Chapter 38

The First met the Pure's gaze once more and held it for as long as possible. In the past this had been one of the many ways she'd been able to bring the Pure back under control. The youngest sister of Light wasn't easily unnerved, but the First had more than a few tricks up her sleeves to make her little sister uncomfortable.

'I'm not a child anymore First,' the Pure folded her arms, 'you can't intimidate me so easily anymore.'

'Who says I'm trying to intimidate you?'

'Because I know you and I'm telling you now it's not going to work.'

'Release me from these binds,' the First gritted her teeth.

'Not until you agree to follow the new order of things.'

'Really? You're really going to pull this one on me? This is how you're going to prove to me you're not a child anymore?'

'You're just trying to rile me again, but I'm telling you it won't work,' the Pure shook her head.

'Of course it will work, you have a temper shorter than a piece of confetti,' the Silkoneon boy chained up alongside the First spoke, his words causing the First to raise an eyebrow at him.

'And who exactly do you think you are talking to me like that?' The Pure took a step towards him. 'You're nothing more than an inconvenient hitchhiker in this little situation. The only good you've done is helping them bring the Elemental Weapons here.'

'It's funny you should mention those,' the Bow suddenly appeared in his hand, 'I was just thinking about them myself.'

'How...?'

'Mind,' Tristan gritted his teeth and flicked his gaze towards Catilin, 'this is a cheap trick and you know it.'

'Cheap or not I'm still in the better position here,' the Silkoneon boy smirked.

'Better position to do what exactly?'

'This.'

With some effort the boy managed to arm the Bow and aim it towards the cage Mokuba was in. To begin with the First just felt confused by his actions, then she remembered the secondary function of the Fire Bow. In one swift move the flaming arrow shot across the room and into the lock of the cage, shattering it. Mokuba wasted no time in freeing himself before somehow managing to summon the Lightning Sword into his hands. Without hesitation he used the swords electrical power to slice through the lock on Mai's cage, freeing her as well.

Tristan began a slow and sarcastic clapping as Mai and Mokuba set about freeing those chained to the wall. His gaze fixed on Catilin in a harsh and deeply unamused manner.

'Well done Mind, I didn't know you had it in you.' Tristan's voice was dry and almost edge with bitterness. 'All this time I just thought you were some kind of idiot child, but I guess the sheer sadistic genius you show when you're Re really does come from something deeper.'

'I'm not an idiot child,' Catilin took the Bow off of Covo and aimed it at Tristan. 'I might not be the perfect Mind, but I'm still Mind. I still know things. Maybe I think a little differently, but I'm not an idiot.'

'Clearly.'

'And she's also not alone,' Mokuba's hands visible trembled as he took up a position beside Catilin, Sword aimed in the direction of his brother. 'What you're doing right now is wrong, you've both been affected by the storm and this needs to stop.'

'No,' the sound of the Face of Friendship's voice made the First's heart stop dead in her chest, 'this needs to continue.'

'Sister you can't be serious,' the First stared at her as she pulled herself to her feet.

'I know it's crazy, but... I am serious,' the Water Whip appeared in her hands, 'we can't talk sense into them, so this is the only way.'

'Shh, shh little one, its okay, your uncle Duke's here, come on kid, quieten down, please.' Duke felt as though his sanity was starting to crack. 'Come on, come on now, please.'

'He's just hungry,' a beautiful young woman with jet black hair in a black Grecian style dress appeared beside him. 'Here,' she held a bottle filled with what looked like milk out towards him.

'Who are you?' Duke eyed the woman and the bottle suspiciously.

'Someone who wouldn't normally take such an interest in the living, but since the one who wanted to be here can't and the one who should be here won't come, I figured it wouldn't hurt.'

'I... I don't understand,' he shook his head, 'who are you?'

'A friend, if that makes things easier,' her face filled with a warm smile. 'Please, I just want to help you.'

Duke hesitated for a moment, before taking the bottle off of her. The infant drank hungrily and for a few long moments everything was silent.

'Things are beginning to settle now,' the woman turned her eyes upwards, 'because everything was at such high volume, the strange dullness is making it hard for anyone to sense anyone else. It feels like chaos and I guess in a way it is.'

'I don't understand,' Duke was starting to feel like he was just repeating himself.

'I know you don't, but if I tell you too much then the one I'm helping might get into trouble for it. Hell, I'll probably get into trouble for it the second my husband finds out... If he finds out; I have become a master at keeping my secrets from him over the years.'

'Your husband...?'

'Again if I answer that I risk revealing too much,' she shook her head.

'Is there anything you can tell me?' Duke found himself studying her again.

'Yes, there is one thing I can tell you, it's a message from the one who sent me,' a curious smile filled her face. 'The child you hold in your arms right now is important, but not everyone is happy about its existence. Its early birth means there is a window of vulnerability,' she paused for a moment, 'the child is on my list, make sure it doesn't stay there.'

Covo felt himself tense for a moment as the rest of the Elemental Weapons appeared in the room. They'd been directly summoned by somebody, although who remained a mystery since they'd been scattered across the floor. A long and silent stalemate circled around the room. Nobody moved. Nobody blinked and Covo was pretty sure nobody was breathing either. Maybe they weren't literally holding their breaths, but that's how it felt.

'Pick up the Lance Covo,' Catilin's voice moved through his mind.

'Was it you then?'

'Does it matter, just pick up the Lance.'

Covo carefully did as he was told, whilst Jay-Octan and the guy Catilin had informed him was a hybrid of SK and Jay reached for weapons of their own.

'So I'm not the only one you're in communication with then?' Covo flicked a glance towards her as he picked up the Lance.

'Silly Covo, you only needed to be the only one before. I need everyone now.' As her voice passed through Covo's mind Ahna bent down and picked up the shield.

'So this really is a stalemate then,' Veronie's glazed eyes flicked around the room.

'And poor big sis is without a weapon,' Kaiba smirked, 'funny that. I guess everyone else agrees with me, why else would they leave you defenceless?'

'Because we have something to prove,' Jay-Octan positioned himself in front of Veronie.

'And you're going to prove it by defending the First,' Kaiba cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Whatever it takes for redemption,' Ahna, Catilin and the hybrid joined Jay-Octan in his defence of the First.

'How can you be so concerned about redemption,' he laughed. 'Don't you get it, things will change no matter what happens here, so just embrace it and support me.'