AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the next-to-last chapter. I have a string-tying one slated for the last one, if anyone's interested. I have nothing against heavy metal; it just seemed like the kind of music Pegasus wouldn't like.

Chapter Eleven:
Mind of the Cards
16 August

Ailill wasn't sure how long he continued to run. Everyone he encountered got out of his way and got out of his way fast. It was no time before he had departed the castle, gone through a random door, and found himself in a room he had seen before, but never from this point of view.
"Wall Shadow! Attack Celtic Guardian now!"
"Kunai Whip Chain!"
It was thankfully devoid of the speakers this time. Ailill walked over to the opponents' end of the dueling field, then climbed onto it and sat down where the entrance to the maze used to be, where he had begun that duel, pulling his knees up to his chin and staring across. Somehow he had trouble believing this was at all the same field. After all, the maze was gone. No seeing duel was taking place.
"He's the one who should be saying he's sorry, for ever saying you're a bad duelist!"
Right then Ailill wanted more than anything else to let Haku blast him again, and let it be permanent this time.

***

(Jewel? Jewel, are you there?)
Morgan could sense the incredulity all around her. After all, Jewel was gone.
But Gabriel had asked her to at least call for him, and by whatever was necessary, Morgan was going to do it. She. Would. Do. It.
(Jewel?)
(Morgan?)
And to herself she thought- (yes yes yes yes yes)
(Yes, it be me. Jewel, Gabriel needs you)
(How so?)
('Tisn't right that you shouldn't have a card, Jewel, and Gabriel's going to fix it)
(He can't put mine back together, can he?)
(No, but there's an extra one, and he can put you in it if you want to)
(All right then)
And then she reached out with a firmer kything line, took it to Jewel, and at the same time flung the other end so that it twined down the one she had sent to Gabriel, so she was only holding the middle, and then Morgan let go.

***

Everyone had gathered around Gabriel, who was barely aware of them. He could sense Morgan removing herself from the line, so now it was just Jewel on the other end.
(Gabriel you could do it)
(I am not certain yet but I think there is a chance. But Jewel, the numbers might not go up to fit you)
(I don't want high numbers anyway. The high numbers were why the Master before didn't use me, why Michael didn't like me)
The card in Gabriel's hand began to glow, as did the puzzle. Gabriel focused even harder, yanked on the kything line and pulled Jewel closer to him, closer to the card.
(Jewel, prepare yourself)
(I already did)
(I will perform the spell on three. One…)
Yugi's wide eyes, if that was possible, got even wider. Mokuba Kaiba put both hands before his face, palms outward.
(Two…)
(oh no not going to make it not going to make it not going to make it)
Then he felt Morgan taking hold of the kything line again. No, not taking hold, exactly; more like she had tied another line to this one, closer to Gabriel. He felt others attaching themselves to Morgan's line, adding their force to his pull. Aoibheann, Black Jade and Brendan, Amaguri, Chihiro and Sapphire, others whose names he did not know.
He drew Jewel still closer, and the glow of the card grew even brighter. Gabriel shut his eyes and took a firmer grip on the card and the kything line and felt all the force that was with him and put all of it into one final pull.
(THREE!)
He felt like his mental hands were suffering major rope burn, not to mention dislocation. He felt as if he was being forced to hold a burning iron rod. It seemed as if everyone in the world was screaming for one moment, and then everything was silent.
Gabriel felt the floor against his knees; he couldn't recall when he had begun to kneel. He could hear Yugi call, "Gabriel, are you okay?" And the voices along the kything line-
(Hey, Gabe. Ya feelin' okay?)
(Gabriel, are you all right?)
(Gabriel, 'tis my fault if you are harmed)
-they wouldn't go away and even though he knew they meant it for the best, they bothered him. Then Chihiro's kythe came, worried- (Dark Magician, you'd better not have misplaced Jewel after all the help we've given you, or you'd better not come back!)
Gabriel opened his eyes and looked at the card in his hand. He reached out with the other one, took hold of the edges, and flipped it face up. He smiled.
(Don't worry, Chihiro, I didn't misplace him)
And now Yugi and his friends were crowding around, gaping at the sight. The card now had a picture, though not the original. The words at the top no longer said Celtic Guardian, the name they had given Ailill. The fourth Blue Eyes White Dragon, on the surface just like the other three; but he knew better. He would never mistake Jewel for Haku or Sapphire. It was something in his heart that told Gabriel the difference.
There was also the other fact about the card that hadn't changed.
He shoved the card hand out in Yugi's general direction. "Get this to Ailill," he gasped. "He'll understand when he sees it. Just get it to him." With that he suddenly didn't feel strong enough to do anything besides breathe. Everything seemed to go limp, and the last thing he saw was a shifting design.

***

Ailill wasn't sure how long he sat there, replaying in his mind every detail of the seeing duel in which he had participated, and all the ones before that. There was only one after that.
At least then nobody but the opponents could have known the dungeon worm would get him. Not even Gabriel could have known; he was too busy rescuing Brendan. Not that Ailill blamed him for that; nobody could have known the worm would go for him first.
Then again, he should have guessed it would. His numbers were the lowest of all of them in the maze. Besides, he always got the impossible battles.
"What is this, dat Brothers Paradox thing?"
Ailill nearly fell right off the field.
"Yes, Joey, I think it is."
"So where'd the Brothers Paradox get to, then?"
"You know, Joey, even they have to take a break once in a while."
"Oh, right. Sorry for buggin' ya, Yuge."
Ailill looked up to see Black Jade's Master (he knew mostly because he talked like Jade), who had just turned to look straight at him. The latter spoke first. "Hey, um, what's your name again?"
"Ailill."
"Cool. Hey, Yuge, remember Gabe said we were supposed ta' show him dat card?"
Yes, a whole awful lot like Black Jade.
And now this child he had once called Master and who everyone else called Yugi was walking forward, holding out a card. "Dark Magician said to get this to you. He said you'd understand."
Ailill stepped off the field and walked toward him, cautiously, half expecting him to take out a Kunai Whip Chain and force him to return to the dark. But instead he just held the card out even further.
Ailill took it and flipped it face up. One moment later he was holding it close to his eyes, which were widening by the moment.
Jewel had gotten another card. He suspected it was one of the two Gabriel and he had vacated.
(oh well they were put to good use I guess)
Because after all Jewel didn't want to see all the time. All Jewel wanted was to be someone's. And now he was again.
Only, something wasn't the same.
The numbers- yes, that was it, the numbers. Attack fourteen hundred, defense twelve hundred. Less than half the number Jewel ought to have, as a Blue Eyes White Dragon. And then Ailill realized-
(they're MY numbers!)
-and he almost fell over out of sheer dismay. The numbers wouldn't change to fit, and now Jewel was consigned to the same fate he had thought would be his; Jewel would be the one to never win a duel.
(Why does it always have to be this way)
(Don't worry, Ailill)
Ailill nearly dropped the card.
(Jewel is that you)
(Who did you think it was, Chihiro? Don't worry about the numbers. It's an honor to have the numbers of a friend like you. Only people like Michael wouldn't want the numbers of a friend like you. Numbers haven't got anything to do with anything that matters)
A thought jumped into Ailill's mind, and he smiled at it.
(Now you are very special, Jewel)
(How so?)
(Because there are three Blue Eyes Dragons with the same numbers. You're the only one with these numbers. You're one of a kind)
(So are you, Ailill. Everyone's one of a kind. Michael's uniquely annoying)
(I'll say he's annoying)
"Ya know, that's quite a point he got there, Yuge."
"What do you mean, Joey?"
Ailill dropped the kything line to stare at Joey and Yugi; the puzzle around the neck of the latter was still glowing. "Sorry if it was supposed to be private," said Yugi, "but Yami found out something else the puzzle could do, and he decided to test it out."
"Are ya even listenin' ta' me, Yuge? You're the only duelist ever to have a fourteen-hundred-attack Blue Eyes!"
"Technically, Joey, Jewel isn't mine."
Jewel decided to add something- (I guess that's true. The last master didn't pass me on with everyone else)
Sapphire's kythe (Ailill suspected he did it deliberately) echoed around the room- (Hey, older sister!)
(Yes, Sapphire?)
(If older brother Jewel has different numbers, does that make him a different kind? Does that mean Master can use him now?)
Joey flailed his arms. "Nuh-uh! No way Yugi's just gonna hand this card to Kaiba… um, you wouldn't would ya, Yuge?"
Yugi laughed. "No, Joey, I wouldn't. Because you see… do I really need to explain?"
"Oh, no, heart of the cards an' everythin', that's right."
"Who are these in the duelists' sanctum?"
"The art of dueling has hit rock bottom!"
Joey nearly hit his head on the "rock bottom" of the floor. "Oh no, just who we don't need ta mess up da happy reunion, 'sides of course Téa makin' another speech like da last one. I think she's really lost her touch. An' I'm not sure if these two rhymin' idiots ever had a touch."
"Enough of your sneers!"
"For we are your worst fears!"
Ailill felt the Sweat Drop of Annoyance™ form on the back of his head. "I hope you brought the decks. I think they want a seeing duel."
"Well, they're not getting one."
"Yah, that's for sure, Yuge."
(That's for sure, Lill)
Ailill turned to Joey, who nodded while looking somewhat baffled, probably from hearing someone who sounded so much like him. They both looked at Yugi, who grabbed the puzzle; it began to glow even brighter.
The rhyming brothers blinked and stared at the three who were grinning like crazy people. They had no warning when Black Jade screamed a kythe directly at them. Ailill knew when it connected because they grabbed their heads, shrieked in unison (Ailill wondered briefly if shrieks could rhyme) and then burst out of the room.
"What was that word?" asked Yugi.
"I don't know, Yuge, but boo it wasn't."
Jade was laughing too hard to answer for a while.
(Time Wizard)
Yugi and Joey spoke at the same time. "Time Wizard?"
(Yah, Time Wizard. I ought ta' try shoutin' it at Mikey sometime, maybe it'll work on him, too. Though maybe Rex Raptor'll work better)
They all laughed at that. Jade was the first to remember.
(Shouldn't you be headed back to seeing duel the Eye Guy now?)
"That's a very good point, Black Jade. Where is Pegasus, though?"
Yugi and Joey both turned and looked at Ailill, who replied promptly. "I think I know, unless they've found a big enough jar."
Yugi blinked. "Big enough jar? What do you mean, big enough jar?"
Ailill smiled and began, "Chihiro had this idea…"

***

Everyone looked up when the three of them entered, and Gabriel smiled very wide. Yugi's eyes formed questions when he saw the giant clay Greek-winebottle-jug-thingamabobber they had appropriated. A tablecloth had been flung over the top and secured with a chain, and Seto sat on top of that.
"We've got the jar part done all right," said Tristan. "The problem is finding music he thinks is annoying."
Mokuba nodded with considerable force. "Yeah! We played the Barney Theme Song at the highest loudity and it drove Seto half-crazy and all he did was…"
Ryou finished the sentence. "… sing along."
"Not only that," Tristan moaned, "it got Téa started too! Even after we turned it off, she kept on and on and on…"
"Guys," Yugi said, "could you please open it now? We have a duel to fight, you know."
Seto nodded curtly and jumped to the floor, then grinned as an idea occurred to him. "When we get back to Domino… we can always make him listen to heavy metal."
Pegasus came out of the jar, looking extremely miffed- in fact, Seto speculated, he set a new record for miffed-ness. He turned to see the puzzle glow again, and Yugi stepped forward, first pulling a few cards out of his deck and handing them to Gabriel. "Pegasus, it's time to duel!"
(He can win against my deck without Exodia, I'm sure he can handle this without Dark Magician and accessories)
And everyone but Yugi and Pegasus headed for the path to the balcony, where they all came out a minute later and collectively leaned on the railing to watch the duel.

***

Ailill was nervous.
They were both arranging themselves at the dueling stations. He could hardly stand to look at Pegasus, but when he finally did, much of his worry went away. Pegasus's power was shattered. Sure, he had that power officially, but he no longer believed he had it. And he didn't.
Even if he wanted to, Ailill couldn't forget he had held Pegasus's life in his grip. One really hard squeeze and he could have destroyed the creator of the cards for good and for forever, not just until the end of the duel.
That feeling was hard for anyone to forget.
And now Yugi was looking up, either at him or at Gabriel who was next to him, but it didn't matter because he would see both of them, and Ailill grinned.
(let's see how did it go again)
He held out his right fist, as if he was going to punch something. He lifted his thumb so it was at right angles with his curled-up index finger, pointing straight up. His grin widened.
Yugi saw, and smiled, and did one right back.
The duel began.
Guess who won?