggle against this force, had a voice not told her otherwise. Straight up she was taken, passed the Monsters that lingered on the stairs, to the very top of the Tower.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as she was dropped suddenly on the landing before the door. The door which Bakura and T'ea had struggled so hard to open, now ripped entirely off its hinges by the infiltration of V. Lord and his army.

Silver watched as T'ea appeared out of thin air, throwing back the edges of her red cloak and thereby dispelling her invisibility. "You're heavy!" T'ea puffed angrily.

Silver drew up her spear and pointed it at T'ea defensively. "Why did you save me Vampyress?" It was strange, but Silver noticed an expression cross T'ea's face that was something akin to disappointment, perhaps even sadness.

"I don't know." T'ea answered. "That Nosfurtoo guy—I," she blinked, "I don't like him. It's like there's, something wrong with him."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Being a Vampyr I'm surprised that bothers you."

"Yeah, well he killed that guy I was with. And . . . I mean, vampires don't suck blood from other vampires!"

"Nosferatu does."

T'ea looked straight at Silver. "Is he really a vampire?"

"He was." the slayer answered, getting to her feet, "He's something entirely different now." She moved quickly through the doorway, and out into the sunlight.

"Hey, wait!" shouted T'ea, jumping forward and stopping beside the broken doorframe. V. Lord's floating fortress was near at hand, apparently having docked with the Tower.

"What?" Silver asked, not bothering to look back at her.

T'ea swallowed. "Can you kill him?"

Silver raised her head from glancing over the palisade, and looked back with a funny glint in her narrowed eyes. "Why? Do you want me to?"

The Vampyress looked briefly at her shoes before looking back at the slayer. "Yes. Actually, I think that's why I saved you."

Silver cocked a rather amused eyebrow. "My, how things have changed these passed few centuries."

All at once, T'ea and Silver jerked as the air around them was filled with a great uproar; it was coming from somewhere below. Silver turned quickly to see.

"What is it??" called T'ea.

The slayer's brow creased as she saw something very strange. The Human Tainted crowded at the foot of the Tower, were in fact cheering. A tremendous three-headed dragon was hovering above them, facing the Tower of Throe. And, from what Silver could make out, there were two riders on its back.

"A dragon??" Silver spluttered.

"A dragon?" T'ea repeated, "What kind?!"

Silver shot back a look of incredulity. "What kind?? What do you mean, 'What kind?!' There's a three-headed dragon down there!!"

T'ea's eyes widened, the edges of her mouth creasing upward as though to smile. "Kaiba," she breathed, "It has to be–! What color is it?"

"Color?? It's white, but—"

"Oh YES!" T'ea lauded, "I never thought I'd be so happy to see that snob."

Silver composed herself, realizing monsters must be merely a new part of this currant reality. "Hmm," she leaned her head over the jagged palisade to observe the Tainted throng, "Apparently you're not the only one to share this sentiment."

"He's in there!!" shouted the crowd beneath Seto Kaiba. The C.E.O. glared at the black Tower before him as it seemed to be smirking at his minuscule size compared to its own.

"Are we going to attack it, Seto?" asked Mokuba, who was sitting down in front of him. The executive nodded to his younger brother.

"Vampire Lord is hiding in there." Seto answered, glancing up at the abandoned Castle of Dark Illusions. "The only thing that worries me is what he might've found in there."

"You mean," Mokuba gulped, "Something that might help him defeat us?"

Seto Kaiba stretched his lips into a nasty grin. "He won't defeat us."

"Ahhhh!!" came the scream of a Vampyress at the edge of the multitude. All turned to see her struggling on the border of the Tower's shadow; the sun was reaching her. "Help me please!" she wailed, fighting to get into the already tightly packed crowd.

Kaiba leapt into the air from the back of his Ultimate. "Let her in!" he commanded, hovering just above the heads of his army.

"There ain't no room!" someone shouted back.

Seto growled and launched forward in the air. He landed down just behind the girl, shielding her in the shadow of his form. She gasped at the sudden relief, and fainted in Kaiba's arms.

The C.E.O. groaned sharply however, his eyes widening. Gritting his teeth, Seto realized the same agonizing pain was now piercing his own body. 'Early-morning sun—!' he realized, remembering he was only immune during the middle of the day.

He quickly wrapped his arms around the girl and took to the air. "Idiots!" he shouted at his army, "Why aren't those of you who can fly already in the air??"

"Oh yeah?" some shouted angrily, "And make ourselves out-n-out targets for those Monsters in the Tower?!" "Don't be daft!" "We can't do that!"

Seto clenched his fangs. "So you think you're any better off crowded down here like a bunch of sitting ducks?!" He flew back to his dragon, and laid the girl down; she moaned painfully. "Is she all right?" asked Mokuba worriedly.

Kaiba looked around. "She will be if I can figure out how to protect us from the sun." He reached into the pocket of his jacket, and withdrew his Dueling Deck. Quickly he began flipping through the cards.

"What're you gonna do to help us??" called several Vampyrs below. "You can't just let us die!!"

"SHUT UP, and give me a second!" he snapped back. Kaiba's eyes lit with sharp glee as his fingers came against one particular Magic Card. He pulled it from his Deck, and slipped the rest back in his pocket. "Meh heh,"

Mokuba blinked in surprise as his brother suddenly sprang forward, leaping against the Tower ramparts and upward into the air. Kaiba moved like a lightning streak up the facade of the Tower, jetting skyward 'til in the blink of an eye he was vaulting high over Throe.

The sun sizzled against Seto's skin, but in defiance he raised his card into the air. "Veil of Darkness!!"

A collective gasp issued from the whole of the Vampyr army. In awe they watched the myth of Apollo played out before them as shrouds of intangible fabric seemed to spiral outward from above, veiling the sky in blue twilight.

The whole crumbled kingdom that was Domino Empire was then shielded from the direct rays of the celestial orb above, which, being still visible, now shone like a midnight sun.

The Human Tainted cheered aloud, immediately moving to a safer distance from Nosferatu's Tower. Mokuba laughed with relief and squinted upward in the new twilight, watching the spec that was Kaiba come down somewhere near the top of the Tower.

Seto landed on a debris-strewn stage, and blinked, surprised to find two pairs of human eyes staring at him."Kaiba!"T'ea frowned curiously. "What'd you just do?" She leaned out from the broken doorway, and glanced up at the sky. "You know by making they sky dark you just helped the Monsters, right?"

Kaiba frowned, looking from T'ea to the girl in armor and back again; he couldn't decide who he should be staring at more. "Hey, doomed if you do, doomed if you don't." he answered, "What are you doing here anyway??"

T'ea flashed the C.E.O. a dumb expression. "Enjoying the view," she said with quick sarcasm, "What do you think?! We're trying to get away from V. Lord and his lackeys!"

"You've seen him?" asked Kaiba.

"Yeah. And he's making a deal with some freaky freak called Nosfurtoo who happens to own this Tower."

"Nausfertwo?" Seto looked quickly at the girl, who was shifting her spear to her other hand. "And who's she?" He sniffed the air. "Human?"

T'ea sighed. "She happens to be the only one who can kill this Nosfurtoo guy. And believe me, you WANT him dead."

"It's Nosferatu." Silver corrected. Kaiba's eyes scanned over her bedecked frame. "Got a name, Slayer?" asked he.

Silver blinked in semi-surprise. "I'm called Silver, Vampyr. How did you know I was a slayer? I wouldn't have thought my armored appearance so obvious. Who are you anyway?"

"It's not your appearance that gives you away. My name is Seto Kaiba, and—"

There was a rushing flutter of leather wings. T'ea yelped in surprise as a wave of Dark Bats came surging up from the doorway at her back. Then, something else emerged. T'ea screamed as a cracking blow came down against her shoulder; she was instantly thrown aside, and the staff-wielding Masked Beast lumbered into view.

Kaiba and Silver fell back, facing the gruesome Monster as it moved towards them. T'ea cringed; too pained to rise, she pulled close the edges of her cloak and vanished.

"Argh! I have no power over these monsters!!" growled Silver, leveling her spear at the Masked Beast as it raised its staff to strike them.

"Oh?" queried Kaiba, whipping a Trap Card from his pocket, "Then what's this Nosferatu? Activate, Trap Hole!!"

A massive hole opened in the stage beneath the Beast's feet; it gave a wailing roar and fell away out of sight, presumably into the depths of Tower Throe.

"H-how did you do that??" quizzed Silver, with shocked eyes; she tried to see what was in Kaiba's hand.

"What, you don't know what Duel Monster cards are?"

The slayer shook her head. Several more roars broke the air and a team of Monsters barreled up from the stairwell. Kaiba tensed. He sprang up, flipping over their heads as they rushed at him, and pulled two more Trap cards from his pocket. "Backup Soldier, Reinforcements!!" he called.

The cards blazed with light, and the next moment beheld a plethora of men, some armored some not, rushing against the Monsters to try and force them into the Hole. But so quickly did their numbers swell that Silver suddenly found herself slammed against the palisade.

"Hagh!!" she groaned, pinned behind the broad Monster, Enraged Muka Muka, who at the moment wasn't even paying attention to her. Her spear was caught too, and she struggled frantically to pull it free.

With a great burst of anger, Kaiba attacked one of the larger Monsters himself, shattering the brute to the Graveyard. But as he knelt recovering from the recoil, a red-skeletal beast with violet wings, known as Gren Maju Da Eiza, slithered forward from the stairwell.

He quickly surveyed the chaos and noticed Silver trapped behind the large round Enraged Muka Muka. She was jabbing the Monster, and Muka Muka couldn't repel the soldiers long enough to turn and stop her.

Gren's face wrinkled in a grin. He remembered what his master V. Lord had said about the girl being the only thing standing between them and total victory. And he didn't intend to let anyone else have the glory of killing her but himself.

Kaiba stood as he realized what the red fiend was aiming to do. But Gren Maju didn't see Kaiba, he only saw the struggling girl. 'No you don't!' thought Kaiba, leaping suddenly to strike the serpentine Monster.

But Gren Maju Da Eiza had speed that was almost unparalleled. And, with his wings folded down around like a shield, Gren shot forward, narrowly avoiding Kaiba' attack.

'NO.' Kaiba spun, leaping after the Monster as he plowed straight through the amassed backup soldiers toward Silver. But the brute was too fast, and Seto cringed inwardly knowing he wouldn't be able to stop him.

The Enraged Muka Muka screeched as it shattered, and Silver collapsed to one knee gasping and clinging to her spear for support.

"Slayer!" Kaiba cried.

Silver looked up, and saw only a mass of folded purple wings. She stood, and Gren Maju unfurled them. Silver gagged as the wings slammed into her, and she was thrust over the palisade. Silver gasped as she realized there was nothing around her but empty air — and she fell.

"You freak!!" Kaiba spat at Gren as he leapt over his head. "I need her!" Had Gren Maju a mouth it would have been agape as Kaiba fly over the edge after the slayer.

Silver tensed, her mind racing to find a way to save herself. Of course, what jolted her from this was the sudden sight of Kaiba barreling towards her from above. She gave a slight yelp of fear, and was surprised when Kaiba's arms came suddenly around her.

"ARRRGH!" Kaiba groaned as he tried to catch her, but something was wrong. Silver cringed as they continued to descend. "The weight of your armor–!" Seto sounded at once, "You've gained too much velocity! I can't stop us!"

Silver pulled her spear free, "That's all right!" ,she raised the weapon upward, "You've slowed us down enough for me to do this!!" Pulling her arms back, the Slayer threw all her might into a forward thrust, jabbing her spear point into the outer facade of the Tower of Throe.

Silver and Seto cried out as the velocity swung them down and straight into the body of Throe, right through the wall. A plum of black detritus exploded outward.

Of all the things that had been shrouded in the dimness, the crash was definitely one thing Mokuba Kaiba had beenable to see. "Seto!!" he yelled, then looking around at the Vampyr army. "Come on!" he called. The Blue-Eyes Ultimate started upward.

Kaiba's army was a bit loath to take orders from their leader's little brother, but they figured Kaiba would "whale" on them if they didn't. Thus the Undead army descended on Throe.

Within the Tower the dust was clearing, and Vampire Lord with Nosferatu, stepped over to see what had fallen through the newly-formed hole in the wall.

V. Lord smiled with delight. "Well well, if it isn't my arch nemesis, and the little silver slayer. How very nice of you to drop in. 'Tis odd though, is it not? I doubt you received a formal invitation."

Through his pain, Seto glared up at the Vampire. The creature, Nosferatu, bristled with hatred as Silver tried to pick herself up off the floor. "You will not take me from this world!!" he shrilled. Nosferatu's lithe hand shot upward, and the sentient shadows in the chamber's eaves immediately rammed down against Kaiba and Silver, pinning them to the floor. "Ahh!"

V. Lord jumped back in surprise, a sweat bead coming down his face. "I really like that trick." he said, smiling nervously.

Nosferatu didn't hear him; though his breathing was ragged, a smile was on his lips. "You cannot kill me Slayer, if I kill you first." The creature twiddled his fingers in the air, and Silver gasped as the shadows began to close around her body.

'No,' thought Silver, 'After all these centuries, I cannot die! Not now! Not when the power to kill Nosferatu is mine alone. If I do not end him, who will?'

Kaiba groaned, trying to force himself to move; he didn't understand how mere shadows could hold him with such strength.

"Uh, while you're at it," V. Lord glanced at the Tower's owner, "If you wouldn't mind, kill him too. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you could make it as painful as possible."

Nosferatu nodded slowly. "Yeess, they both shall die – in agony." He raised his hand again.

Seto clenched his fists, and a sudden tingle rushed over him; he recognized the feeling. His eyes widened: it had arrived. 'Blue-Eyes.' It was right outside the Tower.

Nosferatu looked up toward the hole in the wall. "What is that?" he asked. "Eh?" V. Lord looked over, and gasped. "Oh no!"

Seto growled as he clenched his fangs. "ATTACK."

"Get out of the way!!" V. Lord cried, grabbing Nosferatu's arm. A triple Neutron Blast exploded through the veneer of Throe – and the Tower screamed. Its tremendous wail mingled with the shrieking shadows as the blast tore them to shreds.

Seto and Silver were blinded by the light, and tensed as the searing energy sparked around them. At last the light died away with the attack, and Seto leaned up, seeing he was no longer pinioned to the floor. "You all right?" he asked the Slayer.

Silver pushed herself up and looked back to see the whole of the wall behind them was gone. The Blue-Eyes was looking in, and its three visages were quite intimidating.

"Seto!" Mokuba called, "I–I didn't tell the Ultimate to attack!"

"I know!" Kaiba replied, turning quickly to locate their enemies. There was a sound from above. The C.E.O. looked up — and V. Lord came down on him like a ton of lead bricks.

"NO!" Mokuba cried, then seeing V. Lord's monstrous army was right behind. But just beyond the Ultimate was Seto's own army. Mokuba held his breath as a chill descended, the Undead surging in to meet the Monsters head on.

The only heat then was that of battle, and Kaiba and V. Lord screamed with lust for one another's blood. The Battle for the End had begun.

--\

RoseD.: OK, all my fellow Yami/Yugi fans are probably freaking out right about now.

Brittanica: You bet they are! Yami and Yugi are DEAD for crying out loud!!

RoseD.: Oh, do you have to be so dramatic? -looks at readers- Ahem, for those of you who care about Yugi and Yami like I do, all I can say is I'm sorry their deaths had to take place. I didn't plan it like that but everything, as it turns out, is a necessary part of the story. So, please be sure to read Chapter 13.

Brittanica: How can you be so cold other me?! I've never known you to be like that!

RoseD.: Look, if I was reading this story like everyone else, I'd probably be worried too. But I'm writing this thing, and chapter 13 is a chapter of redemption. Okay?

Brittanica: -blinks curiously- Eh, okay. . .

RoseD.: -turns back to readers- Anyway, I thought I might tell you what inspired me to start writing this story in the first place. But I've talked too much already, so I'll wait 'til next time.

Oh! And Silver! If you're reading this – there you GO! Just like I promise! -big happy grin- Hope I didn't disappoint.

Thanks for reading everybody! 'Til next time. Bye!