The Mirror Image

by Shadow of the Fire Bird

"You've already chosen to play a part in this war," Shadi whispered as he gently pressed the key to her forehead "now, all you must decide is which side you shall be fighting for." (AU) (First in the Gods Among Us Series)

37. Chapter 37

A/N: Here's another chapter. That's two for today! The reason being that I was planning on uploading Ch. 36 yesterday but got caught up at work, so here's another one!

"A man of genius makes no mistakes; his errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery."
~James Joyce

Destiny paced her room in impatient agitation, only pausing when the sound of sparks and pops leapt up from the Castle and the sky was set ablaze with dazzling pinks and reds, like a premature sunset. It was the fireworks signal for the Tournament to begin. Not much could be seen from her window, the jungle was a more tangled knot then old noodles. Tearing her eyes away from the wall of paradise concealing the battles, Destiny turned back to face the scattered contents of her dark room.
An act, she repeated in her mind, an act.
Her brain scanned the flashes of memory of each of the other Eliminators; all of them had painted faces or elaborate makeup.
Well, Destiny's makeup was definitely not the norm, but it still wasn't anything spectacular.
Then, she remembered, some of the Eliminators had been wearing masks.
"A mask!" Destiny cried aloud "that's it!"
She rushed to the old-fashioned, wooden chest at the base of her four poster bed. After plowing through the trunks contents, she finally extracted an ornate, masquerade mask she'd gotten at Carnival in Venice when she was eight.
The mask covered the entire face and most of the features were painted on, safe two almond-shaped holes for eyes. The mask was black but trimmed in gold patterns and a cluster of rubies were gathered in the center of the mask's forehead. Like a crown, a crown for a Shadow King.
Destiny smiled. Taking the mask, she headed to her closet and grabbed a black scarf which she then wrapped around her head to cover her silver hair. Next, she coated her eyes in thick liner and dark eye shadow (she applied no other makeup as her eyes were going to be the only thing visible.) Then, she put the mask on.
"Damn" Destiny breathed as she stared at her reflection "now this is a Shadow King!"
As Destiny removed her scarf and mask and set it on her bed for later, her eyes feel on her Purple Book sitting on her bedside table.
"Whoops" she muttered "I forgot to record the Vision I had last night."
It had become a sort of ritual; every time Destiny had a Vision it went down in her Purple Book.
Like a dream journal, but about real people and real events.
As Destiny just finished describing in vivid detail Yugi's Exodia Cards slowly falling to their watery demise, Clint came by and leaned his head around the door frame.
"Ms. Pegasus?" he asked.
"Yes, Clint?" Destiny asked, jumping a little.
"Mr. Pegasus just wished to inform you that you are missing the Tournament" he replied.
Destiny blinked in surprise.
How long had she been in her room?
"Thanks, Clint" she muttered, brushing past him and heading downstairs to the dining room where Pegasus had his eyes glued to the TV.
"What I miss?" Destiny inquired a little breathlessly.
"The first Duel concerning our little Yugi-boy" Pegasus replied, not taking his eyes from the TV "he Dueled Weevil Underwood."
Destiny nodded.
That wasn't surprising; Yugi probably wanted revenge for Weevil throwing his Exodia Cards over board.
"Who won?" she asked, taking her seat beside him.
"Yugi, of course" Pegasus replied.
"That means Weevil's out of the Tournament then, right?" Destiny continued.
"Correct" Pegasus answered.
Destiny dropped her gaze and smiled.
Good on ya Yugi, she thought, you're one step closer to the semifinals.
"So, who's Dueling next?" Destiny then asked.
"Let's see" was Pegasus's response.

"Alright!" Joey exclaimed, slamming his fists together "I'm itching to Duel and I'm taking on the next person I see" he added, running on ahead of his friends.
"You know, I'm not so sure Joey's up to this" Teá whispered to Tristan.
"Yeah, there are tournament level players on this island" Tristan muttered back.
"Show a little faith, you guys" Ryou snapped defensively. "Joey will do just fine."
As he spoke, Joey ran up a hill and paused at the top to face his friends.
"Look at me" he called pumping his fists in the air "the next Duel Monster's champion!"
"He needs a reality check" Teá muttered.
"I have to win" Joey's voice dropping so only Destiny and Pegasus could hear him "for Serenity's sake."

"Who's Serenity?" Destiny asked her brother.
"Serenity is Joey's fourteen year old sister" Pegasus replied. "She's currently in the hospital because she's going blind. The only way to save her eyes is an operation, but it's too pricey for Joey's family to afford."
"Oh" Destiny muttered, putting it together in her head. "So, Joey wants to win the three million dollar prize to pay for his sister's operation."
"Yes" Pegasus answered.
"Joey must be desperate" Destiny observed. "There's a small chance he'll win with his experience. Plus, his best friend is Yugi Muto."
"Perhaps" Pegasus replied, momentarily turning away from the TV to meet his sister's gaze "but I'd do the same for you."
Destiny blushed.

Joey's musings ended, however, with muffled cheers rising up like steam from the moist jungle before him.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Dueling Arenas" Tristan exclaimed as he and the others raced up to meet him at the top of the hill.
"Blimey, look at them all" Ryou cried.
"Alright, I'm going in" Joey stated, his expression hard.
"You sure about this?" Tristan asked. "If you lose a match, you'll lose your only Star Chip."
Joey wilted; he'd apparently forgotten that.
"Don't panic" Yugi reassured. "You'll do fine."
"Right" Joey replied, his posture straightening up. "This'll be my first Duel; I can't afford to get knocked down at the beginning."
"All the same, go for someone easy" Teá advised.
"You lost, crybaby!" a voice from across the clearing suddenly called. "Now give me your Star Chips."
Teá's eyes narrowed as she glanced in the voice's direction. "A voice that annoying has to belong to…"
The five friends all looked a short way down the hill to where Mai Valentine was haughtily applying two more Star Chips to the slots in her Dueling Gauntlet. The kid she'd won them from was a lanky teen in an ugly bumblebee-like shirt. You could practically see the flames of anger radiating from his wiry form.
"That's not fair, you cheated somehow" the kid protested. "How could you know what all of your Cards were when they were still face down?" he demanded.
"I'm psychic" Mai replied with a wink "and you're done."
The kid's lower lip trembled and he ran off into the jungle with his head in his hands.

Destiny glanced at Pegasus, whose lips were curled up into a minute smile. Destiny had heard about Mai Valentine and her apparent psychic abilities; how she knew what every Card in her Deck was before she pulled it. But there was no way it was true, Mai had a trick somehow.

Mai laughed again as she watched her ex-opponent run off but stopped when her gaze feel on Joey and the others.
Her eyes glistened.
"Hey, Yugi" she cried, leaning in very close to the small boy yet again. "Are you're Duels going well?"
"Uh yeah…sure" Yugi replied, his cheeks going pink.
"Oh, you've got three Star Chips! Good for you. You know, I might be up for another Duel myself. What do ya think, hon?" she asked.
Yugi hesitated.
"Take her" Destiny heard Teá whisper to him "knock her out of the Tournament."
Destiny agreed, but not because she didn't like Mai, as Teá obviously didn't, but rather she wanted to see Yugi and his Pharaoh in action.
And how he'd hold up without his Exodia Cards.
But Mai's attention suddenly wafted away from Yugi and over to Joey, who was staring at her chest in an apparent trance.
"You know what?" she asked. "I changed my mind. I want to Duel you, Joey."
Joey jumped.
His eyes flew from Yugi to Mai and back again.
"What? You want to Duel me?" he asked.
"Are you deaf? Yes, I want to Duel you" Mai snapped.
"Oh, then I guess you heard about my skill" Joey asked, jabbing his thumb at his chest.
"Don't flatter yourself" Mai replied. "I overheard you and Yugi talking on the boat and I know that you only have one Star Chip. You see, my motto is; take out the weakest first and since you wouldn't even be here had Yugi not helped you out, you must be the weakest Duelist on the island."
"Hey, watch ya mouth lady!" Joey snapped. "Ya want a Duel? Ya getting a Duel."
"Joey, don't do it!" Teá cried. "Mai's ruthless and you can't afford to lose." She turned to Yugi. "Yugi, stand up for Joey; fight Mai in his place" she whispered.
But Yugi shook his head.
"No, this is Joey's decision" he replied. "Come on, Joey. Duel Mai and show her what you're made of."
Joey grinned at his friend's encouragement.
"Alright, Mai, you think I'm a pushover? Well, I'll show ya."
"You're funeral, hon" Mai replied with a shrug.

"This guy is an idiot!" Destiny cried as she and Pegasus watched Mai and Joey move to the Dueling platforms.
"Or he's very brave" Pegasus offered.
"More like very stupid" Destiny muttered.

"Go get her, Joey" Teá called up to him.
"Yeah, kick her fine ass" Tristan added.
"Tristan!" Teá cried, horrified.
"Think he can beat her, Yugi?" Ryou whispered to his friend.
"Joey's got this Duel in the bag" Yugi replied.
From her perch on the Dueling Platform, Mai smirked.
"Sense you only have one measly Star Chip, I only have to bet one against you" she removed a Chip from her glove.
Joey did the same.
"At least I have the Field advantage!" he called defensively to Mai.
Mai's smile never wavered.
"Look again, sweetheart" she called to him.
Joey glanced down at the hologram Grid between him and Mai and just about lost his lunch.
"What!" he cried. "This isn't a Meadow Field."
"Because we're not completely in the Meadow Field" Mai replied with a laugh. "This Field is forty percent Mountain, forty percent Forest, and twenty percent Meadow. Deal with it or surrender."
"Don't panic, Joey. It's fine" Yugi called up to his friend.
Joey nodded before turning to Mai.
"Tell me Mai, before we Duel. Why did ya enter this Tournament? Why do ya Duel at all?"
Mai blinked in surprise, she was prepared for anything save that question.
"Well, for all the comforts I crave, of course" she finally said "clothes, designer cars, mansions! High charge for living large."
"That's the only reason? How selfish" Joey muttered.
"How dare you judge me! Who do you think you are, you pathetic little snot?" Mai snarled.
"You're Dueling for things" Joey replied with a shrug. "I Duel for love, there's a difference."

"Ugh, stop preaching, start Dueling" Destiny grumbled, sliding down in her seat.

Finally, the Duel began. Destiny could almost see the chains leap up from the Dueling Arena and fasten themselves firmly to Joey and Mai. They were connected to the game as much as their Monsters were now. Joey started off with the Warrior Misaki, a mean faced brute dressed like a samurai.
Meanwhile, Mai freaked Joey out by waving her hands over the Cards and then playing her Harpy Lady Card without even turning it over. A blue-skinned woman with cheery-red hair, bright yellow eyes, and pure white wings for arms flew onto the platform.
With the Meadow Field and the Mountain Field, both Cards gained Defense and Attack Point boosts.
"Attack Misaki" Joey commanded and his Samurai Warrior started forward.
"Joey, wait!" Yugi cried. "Flying Monsters have an advantage over Monsters who can only walk!"
But it was too late. Joey attacked too soon and his Samurai was skewered by Mai's Harpy Lady.
"Again I choose a Card, without looking!" Mai announced, sliding a second Card onto the grid.
"How is she doing that? Is she really psychic?" Joey demanded.
"Focus, Joey" Yugi called.
"Don't let her get inside your head, mate" Ryou added.
So Joey threw down Tiger Axe: an armored, anthropomorphic, axe-wielding tiger materialized on the field.
"This guy gets a Field boost too" Joey stated. "So, it can take on the Harpy Lady."

"The dumbass isn't thinking" Destiny murmured. "He's making the same mistake twice."

"Sorry kiddo, but Tiger Warrior is another handicapped Land Monster. It can't withstand my Harpy."
Sure enough, the Harpy Lady rose up and struck the Tiger Axe into oblivion.
Joey was surely spooked now. So, he played his next Card in Defense Mode.
"Running scared, huh?" Mai mocked as she slid another Card onto the Grid. "Again without looking, I'll play Cyber Shield Magic Card."
A set of dark-purple armor appeared on the Harpy Lady and its Attack Points increased.
This time Mai didn't even give Joey time to attack.
The now armored Harpy Lady rose up and struck the glowing square that was Joey's face down defensive Monster.
It was defeated without even showing its face.

"Pathetic" Destiny chided. "Mai's doing the same thing I do; she's getting inside Joey's mind with her psychic bluff and breaking his concentration."

"Ha! This is so much fun" Mai cried "and by the way you're next Card won't work either" she added.
Joey's face fell.
"Mai's got ESP, that's gotta be it. I'm done for" he cried dejectedly.
"Come on Joey, think" Yugi called.
"Yeah Joey, Mai's just trying to psyche you out" Teá added.
"Stay out of this!" Mai snapped "you're brainless cheerleading isn't going to save your friend, it's just wasting time."
"We're Joey's friends and we're not giving up on him!" Teá shot back.
"Oh come now, friendship doesn't win Duels. It certainly isn't helping Joey. He's defeated and he know it."
"That's not true" Teá cried.
"I beg to differ" Mai replied "on this island there can be only one champion. Your so-called friend could be your ally today and your worst enemy tomorrow. Eventually, the time will come when you'll have to face each other. Where is your friendship then?"

Joey was losing it, Destiny and Pegasus could see it in his eyes.

But suddenly, Yugi's eyes flashed and the Millennium Puzzle glowed pure gold. His posture changed and his features sharpened. He looked taller, crueler, his body brimming with confidence.
His eyes were a bright, reddish-purple.

Destiny's mouth fell open.
The Pharaoh!

"Don't listen to her, Joey. We're here for you and nothing can change that" the Pharaoh called to Joey.
Both Mai and Joey turned in shock at the sudden change in Yugi's manner and speech.
"She's using a divide and conqueror strategy. It's been used for centuries" the Pharaoh continued. "Believe me, I know" he added, his eyes flashing again.
Suddenly, Joey's eyes turned slightly glassy.
"When you get that look in your eye, I believe everything you say" he whispered.

Destiny's brow furrowed.
What the hell was that?
Pegasus seemed concerned as well; his expression had changed from bemusement to slight alarm.

Mai laughed again.
"You can't be serious. Do you think Yugi's rooting for you? He's a Duelist too, you know? And that makes him your enemy. It's time you started accepting that."
Joey squeezed his eyes shut.
"She's right" he whispered "I will have to face Yugi in the end. But, I know that he won't let this Tournament come between us. He's still my friend and I'm still his. I just have to concentrate and win this thing."
Joey then placed his hands palms down on the grid, his expression softened, and his body totally relaxed.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Hey what's that smell?" he cried.
"What?" Mai asked, but she sounded slightly nervous.
"Smell" Joey repeated "like perfumes, a bunch of perfumes. And there coming from your Cards, Mai!"
Mai's face fell, but Joey's lit up with realization.
"So that's how you know what your Cards are; you sprayed them with different perfumes and memorized what each one is for each Card!"
Mai's eyes practically bulged out of her skull.
"No way!" she cried. "How could an amateur like you see through my aroma strategy?"

Destiny smirked.
She knew Mai wasn't psychic.

"Alright, Joey" the Pharaoh cried.
"Go get her" Ryou added.
"Just because you saw through my little Card trick doesn't mean you'll beat me" Mai snapped.
"Not true" Joey replied "before you were freaking me out with your psychic act and pitting me against my friends. But my mind's clear now and all you got are your cheap tricks."
Mai stared in shock.
"Now for my next attack I play Baby Dragon!" Joey announced as a tiny, orange Dragon with big baby-blue eyes rose up on the Field.
Mai laughed.
"That's your grand play?" she snickered. "I only wish that wimpy Card was worth more so I could devastate you're Life Points when I destroy it with Elegant Egotist" she held a Magic Card aloft. "It allows me to make duplicates of my Harpy Lady."
Blue light swarmed around the Harpy and soon two more sprang to life beside it.

Destiny drew in a sharp breath.
So it was three on one.

But Joey still had one trick up his sleeve.
"I ain't outta the woods yet. This is a tight spot" Joey declared. "So, I play Time Wizard."
Moments later, the brightly-colored clock with arms, legs, and eyes sprang onto the Field.

"Of course" Destiny whispered.
She saw it now.
The entire Duel Mai had only been juicing up her one Monster, the Harpy Lady. So, that meant it was probably the only Monster in her Deck.
If Joey beat Harpy Lady, Mai would be Monster-less.

Mai stared at the goofy-looking clock.
"What good is that thing?" she demanded.
"Don't ya know?" Joey asked. "The Time Wizard has the ability to advance time on the Field, aging my Baby Dragon and accelerating its Attack Points."
As he spoke, the Time Wizard raised its wand and blasted the entire Field with white light.

It was so bright that Destiny and Pegasus had to shield their eyes.

When the smoke cleared, Baby Dragon had enlarged and elongated with his eyes no longer bright and cute but narrowed and learned.
"Time Wizard has transformed Baby Dragon into Thousand Dragon" Joey explained "a full millennia has passed on this Field."
"So, you aged your Dragon, big deal" Mai sneered. "It still isn't strong enough to face my Harpy Ladies. Harpy Ladies, attack!" she commanded.
But the Harpies didn't move.
Their skin had turned paper thin, wrinkled, and sallow grey. They could barely move for most of their bodies were entrapped in weathering stone.
"What's happened to my Harpies?" Mai cried.
The Pharaoh laughed.
"Joey tried to warn you, Mai. An entire millennium has passed on the Field and now your Harpy Ladies are old and decrepit. Face it Mai, time has run out for you."
"Alright, let's end this thing" Joey cried, pumping his fist. "Go, Thousand Dragon. Attack with Inferno Breath."
Thousand Dragon lunged into the air and spewed a storm of molten flames upon the withered Harpies, barbecuing them to ash.
And Mai's Life Points hit zero.
Mai stared, too stunned to speak.
"How could I lose to such an amateur!" she cried forlornly.
"Hey, Mai" Joey called to her. "I told ya before; fighting and games are more than just whooping the others ass. If you ever want to be a true champion then you gotta learn to care about someone."
Mai looked pensive as she stared at Joey, who gave her a warm smile; her deep purple eyes misting slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Destiny say the Pharaoh give control back to Yugi with a smile that was almost kind.

Then the screen went dark.
"Well, that appears to be the end of Yugi-boy for the time being" Pegasus announced, pushing another button and he began scanning over other cameras at different points on the island.
"See ya" Destiny muttered, getting to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Pegasus asked as she headed for the door.
"Sorry, but I don't want to watch anybody but Yugi Duel. He's the only one that matters" Destiny replied. "I think I'll go take a walk, I haven't seen the entire Castle yet, after all."
Pegasus nodded.
"Alright, just don't go in the Dungeon."
Destiny stared.
"Why not?" she asked.
"It wasn't going to be used for anything so it was never completed; the walls and floor are mostly scaffolding. You could fall through to the foundation."
"Oh, okay" Destiny replied and left.

"Great, just great" Destiny stared dejectedly around the smooth, stone hallways. "How humiliating! I've gotten lost in my own Castle."
She glanced around.
"Maybe this place would be easier to navigate if everything didn't look the damn same" she muttered irritably.
Still cursing under her breath, she broke into a run down the hall and leaned around the corner hoping to find some stray Suit or maid that could give her directions.
No such luck. Instead, nothing more than a deserted and eerily quiet hallway met her gaze.
"For the love of God!" Destiny cried, throwing her hands up in dismay. "This sucks. What if I'm missing a good Duel right now?" she added, leaning against the protruding neck of a large, black dragon statue.
"Gah!" Destiny staggered away as her support suddenly slipped from under her. The dragon statue's head lowered almost to the ground, like a humble bow, and then quite suddenly the rest of its body swung away from the wall like a door.
In the hole, the absence of the dragon made, there was a set of musty stone steps leading down into what seemed like a bottomless pit.
"Where does that go?" Destiny wondered.
Her question was answered by the sign above the stairs.
DUNGEON
"Oh, so this is the dungeon?" Destiny bit her lip. "Pegasus said not to go down there" she muttered, backing up slightly. She took several solid steps away from the hole but a strange feeling washed over her. Her mind seemed to be urging her forward and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something down there she needed to see.
"I'll just take a little peek" Destiny assured herself as she tentatively stepped down onto the first step, then another, then another.
Down, down into the inky-black void.
Destiny half-glanced over her shoulder to be sure no one was around before continuing into the black, half hugging the wall for support.
She jumped in alarm as the dragon statue door slammed shut of its own accord behind her with an echoing bang.
Destiny grimaced.
She hoped there was a back door.
She nearly killed herself on the last step as the absence of light shielded the ground from view.
Stumbling and cursing, Destiny fumbled in the gloom, in search of a light switch.
Instead a bunch of torches lining the walls sprang to life and a dank, bleak sight met her eyes.
Rows of iron cells lined either side of the hall, the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of dark-grey stone rather than the rest of the Castle's brown. The air was moist, cold, and hung with a thick stench, like something rotting.
Hesitant, Destiny slowly made her way down the hall of prison cells.
Unfinished? She thought, this place seems more well down than any other area in the Castle.
The very aura of the Dungeon reeked with the odor of dirt, decay, and punishment.
Suddenly, Destiny stopped dead.
Out of the shadows, she heard a faint cough.
Her eyes jumped to the largest cell at the end of the hall.
A heaving, black mass was slumped against the wall at the back of the cell.
Destiny's heart stood still.
The mass was a person.
There was a person in their Dungeon!
But why? Pegasus had said the Dungeon was going to simply be for show.
Barely getting her bearings, Destiny rushed over to the occupied cell and knelt before the bars. The figure was small, sagging, and limp like a discarded doll. His body lay heavy with chains. His hair was a tangled mess that draped across his face like ripped curtains.
Destiny stared at him. She wanted to say something, but all sounds seemed jammed in her throat.
Then, the prisoner slowly raised his head and sunken, hollow eyes met Destiny's own, terrified gaze.
"Destiny?" the voice croaked.
Destiny stifled a scream.
It was Mokuba Kaiba.

A/N: Oh boy. Destiny has discovered the secret in the dungeons and its poor little Mokuba! What is she going to do? Leave reviews with your predictions