Sorry about that joke. But hey, it's April Fool's Day-how could I resist? Now I'll finally update!

Whispering Hope: No, it wasn't destroyed. It was just sealed. Basically, nobody can get in it, and nobody can get out of it now.

John: Yes, that one was short. Freaky? Why thank you-that was the point. _ And you should have seen that one coming!

TDH: Thanks for the compliment.

LunaticChaos: Thank my friend. He told me to have someone use Toon monsters, since they are underrated. It turned out pretty good, in my opinion.

=P: Good job! You're the first person to notice that I changed Gaston's ability. Yes, I did change it-I thought it just cost way too much the other way. So it's just 1000 Life Points per direct attack, one monster per turn. Falcon Knight and Surprising Matasa do not require extra pay-quite an evil ability in some cases. I am revising chapter twelve to fit this new cost. I'm glad someone finally noticed though! And geez, that is one evil threat. o_o; I guess I have no choice-I must keep updating! _ I'm glad someone got caught by the joke, but please, don't kill me with a cheese grater. _

*Chapter 18: A Night of Horror*

Fell came to slowly, trying to remember what happened. The memory of the harsh waters was enough to make him open his eyes.

According to the sun, it was around noon. He was lying on the shore, the lake behind him. How he had managed to get all the way here was beyond him.

After viewing the scenery, he got up, still searching for Larka, Daine, and Malon. The shore was deserted though, except for himself.

Once that was confirmed, he began to walk towards the town. Information was best gathered in populated areas, after all.

*****

At about the same time, Daine was awakened by Malon, who was desperately barking and licking his face. Once he stood, the puppy leapt back, yipping happily.

They were on a small, bare island. There were no plants; the only thing besides rock was the two Soul Monsters.

"Did the other two make it?" he asked Malon.

Malon whined.

"We must have been separated…" He looked around. "But the main problem is how we are going to get off of this place."

Malon whined again.

After a few minutes of silence, they heard a roar. They looked up, and saw a Blue Eyes White Dragon flying towards them.

Malon growled at it as it landed beside them. Daine looked it over cautiously.

The Blue Eyes then laid its tail beside them, crouching down.

"Do you… want us to board you?" Daine asked.

The Blue Eyes hissed.
They jumped on it, and the dragon soared off, looking for its commander.

*****

"I can't stand this waiting!" Rue growled. "Are we almost to the lake shore?"

"Calm down. We'll get there soon enough," Will replied.

Once again, they were on the Skull Blood Pirate Ship, sailing for the place where they had come from. Darche had already sent out his three Blue Eyes to search for the missing companions, but so far, none of them had returned.

"Larka, Fell, Daine, and Malon should obviously be our top priority, but what are we going to do afterwards?" Hope inquired. "We barely managed to get away from the officials the first time… so how are we going to fight them?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Gaston assured. "Right now, let's concentrate on our most important task."

A snarl made everyone turn their attention to the Blue Eyes that was soaring towards them.

"Hey! Find anything?" Darche asked.

The Blue Eyes was too big to land on the ship, but it managed to connect its tail to the deck. Malon leapt down instantly, yelping in excitement. Daine calmly came down after him.

"Good going!" Darche complimented the dragon. "Will you please keep searching, or do you want to stop now?"

The Blue Eyes hissed gently before flying off to find the other two who were missing.

Hope had managed to get her hands on Malon, and was looking all over him. "No injuries, it appears… Daine, what happened?"

"Apparently, we got separated by the fierce waters. I was gripping onto Malon, so that's the only reason we managed to stay together. I have no idea where our masters are."

Malon whined at that.

"At least you two are safe. Who knows? Maybe the Blue Eyes will have some more luck."

"Where are we going right now? Back to the lake shore?" Daine asked.

"Yeah. We thought that would be the best area to look in right now."

*****

It was growing dark when Larka and Zack made it to the lake shore.

"Nobody is here yet… oh well. I guess we should just wait," Larka suggested.

"Not on the shore; we're too easily seen. Let's get under the trees nearby the lake. That way, we can wait for them to come, but we won't be as obvious to others."

"I wasn't thinking," Larka confessed as they approached the edge of the forest. "I'm just worried about them… especially Malon. He's only a puppy, after all."

"They'll come. We just have to be patient for it," Zack responded.

Larka sat down, leaning against a tree. "Yeah…"

"You can rest, if you want to. I'll watch for them," Zack offered.

"That's ok. I won't be able to fall asleep anyway."

"If that's what you want."

*****

The minute Fell stepped into town, he knew that there was something wrong. There were more officials around then usual. Not too many to be very suspicious, but more than usual. They were questioning random people, trying to learn facts from them.

Fell immediately hid behind a building, and using his keen hearing, listened to the closest inquiries.

"I just need to know if you have seen a girl with long hair and yellow eyes. You would recognize her instantly."

"No, nothing like that!"

"Very well. Thank you for your assistance."

So Larka's nearby… Fell thought. Apparently not here though. There's no point in staying.

He slipped out of town again, trying to decide where to go next.

"Hey, you! Over there!"

He hadn't gone unnoticed. A group of officials had seen his leave and followed.

"Halt! We need to ask you something!"

I don't have time to waste on them.

Fell was looking around to find which direction would be best to go, when he felt a sharp pain throughout his whole body.

What?!

He looked at the night sky, knowing what he would see.

The full moon.

That's right…

FLASHBACK

"Malon and I have already taken care of it. As long as we are nearby you and your sister on the designed day, it will not occur."

END FLASHBACK

But they aren't nearby anymore. So there's nothing to prevent… Another wave of pain caused him to snarl out loud.

"I knew it! It's one of them!" one of the officials yelled. "Get him!"

Fell wasn't concerned with that though. His fingernails were slowly growing longer, sharper. His teeth, which were more like fangs to begin with, were now becoming sharp as daggers. He had been strong and fast before, but now he felt overwhelming power. His eyes flickered shut, and when they opened again, they were no longer yellow, but red.

"Um… boss? Something isn't right," one of the officials warned.

"Aw shut up! He can't hope to get past all of us!" the leader said arrogantly. The thirty or so officials in his command, all armed, had to agree with that.

Then they saw his red eyes staring hungrily, and fear raced through them. Paralyzed with fright, they stood no chance when Fell lunged. His fingernails, much more like claws now, cut through them all. Blood flew everywhere as their bodies were sliced through, pieces of flesh going everywhere.

Three of the officials, near the back of the group, witnessed the massacre. Two of them were petrified with terror, but the third got over his shock. He fired his gun at Fell.

Not expecting an attack, Fell growled as the bullet grazed his side.

The official tried to aim again, but never had the chance to shoot. He didn't even know what killed him, as Fell had moved far too quickly for him to see. The other two alive met the same fate.

Fell smirked at the bloody pieces from the former officials.

It isn't enough… it never will be enough. I must kill more... and never stop until all are dead!

He turned to the town, seeing all of the people there.

And his claws, already coated with red, desired to be stained again.

*****

Larka screamed in pain as she felt the agony tear through her again. She felt her body change, reacting to the full moon.

"Larka! What's the matter?" Zack was trying to get her to answer him, with no success. It had been a sudden thing. One minute, there had been just silence, waiting for the ship to come. The next, Larka was crying in anguish.

Then she opened her eyes. Not much surprised him these days, but the red eyes that greeted him were certainly startling.

Larka snarled, and then leapt at Zack. Completely unprepared, he was thrown aside, crashing to the ground. Larka then slashed at him. If he had been a normal human, he would have been cut to pieces immediately. As it was, his metal body was practically immune to it.

Before she could attack again, Zack took action. He slammed his right hand into her stomach, throwing her off. She landed in a cat-like manner before springing at him again. He managed to get out of the way though.

What is going on? What happened to her? I can't attack... if I try to, I might kill her! I can't control my power well enough to guarantee safety!

He blocked another kick. Larka jumped back. Then she growled softly, and lunged. He had thought she was fast before, but that was nothing compared to this. He couldn't even see her now. She slammed into him, connecting several times with her fists to his chest, throwing him off the hill. He flew off and crashed onto the ground below.

Larka snarled in disgust.

Not even alive… a machine. As nice as it would be to cut him into slivers of metal, it just doesn't feel as well as spilling someone else's blood… slicing their flesh…

She ran off, leaving the unconscious cyborg where he lay.

*****

The screams of another civilian filled the area as Fell cut him apart. His Soul Monster, a Prevent Rat, squeaked in terror as it met the same fate. Although it had a thick hide of hair that could soften nearly any attack, Fell's fingernails were just too sharp to stop. Even the Iron Golem that was unfortunate enough to be in his way was cut to pieces. The metal creature, famous for its fabulous endurance, stood no chance. The man who had it as his Soul Monster was killed after his machine was finished.

It was lucky that it was night time, and that most people were off. Those who were not slain instantly teleported away, not even staying to see who was slaying their friends.

Fell looked around the area. Seeing nobody else in the deserted town, he ran outside, towards the mountains.

*****

Larka had run through the forest. She could smell the death that came from the town, and knew that there was no point in going there.

But there were others who were in the woods. She knew it.

And there they were. A small group of officials, about twenty. Not nearly enough to satisfy her crave for killing, but it would be a nice place to start.

The screams of the officials echoed through the area. A minute later and Larka was moving on, leaving the sliced-up corpses.

Then the Top Employee shakily climbed down from the tree he had hidden in. His light brown eyes, normally holding vicious cunning, were now wide with terror.

*****

"Hey, we're here!" Miles called.

"At last!" Rue said happily as the ship drew closer to the shore. "I thought I was going to die of boredom!"

"I thought I was going to die of seasickness," Gen muttered. He had been somewhat pale the entire trip.

Malon had jumped up on the side of the ship to get a good view of the shore. His fur suddenly stood up, and he barked fiercely.

"What's the matter?" Hope asked him.

Daine reared up, putting his paws on the side of the ship. He viewed the shore. "Someone's over there."

"What?" She then saw what he was referring to. "Not moving… I'll look. You guys wait here." She leapt over the side of the ship, landing in the shallows. She then walked over to the person Malon and Daine had seen. Gaston followed her.

As she approached, she suddenly realized who she was seeing. "Zack! What the…" She ran to his side and knelt, examining him. "He looks ok… what happened though?"

"Can you bring him around, or should we get another bucket of water?" Gaston suggested.

"Have you lost your mind? His body is like a machine! For all we know, he might get fried with his own electricity!"

"Oh yeah… it was just an idea."

"A bad one at that," she pointed out.

"I won't deny it."

They quit talking as Zack opened his eyes.

"Zack! Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" He stood up slowly. "I was just taken by surprise, that's all…"

By this time, everyone else had abandoned the ship, and was listening to the conversation.

"What happened to you?" Mana asked.

"I was attacked… something happened to Larka. She became vicious…"

"Larka was here?" Hope inquired.

"Yes. When I came to this world, I found her. But when it was night, she attacked me…"

"But Larka's so gentle! Why would she do that?" Hope wondered.

Malon yelped. Daine looked at the sky and growled.

"It's a full moon… that explains."

"What is it?" Brandi inquired.

"We can explain later. Right now, we only have time to explain what you need to know. Our masters are not the same. They do not even know who they are anymore. They will continue to fight, and kill, until the night is over. Once it is morning, they will become normal again."

"You said they will keep on killing though! We can't just stand aside and let that happen!" Draken protested.

"There is a way to halt the process early. If I can get close to Fell, I can stop him. Malon can also stop Larka."

"Really? That sounds almost like what Olympion does to help Max," Gaston commented.

"Maybe they are somewhat similar, but I can see many differences," Hope stated. "We can argue about that later though. We need to find those two first."

A roar caused her to pause in mid-thought. A Blue Eyes landed in front of Darche. Its leg had a gash on it.

"What happened to you?" Darche asked it.

The dragon replied with what sounded like a cross between a hiss and a whine. Everyone winced at the sound.

"Judging by his description, Fell attacked him," Darche told the group. "The dragon was confused about whether to fight or not, since I said to bring them back safely, so he came here to report."

"Can he take us to Fell?" Will asked.

The dragon hissed softly.

"Yes, he can lead the way. We're lucky that wound isn't too deep," Draken said.

"Then let's hurry," Miles suggested. "I don't want to be looking over my shoulder the entire night for two psychos."

"True that," Neo replied as they followed the dragon.

*****

Larka's ears twitched as she heard an approaching group of people.

She was leaving the forest, hoping to find some more creatures to slaughter. And she had already found a crowd.

She wasted no time in running towards them, teeth bared.

*****

"What if he's already gone?" Gen inquired as they followed the Blue Eyes.

"Let's think about that when it actually happens," Mana recommended.

Malon had been quiet up to this point, a rare thing to happen. But now he perked up, sniffing the air, and giving a loud bark.

"What is it?" Daine asked.

Malon responded with a snarl, running ahead, to the forest. A figure darted out, grabbing the puppy around the throat.

"It's Larka!" Hope realized. But what startled her more was the black aura floating around Larka. It was like the one she had seen on Ender, but that one had spoken of anger and hatred. This aura seemed more… happy. Joyful to be killing, just the delight of slaughtering. She wanted to tear her eyes away from it, but knew that she would still feel the powers of it anyway.

Draken reached for his sword as the others braced themselves.

"Don't worry," Daine assured. "Malon will take care of it."

They turned back in time to see Malon begin to glow with a soft, white light. It spread over Larka, consuming her. Her eyes lost their red color, her teeth became duller, and her fingernails lost their wicked sharpness. She fell to her knees, dropping Malon to the ground as she clenched her hand over her heart.

The others advanced cautiously.

"Are you alright?" Hope asked.

"…Physically, yes… but just look at what I have done!" She showed them her hands, soaked with blood. "I attacked one of my own friends! And those officials… they didn't even know what hit them. I killed them all… they didn't stand a chance…"

"Look on the bright side," Rue said. "They were just officials."

Hope gave him a look that clearly told him to shut up. "It wasn't your fault. Try to calm down. We need to find your brother."

"He isn't with you?"

"No. He jumped overboard to try and help you. Daine and Malon followed, but we found them."

"I see…" She wiped the blood onto the grass. "Then I'll mourn later…"

*****

"Oh geez…" Rue gave the sight a look of disgust. "Looks like Fell got here first."

They were traveling through the town. Blood and other gristly objects stained the streets.

"And they were all innocents…" Larka whispered, hugging Malon to her chest. Although her grip was tight, the puppy wasn't complaining about the security she provided.

"Not all of them." Draken pointed at a piece of black cloth. "There go some of the officials we would have had to deal with."

Hope was sickened by the sight. "Let's leave quickly…"

"You took the words out of my mouth," Miles informed her.

*****

They followed the dragon towards the mountains, when it suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Darche asked it.

The dragon moaned.

"It's his leg," Draken explained. "He needs rest. Ok, go ahead and fly off-we can find our way from here. Thanks."

The Blue Eyes hissed, and then flew away, towards the mountains.

"So how much farther?" Gaston inquired.

"Not much at all," Draken answered. "A few minutes, and we'll be at the spot where he was attacked."

Rue was feeling quite uneasy about this whole thing. He kept running his fingers over his Duel Disk, wishing that he could have his battle axe with him. Trying to shake off his nervousness, he looked over at the trees nearby.

It was only a few seconds, but it seemed to take forever. Rue lunged, trying to get in front of Brandi in time.

I'll never make it!

That was his only thought, yet he had to try anyway.

Fell had leapt from his spot in the trees, darting towards Brandi, in an attempt to kill her, since she was at the back of the group. He lifted his clawed hand, and brought it down…

…To go through Rue's heart, right through his body.

Everyone turned to see Fell there, his hand going through Rue's body, before he extracted it. Rue collapsed, coughing up blood weakly.

Before they could get over their shock, Fell was attacking again. Hope was dimly aware of the black aura that surrounded him that was identical to Larka's. This time though, Daine ran over and lunged at his master. They hit the ground, Daine pressing down on his shoulders with his paws.

A black glow dispelled the aura, and Fell ceased his struggles. Daine leapt off, and Fell got up to view what he had done.

Ruecian was kneeling beside Rue, clearly worried. Everyone else was giving Mana some space to work in. She was the one who knew most about healing in their group, besides Claire.

Mana took Rue's arm and checked his pulse, and then she looked up grimly. "I'm sorry… but I can't heal this. Nothing can. He's… already gone…"

"That can't be!" Hope felt his neck, and shook her head. "No!"

"Damn… he's too bold… too reckless… maybe that's why I thought of him as my idol," Draken murmured.

Larka was trying to hold back tears, but failing. She looked over at Fell, to see his reaction to what he did.

She was shocked to see that his face was as emotionless as ever. He examined his bloody hands, and looked back over at Rue without even one trace of sadness.

"Why?!"

Everyone turned their attention to Larka. Even she was surprised at her outburst, but now that she had started, she couldn't stop.

"Why do you feel no guilt?! Why don't you show regret?! Even Zack feels sad about this loss-his eyes say that! But you, the executioner, don't even seem to mind! How can you be so cold when before you knew what sorrow was?! How?!"

Fell did not even flinch at the verbal assault. "We have two paths to choose from; one of pain and one of nothing. The painful one comes from friends. You feel happiness, but you also feel as though your heart is torn apart when they leave. I've had enough pain already… I took the road where, with no allies, comes no sorrow. I feel no regret about what I did-and nobody can force me to."

Draken glared at him, eyes full of hatred. "You're just envious that you don't know what happiness is! You could have chosen to become friends, and you know it!"

"Maybe if things had gone differently… but I did not get the luxury of choosing my own life. Another did it for me… one called Viken." He turned away. "Disgusted at my sight? Anyone would be. If you desire to mourn alone, I shall take no part. I will leave, if you wish."

"Then go!" Draken snarled. "Nobody cares about a cowardly bastard like you, because that's just what you are-a coward! One who chooses to hide from the world just to avoid being hurt, like a puppy that's been kicked too many times!"

Fell eyed him. "Words are not physical-they cannot wound anything but pride. But I have no pride to begin with, so you waste your time." He calmly walked away, heading to the forest. Daine followed him.

Zack shook his head. "There are too many ways to look at life. There can be no right or wrong way of living it, although many times I think otherwise."

Draken was shaking with anger and sadness. "How will we tell Claire?"
Hope suddenly gasped. A black aura was beginning to surround Rue, but yet again, nobody seemed to see it.

"Freeze!"

Everyone looked up to see several officials, all with guns. The barrels were pointed at the group members, including Fell, who hadn't made it to the forest yet.

"I can't believe it!" One of the officials stepped forward, obviously the leader. He had short, blond hair and brown eyes to accompany his suit. "You slaughter this many people after all of the other crimes you have committed? You cretins!"

"That CANNOT be a Commander of Heaven," Will muttered. "He acts too stupid."

"All of you, surrender! Or we will fire!"

"Well, he has us there," Miles said. "We can't move faster than a gun."

"Damn right you can't! Now, unless you want to die, surrender!"

Then, to everyone's surprise, Rue leapt up and held out his hand. Darkness came out from it, slashing apart the officials. They screamed as their bodies were pierced by the black energy, collapsing. The only one who managed to avoid it was the leader. He had brought up an Attack Nullification in time.

"What the…?!" The official was completely shocked.

"Rue…?" Larka asked.

Rue smirked, opening his eyes. Hope immediately recognized those completely red, horrifying eyes.

"Demon Rue!"

"Correct." He smirked. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"But how? Rue's heart was torn through… you shouldn't be able to be here…"

"You would be surprised of what darkness can do. My powers are not to be taken lightly; I simply healed the wounds." He looked over at the official. "Once this fool is dealt with, I will have to leave though. I was banned from using much of my power, and even doing that small attack is taxing."

"So you want to try and kill me?!" the official shouted. "Fine! We'll duel! And the loser will die!"

Demon Rue laughed at that. "You? Defeat me in a duel? Very well… I could use some amusement." He took Rue's deck out of his Duel Disk and slipped in his own.

The official's Soul Monster had come out by now. It was a grizzly bear, a very big one. She stood about seven feet tall on her rear legs.

"Alright, let's begin! I'm Guy, and that's Wanda!"

"Guy? What kind of a name is that supposed to be?" Miles joked.

"Oh shut up!"

Guy: 8000

Demon Rue: 8000

"I'll go first!" Guy announced. "Let's start off this match with a little gambling! I play Ante Battle!"

"I have not heard of that card," Demon Rue told him.

"We each pick a card in our hand. The person with the higher level monster gets to keep their card. The loser is forced to discard their card to the Cemetery, and lose 1000 Life Points! So what do you choose?"

"What about magic and trap cards?"

"They automatically have a level of zero."

"In that case… I choose Mad Dog of Darkness. (1900/1400) He's a level four monster."

"Well, I picked Koitsu, or 'This Guy'! (200/100) He's a level ten monster, so you lose the Ante Battle!"

Demon Rue's eye twitched. "A two hundred attacker… one hundred defender… is level TEN?"

"You'll see why soon enough! I lay one monster in defense mode, and one card down. It's your turn!"

Guy: 8000

Demon Rue: 7000

"An early lead, but you won't hold it for long. I summon Blood Vors (1900/1200) and attack your monster."

"I activate Attack Nullification, blocking your attack!"

"I have nothing more to do then, besides laying three cards down."

"On my turn, I flip over X-E-N-O! (200/100) When flipped over, I get to take control of one of your monsters. So your Blood Vors is now mine!"

"No counter to that…"

"I sacrifice your Blood Vors to summon Aitsu, or 'This Guy'! (100/100) Then I end by laying another card down."

"It's even weaker! In fact, as ridiculous as this is, I have the perfect move. I summon Kuribo! (300/200)"

"…You've got to be kidding."

"No joke. Kuribo, attack his X-E-N-O!"

Guy: 7900

Demon Rue: 7000

"Well, as sad as that is, it gives me an advantage, since Wanda's Deck Master ability is activated. I search my deck for a water Main-Type with 1500 or less attack and special summon it to my field. So I special summon Koitsu! (200/100)"

"It's just as pathetic…"

"Not quite. Is it my turn? In that case, I activate Koitsu's Union ability! By attaching himself to Aitsu, my monster's attack goes up by 3000! (3100/100)"

"…That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen, except for Skull Servant."

"It won't seem so stupid once it destroys you! Aitsu, obliterate that Kuribo!"

"I activate Multiply. By sacrificing my Kuribo, I get five Kuribo tokens, in defense mode. (300/200)"

"Fool! When Aitsu is equipped with Koitsu, he also gains a trample ability!"

"…Damn it. Well, I might as well take you down with me. I activate Destruction Ring, destroying your monster."

Guy: 4800

Demon Rue: 3900

"Rats! Oh well. If Aitsu is to be destroyed, I actually lose Koitsu instead. No problem though. I'll just lay one card down…"

"Activate Cyclone."

"…So much for Emissary of Harmony… I end."

Demon Rue shook his head at his draw. "This is the lamest duel I have ever fought. I switch all of my Kuribo tokens to attack mode, and they all attack."

Guy: 3400

Demon Rue: 3900

"Argh! I'm getting killed by little fuzz balls! I play Cross Soul! This allows me to sacrifice one of your monsters as my own! So I sacrifice your Kuribo token to summon Aitsu!"

"…You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Kuribo tokens can't be sacrificed to summon, idiot."

"Oh no!"

"This is so dumb it isn't funny," Miles murmured.

"Don't make understatements," Will chastised him.

"I lay one card down, and then my Kuribo tokens attack."

Guy: 1900

Demon Rue: 3900

"When you draw, I active Lost Property."

"No! My Raise Dead! I pass…"

"And my Kuribo tokens attack…"

Guy: 400

Demon Rue: 3900

"Let it end, please!" Neo muttered.

"…I activate Ante Battle. I choose Koitsu again."

"I choose Skilled Black Magician. (1900/1700) He's only level four…"

"For crying out loud… I pass…"

Guy: 400

Demon Rue: 2900

"My Kuribo tokens end the duel."

Guy: 0

Demon Rue: 2900

"As pathetic as that was, you still lost more than your pride-you also lose your life." He lifted his hand, and blasted both Guy and Wanda with more black energy. They were slain instantly.

Demon Rue sighed. "Already, I'm exhausted. I will have to relinquish control over to my host. He will be weary as well, but he will live." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all traces of red were gone. If Ruecian hadn't caught him, Rue would have collapsed.

To be continued…