They had Hope laid out on her blankets. Her head was soaked with sweat; Taiya laid the towel across her head. Yugi looked at Taiya who glanced at him with a look of worry. He knew then that there was no more waiting. He walked over to Kaiba who was sitting in the chair—leaning forward intently—waiting for her eyes to open. Mocuba was waiting next to him—his brother’s duel disk in hand.
“We have to go—the tournament is waiting—if you want to take down Shadow you can’t do it sitting in here.” Yugi said bowing his head and readjusting his duel disk.
Kaiba stood up and placed three cards on the desk next to Hope. His fingers pulled away to reveal the Blue Eyes White Dragons.
“Come on—I am not going to need those cards where I’m going. We still have two more days of this crap. Mocuba—let’s go.” He said and strode to the door. Mocuba followed him. Yugi glanced back at the cards and at Kaiba as he walked off. Silently he followed him.
He understood Seto Kaiba’s pain—it all came from Hope—who was so willingly to seek Shadow out and kill him—even if it meant killing herself. His grandfather was sent to the Shadow Realm—he would do anything now if that wasn’t true. Yugi felt the same about this situation—he would do anything if it meant this wasn’t true.
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I sat up out from underneath a large palm tree. I saw a large white wolf staring at me with the corner of her eyes. She sat out on the shore; gazing back thoughtfully out into space as water splashed gently against the shores. I knew I was unconscious—well I hope so—people that get attacked by dragons don’t just magically end up somewhere tropical. And normally they don’t just go unconscious either. Wait, was this normal?
“Entrez—” I whispered so softly I could hear barely hear myself. Her head tipped towards mine and her eyes flicked in recognition as if to say to follow.
I stood up to follow and I stared amazed at my right wrist—the bracelet was gone—vanished. I stared wide eyed at it—were we that close now to where I didn’t need to wear it anymore?
“You’re in my realm; there’s no need for your Vicinity Bracelet here. Don’t expect it often.” She said as if reading my mind…I walked alongside her.
“Where are we headed?” I asked.
She looked at me again with my elegant blue eyes, “To face yourself. You need to understand what this will take to win.”
My face became pale, “What more could I take? I’m willing to give up my life.”
“There is other lives as well; don’t forget—and don’t be reckless.” She huffed as I reached down out of curiosity and began to pet her fur. It felt like soft silk against my fingertips.
“So what—am I going to die?” I asked softly. “I think not.” Entrez answered. Her feet shifted through the ground as she came to a stop and looked at me.
“You will feel like you could die…all people feel this—now you understand why Kaiba is reluctant to discuss his trips to the Shadow Realm. He felt the pain you felt as you were dieing in front of him. You dodged the Shadow Realm by a heartbeat—Kaiba did good timing on attacking you when he did. Otherwise you’d still be in pain. But his pain—his guilt is much stronger than I expected, even with your connection to the blue eyes. He doesn’t think you’ll make it.”
“I will right?” I asked calmly, “You know that I need to—we need to—stop Shadow. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I know—I won’t leave your side—you’ll feel everything I feel. You will know everything I know. It will be overwhelming—but you’ll ignore it if you want to win this.”
She looked at me…”Do you understand?” I nodded calmly…this is what I was. I would say farewell to being human for now. Being human wasn’t what I was…what I could be if I was to face the truth inside me. I had to face myself.
I thought of the battles I’ve been in and remembered how savage I was, but more so of the power, the rage, and the freedom I had. “I’m a wolf…I always will be—it washes deeper than any blood.” I said calmly accepting what I’ve done—what I will do by accepting what I was. I would become stronger…ruthless and much braver than before. I would be throwing the power of the dragons on my conscious.
I let a tear stroll down my cheek. I would never be normal—this is what I would always be. Goodbye to my hopeless dream of being completely human. Even if I transformed into a human I would never be—the wolf washed deeper than any blood… Even now if I transformed as a wolf Entrez’s spirit could combine with mine—if she desired, but if not—I was a full grown wolf on my own without her guidance.
She looked at me with reassurance; gently placing her paw on my shoulder.
“You didn’t come to my realm to just rest—there is a challenge here for you as well.” She explained. “This part of the test there will be blood.”
“A challenge—what do you mean?” I asked. I was surprised and interested.
She looked at me with a calm expression, “I have memories I have not ventured…I can no longer remember. I fear if I do—it’ll uncover the kind of evil that was released in Shadow. You are me—but you don’t have the evil I do.”
“We all have evil—it’s just buried deep.” I answered softly.
She nodded. “Yes, I understand—but you have a choice to access this evil—I do not. You will go to the part of my mind that I cannot help you in—it has parts of the past, present, and future fused into one. None of these parts in time are a pleasant place to be in. They will be evil—and you must have the will to survive.”
“Why wouldn’t I have the will—I’m fighting for my friends—my life is just a part of it. If I could sacrifice myself to save everyone without worrying that their lives would be done if I wasn’t here—I would do it. But Shadow still exists and as long as my friends still exist to protect then I’ll be there.”
“In order for us to win—you’ll need something—a weapon. This is only handy when the full blown out force of the Blue Eyes White Dragon is unleashed.” She paused to stare at me and make it a point she was about to answer. “Trust me; you’ll know when you’ll need to use it. This duel you’ll be in will be much more complex than Roran put it. You’ll need the Sword of Unity, it will give Blue Eyes—us—more power. In the last place you expect it—unfortunately you’ll have to fight off my darker side—without being as strong as you’d want to be...”
Then she was gone…she faded into the background as everything around me grew darker as a storm passed overhead. I held my ground…my heart began racing—I could sense something…but I didn’t know what.
It had to be her darker self—Entrez’s evil. I could sense it absorb everything around me. I heard suddenly there was a crash of lightning. Then I stood shocked as I seen Seto lying on the ground before me. Blood swelled out of his body and fell into the sand.
“Seto!” I shouted; running and leaning downwards to where he was. I shook his numb cold body and he woke up looking around me.
“You’re here too—” He said his face stunned. His hands began shaking and he shuddered as if a cold surrounded him.
“Seto what’s wrong?” I asked anxiously. He stared at me as if I was the most unimaginable person to be here…in this place.
“I promised myself I’d never come back here. I’d die before I came back here—anywhere but the Shadow Realm.” He closed his eyes…as if hoping this would go away. Was this a version of my hell, seeing Seto in this state?
My heart quickened when he said the Shadow Realm as I remembered Entrez’s words…
“You will go to the part of my mind that I cannot help you in—it has parts of the past, present, and future fused into one. None of these parts in time are a pleasant place to be in.”
Did this mean Seto was going to be sent to the Shadow Realm, or has this already happened? My thoughts wouldn’t shy from it. Had it already happened? Was it happening this second? My terror wouldn’t go away. What if this was meant to happen…?
Roran had told me that they had threatened to kill his sister Amy when he refused to join the Oracalcos. They had threatened to kill her and yet when Roran hadn’t brought me in they hadn’t killed her. Roran told me they did much worse…they sent her to the Shadow Realm—a place much worse than death itself.
“I won’t let this happen to you Seto—I swear.” I said and then a large fog of blackness loomed around us…surrounding what had once been a beautiful beach.
He stared as me with his amazing blue eyes as he spoke standing up to look at me in the eyes as I rose with him, “I suggest you make promises you can keep.”
Then—in that instant it was as if the beach was crumbling into nothingness—right underneath Seto’s feet. His eyes widened, but he could not move. I screamed as I reached quickly out for his hands. It was inches away…too far away. I screamed as he fell to a bottomless pit. Suddenly I felt tears stream down my face. I sensed a new presence. I snarled and whipped around to see a large wolf staring at me. Entrez’s evil…
Her fur was black and glossy as it shimmered as dark as her soul. I felt a tear drip onto the ground in front of me. She gave a smug smile as she stared at me sizing me up as I snarled at her, with my sapphire eyes narrowed. She stared back with crimson eyes. She was the wolf from my nightmares. She was my darkness.
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“You’ll pay for what you did to SETO KAIBA!!” I screamed. I made the first move. She lunged at me; her fangs lunging for my throat. I had already morphed to a wolf as I whirled and dodged her attack swiftly. I snarled and whipped around as I morphed again. I swirled around in a sharp 360 kick as I impaled her body with the full force of my shoe. She whirled around saliva forming in her mouth as she lunged for my throat. I snapped at her—in wolf once more—as I dived for her throat.
I could feel the energy weakening inside me…I already understood what Entrez meant when she had said I wouldn’t be as strong as I wanted to be. I was strongest in wolf form with her…but on my own, my skill was shameful unless I remembered what I had learned when I had different battles—but that was picked up on observing—not skill.
I snarled whipping around sharply she caught me by my side and thrust me to the ground. I slammed into the sand. Growling intensely I was back on my feet in a heartbeat, my breath coming in heavier gasps. I was getting exhausted from what had never weakened me before. I was exhausted by shape-shifting from human to wolf—it was wearing me down.
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Seto Kaiba glared at the duelist that he faced. His hair was jet black and his eyes glowed coal red. His body was lean and tall—very athletic. Yugi stood next to Kaiba his own duel disk flashed open catching the light of the moon. It was close to sunrise and they were both worn down. Each of their bodies was battered in bruises from their opponent’s attack. And to think; they had thought they had a very small advantage of outnumbering him. They did until Shadow had made the first attack. He had slashed at Yugi’s life points the way the Shifter had attacked Hope—in wolf form. Yugi had crumpled to the ground in surprise and in pain. He had dragged himself to his feet calmly and quickly, but his body still was shuddering in pain.
The deal had been this…if Yugi or Kaiba lost the game they would duel until the end. They were both excellent duelers no less—but each attack they made did not make Shadow as weak or stunned as he did when he attacked.
The effect so far—Seto had 1000 attack points left and Yugi had 1600. How many points had Shadow left? 2600 Lifepoints left and Shadow had laid down the card the Seal of Oracalcos.
They both had their defenses laid out thoroughly from the beginning of the game. Kaiba had already used seven spells and traps out on the field—as many as Yugi had, but unfortunately Yugi had used up the last magic card he had in his hand and he hadn’t drawn any magic or spells since last turn when he had used his last magic card Healer to give him a bonus 100 for every magic card in he had used during the game.
Seto’s own defense wasn’t bad—he had several powerful monsters backing him up. He had the monster card White Knight a card that had a special effect when it was sent to the graveyard. It had 1600 attack points and 1000 defense points.
Shadow growled in frustration. “Where are your dragons Kaiba!?” Seto’s eyes flashed anxiously when he remembered how Roran had told him that Shadow wanted those cards. It was before Hope had been attacked by the Blue Eyes White Dragon.
“Sorry I must have forgotten them!” He snapped at Shadow enraged. It was Shadow’s move and he snarled as he launched an attack at Kaiba even though by attacking Yugi he would have been defeated since he was defenseless. The White Knight shattered underneath the attack of Shadow’s monster, Silver Fang. His attack points were 1200 and White Knight was in defense mode, he was destroyed—but luckily Kaiba took no damage.
“One less monster for you to use! I want to make sure you have nothing more left to duel for.” Shadow snapped. His wolf form was menacing—it was large and well built he snarled with his pearl fangs streamed scarlet with Yugi’s and Kaiba’s blood.
Mocuba and Joey, Tristan, and Taiya stood watching as their friends were being demolished. Taiya gave a moment to run outside from Hope’s bedside when she had heard the loud commotion from Kaiba and Shadow. Yugi had went out there first and had challenged him to the duel with Kaiba at his side. They were being destroyed by pure hate and evil—sooner or later one of them would be sent to the Shadow Realm—the other given a choice.
Give up or fight until the end. Taiya knew neither of them would surrender—they weren’t cowards. Taiya turned around tears filling her eyes as she ran away back into the building—leaving Mocuba, Tristan and Joey on the roof to encourage Kaiba and Yugi.
*******************************************************************
I couldn’t keep this up. I had to defeat the darker side of Entrez so I could finally start searching for the Sword of Unity. I sensed every muscle in my body weakening even as I defended myself from her blows as she kept ramming into me charging into me like a bull with fangs.
I couldn’t win a losing fight—not this time…I was being exhausted just by this. I turned and ran, trying to figure out Plan B. I tripped and fell to the ground. In my distress I had morphed into a human again. Across my ankle was the Sword of Unity—its hilt sticking out of the sand. I gulped—talk about finding it in the last place I expected it.
The wolf charged, I swerved out of the way as I wrapped my hands tightly around the sword as I dragged it up out of the sand. I snarled as I whirled around with it tightly held by my grasp. I held it tightly like a baseball bat as she swiftly turned around to get back at me.
She paused I sensed a small bit of anguish as her eyes as she saw me holding the weapon I had been searching for.
The wolf lunged, I blocked it as I whacked her with hilt of the sword. She turned and snapped as blood ran down her legs. Then she did something I did not expect, and a swirling fog appeared and showed me the images of all of my friends distressed in pain. I held back my tears as only one seemed to fall.
It was an image of Yugi, holding his side as blood ran down it into the cement, a black wolf stood behind him, the crimson eyes glowing with rage.
Next to him, Seto stumbled his shoulder ripped open, painting his sleeveless white jacket in red.
Mocuba cried…his innocence forever haunting me. Then I remembered I was in a battle and I couldn’t do a single thing to help them stuck here.
“I will fight you—so bring it on. Show me my worst nightmares. I’m far past that.” I snarled as I whirled the sword around and stabbed her in the chest. She had snuck behind me when I had watched the images of my friends perishing, she had planned on killing me while I watched. Instead she howled in pain as it echoed, her body crumbled to the ground as it swirled into a dark fog and vanished.
Entrez appeared in her place I threw the bloodied sword at her feet. Rage was boiling in my blood—right now my friends were in danger—Shadow.
“Let’s go—I’m not wasting any more time on this—let’s go.” I said urgently and she nodded.
“We must go—time passes quickly here.” She said.
“Well, less talking and more action.” I said quickly, and the beach began to fade like as it blurred around us. One image stayed clear though. Entrez did not fade—she began to glow as she jumped into my body taking it over. I didn’t give her complete control—I still had a conscious and a voice. She understood and let me keep that much. I needed her skill and power—that’s what she lent me as we fused into one wolf—one being…
Now there was no Entrez and no Hope.
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Taiya ran sobbing inside the room as Hope dashed outside. She dodged swiftly around Taiya who lifted her hands from her tear splashed face. She was stronger in many ways. Her body was well built and she was larger. Her body was in wolf form as she carried a duel disk and a sword across her silken back. As she jumped around Taiya—their eyes met. Taiya stared at her and her face became determined as she nodded at her.
Taiya smiled as she saw me, “Go get them.” She said, pumping her fist into the air. Hope didn’t slow down; she merely glanced over her shoulder to nod and then she raced outside. Not bothering to dodge the door sliding around her. She shattered it again. She did not slow down. The wind from her running blew the glass away.
She saw the duel outside Kaiba Corp as the moon shone fully overhead—lending her strength. She howled as she lunged into the middle of the field. She jumped higher than the Seal of Oracalcos and it didn’t burn her.
She swerved around to face Shadow her face much more powerful and beautiful as she snarled at Shadow who stared at her with no surprise.
“You want to fight so be it. You can’t win a fight, you’re losing Shadow—surrender—it’s your only chance.” She said in her pure voice.
******************************************************************* “Hope…” Seto breathed staring at me in amazement. I glanced at him and nodded softly to him.
“Who else would it be?” I said with a small bit of amusement in my voice. Yugi held back a grin when he saw me—he felt my power and so did Kaiba.
“Duel me—” I said in an amusement, “Then we’ll see what kind of wolf you really are. You’re nothing but a shadow of me.”
“Sorry Entrez—” he said in a dark voice, “But once I’m done with your boyfriend and the King of Games—I’m going to slay you.”
“You can’t slay Entrez without slaying me! We are the same wolf the same heartbeat. You cannot slay one of us without slaying the other!” I snarled, then looked to my friends. “Leave them out of this—they are not cards in your stupid game.” I snapped. He smiled his smug grin as he drew a card in wolf form. His human form was next to him—his human form a misty figure—like a ghost as they drew a card.
“I’ll show you stupid games…I play the card FANG RAISE! It raises the attack points of me and Silver Fang by five hundred. ATTACK!!!” He snarled and whirled the card into duel disk. He snarled and lunged forward. I snarled and threw myself at him. No one could go to the Shadow Realm—no one.
Seto panicked when he saw me in the field. He shouted, “NO! I activate the card RELINQUISHED it allows me to save a monster on the field and have them attack another directly…ATTACK ME!!!”
“NO!!!” I screamed as Shadow and Silver Fang whirled around to attack Seto Kaiba.
……My Kaiba,
……my Seto...
His eyes widened as they struck him right in the chest with their attack points. His Lifepoints dropped to zero and the Oracalcos grew stronger as it began to shrink and take him. Seto’s eyes closed as he sank to his knees.
“Seto!!” Mocuba screamed. The Oracalcos overwhelmed Seto—it burned him in a fiery rage. I leaped across the field to help him but it threw me back against the wall. I was back on my feet again and the Oracalcos faded.
In seconds I was thinking as many things at once. It happened…it happened like Entrez’s evil said it would. It’s my fault…it’s my fault he’s gone.
He began to collapse and I jumped in front of him to catch his fall wrapping my arms tightly around him. His body slumped onto me like a dead weight and I held back a sob. Yugi took him from me and he seen the look I had on my face—it was of defeat. He was shaking as took Seto to where Mocuba was as he laid him on his back.
Mocuba began to sob and my own tears began to fall. His eyes were closed.
Shadow laughed…he had changed back to human form. He stared at Seto’s bloodied body.
“So what is it Yugi—do you surrender or will you duel me!!?” He said with a chuckle.
I felt a rage wash over my tears that started to make my body shake in anger. He had done this. Shadow had hurt so many people. He enjoyed to kill. I was still a wolf, and even I had a dark side. I wanted to kill him. Enraged I roared as I tackled him to the ground.
“You won’t duel him!” I screamed into his face my sharp fangs just inches from his own. “You’ll duel me you son of a—”
He cracked me across the face with his fist. I rolled onto the ground, snarling as his duel disk slashed open. Mine did as well. I growled darkly at him,
“Meet me in one hour—”
“Now!” I demanded.
“Fine—half an hour I’ll defeat you.” Shadow snarled and stole off into the night leaving me fuming.
“Don’t go—you won’t defeat him!” Yugi said and I glared at him. Our eyes met as I said sarcastically to him as I flicked my tail in agitation…
“Well; thanks for being supportive, Yugi.” I mumbled. He stared at me angrily.
“This is not a joke—”
“Don’t you think I know that!?” I snarled at him and walked past him to look over Seto. There was so much blood…
“Taiya!” I shouted loudly, hoping my voice would reach her.
“Yes?” she asked. I whipped around to see her standing in the walkway of the broken window.
“Take care of Seto—I’ll bring him back from the shadow realm—but he’ll lose too much blood if you don’t watch over him till the ambulance arrives. Take him to the hospital.” I ordered. Though I didn’t like it, the doctors could do more for him than me, even if I did bring Seto back from the Shadow Realm, he was still severely injured. Even if Oracalcos was there, it was a chance we’d have to take.
“Let me go—” Yugi protested and I held him off.
“Listen—I know you’ve handled the Shadow Realm before—but this is too much for a person—it’s barely enough for me. I’m the only one that can stop this—you know that—you also know how far I’m willing to go to stop it.”
“You wouldn’t—” Mocuba said wiping his eyes clear of tears and dirt.
“I’m sorry Mocuba—looks like this is my leave—” I said and I was whapped in the head by Taiya. I growled angrily, but she just glared back at me.
Taiya was in front of me and grabbed my shoulders as she shouted. “Don’t you give up—don’t ever just GIVE IN and just think it’ll make us feel better if you take Shadow down with you!!!”
“Yeah—you’re like the coolest—” Tristan began.
I would have given a small smile had I not been ready to face my worst nightmare.
“Really?” I said, sounding hardly amused. Joey added in this time breaking Tristan off by walking in front of him.
“Yeah—we’d be dog kibble without you—” he paused and turned bright red when he realized the bad pun. “Umm…that’s not what I meant…”
I had been ignoring him, staring at Seto on the ground. Joey’s eyes filled with determination. “You go get Shadow, we’ll tend to rich boy.”
“You’re sure?” I said.
Joey smiled, giving me the thumbs up, “Sure, we don’t need you worrying about him now do we?” He leaned down, grabbing Seto’s arm and slinging it over his own, then Tristan grabbed his other arm, doing the same thing.
Grateful tears filled my eyes, “Thank you.” I whispered.
“I’ll let you go Hope—” Yugi said staring at me, “But remember that if you want to bring Kaiba and my Grandfather back—you have to defeat Shadow. Believe in the Heart of the Cards if you want to make it out of this in one piece. Otherwise, I don’t think Kaiba would take it lightly if you sacrificed yourself.”
“Well neither of us would!” Taiya exclaimed.
“You wouldn’t have been able to stop me anyways—” I said and added, “But thank you. If for some reason I don’t make it…make sure Shadows gone.” I said and turned and began to leave. My body shifted into the white wolf and I began to head out.
“Wait—” Mocuba started. I pinned my ears back, glancing over my shoulder to see the tears in his eyes.
“Sorry Mocuba—last time I checked—your brother can’t wait. He won’t wait any longer.” I said and turned and ran off. Not glancing back once—I couldn’t look back—only ahead as I lunged through the town, through Battle City.
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“We have to get rich boy to a doctor.” Joey snapped as Hope bounded off into the night.
Taiya nodded, “Right,” She took out her phone and began to dial 9-1-1.
Suddenly a hooded figure stepped forward, his eyes glinting yellow in the darkness. “I may be able to help.”
Yugi’s eyes widened, “Roran.” His yellow eyes glinted at Yugi in recognition. “But how are you going to get Kaiba help any sooner than us?”
In response his raven black wings snapped open in the darkness, and Taiya out a gasp, flipping her phone shut. “Wow, that might work.” She stated.
Tristan and Joey’s eyes narrowed. “Hold on, you’re telling us, you expect us to believe you’re here to help him!?” Tristan countered.
Joey raised his fist to Roran, who was taller than Joey by a couple inches. “Whose to say that you’re not just another imposter!?”
Mocuba’s eyes narrowed, but then he looked at his brother’s closed eyes, his blood seeping out into the pavement. “We don’t have a choice.” He said.
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In the darkness a single drop fell, the scent of blood following it. Then yet another fell onto the dark colored pavement. Then another. Above Roran soared, readjusting his wings to a warmer updraft that made him go even faster. In his arms he tightly held Kaiba, a man he really didn’t want anything to do with, but if Entrez was bound to him, and found out that he hadn’t helped in any way he could, she would take it out on him.
His hood was up, so no one could see his face as in two more strokes he began to descend, landing at the hospital entrance. A couple of people gasped and several murmured as he landed, his raven wings glistening with sweat.
One of the E.M.T. workers looked at Roran in shock, as Roran dumped Seto Kaiba in his arms.
“Make sure he lives.” He uttered under his breath, the ambulance workers eyes widening even more in surprise.
“O-of course—” The worker responded.
“Are you…an angel?” A red haired woman asked next to the worker. Roran’s gaze flicked to her, and through his hood she could see his yellow eyes.
“…or demon?” She breathed.
In response, Roran snapped open his wings and lunged upwards pounding his wings into the air as he took off to the sky, showers of raven feathers falling down.
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