BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
The alarm sounded loudly through the caves, people ran wildly, searching for the quickest way out. A small caged bulb loomed overhead, flashing bright red in unison to the alarm. The red light from the bulb eliminated everything with a fearful crimson light.
A young man pushed his way through the scrambling crowd, holding tightly in each hand, the small hand of his twin daughters. He looked down at each of them as he tried to think of the safest way to get them to safety. The smaller one was crying, clenching onto her father's hand with both hands, fear spread wildly through her large magenta eyes. Her sister was silent, holding onto her father's hand and trying to look brave. She watched everything with an eerie calmness.
The man pushed his way towards the wall, towards a small pocket void of people and bent down to face his daughters. He placed his hands calmly on the taller girl's shoulders, this close to his daughter's face, he could now see the fear in her eyes.
"Atina." He yelled over the panicked crowd, "If anything should happen, I want you to take after your sister. Do you understand?" The girl nodded, she tried to respond, but a loud explosion somewhere interrupted her. Her father looked over her shoulders towards the direction of the explosion with a fearful grimace, "Miracle…" He reached out and pulled the smaller, sobbing girl close, "Its going to be alright sweetie, come on. We have to keep moving."
He turned around and looked at the chaos around him, people ran every which direction, completely oblivious to anyone else around them. Smoke filled the tunnels, making it hard to breathe, dust and rocks tumbled down from the ground above them, filling him with fear on how much more strain the roof could take.
He grabbed his daughters hands once more and started pushing his way through the crowd. In front of him, he watched a small boy who had obviously been separated from his parents scramble through the crowd, nearly being trampled on. The man frowned and started to push his way over in the boy's direction. Some large man stormed by in a hurry, throwing people aside as he went. He trampled past the boy, knocking him over. The man watched helplessly as he saw the boy fall, the Duel Monster cards in his hands flying everywhere on the ground. The boy cried out and instantly tried to pick them up as others obliviously trampled them.
Finally, he reached the boy and momentarily released Atina's hand to pull the boy to his feet, Atina ran around and quickly helped the boy collect his cards.
"T-Thank you." He sobbed,
"We've got to go." Her father yelled, grabbing onto Atina's hand once more. Atina quickly handed the cards over to the boy. "Atina, grab onto his hand and don't let go." She nodded and reached out for the boy's quivering hand.
"Muto!"
The young man whirled around at the sound of his surname being yelled across the groaning tunnel. He looked over to see a tall man pushing his way through the crowd, holding onto the hands of a woman, and a child around the same age as his girls.
"Kaison." Muto sighed when he realized who it was. He began to push his way towards the taller man, dragging the three children with him.
"Muto," Kaison repeated, "Follow me! The explosions managed to form a crack in the side of the tunnels. We can see light on the other side."
Mrs. Kaison clenched her son's shoulders tightly, "Its too small for us to get through, but the children can probably fit through. It could be their only way out."
Muto nodded, "Show me the way."
Kaison nodded and turned away, going back the way he came. Muto did not hesitate, he gripped the girl's hands tighter and followed the taller man.
The further they went, the thicker the smoke became. Muto could hear Miracle coughing beside him, but he could not stop to comfort the girl. The further they went, the louder the explosions got, and the closer the enemy became.
"Are you sure this is the right way Kaison?" Muto shouted over the noise.
"Trust me Muto." The taller man replied grimly, "I would never lead my family wrong."
Muto knew he could trust Kaison. They had known each other since shortly after he came to this land, and even though he hated every second of the time he spent in this Dimension, he knew there was no going back. He just clenched his teeth and swore under his breath. If they go any further, they were going to end up face to face with the Monsters.
Through the smoke, he finally saw it. A ray light peeking through the darkness, only being interrupted every now and then by a blast of red light from a nearby bulb. They were so close to where the enemy was he could hear the claws and boots against the stone floor.
He looked through the light and saw a crack in tunnel wall. He could not tell how far it went, only that it was too small for him to fit through, but big enough for someone as small as Miracle and Atina to squeeze through. He only hoped that there was nothing on the other side. This could be the girl's only chance to get out.
He spun around and picked Miracle up, placing her in the crack, the girl burst out crying. Muto instinctly reached up and stroked the girl's head, "Honey…don't worry. It will all be fine."
"Your coming too…right Daddy?" The girl sobbed,
"Dad's coming with us to find another way out." Kaison replied before Muto could.
"Daddy…" Atina cried. Muto turned from the smaller girl to look at his other daughter. Her eyes were large and tears were filling her eyes, making them look like sparkling magenta orbs in the light. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she burst out crying, "Don't go Daddy!"
"Atina… I need you to be brave." Muto replied, "Can you do that for Daddy? Be brave and protect your sister. I need you to do that for me… protect Miracle." With that, he pulled one hand off the girl's shoulders and reached into his pocket, pulling out a deck of Duel Monster cards. She gasped as she saw the worn out deck, many of the cards with frayed edged. Muto gently placed the cards in her hands, "Take these with you. Many of them were my grandfathers. They will protect you."
"But what will protect you?" Atina cried, clenching tightly to the deck,
Muto stroked the girl's head, "I will be fine Ati. And you and Miracle and everyone else."
With that, he picked the girl up and placed her inside the crack as well, "Always remember Ati, believe in the Heart of the Cards. If you believe in your deck, it will answer you." Atina nodded, tears spilling from her eyes. He reached over and kissed her forehead, "I love both of you very much…and never forget, even if I'm not right beside you, my heart is also in that deck, so as long as you fight alongside it, my heart will be with you."
"Muto…there isn't much time." Kaison shouted. Another loud explosion sounded from somewhere in the tunnels. Muto sighed and stepped back, "Atina, Miracle! Go! I'll see you on the outside."
Atina nodded and turned around, forcing her sister to move up further into the tunnel. Muto then quickly reached around and placed the boy in the tunnel as well. He quietly followed the twins.
Kaison turned towards his wife and son, "Protect the girls Tanis." The boy nodded. Kaison reached into his pocket and pulled out an equally worn deck, "Use the might of my Dragon Deck to defeat any who appose you."
Tanis nodded and grabbed the deck from his father, "I won't let you down Father."
With that, he turned from his parents and pocketed the deck, before climbing into the crack and forcing his way out, trying as hard as he could not to cry.
"They're coming." Mrs. Kaison whispered, her voice lost in the noise.
"Kohana." Kaison said as calmly as he could, "Run, try and meet the kids on the outside." She nodded and took off running without protest. "Muto." He said without even a glance at the smaller man, "You know what they will do to you if they catch you."
Muto did not reply. He just nodded. He knew perfectly well what would happen if they caught him. They have been after him for years, and all those years he had avoided them. But now he had a reason not to run. Two reasons actually. Even without a deck, he knew he had to protect Miracle and Atina, give them a chance to safely get through the crack and out the other side before the Darkness Army reached them. He would not let this war reach his beloved daughters.
"Run Muto." Kaison said, stepping in front of the other, "I'll hold them off."
Muto shook his head and stood up next to his companion, "No. I'm staying here."
"Even without a deck?" Kaison asked,
"I would rather tear my grandfather's cards up then let them fall to the powers of Darkness." Muto replied.
The two stood there in front of the crack, blocking the light from the tunnel. Muto could feel his palms sweating up as he fought down the terror that threatened to cloud his mind. There before them, through the smoke and dust, several shadows began to emerge. Muto could hear Kaison suck in a breath as the shadows began to solidify into people, each wearing a 3G Duel Disk.
The Duellists stopped in front of them, "Well 'lookie' here, we have ourselves some competition."
"About time." Another replied. Both of they're voices sounded hallow, void of any emotion. Muto and Kaison could see from they're eyes that they were duellists that had already fallen to darkness.
"Take out your decks!" The third one said,
"We don't have any." Kaison shrugged,
"Then move aside!" The first growled,
"But! They have 3GDDs!" The third complained.
"That they do." The first smiled, "You can't fool us. You know the law, Duelling is illegal outside the Military. Therefore, you two are coming with me."
Through the smoke, Muto could make out another figure approaching, but he could sense who this person was long before he saw who it was.
The figure solidified before them, a young man around the same age as Muto, his layered brown hair seemed tinted with red, and his bright red eyes shone out in the darkness.
"Yasuo Muto!" The man said, his voice sounded mixed, layered over with a demonic tone, as if someone was talking through him, "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you."
"Jordan." Muto growled,
"I normally never come to a Raid, but when I heard the rumour that you were here, I couldn't help myself." There was something about the man's tone that sounded off, almost pleading. He held out his arm, there was a thick metal arm band wrapped around his arm, from about his wrist to the middle of his forearm, a slot of the side opened up, revealing a metal rod. The rod ejected, splitting into two, still connected by a green light. One half swooped over to the left, and the other arced over to the right, creating an arch of green light in the shape of a Duel Disk. "Activate your 3GDDs! Let's duel!" (3)
Muto shook his head, "As I told your minions, we don't have a deck."
"Don't play stupid with me! I know you have powerful decks!" Jordan growled, "Unless your afraid?"
"Muto is right!" Kaison snapped, "We no longer have them."
Jordan did not seem to hear the taller man, and if he did, he did not pay him any attention, "Yasuo… are you refusing to duel me?"
Muto did not say anything, shadows cast over his face, blocking his eyes from sight, but he remained silent.
Jordan growled, with a snap, he jerked his arm back, the 3GDD retracting back to its original state, "You three! Don't just stand there! Arrest them and take them to the Facility!" He turned back to Muto, "I will deal with you later. "
Muto and Kaison did not fight back, they could see the guns at the Soldier's sides, but compared to what was in they're decks, the guns were nothing to be afraid of. Muto took one look over his shoulder as the soldier pulled his arms behind his back and handcuffed them. The crack was empty, the light streaming through uninterrupted, even the alarm had fallen silent. He listened carefully for the sounds that had a moment ago, filled his ears. There was no screams, no alarm, even the explosions had stopped.
All that was left was an eerie silence. It was clear, they're hide out had fallen. It was a good bet that everyone who was just running for cover, was lost to the Darkness.
Kaison pounded his fist on the stone wall of they're cell. "Its been three days Muto! How long are they going to keep us here."
Yasuo did not reply, he just looked up from where he sat against the wall of they're cell and closed his eyes. He could hear the sounds of a duel going on outside his cell. The iron bars did little to block the chaos in front of him.
One by one people were dragged out from they're cells to a Duelling Arena build in the center, and forced to Duel till they lost. If they won, they would remained changed there till they lost. Those who lost, were taken away. If you lost all your Life Points, it was equivalent to loosing your life. The moment they dropped to zero, your heart is consumed by Darkness, and you are taken away to fight for the Dark Army.
In the three days they had spent here, Yasuo had learned that this place they called, 'The Facility' used to be a prison in Neo Domino City's 'Glory Days', before the war had turned the city to a pile of ruins. Now it was being used as a sort of, 'concentration camp' for 'law breakers' who Duelled outside the Military.
Yasuo couldn't believe it. What was the Military thinking? Since the 'Second Zero Reversion' happened about a hundred years ago, this Dimension had been connected to the Dimension he had come from (1), Duel Monster Spirits have run rampant through the world. If one does not have a deck to defend themselves with, a renegade Duel Spirit could easily kill them.
Still with his eyes closed, he heard someone cream as they lost a duel. Seconds later, Yasuo heard the door open. Kaison turned around and looked as a guard walked in, "You there! Off the floor! Its your turn!"
"Muto…" Kaison whispered.
Yasuo pushed himself off the floor, "I told you, I do not have a deck."
"We'll give you one." The guard snapped.
Yasuo looked away, "I refuse."
"Muto!" Kaison gasped.
"This isn't a debate prisoner." The guard roared, grabbing Yasuo by the front of the shirt,
"Take me to your boss." Yasuo replied, completely unfazed by the guards brutality.
"What?" He snapped,
"You heard me." Yasuo replied as calmly as he could, "Take me to Jordan Yuki."
The guard laughed, "You will Duel."
Kaison stormed over and grabbed the Guard's hand, "Let him go!"
The Guard looked over at Kaison, but the larger man was even bigger then the guard. Slowly, the guard pulled his hand away, "You want to meet the boss? Fine… he'll destroy you."
This time, the guard did not chain them up, nor did he make any move to subdue them, he pushed the door open, "Follow me."
Yasuo looked at Kaison before pushing himself off the floor and following the guard. Kaison followed wordlessly. What was Yasuo planning? Did he have a death wish? Going to meet Jordan Yuki without a deck surely must be suicide…
The Guard let them to long hallway full of painted-black doors. Kaison felt uneasy every time he passed one by. Yasuo wished he could tell his friend to stay behind, but he knew better. And besides, having his friend beside him made him feel a little more secure.
The Guard finally stopped at the end of the hallway. He knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response, opened it up. Suddenly, Yasuo felt like he was walking into a trap.
The room on the other side was large, a long table was placed squarely in the middle, surrounded by chairs that looked as if they've been untouched for years. Above the chairs rested an old holographic display system, which looked as little used as the chairs. Sitting underneath it on a high-backed chair at the far end of the table was Jordan Yuki.
"Prince Yasuo Muto!" Jordan smiled darkly, raising from his seat, "How are you? Enjoying the accommodations I hope?"
"Jordan." Yasuo spat, "Can't complain…how's that son of yours? Aaron Yuki, if I remember correctly." Kaison admired the pride and calmness he projected in his voice when confronted by the other man. He knew he could never do that. He just bit his tongue quietly as he watched the two stare the other down.
A dark look clouded Jordan's face, "Who knows. I left that boy behind with the light."
"So I noticed." Yasuo replied.
Jordan walked slowly around the table without taking his eyes off of Yasuo, "I've lost track on how many years I've been looking for you, Yasuo Muto."
"You mean how many years you've been looking for Bolton." Yasuo replied coldly, his eyes darkened and he clenched his hands into fists, emphasizing the name, 'Bolton'.
Jordan stopped in front of the two men with a dark smile, "I know you know where he is."
"And what if I do?" Yasuo snapped,
"I want to know where the White Dragon is!" Jordan growled, reaching out and grabbing the front of Yasuo's shirt,
Yasuo reached up and wrapped his hand tightly around Jordan's wrist, he gripped him so tightly that the other man relaxed his grip on his shirt, "I'll die before I tell you where Bolton is."
"You certainly have a death wish, Yasuo." Jordan said with a sigh. He pulled back from the other, "I hope you came here to duel me, because I will get what I want in the end."
Yasuo nodded slowly, "Your plan is to duel me, defeat me, have my heart fall to Darkness, make me your servant, and then make me tell you what I know."
"Aren't we clever, your majesty." Jordan replied sarcastically.
Jordan held out his arm, and the 3GDD ejected itself again, "So come on. Let's see if the descendant of the greatest Duellist of all time is as good as his ancestor."
"I won't duel you." Yasuo snapped,
"What happened to your Duellist Pride?" Jordan growled, "You were always going on about that stuff… Duellist Pride, the Heart of the Cards, and yada-yada. So come on! Are you going to just give up?"
"I will not have my heart, which pumps the blood of the Muto Family, through my veins be polluted by Darkness." Yasuo replied calmly, "I will not duel you."
"Pity. So your saying that you will surrender your Duellist Pride and die like an animal?" Jordan spat,
"No." Yasuo shook his head, "I will die keeping the heart pure of Darkness."
"Muto!" Kaison gasped.
"Stay out of this, Kaison." Yasuo said without a hint of emotion.
Jordan reached for his belt and pulled loose the gun that hung there, "I'm going to guess that you don't even know where Bolton is?"
"No." Was all Yasuo said.
"Then I don't need you." Jordan hissed, "I will find Bolton. He can't hide forever."
Jordan raised his arm up and pointed the gun square between Yasuo's eyes. Yasuo looked straight at Jordan, unblinkingly. A sly grimace stretched across Jordan's face, "This is your last chance Yasuo Muto. Die like a Duellist, or die like a criminal."
"I'll die with my heart untainted by Darkness." Yasuo replied coldly, "Far out of your reach forever."
"Go to hell!" Jordan shouted, his eyes darkening,
"I'll see you there shortly." Yasuo growled.
Everything after that happened so fast. Yasuo barely had time to register what happened. Jordan let out a loud roar as he went to pull the trigger, and Kaison cried out. He barely saw Kaison pounce at Jordan, and Jordan whirling around, changing his target from Yasuo to Kaison.
"No!" Yasuo yelled as a loud bang resonated through the room, followed by a thud. For a moment, Yasuo forgot all about Jordan, and tried to run over to his friend's side, who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. One of the guards lashed out as Yasuo ran, kicking him hard in the legs and knocking the young man down.
Jordan laughed and walked over to where Yasuo lay, grabbing the other's hair in his fist and pulling upwards till the two were looking at each other, "You should have just cooperated you know. Loosing your heart to Darkness isn't as painful as a bullet to the brain."
"You bastard." Yasuo growled, "Just wait. There is someone who will grow up to be a strong and powerful Duellist. She will come after you, and she will defeat you."
"Is this the person who has your deck?" Jordan smiled, "How sentimental. But no matter how powerful she gets, she will never be as strong as the Darkness Dragon."
"Just wait. Atina will destroy you." Yasuo hissed.
With a swift motion Jordan reached down Yasuo's shirt with his free hand and grabbed the necklace he wore underneath. He ripped it off from the other's neck.
"No!" Yasuo snapped as Jordan held up half of the Mind Seal (2).
Jordan held it above Yasuo's reach with a growl, "Where is the other half of the Mind Seal?"
Yasuo just smiled darkly, "Why are you so interested in a useless scrap of metal?"
Jordan looked at the mixture of Norse Runes and Egyptian Hieroglyphs that decorated the arched curve of the semicircle, and threw it aside, "Who knows? The Muto's are famous for their ancient artefacts though, aren't they? I just don't want to give you any hope of combining the halves and asking for Minerva's help out of this."
Yasuo did not reply. He did not even look at the discarded amulet that had been passed down to him. He knew exactly where the other half was - safe and out of Jordan's reach.
Jordan growled and released Yasuo's hair, Yasuo made an attempt to climb to his feet but Jordan just lashed out and kicked him as hard as he could in the stomach. Yasuo went flying backwards and into the dusty chairs. He started coughing, whether from the dust that poured down on him, or the bone-crushing kick to the gut, he couldn't tell. His vision clouded with pain and he suddenly couldn't breathe.
By the time he opened his eyes, he could barely make out the shape of Kaison raising himself off the ground and throwing himself at Jordan, knocking the other down. The two guards made a move for the tall man, but Kaison just round-housed kicked both of them down and went running to Yasuo's side.
"Sen…" Yasuo muttered, he was barely aware of something warm and sticky trailing down the side of his face.
"Get up Yasuo." Kaison snapped, "Get up now!" Yasuo barely felt the other's hands grab him by the shoulders and pull him to his feet. Through his haze he could see the gaping hole in Kaison's chest, pouring blood down his jacket. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. Kaison fell to his knees, "A Prince should…never…die on his knees."
Yasuo turned from the man and looked at Jordan who was climbing to his feet in a fiery rage. He picked the gun off the floor and looked at Yasuo and Jordan with a spiteful look, "You should have just chosen to Duel me…you could have lived."
Yasuo shook his head, "No. But I have left a legacy behind me that will. She will come and defeat you."
Jordan spat blood on the floor, his lip cracked from where Kaison hit him, "But too bad you gave up your chance so that this person could live. I hope it is worth it."
Yasuo nodded, "Atina is a survivor. She will come and she will kill you."
Jordan laughed and pointed his gun at the other, "I was really looking forward to Duelling you. Too bad I'll just have to execute you instead."
Yasuo closed his eyes, and waited to hear the bang that would end his life.
BANG
Atina held onto her sister's hand as they ran. Her wild yellow bangs mixed with the rest of her equally wild black hair. Her large magenta eyes were wide with worry as they ran between covers, keeping a watchful eye out for any Soldiers. It was either sunset or sunrise, she could not tell. She made a mental note that she would memorize which one right away. The blood-red rays of light shooting over the rocks gave the land an eerie, haunted look. The fires burning behind them did nothing to help.
Somehow that boy that was with them disappeared, leaving only Miracle, Kaison, and herself to wonder aimlessly through the rubble. Atina pulled her sister close and pointed at a large metal slab that jutting up into the air, with about a 30 degree incline.
"We'll be able to get a better look from up there." She whispered, "Kaison, stay here and protect Miracle."
"I'm six. What am I going to do if we get attacked?" Kaison whined,
"Don't be a baby!" Atina snapped. With that she turned around and started to climb the metal slap.
It stuck over the side of a cliff, looking down over the valley below. She reached the top in no time and looked down at the ruins below.
A giant city stretched out before her, filled with collapsed roadways, and decaying skyscrapers. The city was surrounded by a tall wall, but there was no life to be seen whatsoever. A giant decoration in the center of the city was the only thing she could really make out, It looked like a crushed golden ring, with a shattered glass diamond on the top.
She looked around, spotting a sign nearby that read, 'Neo Domino City, 25 km Ahead' …
(1) Taken from a past fan fiction, no longer online, you don't need to read it to understand this one, but basically, the fan fiction was about Yugi and Tea's son, Zeke, and a Spirit that Zeke named, 'Shadow'. Based, 15 years after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters ( was written before GX came out ). Basically, Yugi went missing ten years before the start of the story. After loosing a Team Tournament Duel with Katsuya Jonouchi, he disappears. Near the end of the fan fiction, it is discovered that he was transported to a different Dimension, back to the Dominion of the Beast. As the `Greatest Hero` of the land, after the King does without an heir, Yugi becomes the King. At the end of the fan fiction, Zeke and Eneki ( Shadow's real name ) remain in the Dominion of the Beast with their father. Hence, Yasuo is not from this dimension.
(2) The Mind Seal is a Tartarian/Egyptian artefact. It was created by mixing spells from Ancient Egypt and Norse Mythology. In exchange for a person's memories, the Mind Seal will hold a soul. It was used by Eneki when his body was too badly injured to hold his soul, and instead of dying, Thousand Year Sage traded Eneki's mind to seal his soul in the Mind Seal until his body was healed. After Eneki got his body back, and Minerva was revived by Tartarus, Minerva's spirit remained in the Mind Seal, but her ancient powers made it so she kept her memory. Zeke then wore the Mind Soul around his neck and used Minerva's powers over Tartarus, and Eneki's powers over the Shadows, do defeat Vaettir. Minerva then took the Millennium Book ( which started it all ) to Tartarus to seal it away, and then placing a spell on the book to make the Mind Seal work as the only 'key' that will open the book, before breaking the Mind Seal in two and disappearing to the Spirit World. Zeke kept on half of the Mind Seal around his neck, and Eneki kept the other half as reminders of what they went through together.
(3) The green light Duel Disk from when Aporia/and/or/Antinomy was describing the future, since the v.1 Duel Disks are the ones Yugi had in DM, and the v2. Duel Disks are the ones that Judai and everyone else had in GX and 5Ds, the light ones shown in the future of 5Ds would be the v.3, or, the 3rd Generation, hence 3G. 3GDD is an abbreviation.
( everyone working on this had already read the fan fiction, so we involved it, if you want further info on it, I'll have to update it so it would work with the two other spin offs, and then I'll upload it. It was written before GX and 5Ds came out, so I'd have to change Kaiba's role in the whole thing. )
Yu-Gi-Oh and Duel Monsters card game Copywrite to Kazuki Takahashi.
Characters, Yasuo, Atina, and Miracle copywrite to ~Rygel-n. Senichi Kaison, Kohana Kaison, and Tanis Kaison copywrite to YuckAppleTree. Jordan Yuki copywrite to me.
I am in no way making a profit from this. This is entirely fan based. Created by three huge Yu-Gi-Oh fans that refuse to grow up. We have no connection to Kazuki Takahashi or his affiliates.
- Manganimefandom, 2011