Chapter 35

It had been a long time since anyone had said anything. It made Mokuba feel more than a little uncomfortable, especially since he wasn't sure if the silence was out of some kind of respect for those they'd lost or because it was preferable to risking any kind of conversation with him. Still their prolonged silence gave Mokuba a chance to watch how they interacted with each other. They might have been cruel, harsh, cold and violent when it came to their treatment of him, but there was a genuine fondness for each other within their little group.

'You make the air move in a funny way baby monster,' a hushed voice whispered to the right of him.

'Your name's Lilac, right?' Mokuba swallowed hard as he glanced towards the younger of the two sisters.

'Uh-huh,' she nodded.

'Should you be talking to me? I... I don't want you getting into any trouble.'

'Everyone talks like the end is coming, so nothing matters anymore,' she shrugged. 'If I get into trouble, if I don't get into trouble, it makes no difference. I just want to talk to the baby monster. I want to understand how you grew up so wrong.'

'I wish I knew the answer to that,' he lowered his gaze, 'but the truth is I don't understand how things have ended up this way... this world is just so different to the one I've come from.'

'How old are you baby monster,' Lilac tapped a hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze again.

'Fourteen,' he forced a smile, 'how old are you?'

'Eleven.'

'Really?' Mokuba studied her for a moment. 'I thought you were younger somehow.'

'I'm an Active Calicaccu,' she shrugged, 'its how I know you make the air move funny. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you baby monster.'

'I know... you want to understand how I grew up so wrong, right?'

'Mmhmm, but I also want to ask you something.'

'Ask me what?' Mokuba frowned at her.

'It's about Dray Dray baby monster.'

'Who?'

'Dray Dray, he was my friend, I want you to promise you won't kill him this time.'

'I...'

'If Jo and Crovell can make the past different then so can you, right baby monster? When you find your way home, you can make sure you don't kill Dray Dray. It's the only thing I ask of you, please.'

'I don't even know if I'll make it home or not,' Mokuba gave a heavy sigh.

'Time doesn't like you being out of place baby monster,' Lilac's eyes brimmed with tears, 'that's why the air moves funny around you. Time wants you back where you belong, so it will find a way to get you there. I know it will, so I know you can promise me you won't kill Dray Dray. Please.'

'I... uh... okay,' he lowered his gaze again, 'I promise you I won't kill your friend.'

'Thank you,' her voice was little more than a pale whisper.

'I just wish I knew how I grew up into this monster you all hate,' he squeezed his eyes shut. 'I don't want to kill anyone.'

'Hazelnut's right, you are pathetic like this,' Duke's voice startled him.

'I'd rather be pathetic than a murderer,' he swallowed hard as he met Duke's gaze.

'If you think like that you won't survive long here,' Duke rolled his eyes. 'Then again none of us will, the end is coming you know.'

'The walls are crumbling, I can feel it,' Lilac held her hands up and half closed her eyes, 'it's like a funny little trickle.'

'I know it is Lilac hunny,' Duke sighed, 'but why don't you go and get some rest now.'

'Okay uncle Duke,' she nodded before walking away.

'She calls you uncle,' Mokuba pressed his lips together, 'why is that?'

'It's how they see me,' Duke folded his arms. 'I'm not their real uncle, but it doesn't matter, we're family. Maybe not by blood, but what's blood anyway?'

'So you're all close then?'

'Some of us closer than others,' he shrugged, 'but isn't that the same with any family?'

'I...' Mokuba hesitated. 'How... how old was your son when I... when he died?'

'The same age Lilac is now. He was a year older than her.'

'So he would have been twelve now then?'

'What difference does it make how old he'd be now, if he's dead?' Duke's voice toned with anger.

'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you.'

'Yeah, well you should have thought of that before you…' he paused and shook his head. 'You know what it's not worth it.'

'I... I'm sorry... I'm just... trying to understand,' Mokuba sucked a strangely painful breath in. 'Why... why did I kill your son?'

'Because you wanted to punish me.'

'For what?

'For my unwavering loyalty to Crovell,' Duke's eyes were filled with the same level of disgust as his voice.

'And... and did it? Punish you I mean?'

'What kind of a question is that,' Duke pressed his arm against Mokuba's throat. 'You killed my son and you want to know if it punished me? I thought you were supposed to be the baby not the monster.'

'I... I'm sorry,' his voice squeaked, 'I... I'm just trying to understand.'

'Understand what exactly?'

'How... how I became a monster.'

'You were a monster long before you killed my son,' Duke shook his head. 'You're not going to understand anything by sticking pins into old wounds.'

'I... I'm sorry.'

'Sorry doesn't cut it Mokuba.'

'But I... I don't know what else to say.'

'There's nothing you can say,' he pulled away from him. 'You're a wretched creature and I hate you, you'd be good to remember that.'

'Right now I don't think it would be possible for me to forget,' Mokuba swallowed hard. 'But I... I want to know something.'

'What is it now?' Duke glared at him.

'Your son's name,' he pressed his lips together, 'I... I want to know his name.'

'His name was Drake,' Duke's jaw line hardened as he lowered his gaze. 'My son's name was Drake.'

They'd talked for what had felt like hours and Yugi still wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Now that he'd found the weapon they'd been concealing he had no doubt that they were telling him the truth. But it was the truth itself he was having a hard time believing. He knew Kaiba almost as well as the Face of Friendship knew the Pure. The idea that either of them would willingly become subservient to anyone else was just ridicules, but as the same time...

'Do you think there's more to their story,' the image of the Pharaoh appeared beside him, 'something else they're not telling you?'

'I'm not sure,' Yugi shook his head as he stared round the room Kaiba had given him for the night. 'I've just... got this feeling about the whole situation. There's something... I don't know; I want to say odd about it, but... I've never felt anything like the power coming off that weapon before.'

'Do you think it might be dangerous?'

Yugi went to say something, then hesitated. The reply which had been on the tip of his tongue mentally didn't chime right with him; so why did he feel the need to say it?

'Yugi are you okay?' The Pharaoh frowned at him in concern.

'I was just thinking about what they were saying about Mokuba,' he lied. 'They're pretty convinced he's being controlled by something and from the sounds of his behaviour I agree, but... the idea that something could be Mokuba's own future self doesn't exactly sit right with me.'

'Because they're suggesting Mokuba is capable of evil?'

'Which probably means all the Win parts are,' Yugi pressed his lips together. 'I mean, we've already seen Catilin under the influence of the Reganna, so it's not a huge stretch to think they're all susceptible.'

'I could see how that would pose a problem,' the Pharaoh folded his arms. 'The Wins are connected to the Mistresses, right? Now all the parts are active they could affect each other and the Mistresses too and who knows what kind of problems that would cause.'

'I never thought about it like that,' Yugi pulled a face, 'but you're right, of course. One Win part could affect the rest of them and then...' he felt his own jaw line harden. 'We need to take that weapon away from them.'

'What?' The Pharaoh frowned.

'We need to take the Elemental Axe away from them as soon as possible,' he flicked his gaze up to meet with the Pharaoh's. 'I don't care if they're able to use it or not, a weapon that powerful shouldn't be around either of them. Not when the two of them have so much influence over the nature of the Wins and the Mistresses.'

'You think they're the ones who'll turn first?'

'That's if they haven't been turned already,' Yugi shook his head. 'I mean, how else do you explain this Crovell explanation of theirs?'

'So now you're saying you don't believe their story?'

'I'm saying if they've turned it would be very easy for both of them to fool me,' he gritted his teeth. 'And what better way to cover up a deception than with a story so unbelievable it could be true, right? They think they're so clever, but they're not.'

'But what about Mokuba?' The Pharaoh frowned. 'Do you think they're lying about him too?'

'Possibly. He probably found out what they were up to and threatened to tell the First or something. What better way to discredit what he's saying then to make out something's possessing him.'

'Do you really think that's what's going on here?'

'I...' Yugi hesitated, his resolve suddenly wavering, 'I don't know,' he turned his head away. 'Maybe I'm just tired. It's been a long day.'

'It has,' the Pharaoh nodded, 'you should get some sleep.'

'Do you really think he'll try anything tonight?' Duke studied Catilin as the two of them stood guard outside of Ahna's door.

'He was evil,' Catilin lowered her gaze. 'The vibrations coming off of him were scary and the longer he was around the more certain I became that he was capable of anything. I don't want him to attack tonight, but I don't think we shouldn't think he would.'

'I can't imagine what kind of world they must come from,' Duke shook his head. 'I've been trying to, but I just can't.'

Catilin lifted her gaze to meet with his. There was something small and frightened about her expression which made her look even more like a vulnerable little girl than she already did. Duke felt protective feelings stir inside himself and hesitantly he reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders.

'Are you... are you alright?'

'They come from hell, I know they do. I can feel it and... and I think I've seen it too?'

'What do you mean?' Duke frowned. 'Catilin?'

'I saw the wolf,' her voice was little more than a sorrowful whisper, 'he howled and howled at his mistress, though she were the moon. He deafened me; I could scarcely breathe, as I drowned amid the voices. I saw the wolf. He was my brother.'

'The storm comes,' Duke automatically picked up, 'I do not beacon to it, it beacons to me. The rain of night beats, encasing the soul. The thunder booms, tainting the mind. The lighting streaks, striking the heart. And the wind howls, battering the body. The storm calls. I am lost.'

'How...?' Catilin stared at him.

'Ever heard of a book called The Wolf's Ghost?' He gave a nervous half laugh.

'The Lutoni's Fables,' Catilin nodded.

'That's the one,' a slim smile pulled onto his face. 'Well there's a story near the back called The Blue Wolf of Chaos. It's one of Crovell's favourites.'

'Does Ahna know you're reading those stories to Crovell? Does hiet braysta?'

'And through the chaos, I heard them call to me,' Duke's face filled with a wry smile as he ignored her question. 'Do not fear the wolf who howls, for he is our brother too. Follow the path he leads you down and you shall be safe. But stray from his side and you will find nothing but death and destruction. Courage dear sister, let him lead you home.' He hesitated for a moment, before giving an embarrassed laugh. 'There's more, but that's all I can ever remember.'

'You memorise them?' Catilin stared at him in wonder.

'No,' he shook his head, 'but when you read something enough times, some of it kind of sticks with you.'

'I can understand that,' Catilin placed a hand on his cheek. 'But...'

'What?' Duke met her gaze as he wondered whether or not he was getting a little too close to her.

'The legend, it's… it's told by a child, isn't it?'

'I believe so, why?'

Catilin didn't reply. Instead her eyes glazed over with a distant look.

'Are you... are you okay?'

Again she didn't reply.

'Catilin...?'

'I saw the wolf,' she whispered softly, 'he was my brother.'