"What is going on here?" Fader said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean one second I'm talking to my father in my study then I walk through a door and start yelling at Evo about trying to kill you, then he becomes a monster, and you rescue me, wearing that!" he pointed at her outfit.
"You don't like it," she replied pouting.
"That's not it," Fader answered her. "It just doesn't make any sense."
"It isn't going to make any sense. It isn't supposed to. This is your mind. Everyone you've ever met, everywhere you've ever been, everything you've ever known is here." Serena then turned from him and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"Don't you mean where are we going?" she replied. "Shadi is still somewhere in your mind. I'm going to help you find him." The elevator doors opened and Serena stepped inside, Fader quickly followed her inside before they could shut behind him. The lift then began to descend. After what seemed like an eternity the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Fader took the first step out, cautiously as he took in the new setting.
"This place," he said in awe. "I can't believe it." Serena exited the elevator as Fader stared all around him.
"It's beautiful," she told him. The entire area was a lush green meadow surrounded by tall trees. In front of them was a small lake with a wooden dock.
"I came here when I was very young, once," Fader told her. "It was a camping trip with my father. I've been planning on taking you out here." He puased as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breth of fresh air. "It's even more amazing then I remember." Just then Fader and Serena spotted two people sitting on the dock and they walked over to meet the two strangers.
"About time you got here," Axis said as Fader approached.
"We were wondering if you were ever going to make it," added Vega.
Fader walked to the very edge of the dock and stared across the lake to the horizon and to the setting sun in the distance. After a minute he turned back to Vega, Axis and Serena who were watching him.
"You aren't going to cry on us, are you?" Axis asked him with a chuckle.
Fader shook his head. "I just," he started. "I just didn't realize how much of my life I had closed off. So many memories. I blocked most of them all out after my parents died. It was just too difficult to deal with. Now, it's like a floodgate has been opened in my mind, and the feelings, memories and emotions are just washing over me."
Vega stepped forward. "He's doing this to you on purpose you know? Opening your mind to your past, trying to distract you."
"Shaid?" Fader asked. "I just don't see how he's doing this."
"It's his Millennium Key," Serena explained. "He's using its power to not only enter your mind but to rearrange it. To use what he finds there against you to win this game."
Fader turned away from his friends and sat on the dock. He looked back at the sunset, it seemed as though the sun were bigger somehow. Cupping his hands together he reached into the water to get a drink. Something was off, he always remembered the water being cold, but now it was warm, bordering on hot.
He stood back up and noticed that the sun was definitelty bigger now, and getting bigger every second. It was coming towards him. Fader began to back up as he realized that the water was getting hotter and it began to boil, bubbles violently popping on the surface, as the sun approached faster and faster.
As the sun got closer and grew larger there was a huge flash of light. The four of them all covered their eyes. Before their eyes had adjusted two massive firey claws whipped forward and grabbed Vega and Axis. Fader looked up to see the Ceruvean Phoenix bearing down on him and Serena. Axis and Vega were both writhing in agony as the powerful talons crushed them.
"No!" Fader shouted as his friends began to scream. He turned to Serena to see that her face had become angry. Her wand began to glow. She then pointed her staff right at the Phoenix and a blast of energy shot forth and slammed into the Phoenix's centre. Nothing happened. The Phoenix retaliated by whipping out one of its wings, slamming it into Serena. She was sent flying and crashed into a tree before hitting the ground. She didn't rise.
"Fader!" shouted Vega. "You've got to help us!"
"I can't stop that monster! I don't have the power!" he called to her.
"You do," Axis told him. "This is your..." He voice was cut off as the Phoenix doubled the force of its claws. Fader could only watch as his friends screamed in pain as they were immolated.
Fader was alone against the Ceruvean Phoenix.
The Phoenix moved closer to him and then dove upon him and completely enveloped him. Fader couldn't see anything except the flames. He brought up his hands to try and pretect his face from the fire. Then to Fader's surprise the flames dissappated.
He was no longer in the meadow by the lake. He was instead in a barren wasteland atop a cliff. Everything was chaos. The sky was pitch black and lightning was crashing down in incredible amounts. The noise of the thunder- claps that accompanied them was almost defeaning. Fader walked over to the cliff precipise to look down into hte valley when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Shadi.
"What the hell is going on?" Fader shouted over the chaos.
"You already know that we are in the realm of the mind," Shadi answered him.
"And the game?"
"Is almost over."
"How does it end?"
"It will end when you understand. Or when you are dead," Shadi replied stoically. He pointed. "Look there."
Fader tunred back to the valley to what Shadi was pointing at, and was shocked. It was a duel. In the midst of all that was happening two people were actually dueling. Fader couldn't make out who the players were but the figures in front of them were Duel Monsters.
"This isn't one of my memories," said Fader.
"No. It is mine," Shadi explained. "Welcome to The End."
"That's not possible," Fader protested. "The End was fifty years ago. You can't be more than thrity yourslef. How is this your memory?"
"You are still bound by the limitations of the world that you know. My appearance may be that of a young man, but I am in reality over five thousand years old." He held up his Millennium Key. "Inside many of the Millennium Items dwells the spirit of one from times of ancient Egypt.. I believe you have had some experience with these spirits already."
"Evo," Fader answered without even thinking.
"Yes. With each generation there are those who are chosen to bear the Millennium Items, all except one. My Millennium Key has never been passed to a new bearer. Instead it has been my responsibility to watch over the Millennium Items and ensure that their balance of power is maintained. I have no host body in your world, instead I am but a shadow passing between the real world and shadow realm trying to maintain that balance." Shadi gestured out the duel. "This duel was the turning point of The End. It was to be the final showdown of good and evil forces from the Shadow Realm."
"What happened?"
"Watch."
Fader looked at the field of battle and recognition hit. The two monsters in front of one of the duelists were the Buster Blader and Dark Magician Girl. Fader didn't know what hte other duelist had, it was too dark to make out, but whatever it was, it was huge. The battle continued and the massive shadow lashed out and struck both the Buster Blader and Dark Magician Girl. Instead of being destroyed normally they cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Fader was then hit with another terrifying realization. They weren't duel mosnters, they were his friends. As he looked at thier broken forms he recognized them as Beezy and Serena.
"No!" he shouted once more. Anger at seeing the dead bodies of his friends filled his being. He had to do something. The answer had finally hit him. what everyone had been trying to tell him since he had arrived here. He jumped off the cliff. Shadi watched and nodded his approval.
Fader fell five stories from the cliff top straight down to the valley. Normally a person would have died from the drop. But Fader was not dead. Fader wasn't Fader anymore. When he landed he came to a rest on one knee, the earth cracking beneath him. Fader didn't even flinch. He had been transformed, and bore the armor of the Black Luster Soldier. His eyes were in a narrow focus and he glared at the monster that had killed his friends. He adjusted the sword in his hands.
"Chaos Blade!" he shouted as he ran forward towards the beast. He leaped into the air and slashed right through the monster, pouring all of the hatred and anger he was feeling into his blow, tearing it in two.
Fader blinked.
He was sitting in his chair at his desk. The same place he had been in before his shadow game had begun. He looked around for Shadi who was no where to be found. He felt something in his hand and opened his fist to find the final three pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean one second I'm talking to my father in my study then I walk through a door and start yelling at Evo about trying to kill you, then he becomes a monster, and you rescue me, wearing that!" he pointed at her outfit.
"You don't like it," she replied pouting.
"That's not it," Fader answered her. "It just doesn't make any sense."
"It isn't going to make any sense. It isn't supposed to. This is your mind. Everyone you've ever met, everywhere you've ever been, everything you've ever known is here." Serena then turned from him and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"Don't you mean where are we going?" she replied. "Shadi is still somewhere in your mind. I'm going to help you find him." The elevator doors opened and Serena stepped inside, Fader quickly followed her inside before they could shut behind him. The lift then began to descend. After what seemed like an eternity the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Fader took the first step out, cautiously as he took in the new setting.
"This place," he said in awe. "I can't believe it." Serena exited the elevator as Fader stared all around him.
"It's beautiful," she told him. The entire area was a lush green meadow surrounded by tall trees. In front of them was a small lake with a wooden dock.
"I came here when I was very young, once," Fader told her. "It was a camping trip with my father. I've been planning on taking you out here." He puased as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breth of fresh air. "It's even more amazing then I remember." Just then Fader and Serena spotted two people sitting on the dock and they walked over to meet the two strangers.
"About time you got here," Axis said as Fader approached.
"We were wondering if you were ever going to make it," added Vega.
Fader walked to the very edge of the dock and stared across the lake to the horizon and to the setting sun in the distance. After a minute he turned back to Vega, Axis and Serena who were watching him.
"You aren't going to cry on us, are you?" Axis asked him with a chuckle.
Fader shook his head. "I just," he started. "I just didn't realize how much of my life I had closed off. So many memories. I blocked most of them all out after my parents died. It was just too difficult to deal with. Now, it's like a floodgate has been opened in my mind, and the feelings, memories and emotions are just washing over me."
Vega stepped forward. "He's doing this to you on purpose you know? Opening your mind to your past, trying to distract you."
"Shaid?" Fader asked. "I just don't see how he's doing this."
"It's his Millennium Key," Serena explained. "He's using its power to not only enter your mind but to rearrange it. To use what he finds there against you to win this game."
Fader turned away from his friends and sat on the dock. He looked back at the sunset, it seemed as though the sun were bigger somehow. Cupping his hands together he reached into the water to get a drink. Something was off, he always remembered the water being cold, but now it was warm, bordering on hot.
He stood back up and noticed that the sun was definitelty bigger now, and getting bigger every second. It was coming towards him. Fader began to back up as he realized that the water was getting hotter and it began to boil, bubbles violently popping on the surface, as the sun approached faster and faster.
As the sun got closer and grew larger there was a huge flash of light. The four of them all covered their eyes. Before their eyes had adjusted two massive firey claws whipped forward and grabbed Vega and Axis. Fader looked up to see the Ceruvean Phoenix bearing down on him and Serena. Axis and Vega were both writhing in agony as the powerful talons crushed them.
"No!" Fader shouted as his friends began to scream. He turned to Serena to see that her face had become angry. Her wand began to glow. She then pointed her staff right at the Phoenix and a blast of energy shot forth and slammed into the Phoenix's centre. Nothing happened. The Phoenix retaliated by whipping out one of its wings, slamming it into Serena. She was sent flying and crashed into a tree before hitting the ground. She didn't rise.
"Fader!" shouted Vega. "You've got to help us!"
"I can't stop that monster! I don't have the power!" he called to her.
"You do," Axis told him. "This is your..." He voice was cut off as the Phoenix doubled the force of its claws. Fader could only watch as his friends screamed in pain as they were immolated.
Fader was alone against the Ceruvean Phoenix.
The Phoenix moved closer to him and then dove upon him and completely enveloped him. Fader couldn't see anything except the flames. He brought up his hands to try and pretect his face from the fire. Then to Fader's surprise the flames dissappated.
He was no longer in the meadow by the lake. He was instead in a barren wasteland atop a cliff. Everything was chaos. The sky was pitch black and lightning was crashing down in incredible amounts. The noise of the thunder- claps that accompanied them was almost defeaning. Fader walked over to the cliff precipise to look down into hte valley when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Shadi.
"What the hell is going on?" Fader shouted over the chaos.
"You already know that we are in the realm of the mind," Shadi answered him.
"And the game?"
"Is almost over."
"How does it end?"
"It will end when you understand. Or when you are dead," Shadi replied stoically. He pointed. "Look there."
Fader tunred back to the valley to what Shadi was pointing at, and was shocked. It was a duel. In the midst of all that was happening two people were actually dueling. Fader couldn't make out who the players were but the figures in front of them were Duel Monsters.
"This isn't one of my memories," said Fader.
"No. It is mine," Shadi explained. "Welcome to The End."
"That's not possible," Fader protested. "The End was fifty years ago. You can't be more than thrity yourslef. How is this your memory?"
"You are still bound by the limitations of the world that you know. My appearance may be that of a young man, but I am in reality over five thousand years old." He held up his Millennium Key. "Inside many of the Millennium Items dwells the spirit of one from times of ancient Egypt.. I believe you have had some experience with these spirits already."
"Evo," Fader answered without even thinking.
"Yes. With each generation there are those who are chosen to bear the Millennium Items, all except one. My Millennium Key has never been passed to a new bearer. Instead it has been my responsibility to watch over the Millennium Items and ensure that their balance of power is maintained. I have no host body in your world, instead I am but a shadow passing between the real world and shadow realm trying to maintain that balance." Shadi gestured out the duel. "This duel was the turning point of The End. It was to be the final showdown of good and evil forces from the Shadow Realm."
"What happened?"
"Watch."
Fader looked at the field of battle and recognition hit. The two monsters in front of one of the duelists were the Buster Blader and Dark Magician Girl. Fader didn't know what hte other duelist had, it was too dark to make out, but whatever it was, it was huge. The battle continued and the massive shadow lashed out and struck both the Buster Blader and Dark Magician Girl. Instead of being destroyed normally they cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Fader was then hit with another terrifying realization. They weren't duel mosnters, they were his friends. As he looked at thier broken forms he recognized them as Beezy and Serena.
"No!" he shouted once more. Anger at seeing the dead bodies of his friends filled his being. He had to do something. The answer had finally hit him. what everyone had been trying to tell him since he had arrived here. He jumped off the cliff. Shadi watched and nodded his approval.
Fader fell five stories from the cliff top straight down to the valley. Normally a person would have died from the drop. But Fader was not dead. Fader wasn't Fader anymore. When he landed he came to a rest on one knee, the earth cracking beneath him. Fader didn't even flinch. He had been transformed, and bore the armor of the Black Luster Soldier. His eyes were in a narrow focus and he glared at the monster that had killed his friends. He adjusted the sword in his hands.
"Chaos Blade!" he shouted as he ran forward towards the beast. He leaped into the air and slashed right through the monster, pouring all of the hatred and anger he was feeling into his blow, tearing it in two.
Fader blinked.
He was sitting in his chair at his desk. The same place he had been in before his shadow game had begun. He looked around for Shadi who was no where to be found. He felt something in his hand and opened his fist to find the final three pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.