Chapter 37

'Why aren't you waking up,' Joey gritted his teeth again, 'what are you so afraid of?'

'Haven't we already had this part of the conversation?' The First frowned at him. 'Isn't it followed by the part where you tell me you understand my concern for my sisters because you feel it too?'

'Is there a correct answer to that question?' Joey ran his fingers back through his hair. 'You're the one making this conversation go in circles you know.'

'I...'

'You're afraid to face them, I get it, but you will have to eventually.'

'But what if I don't like what I find?' The First lowered her gaze. 'What if the Pure... what if she's beyond my reach?'

'You won't know until you face her. You have to face her. You have to bring her back under your control.'

'But what if she's right?'

'About what?' Joey stared at her. 'About things needing to change? Of course she's right about that, we both know it. But the way she's trying to bring about change... she's being selfish and we both know this is just as much about her taking power as it is about her bringing about change. You've said it yourself, many times, she's too emotional to be in control.'

'But at least she acts. At least she has the guts to try. I'm just stubborn and frozen in place.'

'No, you're not,' Joey placed his hands on her shoulders. 'You understand the difference between when you need to act and when it's better to do nothing. You don't rush into anything, you take your time and figure out the best outcome rather than charging in head long and causing more problems than you fix. I wish I could be more like that sometimes.'

'But most of the time I do nothing.'

'That's the Pure talking, not you. That's the way she perceives you. That's the way you let her perceive you because she doesn't understand the subtlety of what you do. First we both know the multiverse is and has always been in safe hands with you at the helm. You can't let the Pure takeover like this, she's already creating so much chaos.'

'You're right,' the First stared upwards, 'I can feel it.'

'So can I. So can everyone. The Pure is causing this by trying to change the order of things. It cannot be allowed.'

'I know.'

'Then you have to wake up. You have to knock some sense into her.'

'I know.'

'Then stop wasting your time here and wake the hell up First.'

Ahna felt as though she was being torn in several directions at once. She felt as though she should be paying attention to the conversation going on between the two conscious Mistress' hosts, Win and the others, but at the same time she was concerned about those currently in chains or cages. Because of this a part of her was trying to figure out a way of sneaking her way round to them and freeing them from their various binds, but she was still weak and tired from giving birth and there was just no way she could move without someone alerting everyone.

Her eyes turned pleadingly towards Téa, but the other girl's attention was fixed on the conversation.

'Téa,' she hissed, hoping to get her attention, 'Téa.'

It was useless; she was useless. Instead her attention turned towards the SK-Jay hybrid, he was too involved in the conversation to suddenly help her out, she got that. But if she could somehow get a message to him to keep the others distracted then maybe...

Her train of thoughts and the conversation in front of her were both interrupted by a single loud groan. Everyone's eyes turned towards Joey's body as the First Mistress of Light regain consciousness.

He bounce-rocked the infant from side to side, but it was no good, the poor thing just wouldn't settle. Normally Duke would have been the first to point out he wasn't exactly parent material. Hell he wasn't even good babysitting material, so why he'd agreed to be the one to look after the fussy little thing in the first place he didn't know. But every time he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, he looked down at the child and was filled with this overwhelming feeling of love.

'You're not even my kid and I feel like I'm your daddy,' Duke smiled down at the baby during a brief moment of silence. 'That's right, I'm not your daddy,' he cooed, 'I wish I was, but I'm not.' He laughed at his own statement. 'What am I saying? I mean...' he felt strangely awkward as the child started fussing again, 'I'm not saying I don't want to be your daddy I just... Well it's uh... it's very confusing, you get that don't you?' He shook his head at his own words. 'What am I saying, you're a baby, you don't understand a single word I'm saying right now do you? Hey, hey, hey shhh, stop that fussing for uncle Duke, would you? Come on shhh, it'll be okay, I don't know how yet but I know everything will be okay.'

Octan might not have been able to breathe, but he felt as though he were holding his breath as he watched the First's host stutter like some old car back into consciousness. In a spasm like motion Joey pulled his right arm forward only to have its motion hindered by the chain it was attached too. He groaned again in a mixture of heavy realisation and muted pain. His eyes fluttered open to reveal their still glazed over state and lifted without hesitation to meet with the Kaiba's.

'Did you enjoy your little nap sister,' Kaiba smirked.

'I've had better,' Joey's multi-tonal voice was calm as he manoeuvred his arm in order to check the back of his head. 'Were you always this violent or is it just the testosterone talking?'

'What was that?' Kaiba's eyes burnt with anger as he pointed the Ice Staff he was still holding towards Joey.

'Come on sister, you know as well as I do by now our hosts are having an effect on us. And since our hosts are male I don't see anything wrong with the question I've just asked.'

'You're just trying to piss me off now, aren't you?'

'You mean I didn't have to try before?'

'Shut up First and try taking a look around you,' Kaiba pulled himself up to his full height, 'things have changed.'

'You're right; I could sense the chaos even whilst I was unconscious.'

'Then you know your reign is over, right?' A huge smile filled his face. 'I'm the only one who has what it takes to handle the change. A new order will be starting today; an order where the balance is on top, because you need balance in order to control chaos.'

'Is that what you think?'

'It's what I know First,' Kaiba took a few steps towards him, 'but don't worry, if you side with me quietly then I promise you won't feel put out by any of this. The other half of my consciousness even made sure you have your own Win, all powered up and ready to go.'

Joey's glazed eyes flicked towards Mai for a moment, then turned back towards Kaiba. There were a few long beats of silence, before Kaiba lowered his head slightly and smirked again.

'What's the matter First, your Win not good enough for you? Okay, yours is merely a part in comparison to mine, but at least none of us will have to share anymore.'

'You think this proves anything,' Joey shook his head. 'The Win parts would have awoken on their own eventually anyway and as for sharing... Well, we always knew I had Win's heart.'

'You bitch,' Kaiba made to attack Joey with the Staff again, but Tristan caught hold of the weapon before it could deliver its blow.

'She's just trying to unbalance you,' Tristan's glazed eyes fixed on Joey. 'She thinks if she gets you angry enough you'll forget what we're trying to do here and that will give her the opening she needs to take back control. Remember the plan. Remember why we're doing this.'

'Of course,' the tension in Kaiba's body melted for a moment. 'We're doing this because things need to change.'

'Exactly,' Tristan nodded, 'and we need to be the ones controlling that change, because we understand the change.'

'Yes,' Kaiba lowered the weapon he was holding so the tip of it touched the ground, 'we do.'

'So stop letting her rattle you and remember why we're doing this.'

'I will,' Kaiba's glazed eyes focused on Joey, 'and soon she'll understand all this too.'

'Could you go over that one more time?' Covo glanced towards Catilin. 'I'm still not totally sure I get what you want me to do.'

'Silly Covo,' Catilin's voice laughed thought his mind, 'it's not that hard to understand.'

'I know, but humour me, this situation is getting more and more complicated by the second and I need to know I'm on the same wavelength as everyone else here.'

'I thought you were smarter than this Covo. I thought you were the...'

'I know what I am. I know that I'm actually grasping this situation pretty damn well considering, but I still need you to explain it to me one more time.'

'Why?'

'Because this situation couldn't be any more maddening if it tried and I really need to find the sanity in it.'

'And explaining things again will give you that sanity?'

'I don't know,' Covo shook his head, 'but right now anything's worth a try.'