Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series

Parallel

Chapter 048

Song: Echo Inada - Memories (feat. Sula Mae)

Originally Written: Friday, April 22, 2022 550AM to 637AM

. . . . .

"How?" Marik fell to his knees on the Duel Arena. His shaky hands reached out for something only he could see. "We…You took him." His hair did not drop back down. It was stuck in those awkward spikes far too similar to Yugi's own hair. Permanently.

Yugi, controlled by Pharaoh, knelt next to Joey. "You did it." He leaned in close, almost bowing. "You won, Joey. Rest now. We'll take it from here."

Tristan held Joey up in his arms. Joey's head slumped forward as though he were a rag doll. "C'mon man. You won. You're supposed to do your victory laps and shit first." Tristan's voice wavered. There were no physical injuries on Joey from Ra's final attack, but everyone knew that was no reason for him to not be unconscious.

Joey knocked himself out using the last bits of will he had to summon the last monster he needed to wipe out Marik's life points: Gearfried the Iron Knight. Sheer determination got him through the attack. He whispered the command to attack while lying prone on the floor with his eyes closed.

"Brother." Serenity cried into her hands. "Wake up soon, Joey. You're so strong. I love you so much."

Seto walked up to the dueling arena, standing behind Marik. "I told you. I told you not to push them." He sat next to Marik. "You challenged your opponent to a shadow game and lost. Most people would not be alive after that. You are done."

Marik looked at him, a clear look of confusion on his face. He stared.

"You'll attack them again, bet what's left of you, and they will take it." Seto sighed and leaned back against the railing of the arena. "Aren't you tired yet?"

Marik turned his head and looked at them. Bakura, alongside medical staff, hovered over Joey. A golden yet shadow-filled light radiated from his hands, despite him not having the Millennium Ring.

"Go back to your brother and sister." Seto continued. "You don't have to follow the Pharaoh. No one will punish you for not. The Pharaoh you're attacking probably wasn't even the one who gave your family those ridiculous orders to become his family's vassals. Even if he was, do you really think he'll punish you if you all simultaneously say 'I don't want to anymore.'? Just…stop. Stop already. Please."

Tears streamed down Marik's face. "They took him…He took him…" He reached his hands out. "Bring him back…bring him back…"

"Pharaoh's mercy is that he's not taking the rest of you!" Duke shouted from across the field. "Our mercy is that we're not kicking your ass right now! Regular people don't belong in your crazy ass shadow whatever matches, dude! What the fuck!?"

Marik looked at Seto. He reached up and grabbed his shoulders. "You can…You can…" His hands shook against Seto. "Bring him back."

Seto shook his head, "I apologize. I cannot do what you want. I'll finish this, but I can't do so in a way you'll like." He looked at Mokuba, whose eyes flitted between looking at Joey being carted off away on a gurney, and watching Seto and Marik.

Marik's eyes followed his gaze.

"He is my Odion. Noah was my Ishizu. Understand?"

Marik's hands dropped from Seto's shoulders. His head fell against Seto. Marik sobbed. Wailed. No one for a moment thought that the teen had even considered the possibility of losing.

"For what it's worth. I know Amane had a hand in dragging you into this. I'm sorry that she did." Seto sat with Marik until Odion and Ishizu's shadows appeared hovering over them. Both teens looked up at them. Odion knelt down in front of Marik.

Marik slowly traced the bandages on Odion's arms. "They took him."

"I know." Odion whispered. "I'm sorry."

"He pushed me out the way."

"He did?" Odion pressed his forehead to Marik's. "A noble sacrifice."

"We…don't…" Marik blinked and shook his head. "We…I…don't…"

"He sacrificed himself, so you can live. That's a noble sacrifice, isn't it?" Ishizu stood with a hand on her hip. "So? What do you wanna do first? I'm throwing you into the ocean if you say 'get him back'. You'll have impromptu swimming lessons."

Marik looked up at her.

She flared her hair out with a scoff. "Take your punishment like a man already, would you?" She rolled her eyes, "What? You thought we'd leave you to mope? You're an adorable, hopeless, dork. I swear."

Marik looked at Seto. "What do I do?"

"Hm…You can do anything you want." Seto adjusted his glasses, trying to avoid looking at Ishizu's legs. "You can learn to play guitar or piano or violin or the marimba. An accordion even. Any instrument you choose. Or not play an instrument. You can try out all the different kinds of pizza across the world. Open a motorcycle store. Run a gang or crime syndicate. Pretend you're Batman and be the one who stops gangs and crime syndicates. Travel the world. Go to school. Marry and have children. Marry and don't have children. Don't marry. Start your own harem. Focus on loving yourself. Finish your clan's mission. Turn your back on your clan's mission and tell the Pharaoh he has to figure it all out himself. Or just lay in bed all day missing your other half. The options are as vast as the sky above you. You can do anything you set your mind to." Seto cleared his throat. "Regrettably, you can also go on another killing spree, but you've seen how that ends already."

Somehow, in some way, a trio of siblings stopped fighting and trying to kill each other and sat down to discuss what they would do now instead. Occasionally Seto would make his own input, but they didn't ask much of him, because he clearly needed to sleep. Ishizu all but demanded he did. Mokuba joined in a little after, guided by Duke. Mokuba squeezed in the group, and sat on Seto's lap, despite his protests.

Seto looked up at Duke. "Pardon the interruption, but I believe I asked a favor of you."

"I know. I know, but…" Duke shook his head. "I can't…" He ran a hand down his face. "I can't keep him from you anymore. He knows. He gets it." He wildly gestured to the events taking place in the lower levels of the building. "You saw the same shit we just saw. I can't. Not in good faith or whatever. You know what I mean."

"I don't care how safe you want me, big bro." Mokuba looked up at him, with a stern frown on his young face. "There isn't anything you're doing without me anymore."

"Well, you don't wanna be there when he's having sex, believe me." Ishizu cut in from her spot kneeling on the floor. "Depending on how loud he is, you might not want to be in the same building."

Duke huffed a small, helpless laugh. Seto choked on air, red in the face. He quickly ducked his head, and busied himself with his glasses. Mokuba blushed and glared up at her.

Marik cracked a small smile.

Odion huffed in annoyance. "Must you always be so crude?"

Ishizu winked at him, and ruffled Marik's hair.