Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX except for Fukugawa Nao. All Naturia Synchro Monsters are changed to Ritual Monsters and Tuner Monsters are converted to regular Effect Monsters. Credits go to Takahashi Kazuki and Director Tsuji Hatsuki.

Chapter 21

Ed vs Nao Part 3 - Defying Fate

With Nao's heart freed from the Light of Destruction's control, she stood under Saiou Takuma's black umbrella with her thoughts in slight disarray. She didn't know where to begin, especially when she was in the presence of the one who she thought was the enemy. She peered up behind her to study his face, and noticed that his cheekbones were no longer gaunt like she remembered. His eyes also appeared softer and kinder, but with so much remorse in them that she could see it.

"Saiou, why have you come to my side?" she started things off. "You came to me through salvation by sheltering me with an umbrella.

"I am truly sorry for dragging you into this, Fukugawa Nao."

"But you saved me before I gave up. You don't need to be sorry because you're a friend."

"Friend? I'm not qualified to be one." The sympathy she felt was fed from Saiou's apologetic voice, and she continued to listen, "I saw my destiny of ruin and was only desperately looking for a way to escape it, but it only brought in an innocent lamb."

Nao's heart thudded when she realized that the 'innocent lamb' was her. "At that time, the cards guided me to Ed as the one person who could change destiny. I approached him that day with only these words in mind, 'I want to escape destruction,' but I found out that with you involved as his temperance, I was already too late.

"I was a slave to destiny. It was on part of these special abilities to see the future that, since I was a child, I have been looked upon as a heretic, feared and said to be a monster. Even when longing for the warmth of people, I was screamed at with refusal. I was eventually pushed into the depths of isolation. Beaten down by despair, I abided by destiny - no, I clung to it. I thought that was the only option left to hold my sanity."

Several images of Saiou's past flashed in her mind like a storybook, watching in awe of how much hardship he and his sister Mizuchi had to endure as children. "As the years passed, I was only able to see people, their hearts, as a card. I didn't want to meet them anymore, including you and Ed."

"It's fine," she softly replied, and Saiou gazed at her feeling touched by her unrelenting kindness. "Cards are priceless to you, aren't they? I think of my cards as my friends; as duel monster spirits. The more I believed in my deck, the more I felt that I wasn't alone. When Ed met at the Academia, I felt warmth again - the same warmth from my cards. I also feel this warmth from you.

"I truly believe you are a good person, but if destiny was inevitable, maybe we are fated to meet like this. The past may not change due to it, but I always believed that we can change the future."

"But it's too late. I've foreseen my destiny. My destruction is inevitable."

Nao turned around and gripped another part of the handle and said, "Destiny doesn't matter. You are Ed's friend and as a friend, would he not stop at nothing to save you from destruction? All we can really do is to believe in our cards; in our friends and in our own desires for the good of all our lives."

Saiou's eyes softened significantly at her sincerity, and that even when her life was at stake, she still held onto hope. "I know that even if Ed will win, I may not be able to survive, but Ed and Judai are strong enough to defy fate."

Suddenly a gust of wind brought their attention and the Light of Destruction finally caught up with them.

"Fukugawa Nao, heed my instructions carefully. This may be the only way for fate to change to a better course."

Nao's eyes blinked before she placed her fingers on her deck to start her next turn. "My turn. Draw."

"At this moment, Clocktower of Seclusion's time moves forward," Ed pointed up at the tower, and the hour and minute hands fast forwarded to 3 o'clock.

"It is useless to think that you destroyed the Protective Seal Array of Light. It's already too late. You should not have hesitated to defeat me while you had the chance. That's right, even if you win or lose, this girl's body will be of no use to me. Once I leave this form, she will have no trace of life left within," she cackled.

"She's better off dead than you taking control of her free will! I will bring her back."

"Make sure you don't take back your words because this will be the end of you! I activate the Magic card, Wonder Clover. By discarding a Level 4 Plant-type monster from my hand to the Cemetery, during this turn, the selected monster I control can attack twice. I send from my hand Naturu Guardian to select Princess of Camellias, Tytannial."

"This is bad! If both attacks connect, then Ed's life will hit zero!" Shō panicked.

"Ed, you better not lose!" said Judai.

"Battle, Tytannial attacks Dogma Guy! Camellia Hate Gale!" The prickly gale left more scratches on Dogma Guy's armour and a surge of pain rushed through Ed as his life points hit to seventeen hundred. "Thorns of Hatred will lower Dogma Guy's attack and defense power by six hundred."

By now, the wounded hero was now at twenty two hundred attack points. Tytannial still have thirty nine hundred attack points and it was just enough to win the duel.

"This will decide it! Due to Wonder Clover's effect, Tytannial can attack again. Camellia Hate Gale!" Before the attack connected with Ed, he quickly intervened, "Trap card activate, D-Chain! The equipped monster gains 500 attack points while it is face-up on my field." The attack braced through again and Ed was left with only five hundred life points, barely enough to keep him in the game. Dogma Guy visibly winced from its numerous lacerations as his attack power decreased even further down to twenty one hundred.

"This turn is over," she said as she watched him pant heavily to his knees. "It's better if you gave up. By now, you should be able to see the end of this destiny. You should have just handed the key to me obediently from the beginning, and this girl's life would have been saved. If you had accepted your destiny, you wouldn't have needed to show this pitiful appearance."

Nao scoffed as she slowly strolled towards the key laid in the center of the field where Ed tossed it earlier. She made sure that no one would stop her, hearing from the sidelines that Judai, Shō and Kenzan couldn't move from their positions. Ed watched helplessly as she approached closer and closer to the key.

"Nao! Nao," Ed shouted through the rain, which turned into a heavy storm. He then spotted a hunched figure by the bushes in the forest, but when it turned around, a shadow of a grotesque monster took its place and frightened him as the umbrella he held was swept away in the storm.

"A devil," he choked out.

"Be afraid," she said, "Fear, despair; this is the punishment for those who oppose destiny!" Her dark laughter rose up a few octaves before it abruptly stopped. "What?" Nao's body felt stiff and resisted against her.

"This is impossible!" she screamed in pain as she withdrew her hand from taking the key and held her head in her hands. The three friends' binds also released them and they saw her struggling with her mind. Judai took the chance to snap Ed out of his senses, "Ed! This is your chance! Go!"

"What is this! Why are you resisting me!" she gasped out to herself.

Ed gaped at the loss of control she had in front of him, and he heard a familiar voice calling to him deep within his mind.

In the same storm, Ed thought that he would be drenched by the rain, but he felt a presence standing behind him back to back. "Saiou."

"Ed, there are many things I should say, and yet I do not know where to begin. It seemed that I only had selfishness in my heart that pulled her into a destiny she didn't deserve. I've seen her past after the incident. I've predicted her loneliness, misunderstanding and confusion. You were her only friend she cherished, and I've taken that away from her."

"I know that it wasn't your doing. After that day in the hospital, I felt the same way. I thought of the D-Heroes my father created as my friends. When my father was murdered, there were times I thought there was nothing left in the world worth believing. Only the cards never betrayed me. Nao may not have remembered me then, but I kept believing that she would one day. At my father's funeral, she never left my side, so it was my turn to never leave hers."

"Maybe this is what I needed to learn from both of you. No matter how much time would pass, there would never be an excuse to forfeit hope. Listen Ed, no matter what she says during this duel, press on and save her."

"What if it's true that no matter what the outcome will be, then she would still die."

"I'll make sure that it wouldn't happen. It is the least I can do for all the mistakes I have made. This is why I had foreseen two figures that would surpass destiny and overt destruction."

"Saiou," Ed muttered before his surroundings suddenly changed back to the present.

By the time he regained his senses, Nao had already staggered back to her original spot with the key still left on the ground. "My turn! Draw! I activate the magic card, Doctor D! I remove a D-Hero in the Cemetery from the game in order to special-summon another D-Hero from my Deck! Come on, Disk Guy!"

The same monster used to summon Dogma Guy leapt out of the cemetery and sat down in defense mode.

Destiny Hero - Disk Guy (Level 1)
Warrior-Type
ATK: 300 DEF: 300

"When Disk Guy is special-summoned from the Cemetery, I can draw two cards from my Deck!" He looked at the cards he draw and felt a pang of anticipation. If he believed in his deck well enough, he knew that the duel could turn around. "I set one card face-down to end my turn."

"If you insist on struggling against me, I'll destroy everything until there's nothing left! Along with the monster that's hiding behind you!" Nao pointed behind Ed, taking him by surprise that the Light of Destruction caught onto Saiou's plan.

Saiou took in a deep breath in the rain until the ghost of his evil clone appeared before him with a wicked grin. "That's right, my other self. You are the same as me - a monster fixed on a destiny of ruin! Don't oppose it. Follow it - with me!"

A small but warm hand gripped his over the umbrella handle as Nao said with determination, "Saiou, you can't just hold the umbrella! Right now, in this storm, we're getting hit by the rain, so we must get out! If not, then destiny cannot change. If we want to move the wheel of destiny, we have to hold the umbrella and race through the rain to overcome it!"

"Overcome destiny?"

"My turn, draw!" Nao's eyes widened at the certain card that would definitely guarantee her victory. "This will finish it!" Her movements suddenly stopped again, preventing her from activating her next move. "What are you doing? Stop hold back!" Her screams wrenched from her throat.

"No! I don't want to activate it," she said, denying her previous statement. Ed then figured out that Nao was fighting against the Light of Destruction within her mind. This was his chance. After the Clocktower of Seclusion gained another time counter, he made his move.

"Nao! Fight it! I know you're there and you're still alive, so keep fighting it!"

"That's right, Nao! You're not Saiou! You're strong enough to fight back," Judai hollered.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I activate the Equip Magic White Veil and equip it to Princess of Camellias, Tytannial!" The white aura emitted from herself and transferred it to her monster. "Die, Ed!" She attacked with Tytannial and created a large storm that covered the entire side of the field, but it was not the end. Although the White Veil destroyed the Clocktower of Seclusion, the smoke cleared and Ed was protected by all his revived heroes, along with a newcomer.

Destiny Hero - Dread Guy
Warrior-Type
ATK: ? DEF: ?

"Why? Why are you still alive," her voice mixed with the Light of Destruction when she demanded angrily.

"Before the battle phase began, I activated Eternal Dread, so that the clocktower was given two more time counters. When Clocktower of Seclusion gains four time counters, all battle damage I receive turns to zero. Also, White Veil destroys all opponent's magic and trap cards during the battle phase, but Clocktower of Seclusion's destruction allows D-Hero Dread Guy to be summoned along with Diamond Guy and Diabolic Guy. On the turn it is summoned, Dread Guy prevents battle damage and destruction."

"How dare you! You bastard," Nao roared when she saw a mirage of Saiou standing behind Ed.

"My turn. Draw!" Ed took the last turn.

"Ed's eyes seem different," Kenzan noticed.

"This is the last turn, Nao! I sacrifice Dogma Guy, Diabolic Guy and Disk Guy to the Cemetery, so I summon D-Hero Bloo-D in attack mode!" Down by his feet, a ripple of red blood collected the sacrifices and the ultimate D-Hero emerged to the field to Nao's horror.

Destiny Hero - Bloo-D (Level 8)
Warrior-Type
ATK: 1900 DEF: 600

"That monster is…" she muttered in shock.

"Created by my father, it's the vessel of The Light of Destruction - the Ultimate D-Hero, Bloo-D! The card that created this destiny is suitable to end it! With the power of myself, father and Saiou, I will bury the Light and save Nao."

"A card that's already been cast away doesn't have the power left to change destiny!" she scoffed.

"I activate Bloo-D's effect! I can designate an opposing monster and equip it to Bloo-D! Half of the equipped monster's attack will be added to Bloo-D, and its monster effect will be taken! I choose Princess of Camellias, Tytannial!" He pointed. "Gravity Blood!"

Nao watched in disbelief that Tytannial's white shroud and the dark thorns dissolved from her form as it was absorbed into Bloo-D's wings. "With Tytannial removed from your side of the field, Thorns of Hatred, White Veil and Plant Food Chain are now destroyed!" Her equip cards also shattered with a loud crackle and now she was left with an empty field.

"Also, I activate D-Force from my hand! I place this card face-up on my deck. When I do this, I am unable to draw during the draw phase, but there's more to Bloo-D's effect. As long as D-Force remains face-up on my deck, all opposing monster effects are negated. In addition, all magic and trap cards used against me are negated and destroyed!"

"A flawless effect! Amazing! That's the Ultimate D!"

When Nao scowled, the pain in her head caused her to cry out.

"Go, Fukugawa Nao," Saiou demanded as the light drew closer to the two of them again. "This is your only chance."

"What about you?" she worried.

"I'll be sure that the Light of Destruction will not hurt you. You said that all we can do is to believe in those who can change destiny. I would like you to continue believing."

"Bloo-D directly attacks! Bloody Fears!" A rain of blood followed by an explosion erupted the arena. Nao's scream caused the Light of Destruction to scream when her life points hit zero.

"Nao!" Ed shouted when he dashed towards her and grasped her wrist.

"What are you doing?" she roared.

"Doing what I should have done a long time ago - never letting you go!" He let out a cry as he forcibly pulled her out of the white aura that took a host on her. He gave one more tug with all his strength and then she was finally torn away from the light. A white flash blinded the entire arena when the sudden weight of Nao's body stumbled into Ed as they were thrown back from the impact. He landed a few feet away with her in a secure embrace as he managed to shift up to his knees.

"Nao," he said her name. He felt her arms wrap around his waist as he held her tighter. "Am I too late?"

"I waited for a long time, so there was never such thing as being too late," she gave a slight giggle, feeling the safeness cleansing her from danger. The two of them floated in what seemed like nothingness, but Nao wasn't afraid - trusting that Ed would keep her close.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just left you; I should've stayed with you." Ed pressed his lips in her hair with a slight kiss as a lone tear slid down his cheek.

"It's fine. We met again. That's all that matters," she smiled softly.

"'Again'?" he quoted and it all sank in. "Then, your memories?"

"I only have this moment to be with you. I really don't want to let go but," her voice wavered. "Because of you, the possession within Saiou had weakened and Judai will have enough power to defeat him - to save the world."

"But what about you? Where will you go?"

"A part of my existence will remain, but until the Light of Destruction is destroyed, I won't be alive."

"I won't let that happen again! I just saved you but you're the one who is pushing me away now."

"Ed, this time, I'll make a promise this time," she pulled away just a bit so that her arms would move to his chest. She looked in his eyes and conveyed to him, "I'll definitely see you again. I'll believe in Judai and Saiou, just so you know that I won't give up either."

He leaned his forehead against her without breaking eye contact, "You better keep your promise then." All she gave was a bright smile before his consciousness transitioned back to reality.

Saiou finally appeared with an expression twisted in madness and anger. With her head nestled in the crook of his neck, her body slumped against him. "Even if I were to be reborn a thousand times in a lifetime, I would have still waited; to be able to meet you a thousand times; to become your friend a thousand times; and to cherish you in my heart a thousand times," was the last thing she conveyed that stayed in his mind.

A/N: Chapter 21 complete! Remember! I said that there would be Year 3! Beside, the heroes never fail... right? Maybe some exceptions but this isn't one of them! I repeat: this isn't an exception! So much angst but I promise this will be the most angsty material I will ever write in this series.

Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna - That will be revealed in the last chapter.

Reviews are welcome but not obliged.
That's all folks, Ineffable.