Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh GX.

The Infinity Chronicles; Second Semester Arc

Chapter 21: Defender of Dreams (Part 2)

Chris was floating in a dark blue void. ("What is this place? How did I get here?")

"She should be alright. I haven't found any injuries on her, so it must have just been fatigue." The voice she heard was a man's and it was coming from far away. "You did right to contact me though, Erika."

"Erika? As in Erika Amero, the Dark Demoness of the Academy?" Chris spoke out loud, and she could hear the echo of her voice coming from nearby. It was a strange feeling, like she was trapped in a prison of some kind. "Something is wrong…" Something unknown told her instinctively this wasn't right. This wasn't a dream.

Then the voices faded, and she was alone in the dark blue void.

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Ichigo, Erian and Adriel sat in a circle on the floor in Ichigo's room, all three of them looking worried.

"I wish you had contacted me sooner…" Adriel frowned as he watched Erian stand up and start pacing, eyes glued to the Personal Planner on the nearest desk. "I don't like being woken up and pulled into a situation where the only thing I'm expected to do is wait."

Ichigo frowned. "Would you prefer to sleep?"

"No, but I'd prefer that we go to this cave right now and beat the crap out of that guy." Standing up, the half dragon-demon cracked his knuckles. "In fact, I'm going to go do that right now."

Erian nodded hesitantly. "You're right…"

Ichigo leapt to his feet and waved his hands in the air frantically. "Not yet! First we wait for the message from Eri that the doc checked out Christian!" He smiled reassuringly to Erian. "I promised you that I wouldn't leave until we were sure that she would be alright."

A few moments later the organizer beeped and Eri's face appeared on the screen. "Chris is fine, now get going already!"

Adriel and Ichigo nodded to each other, running out the door at full speed. They both leapt from the second floor of the Osiris Red dorm to the ground, legs touching earth running. Then they were moving incredibly fast, leaving small dust trails in their wakes as they charged down the path towards the mountain.

Stepping out of his room, Erian looked up at the sky worriedly. ("Please let them recover the gems…please…")

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As they ran up the rocky path of the mountainside, Ichigo and Adriel both remembered the movements of Raine in their heads. The last time both of them had fought him he had somehow avoided Starlight Savior's Infinite Starlight Slash, even though the power of Pisces should have brought time to a standstill. Did that mean his ability was that he was so fast that even slowed to a crawl he was faster than them, or was he immune to Pisces?

"What do you think, Ichigo?" Adriel glanced at his rival as they both made a sharp left turn and continued up the path.

"If it's speed then we can't stop it, so let's assume he's just immune to the power of Pisces. It's fine though, as I do have the other five zodiac symbols to use against him." Ichigo felt a tingle in the air, followed by a feeling like there was suction coming from something nearby. "We've found it."

Adriel smiled wryly. "So, shall we give the smug jerk a surprise?" Ichigo nodded and they both slid to a stop. The half dragon-demon snapped his right hand up. "Awaken, Soul of the Void!"

Ichigo snapped his hand up as well. "Awaken, Soul of the Stars!" Then he and Adriel disappeared within a pair of orbs, one dark blue and the other dark purple.

Within his orb, Ichigo was surrounded by thousands of light blue stars. They gathered around his body, forming into a pulsing cocoon of light. A few moments later the cocoon cracked and shattered, revealing an older version of Ichigo wearing nothing but a light blue bodysuit. His eyes opened and shimmered from hazel to blue. The dark blue space that had housed the stars condensed around his limbs and body, forming into hardened dark blue segments of armor.

Within his orb, Adriel floated quietly in a deep purple abyss. It slowly swallowed him up like a pool of water, returning to a still surface. Then from within that purple sea a single drop of black appeared, spreading like oil in water. The whole mess started to swirl and from within the center of that swirl an older version of Adriel rose up, a dark purple bodysuit covering his body with streamers of black fluid hanging from it. That black fluid pulled itself around his chest, arms and legs tightly, forming into black-colored armored segments.

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Raine growled and paced angrily. "This is the place, according to the information. So where exactly is the Infinity Source?" He stood in a small cave with a hole in its ceiling that revealed the half moon in perfect frame. "I don't even sense anything!"

"Maybe it's because you're wearing sunglasses in a pitch-black cavern, but that's just one hero's opinion!" A circle of light exploded to life at the cave entrance, revealing Starlight Savior.

Raine turned casually and sighed. "I knew you'd show up, loser."

Pointing up at the sky, the hero struck a pose. "I am the hero of the heavens!" His hand snapped down and in one fluid motion he was thumbing at his chest. "In the name of justice, love, and optometrists everywhere, I'll remove those sunglasses before you damage your eyesight permanently from straining to see everything!" Following through with that fluid motion, he pointed at the Blood Child. "I am Starlight Savior!"

From right next to the hero Vortex Savior appeared in his own pose, arms across his chest. "The darkness of space is disturbed by your evil plotting. For that reason, you must face its cold emptiness. Prepare yourself!"

Raine sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Man, I didn't want to have to deal with you two tonight too. Listen, how about you just go home and we can fight some other time? I'm kind of busy this evening." When neither of their expressions changed he groaned. "Alright alright, I get it. How about we settle it using the power of this planet though?"

"You mean a darkness game?" When Raine nodded, Starlight Savior returned the nod. "That's fine." Lifting one hand up, he concentrated on calling out of the power of Libra to begin an Infinity Trial.

A soft white glow came from the walls of the cavern, and a few moments later Raine was standing on one side of a circle of light that was drawn in the center of the cave. On the other side there was…no one? "Huh?"

"…." Vortex Savior looked at the aghast look on his friend's face, and then at the glowing circle. "Aren't you supposed to be over there?"

"I have no clue." The hero walked up to the circle and tried to walk over one of the lines, stopped instantly by a pulsing barrier of white light. "I don't get it. Does this mean that his opponent is someone else?"

Raine crossed his arms across his chest and sighed. "I really don't need this crap. If my opponent isn't one of you two then why are you even here?"

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Erian sighed and sat in front of his desk sadly, tapping his nail over and over again on the wood. "This is annoying…" He heard the door to the room open and glanced over to see a handsome blond-haired man poke his head in. "And you are?" The Traveler asked half-heartedly.

"Aitoshi Shumaku." The man bowed slightly in greetings. "I'm the new head of the boy's Osiris Red dorm."

Standing up, Erian returned the bow and then crashed back down into his seat. "You'll have to excuse me then, I'm in a rather bad mood right now."

"Is that so?" Walking in, Aitoshi adjusted his dress shirt calmly. "And why is that?"

"Because at the moment there's nothing I can do except sit around helplessly." Laying his head down on his desk, Erian's bright green hair fell into his eyes. "Sensei, have you ever felt absolutely useless?"

"We've all have moments like that." Shoving his hands into his pockets, Aitoshi wandered around the room checking things. "The best thing to do in such times is to figure out something you can do to help."

Erian lifted his head up partially. "There's one thing, but it breaks the rules."

Sitting down in the other available swivel chair, the teacher brushed his hair back and nodded sagely. "I see. Well, that is a shame. Sometimes situations like that come up where for you to accomplish something you have to break the rules a little bit." He looked over at Erian meaningfully. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Sighing, Erian rested his chin on the back of the chair, turning around in it fully so he was facing the teacher.

"Perhaps telling me about it would make you feel better?" The teacher crossed his legs and sat back.

"It's a rule implemented by my family." The Traveler sighed again and seemed even more depressed. "Members of my family aren't supposed to have personal relations with the people here at Duel Academy. My little sister ignored this rule, but I'm willing to forgive her because of her age. In my case though I've got no excuse, if I don't uphold this rule then who will?"

Rubbing his chin with a hand, Aitoshi switched the positions of his crossed legs and turned in the chair absent-mindedly while he thought. "That is a big dilemma, isn't it? On one hand, there's the rule your family has. On the other…" He stopped in his spin. "You wish to be happy, correct?"

Erian nodded. "There's a girl here…" He faltered to think of the words.

"Oh my, and a girl is involved no less?" Crossing his arms across his chest and closing his eyes, Aitoshi appeared to go deep into thought. "This is a huge matter then, I surmise?" Uncrossing his legs and standing up, he glanced slyly at Erian. "Tell me, how well do you know this girl?"

"I just truly met her tonight…" Erian blinked and flushed white as he realized that he was telling a teacher that he had snuck out of the dorm and met with a girl after-hours.

Aitoshi nodded, completely ignoring the mentioned offense. "Then I would suggest you might want to go out and take a walk to clear your head." He snapped his fingers. "Oh wait, the rules say students aren't allowed to wander around the island at night." Sighing falsely, he walked over to the door and opened it. "Well I'm sorry to bother you, regardless."

"It's…no problem." Erian sighed in a much more serious sense. "Thank you for listening to me."

"It was my pleasure." Aitoshi was about to close the door when he blinked and snapped his fingers again. "Oh yes, I just wanted to let you know that I'm actually going to be turning in for the night right about now. I'm a really heavy sleeper and all that. In fact, if something were to happen I probably wouldn't even wake up." He emphasized the last part and closed the door.

Erian sweat-dropped. ("I guess…I can go then?")

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Starlight Savior and Vortex Savior both grimaced. The circle of light had disappeared, and so they were back to plan A. They'd have to fight Raine physically.

Flipping a pair of knives into the air one after another, the Blood Child looked utterly bored. "I hate fighting like this. Are you serious about not being able to duel me?"

Starlight Savior glanced back at his friend and then snapped his hands up. "Awaken Aries, Soul of Assertion!" A dark blue sword made of crystal flowed into shape in his grasp. Bringing the weapon up, he narrowed his eyes. "Alright, let's go."

"Man, this is so stupid…" Raine threw both of his knives into the air and snapped up his right hand, sending a wave of invisible force crashing into both Saviors and hurling them across the cave. "You guys…" He caught both knives by the handles. "…should really just leave."

Gripping the handle of the crystal sword tightly, Starlight Savior leapt to his feet and charged.

Raine tossed one of the knives at his approaching enemy. "Don't make me laugh…" His eyes widened as something kicked him in the back hard, dropping him to his knees.

"Now's my chance…" Having already deflected the knife with his sword, Starlight Savior leapt high into the air above Raine. "Infinite Starlight…" The words in his mouth stopped as he realized that the Blood Child had disappeared. "Where'd he go?" Then his vision was swimming as something crashed into the back of his head and sent him forehead first into the dirt below.

Landing gracefully, Raine sighed and rubbed his side a little bit. "Geez, a double-team attack and you still couldn't hit me?"

Vortex Savior, who had been the one that had kicked the Blood Child, growled angrily at the fact that this guy was faster than them. ("It was speed. Then we really are outmatched in this fight.")

Standing up, Starlight Savior brushed some dirt from his face. ("This is just lovely. I can't hit him with Aries, and it's already been established that Pisces can't slow him down enough for me to land a good hit either.") Those were the only real offense powers he had, so if they didn't work then he was already unable to attack. ("There has to be something though…") "Adriel, we may need to challenge this guy to a normal darkness game…"

"It won't work." The black-haired Savior grimaced. "Neither of us have the strength to make him duel under such conditions."

"If you two are done murmuring to each other, I think it's best if you leave already before I get annoyed." His knives already gone, Raine shoved his hands into his pockets and sat down on a nearby rock. "I'll be right here if you need me."

Both Saviors nodded to each other and huddled up. It was time for a change of plan.

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Chris continued to float in the dark blue silence, unable to move. She was truly scared now, as she didn't know how to get out. ("This is like some kind of alien world I've been trapped in.") Reaching out, her hands felt a wall right in front of her that she couldn't see. "Please, somebody let me out already!"

No response came from the absolute silence of the dark blue void.

"LET ME OUT!" She screamed this at the top of her lungs, but her only answer was that single dull echo. "I'm scared…what is this place? Why am I here?"

"I'm sorry about what happened before…" The voice was quiet; in fact she almost couldn't hear it. However, she knew it from somewhere. "Because of my family's selfish choices, the people of this planet suffer since the Blood Children followed us here."

"Hey…that's…Erian, was it?" Chris looked around the enclosed dark blue space, but she didn't find anyone. "Where are you?"

"When I first got here I originally only remembered the final words of the Infinity Mind. He told me to find the one who had him and to assist that human in any way I could. And so I tried hard to be of use to Ichigo, but no matter what I did I just kept getting in the way. I'm too foolish to try and use my powers without risking innocent lives in the process…and without those powers all I am is an annoyance."

The sound of gentle rain could be heard somewhere off in the distance. "Because of my inability, you suffered and lost your dreams. I was there, and all I could do was shout stupidly at the Blood Child in some childish attempt to convince him to return that which he stole."

"Blood Child? Abilities?" Chris felt a quiet rumble in the distance, like a second-long earthquake. Then the rain grew a little louder. "Erian-san…I don't get it."

"Resshin was right. He was right all along. There is no reasoning with the Blood Children about peace and compromise. They are just greedy beasts that take what they want and destroy everything in their path." Another earthquake shook her prison. "I will save your dreams though. This I swear." With those last words, his voice faded away.

Chris felt light-headed now. It was a feeling similar to that of waking up in the morning too quickly and nearly falling over because of it. "Erian-san…what were you talking about?"

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Eri sat with her back against the wall outside Chris' room, yawning loudly. ("I don't mind letting Erian sneak in so he can see that she's doing alright, but could he please…") Her wolf ears perked as she heard a click of a window unlocking from inside the room. ("Huh?")

Spinning around and pulling the door open, she ran in just in time to see Erian leapt out the window the overlooked the lake. "Erian!" Running to the windowsill, she peeked down at the ground and saw that he was gone. The only evidence that anything was wrong was that there was a circle of dead grass on the ground right below the third-story window. ("Great…where's he headed?")

Chris groaned and slowly sat up, eyes squinted. "Where am I now?"

Eri turned and sighed. ("Well, let's see how much she knows.")

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Starlight Savior bit back a grunt as he was kicked into the cave wall for the fiftieth time. Despite the force of the blow he somehow managed to stay on his feet though. "I'm not done yet!"

Raine sighed and disappeared right before Vortex Savior could get a hold on him, appeared to the Savior's side and roundhouse-kicking him in the back of the skull. "You two are really persistent, you know that?" Waving his hand, a knife appeared in his grasp. "Now though, I'm really getting bored. If the Infinity Source won't show up, I'll just carve your Sources right out of your corpses instead."

"Just try it!" Starlight Savior held the cracked dark blue crystal blade tightly, even though he knew it was damaged and that its abilities to be used as a weapon were near its end.

Raine lifted the point of the knife to aim right at the hero's face. "One…two…" Suddenly he froze, his eyes locked in an expression of confusion. ("I can't move…no…I can't breathe…") His skin started to turn a pale shade of blue.

Starlight Savior stared at the Blood Child, his eyes reflecting a similar confusion but for different reasons. ("Who did that?") Suddenly he felt it, a tingle of power behind him. Turning, he blinked in surprise at who he saw. "Erian?"

"S…s…." Raine tried to move, but no matter what he did no feeling would come back into his muscles. ("It's like I'm trapped in stone…") His lungs burned, demanding air to breathe.

Erian, his eyes locked forward onto the Blood Child, stepped past Starlight Savior. "Ichigo, please don't interfere."

Raine made a low gagging noise which subsided as his throat froze completely. It was like a numbness that was slowly working its way deeper and deeper into him.

"Wait…" Starlight Savior grabbed Erian's shoulder, and felt a numbness run through his entire body. Using one tug he managed to remove himself from his friend and get the feeling back in his form, but now he was sure of it. "Stop it Erian!"

"No." The Traveler walked up to Raine, stopping when he was a few inches away. "I will not stand for them bringing innocent people into this anymore." His yellow eyes softened for a moment, and started to tear up. "I…I refuse to let them. The prescense of our two groups on this planet had disturbed a balance that should have been left alone." Those teary eyes hardened again. "I will negate your body's ability to live, Blood Child."

Starlight Savior knew now that his hunch was right, and that frightened him to no end. "You told me once before that your ability to negate was the power of stasis too. You're going to negate all of his bodily functions? You're going to kill him? You're going to take a life?"

"Yes." Erian felt it now. He felt the slowed heartbeat of the Blood Child. "I will let you settle into death now, heartless monster." And he felt that heartbeat settle into the same pattern of energy that was his real form. It was a form of energy that was unmoving, and that stopped everything around it. ("It is the end for you…")

Suddenly Erian was face-first on the ground, blood dripping out of his nose. A few moments later he was hoisted to his feet and face to face with a pair of golden wolf eyes. "What…what…"

Eri wound up and slapped the Traveler as hard as she could, nearly sending him through the stone wall of the cave with the force behind the hit. "You've got some nerve!"

Starlight Savior winced as he watched his roommate and friend get hit by Eri's full strength. ("I can only imagine he's not dead because his released energy cut the strength of her hit down…")

Glaring at the fallen Erian, Eri stomped up to the now gasping-for-air Raine and punched him right in the stomach, leaving him gagging again. "Same for you, glasses!" Kicking him right between the legs, she reached into his pocket and withdrew the three pink/red gems while he one his side twitching and clutching at his groin.

Spinning on one heel, she stomped over to Starlight Savior and held the three gems out to him. "I assume you want these?"

Taking them slowly, the hero had a very nervous look on his face. Normally when she went berserk like this he'd be the target at one point or another. "Thank you?"

"Thank Chris-chan actually." Relieved of the gems, the demoness walked over to the entrance of the cave and to Christian, who was staring at results of Eri's handiwork. "Alright, now that we've got that solved, what's say we go home already?"

"No…" Raine slowly stood up, and sneered. "I can't allow that…" Licking his lips, he held up another of his knives. "I…will not fail in my mission."

"I'm amazed you can stand…" Starlight Savior stepped forward, holding the cracked crystal blade tightly. "Regardless however, I will not hesitate to finish this."

"Wait!" Chris stepped past Eri and walked up to the hero. "I'd…like to ask him a question." She looked right into the shaded eyes of the Blood Child. "Why did you steal these crystals?"

"Because that is my mission." Raine spoke this without hesitation.

"Even though they are the dreams of innocent people? Is it really that important to you?" When he nodded she closed her eyes. "Then I'd like to duel you for them,"

Starlight Savior glanced at the three gems and then he shook his head. "I'm all for it if you wanted to duel, but these are not ours to do with as we…"

Chris turned and met his blue eyes with her own. "I will win…I will win and I will show him the error of his ways." Her eyes burned with a confidence that the hero couldn't dispute. "So please…"

Sighing, Starlight Savior nodded. "However, don't you dare make a promise like that and then lose to him."

She smiled slightly and looked to Eri. "Could you please get Erian out of the way, Eri-san." The demoness nodded and dragged the unconscious Traveler away from the center of the cave.

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Vortex Savior groaned and slowly opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his head. "Damn, that last hit was a ringer…" As his vision came back into focus, his eyes widened hugely at what he saw going on. "Wait…what's this all about?"

Chris and Raine stood across from each other in the center of the cave, the half-moon shining down upon the area between them.

The Obelisk Blue adjusted her uniform and the Duel Disk she had borrowed from Eri. "I will show you why dreams are important…"

"And I don't care." The Blood Child activated his dark orange Duel Disk. "When I defeat you, I'll get the gems back with no strings attached!"

"Duel!" They both drew their opening hands, while the others sat off to the sideline and watched. Well Eri, Vortex Savior, and Starlight Savior all watched. Erian was still very much unconscious.

Chris- 4000

Raine- 4000

To be continued…