Ok. I am finally writing again. After a month-long vacation with dad and some time after that to just laze around, I'm in the mood to continue once more. It feels good to be back on track!
For the last time I updated the visions Will sees in the church. You can go and look back if you wish, unless I see something absolutely vital that I missed, that will be the complete version. About time too.
Moonjava: Why thank you, I enjoyed writing it!
john: Eh, there were hints for relationships everywhere, although Larka and Zack certainly didn't get as much time as Hope and Max to show it. Anyway, call me a stick in the mud but I don't like many comedy shows like that.
Captain Obvious: Yep, I love touching scenes like that. Hopefully updates will come a lot quicker from now on…
Demon Fan: Hey, don't look at me. Things happen sometimes. It may seem like a pointless thing to occur but there really is more to it than that.
Epyon: Oh no! Don't 'sick' them on me! And keep that Armads away, darn it! I'm working, see? I got a chapter up after all! But seriously, thanks a lot for reading all the arcs, reviewing them, and still wanting more! I'm glad you like it! Please keep telling me what you think of them, your comments are hilarious!
Even though Time Mage will probably not be seeing this chapter, I still send a thanks in your direction for reviewing my earlier chapters. Who knows, you might get to this chapter and see it someday.
Chapter 16: Reuniting of Loved Ones
Hearing Brandi's cry, Matt leapt up instantly after he detached his Envoyant Machine and Duel Disk, running towards her room. Max started to follow, but hesitated, glancing back at Hope.
"I'll look after her," Gaston assured, kneeling down beside her. That was all Max needed to hear before he was off running again.
When he arrived in the room, Matt and Abby were already there, standing nearby the doorway while staring at the scene.
Hime sat next to the bed, her eyes downcast. Brandi was sitting up in the bed, holding onto Mana's body as though it were a lifeline while her tears fell. Seeing how still Mana was and how she did not react to Brandi's hold made Max instantly guess what had basically happened.
"Brandi… what happened?" Abby asked softly, going up to the bed and sitting next to her.
Her daughter did not even look up, still sobbing uncontrollably.
Seeing that Brandi was not in any state to explain what had occurred, Hime began to speak. "It seemed like Brandi would die from her sickness at any time. Mana tried to purge it from Brandi, and although she was successful, it took too much of her own life force. Now… Mana…" Hime shook her head.
Silence filled the room, only broken by Brandi crying, as everyone tried to grasp what she had said. Max especially felt a large amount of pain from what had been announced. After living for so long with basically just his sister and their Soul Monsters, he had known Mana very well. To have her lost to them would have hurt severely at any time, but to have it happen so quickly, without warning…
Although Abby had not known Mana as well, she had grown attached to her in the short amount of time they had lived with each other. This was not something she could easily accept either, and she knew that Chasity, when she learned of what had happened, would not get over it for quite some time.
As for Matt… he would mourn, but would spend most of his time trying to comfort Brandi. That Abby knew full well.
"Hime…" Abby began, looking over at Mana's body.
"I understand," Hime said.
Abby lightly placed her hand on Brandi's shoulder. "There is nothing more you can do for her."
Brandi did not respond.
"Please… let go of her," Abby whispered.
Still, Brandi remained as she was.
Matt approached them, glancing at Abby. She nodded, and moved aside. Matt sat down next to Brandi and said, "She wouldn't want you to react like this. It won't help to hold onto her corpse. She gave up her life for yours, and she would not be able to rest in peace if she knew you were going to remain like this."
For a moment, Brandi did not react. Then she finally laid Mana's body down, and let Matt wrap his arms around her as she continued to cry.
Hime picked up the corpse before leaving, with Abby and Max quietly following her. They knew Matt would be more qualified for handling this situation.
Hope and Gaston had remained in the living room, both feeling very anxious over the cry they had heard. Tenma wasn't around; he must have reentered his Soul Card instead of going to the real world. So it was just the two of them in there, waiting.
Then Max, Abby, and Hime came into the room. Although both of them caught sight what Hime carried, Gaston was the one who said, "Mana! Is… is she…"
"I am afraid so," Hime replied softly.
Once more, silence reigned over them. After a few moments, Hime said, "I must take care of Mana's body. Please remain here while I do so."
"You won't wait until Brandi is here?" Gaston asked.
"She is traumatized by this. Seeing Mana like this again will only hurt her all the more," Hime told him.
"I see," was all Gaston said.
Hime then walked out of the room, to the front door, and exited the condo. After going to the ground level, she lay Mana down and clasped her hand around Mana's wrist.
After a few seconds, she nodded grimly. A pulse-a weak pulse, but one nevertheless-had proved that her suspicions were correct. Mana was not dead, but was in a deep coma. Hime was not sure she would ever even manage to come out of it. For all she knew, Mana would be better off dead.
But as long as she continued to live, there was a chance she would wake up. She knew, however, that Abby would disapprove of giving Brandi false hope. Hime was well aware that there was no guarantee that Mana would be able to come back.
There was only one option left that Hime could think of. Being a spirit monster, she had a special ability that few, if any, knew about. She could access a space in between the real world and Teknisk Wereld that seemed to be merely an area of emptiness, or a location simply to separate reality from the virtual world. Since nobody else could access it though, it seemed like a safe enough area to keep Mana. There she could remain until she finally awoke... if she ever did.
It was the only option Hime could think of. She cast aside her final doubts as she began the procedure to reach the area.
…
After Hime had left, Abby turned her attention to Hope, who was still lying on the couch. Seeing how ill Hope looked, she went to her side at once. "Are you injured?"
When her eyes met Hope's, she found she did not need an answer. The pain reflected from them told her that her assumption was correct.
"She recovered from some of her wounds in Teknisk Wereld," Max said to Abby, causing her to turn back to him. "But I couldn't heal them all. I know you're a lot better at that kind of thing than I am… would you help her?"
"Of course," Abby replied, leaving the room to get the items she would need. Knowing he would only get in the way, Max left the room, leaving Hope and Gaston alone for a few moments. Neither of them spoke, but Gaston kept a hand on Hope's shoulder, trying to offer her a small amount of comfort despite her enormous amount of pain.
Abby returned shortly, carrying a first aid kit. "Gaston, please step aside. I need room to work."
"All right." Gaston went out the same way Max had, to the kitchen, understanding that she would prefer to be alone with her patient.
Abby set the kit next to her as she kneeled down. "I will need you to show me where you are wounded."
"…My whole body hurts…" Hope whispered.
Abby wasn't sure what to make of that, so she asked, "Don't you have any injuries?"
"…My head… the side… and my neck…"
In response to this, Abby gently brushed away Hope's hair, and saw dried blood. But after she cleaned it off, there seemed to be no wound. Her neck seemed to be fine as well.
"I believe Max healed those," Abby stated. "Is there anything else?"
After a moment of hesitation, Hope softly said, "…My side…"
Abby looked at her shirt, and saw that the left side was stained with blood. She lightly pressed that side, causing Hope to gasp. Confirming that was where she needed to look, she pulled up her shirt.
This revealed the horrible injury that Max had given her. Although the Red Potions had healed it slightly, it was still open somewhat. Abby's mere touch had caused it to begin bleeding again.
With a wince, Abby picked up one of the medicines beside her and began to apply it to the wound. "So that's the main problem. Hope, how did you acquire such an injury?"
Hope hesitated, not wanting to reveal the identity of her attacker to Abby.
"It might help me decide what to use on it if you tell me how it happened," Abby insisted. "Please tell me."
Hope thought for a moment, and then finally responded. "…Max…"
"What? Max did this to you?" Abby said in shock.
Seeing her reaction was taking a turn for the worse, Hope said, "…He kicked me… several times… But it isn't… his fault…"
Abby's eyes narrowed as she applied another salve to the wound. "I do not see how it could not be his fault in a case like that."
"…He wasn't… in the right… state of mind… please don't blame him…"
Abby did not respond to this. She silently finished treating the injury to the best of her ability and then wrapped several bandages around it to keep the bleeding under control. After helping her get a clean shirt on, Abby cleared away the medical supplies. She put away the kit before going to the kitchen, where Max and Gaston had been silently waiting.
"I've done all that I can," Abby said. "Gaston, you can go back in now. Max, I wish to speak with you, alone."
Gaston took the hint at once. "Thank you," was all he said before exiting the room.
Once he was gone, Abby turned her attention to Max. "Why did you attack Hope?"
At first, Max didn't respond. Then he said, "I was told lies, and I believed them like a fool. I thought Hope hated me…"
"And you thought that was true? I cannot believe it… I just cannot believe that you would attack Hope like that," Abby said, her eyes flashing with anger.
"I regret it now! But then, it seemed like I was being told the truth, and the part of Thanatos I still had enhanced my reaction," Max retorted without thinking.
Abby paled, and managed to say, "Thanatos? Are you saying you were Thanatos?"
Max silently cursed his carelessness. To avoid stressing Abby even further than she already had been, they had avoided telling her who Thanatos really was. But now it looked as though the game was up.
"Yeah… Thanatos was me," Max admitted. "He's gone now, but when he was here… he was me…"
After a moment of stunned silence, Abby said, "How could you do that? How could you attack the people who befriended you, and do what you did to your own brother?"
Max was already feeling defensive about the whole situation, but these questions stung him. He stood up quickly from the chair he had been sitting in, and snarled, "My brother? Don't you mean my half-brother? Maybe if his father hadn't been around, this never would have happened!"
"Don't try and pin the blame on Jason!" Abby shouted. "You have no reason to accuse him for what you've done!"
From the other room, Hope and Gaston were able to hear their argument. Hope glanced at Gaston, eyes filled with concern that temporarily blocked out her pain.
"Don't worry. They'll stop soon," Gaston assured, although he himself was not sure if he spoke the truth.
"I don't have any reason? I think I have more than enough of a good reason to say his actions might have made me what I am today!" Max told her. "If he hadn't forced me to watch that execution, who knows what would have happened to me?"
"Execution?" Abby asked, her eyes widening. "Do you mean…"
"Yeah, I do! Jason forced me to watch that bank robber die, and told me it was my fault that he was killed! So I basically lived with that guilt for six years!" Max shouted. "And you loved a man who would do something like that?"
Abby was taken completely off guard by this information. All this time, she had thought that the reason that Max and Brandi had fled were because she had been a terrible mother. But in the light of this…
Abby shook her head. "Your father… Randall… he had told Jason to take care of us if anything should ever happen to him. Jason was only trying to fulfill his friend's last wish!"
"Taking care of and marrying are not the same thing, now are they?" Max retorted.
Abby flushed slightly from anger at this statement. "Maybe not, but…"
"Stop!"
They both spun around, surprised, to see Chasity. Tears were falling down from her eyes and she shook slightly, but she still looked them in the eyes. "Quit fighting!" was all she said before running back the way she had come.
"What was that all about?" Gaston asked as she ran back into the living room. She did not stop to respond though. Instead, she grabbed Hope's Envoyant Machine, which had been left lying on the ground, and sped back to her room.
Max and Abby had arrived in the living room just in time to witness this. Abby went to the door that lead to Chasity's room and tried to open it. At Max and Gaston's inquiring glances, she shook her head. "It's locked. She must have gone to Teknisk Wereld…"
"I don't blame her for wanting to get away from here," Gaston stated. "Despite the fact that she did not see Mana's body, that scream probably told her what happened. Mana's death was bad enough, but your arguing only added to it. It's all too much for us to expect one young girl to handle."
"Yeah… sorry about that, mom," Max said guiltily.
"I am too," Abby replied. "We can settle it later. Right now, we have to find Chasity, and quickly."
"The sooner you two go off to try and do that, the better," Gaston said. "I'll inform Matt and Brandi where you went, and then I'll remain with Hope. Is that acceptable?"
"Thanks, that would be a great help," Abby answered. "I'll get Hime and then we can go…"
"I'm here," Hime said, coming up. "What happened?"
"I'll tell you as we leave." Abby looked over at Gaston. "Hopefully, we will be back shortly."
"Yes, let us hope so," Gaston nodded, heading towards the room where Matt and Brandi were.
Max and Abby got their Envoyant Machines and went to the living room. Hope looked over at them worriedly.
"We'll be back soon," Max assured. "You need to rest while we're gone, ok?"
"…Be careful…" Hope said quietly.
"Of course," Max replied before lying down and turning on the machine. He went still instantly.
"We are only going to get Chasity," Abby told her. "Hopefully it will not take long." Then she was gone as well. Hime vanished also.
Gaston walked into the room, casting a glance at the two figures on the floor. "Good, they're already there. Now all we can do is wait…" He looked over at the clock, and started, realizing it said it was nine thirty. "Oh no! We completely forgot about meeting up with the others! They'll probably be searching for us by now!"
"…Are you… going there… to contact them…?" Hope asked weakly.
"No," Gaston answered. "Not now. I will remain beside you as long as you are ill, and you certainly can't go to Teknisk Wereld until we get your Envoyant Machine back from Chasity. When Max returns, we can ask him to help us deliver the news. Will that work?"
"…Yes… thank you…" Hope smiled faintly.
"Try and get some sleep while you can," Gaston advised, sitting down next to the fold-out bed. "You need the rest to recover, and I'm not about to go anywhere."
"…All right…" Hope closed her eyes, trying to dismiss her worries.
…
"You have any fives?" Rue inquired.
"Go Fish," Draken grinned.
"I hate my life," Rue grumbled, drawing.
"Don't worry, you're not the only one," Draken said cheerfully. "Got any tens?"
"I hate your life as well," Rue informed him as he handed over the cards.
"Don't worry, you're not the only one," Draken repeated as he glanced at the addition to his hand.
"Geez, even I could probably beat him at Go Fish, and my luck is horrible most of the time," Miles joked.
"At least you admit that," Gen said.
Will seemed more concerned about the time. "In about half an hour, we should begin searching for Hope and Max. I'm still disturbed that they haven't shown up yet."
"They're probably fine," Sakura commented. She was currently watching Amy and Claire free duel. It seemed Amy had the upper hand at the moment, but Claire's constant healing cards were hurting her Fire Princess theme.
"Let's hope so," Amy replied, wondering why the heck she had not gotten a Drug Reaction yet.
Kazel was about to say something, but then she saw that Kisara seemed even more pale than usual. "Kisara? What is wrong?"
"It's nothing…" Kisara said softly. "I have just been having this bad feeling… I felt it ever since we arrived at the mountains, but instead of getting better, it is getting worse with every passing second…"
"It was probably that creepy temple we stayed in," Sakura shuddered. "Even I'm still freaked out from that place!"
"I do not think that is what is behind it, but thank you anyway," Kisara said. "I will get over it soon, most likely."
"And I am a mere hatchling," Kazel snorted. "Quit putting up the brave front. You are in enough pain for me to notice."
"Maybe you're coming down with something," Neo suggested. "Max might have passed Brandi's sickness to you by accident."
Will shook his head. "It's a possibility, but not a very likely one."
"You aren't wounded anywhere, are you?" Larka asked.
"No," Kisara shook her head.
"Then there is little we can do but wait and see," Zack stated.
"Tell us if it gets unbearable, all right?" Claire said.
"I will. Thank you all for your concern," Kisara smiled.
"No problem," Rue replied.
"You didn't do anything," Draken pointed out.
"Oh shut up. Got any fives?"
"Go Fish."
"How about you go die?"
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass."
…
Chasity was not thrilled with the area she had arrived in. The ground was entirely covered with snow, and a fierce wind was blowing, sending snow flying everywhere. She was already freezing cold, and without a Duel Disk or support cards, she had basically no way of keeping warm.
Still, she did not want to go back to the real world and have to face what was waiting there. Trying to keep her mind off those thoughts, she walked on, not really caring where she was going.
After a few minutes of walking, she came to a rather small hill. She was just beginning to climb it when she heard someone speaking. Curious as to whom else would possibly be here, she sank down into the snow at the top of the hill and peered down cautiously.
There were two women standing there. One of them wore a white long-sleeved robe of some kind that had a purple cross design over the chest area. The robe and cross were outlined with gold, but her gloves were pure white. She also had white high-heeled sandals of sorts. Her long blonde hair went a bit past her shoulder blades. On top of her head, she had a gold tiara with a beautiful white jewel set in the center. Her blue eyes had a kindly look to them.
That was probably why Chasity liked her more than the other woman there. She wore a blue leather bustier that showed more cleavage than was necessary and a blue V-shaped leather strap that basically only covered what was necessary. She had blue leather gloves that went almost completely up to her wrists and matching leather high-heeled boots, along with a blue choker that looked somewhat similar to a collar. Her very light blue hair was kept in two ponytails that went down to about the middle of her back. Her skin was very light, which made her chilling dark blue eyes stand out all the more. Clipped onto her side was an even darker blue whip that had several light blue shards of what looked like very sharp ice embedded within it. It seemed more like a torturer's tool than a standard weapon.
Just looking at those eyes of the second woman made Chasity want to flee. But she was too nervous to try moving, afraid that she would be overheard. So she remained where she was and listened to what they were saying.
"You still haven't found the second Limiter, Light?"
"No. I honestly didn't expect to find him-or her-this soon, after all. You know how long it could take."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm aware. But Juno doesn't like the idea of taking longer than Sarius," the second woman pointed out. "You'd best hurry it up. We can't rely on the males to hold Sarius' friends off forever."
"I know how important it is," Light stated. "But he has probably not had much luck either. Tell Juno that I am still working on it, all right Tundra?"
"I get it, ok? But there is a parallel world connected to this one," Tundra said. "In which world are you looking?"
"The parallel one. There is a wider variety of people there, and most people spend their time there. Besides, Teknisk Wereld itself is very small. I am sure Sarius would have found the second Limiter if he or she had been here frequently."
"Fair enough. I'll tell Juno where you'll be then. You know the meeting time?"
"I have a good memory," Light said. "So I guess I will head off."
"You do that," Tundra said, fingering the whip at her side absentmindedly.
Light noticed that it seemed as though she had not gotten to use it lately, due to the lack of bloodstains. "Looks like none of the Limiter's companions came this way."
"Yes, and it so irritates me. I was hoping to have the pleasure of killing at least one or two," Tundra sighed.
Light shook her head, and then brought up her Duel Disk. "Well, best of luck until we meet again."
"You'll need luck more than I," Tundra stated.
"Probably," Light agreed before she selected an option from the menu of her Duel Disk. She vanished instantly.
Tundra waited for a second longer, as though making sure that Light would not come back. Then she abruptly spun around, looking straight up the hill. "There is no use in hiding. I have known that you were there ever since you arrived. And after hearing all that…" She pulled out her whip, and cracked it. "I certainly can't let you leave alive."
Terrified, Chasity stood up but couldn't bring herself to run as Tundra lunged towards her, whip flying. It hit her in the stomach, tearing through her skin in several locations, the ice shards slicing through her flesh like a freezing knife through hot butter. Chasity fell back, rolling down the short slope and landing on her stomach, sending another unbearable wave of pain through her. Blood poured from her wounds, staining the snow she lay on.
"If you are wondering why you are not dead yet, it is because I need something to take out my stress on," Tundra said as she calmly walked down the bloody path the girl had tumbled down on. "I plan on shredding all of your flesh before landing the killing blow. That is, if you haven't died by then already. I am fairly good at missing vital points when I wish to, but the effect of the cold on one as young as you might be too much…"
Chasity weakly raised her head, looking up at Tundra as she approached, her whip eagerly waiting to cut into her again. Now she was truly helpless, and she knew it. Death did seem inevitable… and Tundra's icy eyes did not dispute this realization.
…
She was in front of the painting once more, staring into Obelisk's red eyes and Osiris's yellow ones. They looked as though they were at long last awake. Ra still seemed asleep though.
Satan appeared to be slumbering, yet by how tense his body seemed, it was as though he would wake up any moment. The figure to the right seemed even closer to emerging. Hope caught sight of a bloodshot eye before the figure suddenly vanished. Hope knew, somehow, that he would not be coming back for some time, if ever.
"He will not serve you… he never meant to… he is just as faithless as I…"
Hope turned to see the speaker from behind her, but all she managed to see was a pair of familiar red eyes before the speaker was gone.
"Traitor… that one is a traitor… the other merely needs time…" Hope heard Satan whisper. "You are unlike them. You are obedient, have power beyond boundaries, and the means to acquire it. You would be perfect, if not for her. Now that much of her is gone, you are nearly free. Come back to me, my most loyal servant. Join me once more…"
Hope could not resist. There was something he wanted, something he needed, and she had to get it for him…
But for the first time, she felt hesitation. What did he mean by much of her was gone? Who was her?
Her vision blurred, and she surrounded by darkness. Then she spoke, words she had never even thought before torn from her mouth from desperation.
"No… I don't want to lose myself… I don't want to be cast aside… I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" she cried out, not knowing why she yelled them but knowing that they were important, very important.
She could see Satan once more.
"You are not going to die, one who is known as Hope, because you never existed. You cannot die if you were never alive. Hope is a mere illusion for who you really are. She had overtaken you, but her very existence is now split, due to her foolish actions. Cast what remains of her aside. Let her fade into nothingness, while you stand at my side. Discard that mockery of a name, and become what you really are…"
She tried to close her eyes, but was frozen, unable to move in the slightest, not even to breathe…
"…Become…"
"NO!" Hope screamed, suddenly pulling herself away from the grip that had been over her. Then she felt herself falling, falling, falling forever…
But even this was better. She could not hear what she was… that would be the end of it all… end of it all…
…
Gaston was watching Hope anxiously, but did not dare awaken her. She was not moving, but her face was etched with pain as she slept. It had been that way ever since she had fallen asleep, and Gaston was almost positive that she would be in just as much agony if he awoke her. It was better to let her sleep.
Suddenly, Gaston saw a tear escape her closed eye, rolling down her pale cheek. Alarmed by the abrupt change, Gaston put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her in a way he was not sure would even make a difference.
…
It was cold… it was dark… it was empty… did she even exist anymore?
But then her falling halted, and she felt a warmth spread through her body. Something nearby… or someone?
She remained there, still and quiet as she basked in this sudden warmth. She did not know how long she stayed there, for there was no time in this place… no events whatsoever…
Until she heard the voice.
"My daughter… I want to help her… please, let me come to her aid! I will risk all that remains of me if I must, just let me save her!"
Hope was not sure where the emotion she now felt came from, but she soon identified it as concern for this man's voice. Once more, she spoke as a light came out from inside her. "I shall provide an opportunity. You must do everything else on your own."
The light circled around something. The light nearly revealed the person, yet he remained in shadow.
"Thank you…"
Then he was gone, and Satan's voice was whispering in her ear again.
"Once more, your false image loses a part of herself. She will soon be gone… forever…"
And she felt a cold hand upon her forehead, even though she could see nobody.
"No… please… STOP!"
…
Gaston suddenly heard Hope whisper something. In the quiet, he was able to make it out as, "Stop…" amidst her heavy breathing.
"Hope?" Gaston got up and then sat down on the side of her bed. He gently laid his hand on her forehead, and nearly gasped. Despite how fevered and hot she should be, her skin was ice cold.
Then her eyes flashed open. For a moment, she could not figure out where she was. But when she saw Gaston, everything came flooding back into her mind.
"Are you ok?" Gaston asked worriedly. "You seemed to be having a nightmare."
"…Gaston…" Without thinking, she sat up, throwing her arms around him as she cried.
Realizing that whatever dream she had experienced must have been traumatizing, he leaned back against the couch while pulling her into his lap, arms around her comfortingly. "It's going to be all right. I'm here for you, and I always will be ready to protect you. Even in your sleep I shall guard you. Know this, so that you may relax. Close your eyes and allow me to watch over you."
Gaston was not even sure if she heard his words, but she gradually calmed, her grip loosening. He thought he heard her whisper, "Thank you…" before she grew limp, asleep once more.
He had no idea what had caused her to be like this, but he also knew that she did not want to be left alone. So he pulled over the blanket she had been under, wrapping it around her and keeping her in his arms. He was not sure if his presence would really help with whatever was happening to her, but it was the only thing he could think of, and he was willing to try anything to help her.
Gaston remained there, watching over Hope as she slept. But this time, her breathing seemed much more peaceful.
…
Chasity tried to keep her gaze on Tundra, but fear overcame her. She shut her eyes, trembling as she approached.
Seeing the state her victim was in, Tundra smirked, bringing up her whip. Then she brought it down without warning.
Chasity heard the whip connect with a crack, but to her surprise, she felt no pain. Tundra's gasp of shock was even more confusing to her. She forced her eyes open, looking up nervously.
Before her stood a man. He wore a black shirt and black pants with matching shoes. His white hair tilted slightly to the left side. His brown eyes held a tired look to them on most occasions, but now they were narrowed as he stared at the woman before him.
In front of the man was a clear barrier that was fading away. Judging by the way Tundra's whip was now lying limply on the ground, it seemed as though it had failed to get through the barrier last time, and that Tundra had realized that it would be useless to try again. Glaring at her new opponent suspiciously, she said, "Who are you? How did you suddenly appear out of nowhere?"
"I believe the answers to those are unimportant," Randall replied calmly. "I am more concerned with how you were trying to assault this girl. She has done nothing to deserve your wrath, nor does she have any means of defending herself. Your attack was unprovoked, and to the point of threatening her life. Do you think I can simply let you get away with that?"
"Unless you want to be put through the same pain as she will feel, I suggest you let me get away with it," Tundra threatened. "Although, now that you have interfered, I cannot let you leave this location alive."
Randall couldn't help but laugh at that. "That is a very poor threat, at best. I suppose I cannot blame you for not knowing though…" Then he brought forth his Duel Disk. "You will not, however, find me as easy of a target as a defenseless child. If you wish to carry out your sentence, you will have to use something other than physical force."
"So it seems like I'll have to participate in one of these pointless duels after all," Tundra sighed, bringing out her own Duel Disk. "Fine then. I'll play along with your silly little game."
"It is not like you have a choice if you wish for us to die," Randall stated. "I have no Soul Monster, but you may bring out your own now."
Tundra's eye twitched. "I will pass, thanks."
"It can't be that bad," Randall said.
Tundra wordlessly brought out her Soul Card and brought forth the monster. It was an ugly-looking one, to say at the least. It seemed to be some kind of woman that floated, since she had no legs. She was dressed like some kind of native, with a green grass skirt and a pink, yellow, and red shirt, with a blue lei. On each of her arms, there was a wooden shield with a grinning face painted on, and in each of her hands she carried a sharp axe. She also had a headdress made of pink feathers. Her eyes were nearly closed, and she had an evil, toothy grin that, combined with her large, round nose, made her look all the more hideous.
"Sorry, I was mistaken," Randall smirked.
"Shut up," Tundra snapped, returning the Soul Monster to her card. "Apparently, it's a Blade Arm Hane, and it's completely useless. I won't use it in battle."
"She must at least have a name," Randall said.
Tundra grimaced as she said, "Tiki."
"Her name is quite fitting, just like she is to you as a Soul Monster," Randall told her.
"Enough of this useless talk!" Tundra snapped, activating her Duel Disk. "The sooner you lose, the sooner I may return to what I was doing!"
"I am afraid that you will never be able to continue it, because I have ended it, as I will end your life," Randall stated, turning on his own Duel Disk.
Chasity had been watching this all in awe, wondering who this man that had mysteriously appeared was. She felt as though she could trust him, and not just because he was defending her from Tundra. There was something else to him that made her feel safe…
As if he knew she was thinking about him, he looked back at her. His gaze softened as he said, "Just hold on. It will be over soon."
Chasity nodded, unable to speak. Once he had turned back to Tundra, she sat up, wincing as her chest flashed with pain. However, it did not hurt as much as she would have thought. She was able to remain in that position, where she would be able to see the duel more easily.
…
Will suddenly put a hand to his forehead, wincing. Neo was the only one who happened to see this, but everyone else turned to them as he asked, "Are you all right, Will?"
"Yeah… it's just a headache," Will replied.
"That's what you get for reading all the time," Rue joked.
Neo shot a glare his way. "I know Will better than anyone else, and I am sure that he has never gotten a headache from reading of all things." Neo turned his gaze back to Will. "I felt something strange when you reacted, but it wasn't pain. Will, tell the truth this time. What was it?"
Will hesitated, and then sighed. "Ever since I went into that room in the church, I've been seeing strange things. In my ordeal, I saw many, many visions. Many of them have already come to pass, but there are others that I still have no idea as to what they mean."
"Ordeal?" Amy asked, confused. "You mean when you went into the lake to get Rue back? Hope mentioned something like that." She looked over at Kisara. "But Kisara and Kazel weren't there; they're probably completely lost."
"Draken told us about it a while ago," Kisara responded quietly, still seeming in pain but paying close attention.
"Can you tell us about some of them?" Claire asked.
"Most of the time, I can't remember ones that have not happened yet," Will explained. "But the others I can recall very clearly. From the way the ordeal showed them, they happened in a certain order. The first one was Max facing Obelisk. The next one had three figures that I think were Malady, Viken, and Vlad. Then I saw one of Brandi lying on the ground as someone else-I assume Max-ran away. After that was a cloaked figure-Thanatos-lying on the ground in the forest. After that, Zack when he was lying in the condo, unconscious." Will grimaced. "My next vision was of my skin being branded, but I felt it, instead of seeing it. That was when I got infected with the Black Snake Sickness."
"And after that… all the things you said when you were delirious…" Larka said, beginning to catch on.
Will nodded. "Yes, I was seeing the things I had seen in the ordeal. Miles had been staring at a house that was on fire. Hope had just gotten out of a river, trying to catch her breath. Fell was bleeding heavily while Larka was crying over him. Draken was talking to Kisara. Thanatos was trying to strangle Hope. Brandi was being struck repeatedly with a whip. Larka was talking to Matt, who seemed enraged. Miles was talking with Gen. Rue seemed off balance when he was sitting in a chair, and he happened to say my line."
"So that's why he hit me," Rue grumbled, still feeling a bit sore towards Will about that incident.
Will ignored him as he continued to list what he had seen. "Zack was combating a mechanical robot. Fell was fighting with what I assume was one of those wolf soldiers that you described to me. Zack was facing Osiris. Brandi was lying in bed, in serious pain-probably when she had her fever. The Child was gazing at a his golden ball, which was glowing. Juno was talking with his Mavericks. Sarius was talking to Larka, who seemed to be shocked by what he was saying. Draken had reached into a hat and pulled out a card." Will's eyes narrowed. "I still can't tell what this next one means. Hope was kneeling over someone… I think it was Max. Light was coming out of her."
"Don't worry. It will probably be explained when we meet up with them again," Perseus stated. "Anything else?"
"Yes, but these next ones I do not quite understand either. Fell grabbed Miles by his bandana and pulled him back, away from something," Will said.
Miles winced. "That already happened, and I hope it doesn't occur again. I nearly got nailed with a cannonball from Wave's Soul Monster."
"Wave Trident was the name of the Maverick we faced," Gen explained to everyone's confused looks.
"But Fell saved you? Are you sure you weren't hit with the cannonball and dreamed this all up?" Rue asked.
"Miles speaks the truth," Daine answered.
"What possessed you to do that, Fell?" Neo asked.
Fell glared at him while saying, "May we continue?"
"Right," Will said. "Zack was talking with Larka, but that could have happened at any time. I am not sure what importance that holds."
Larka blushed slightly while Zack simply said, "Maybe we will discover why it holds significance later."
"Perhaps." Will thought for a moment, and then said, "Mana was sitting beside Brandi while she was lying in bed. Again, I don't know what this means. That was all I had seen, until now. The newest vision I had was of Chasity, who was behind a man that was dueling a woman. She seemed to be injured…"
"Could you recognize who the duelists were?" Sakura asked.
"No," Will replied.
There was a moment of silence as everyone considered this. Then Gen said, "At the moment, there is little we can do. We might grow to understand what happened later, but in the meantime, there is no use in worrying over it."
"That is true," Kazel agreed. "However, future visions that you may have could give us assistance that we desperately need. If you have more of these, please tell us. It could make all the difference."
"All right," Will nodded. "I'll inform all of you if I happen to see anything else."
As everyone returned to what they had been doing, Will could not help but still feel uneasy. Still, he knew he wouldn't gain anything by thinking about it, so he returned to his reading.
…
Even before Max opened his eyes, he knew where they were. No other area in Teknisk Wereld was this cold, after all.
"Is this really where Chasity is?" Max wondered.
"I do not know if we arrived in the right area, but we have no other leads to go off of," Hime stated. "We should search around here first."
"All right." Max brought out his Soul Card, and Tenma appeared immediately. He looked at Max questioningly, seeming to sense his urgency.
"Max! What is this?" Abby exclaimed, shocked.
"My new Soul Monster," Max replied. "I can explain later." He turned back to his companion. "Tenma, I need you to try to find Chasity. You have a strong sense of smell, right? If you can remember hers well enough, try to catch her scent in the wind."
"I should be able to recognize it easily enough," Tenma stated as he began to sniff. After a moment, he said, "She is not here."
"We'll continue moving through the area then. If you smell her, tell us at once," Max ordered.
"Of course, master."
…
Randall: 8000
Tundra: 8000
"You would not debate to me wanting to go first, I assume?" Tundra said.
"I would actually prefer it," Randall replied. "I'd rather have a decent challenge, you see, even if hoping for that from you is impossible."
Tundra glared at him coldly. "You will regret your decision. I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"Actually, I do not think I will," Randall said. "First, I play Fusion. By combining my Big Koala and Death Kangaroo, I call forth Master of Oz!" (4200/3700)
A large kangaroo with a face that resembled a koala bear's appeared. It also had boxing gloves, which it held out in preparation to strike, while Tundra looked at it in disbelief.
"You expect to beat me with something like that?" Tundra finally managed to say.
"It will not finish you this turn, but it will do a massive dent to your Life Points," Randall stated. "I equip Master of Oz with Big Bang Shot, which raises his attack by 400! (4600/3700) More importantly, he also gains the ability to deal damage to you even when your monsters are in defense mode. Then I activate Wild Burst! This magic card can only be used on an Animal or an Animal Warrior Sub-Type. It takes the amount of defense that monster has and adds it to its attack. (8300/3700) Now my Master of Oz attacks!"
The kangaroo sent forth a strengthened fist, completely obliterating the monster that appeared from the defense card. The power behind the punch was so strong that it continued to go straight through the monster without pause, smashing into Tundra.
Tundra got up, looking livid as she slid her monster into the Cemetery. "You've destroyed my Sentry Golem…" (800/1800)
Randall: 8000
Tundra: 1500
"Normally, Wild Burst would cause my monster to be destroyed at the end of my turn," Randall said. "But I have a way of getting around that. I activate another magic card, Mysterious Chinese Nabe. I choose one of my monsters on the field and choose attack or defense. In this case, I choose attack. By sacrificing the monster, I gain Life Points equal to that stat."
Randall: 16300
Tundra: 1500
"I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn," Randall concluded. "Although I have no cards in my hand now, I feel as though it was well worth it to put you into this position."
Chasity was completely astonished by the play. Ender was the only other person she had seen that could pull off a combo that could rival the power of that first turn. But still, she was used to that, while this new duelist had taken her by surprise.
Tundra glared at him as she drew her card. "I will not allow myself to lose to you, even if this is just a stupid card game! I lay one monster in defense mode and a card face down to end my turn."
"I will summon Sage Keiroon." (1800/1000)
"In response, I activate my trap card, Houou Wing Air Burst!" Tundra said. "I have to discard a card from my hand to use it, so I'll get rid of Designator of the Twilight Zone. It returns a card from your field to the top of the owner's deck. I'll choose to have Sage Keiroon put on top of your deck."
"I can live with that," Randall shrugged. "It's your turn."
Tundra smirked as she saw what she had drawn. "I lay another card down and flip over my Penguin Nightmare!" (900/1800) "When reverse summoned, he sends a monster back to your hand. Since you only have one, the choice should be obvious. Penguin Nightmare also raises the attack of all Water Main-Type monsters on the field while he is out. (1100/800) He attacks you directly!"
Randall: 15200
Tundra: 1500
"Then I sacrifice him for a monster in defense mode. I'm done."
"I'll resummon Sage Keiroon," Randall said. "He attacks your defense monster."
"You attacked my Criosphinx!" (1200/2400) Tundra sneered. "A wasted effort for you and a benefit for me!"
Randall: 14600
Tundra: 1500
Randall sighed. "That is all I can do."
"I place two cards face down," Tundra said. "That's it."
Randall looked at his next card and nodded. "This should work. I activate Sage Keiroon's effect! By discarding a magic card from my hand-in this case, Sebek's Blessing-I choose a magic or trap card on your side of the field and destroy it. I will destroy the one to your left!"
"It was Massive Breakdown," Tundra said, not looking overly worried.
"All right. My Sage Keiroon will attack your new defense monster!" Randall declared.
Tundra flipped over one of her cards. "I activate Forced Ejection Machine! This returns a monster on the field to your hand."
"That is not a big threat," Randall said, placing his Sage Keiroon back into his hand.
"Actually, with my Criosphinx out, it is," Tundra told him. "When he is face up, whenever a monster card is sent back to its owner's hand, the owner is forced to discard a card of his or her choice."
"Then I will discard Skull Dog Maron," (1350/2000) Randall decided.
"I was hoping you would get rid of that," Tundra smirked. "Now I can activate my trap card, Mind Crush! I call a card's name and if you have it in your hand, you are forced to discard all the copies of that card. If you don't have it, I would have to discard one of my own cards, but I know that you have your Sage Keiroon in your hand. So I can call that without fear."
"Yes, that was the only card in my hand," Randall said as he discarded it. "Since there is nothing else I can do, I end my turn."
"I lay one monster in defense mode, and that's all," Tundra stated.
Randall looked at his card and shook his head. "I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."
"I have you now!" Tundra declared. "I flip summon Guardian Statue! (800/1400) When I flip him over, he lets me return a monster to your hand. And due to Criosphinx, you will have to discard that card."
"Another Skull Dog Maron," Randall said, not seeming impressed.
"I attack you directly with Guardian Statue!"
Randall: 13800
Tundra: 1500
"After that, I use his effect, which allows him to be flipped into face down defense mode once per turn. That is all," Tundra concluded.
After looking at his card for a moment, Randall said, "I pass."
"How unlucky for you," Tundra sneered. "I flip over Guardian Statue and attack again. Then I flip him face down and end my turn."
Randall: 13000
Tundra: 1500
"…I lay one card face down and end my turn," Randall said after a pause.
"I'll have Guardian Statue attack once more."
Randall: 12200
Tundra: 1500
"I flip him facedown again, and that is all."
Despite the fact that Randall was not doing anything to fight back at the moment, Chasity still felt as though she could trust in his ability. That combo had shown her just how strong this man's deck could get, and she was sure that he would be able to finish off Tundra in one blow if he just got the right cards.
"I play Jar of Greed to draw two cards," Randall said, doing so. Looking over them, Randall grinned. "It's over for you."
"What? How?" Tundra said, watching him warily.
"First, I summon Troy Horse," (1600/1200) Randall said. "Next I play Wild Burst on him, raising his attack by his defense. (2800/1200) Then I play a magic card, March of a Hundred Beasts! This raises all of my Animal Sub-Types' attacks by 200 per Animal Sub-Type on the field. (3000/1200) Finally, I activate my trap card, Meteor Rain! For one turn, I can inflict battle damage even when a monster is in defense mode." He laughed as he saw Tundra's eyes widen in horror. "You know of the story about the Trojan Horse, right? How it was supposed to be a gift from the gods, only to hold the secret to destroying the people who received it? Consider this my gift to you. A fitting end after what you have done, I should think. Troy Horse attacks Guardian Statue!"
Tundra held up her arms over her chest as though to block the attack, but it did little good as the Troy Horse rammed into her at full speed, going straight through her defending Guardian Statue.
Randall: 12200
Tundra: 0
…
Tenma halted abruptly, sniffing the air again. Then he growled, "I can smell her."
"How far away is she?" Max asked.
"Very close," Tenma answered.
"Then lead us to her!" Max ordered.
"Understood," was all Tenma said before he went towards where he could sense Chasity.
…
Chasity felt relief flood through her as the monsters on the field vanished, the duel done with. But that quickly turned to fear once more as Tundra lifted her whip, seething with rage.
"You think I care who the better of us at playing games is? It only matters in real fights! Only the strong win there!" She brought her whip crashing down, but it was deflected by another Attack Nullification.
"You must really want to die," Randall commented, reaching for a card at his side.
But before he could do anything, they heard a horrible snarl. A brown blur suddenly came crashing down from the sky, landing on Tundra. She only had time for a cry of surprise before the beast ripped her apart, leaving behind little more than bits of fabric, flesh, hair, much blood, and a few shreds of her Soul Card to remind them that she had existed.
Max, Tenma, Abby, and Hime had just come over the hill and were greeted with the sight of the beast slaughtering Tundra. The first thing Max thought was that must have hurt. But just before he was about to comment on it, he also saw Chasity, who was staring at the scene in horror, and a man whose identity did not register into any of their brains immediately.
Randall had been watching the scene, a bit startled by the sudden attack. When he came around to his senses, he turned to see if Chasity was all right. But then he caught sight of the four others standing there.
They all instantly recognized who he was when his eyes met theirs. Abby gasped, and then fell. Hime barely managed to catch her before the unconscious woman hit the ground. She credited this to reflexes though, as she was shocked too. Although she had never met Randall, due to being created after his death, she still recognized him from the locket Brandi now wore. Tenma, sharing Olympion's memories of the duel he had been in against Randall, also knew who he was. Max froze, still as a statue as he stared at him.
Randall broke the silence by saying, "Long time no see."
Max finally managed to say the word that he had been shouting mentally. "Dad?"
"Yep. At least we met under better conditions this time," Randall said, smiling.
"W-what?" Chasity managed to stammer. She looked over at Max, then to Randall, and then to Max again. "He's…?"
"Yeah… he's my father-and your father as well," Max said, still looking stunned.
"But why… why didn't you tell me?" Chasity asked, her eyes glistening.
Randall did not respond at first, but then he walked over to Chasity, kneeling next to her, and slowly reached towards her. When he touched her cold skin, he sighed in relief. "I was worried that I would once again be lost, as a spirit. After Max defeated me, I was unable to travel to heaven. Instead, I was trapped in a limbo of sort, merely a spirit. When I saw that you were in danger, I wanted desperately to help you." He smiled again. "Someone must have heard my pleas. I thought that after I had helped that I would return to my spirit form, but I haven't. I can even… feel other people, now…"
There was a silence after this, but this time, a new voice shattered it.
"What about us? Don't we get any love?"
They spun around to see the monster that had destroyed Tundra. It was a large two-headed beast that stood on four legs. Its whole body was covered in light brown fur except for the lower parts of its legs, which has some longer, dark brown fur that separated the legs from the paws. Each paw had three silver claws in the front and one in the back. It had two large wings coming out of its back, which were silver as well. Its tail was actually a thick brown snake, the end of the tail being the head that flicked its tongue at them continuously. The heads were different in appearance. The left one seemed more narrow, with less fur, although the top of its head and neck was covered with the dark brown fur. Two large, curling, silver horns produced from its sides. The right head had much more fur, the dark brown fur wrapping around it like a mane. A single silver horn came from its forehead. Both heads had eyes that were black and muzzles filled with sharp, silver teeth that could tear an enemy apart in seconds.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for assisting us," Randall said, rising. "But who are you?"
Both of the monster's heads seemed quite offended by this remark. The one that had one horn spoke first. "You don't know me? Oh the humanity! I mean, I can understand forgetting him…" With this, the head indicated to the other as best as it could. "But you forgot me?"
"Hey! What was that supposed to mean?" the other head snapped. "You were the one who gave him the most trouble anyway!"
"Oh, is that right? And who was it that happened to eat all of the chips left in the bag on the table that one time he set it aside?" the first head pointed out.
"What? You did that! And you ate the cake at that one birthday party that they had!" the second head accused.
"Yeah, that was pretty darn good… er, I mean, no, you did that! And you took the remote control when he was trying to watch television!" the first head retorted.
"Well you tore up the sofa when you were sharpening your claws!"
"And you ripped apart the bed mattresses doing the same!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Well… your mom!"
"OH NO YOU DIDN'T!"
"OH YEAH I DID!"
"IT'S ON NOW FOOL!"
"BRING IT!"
Then they were tearing at each other, their body rolling around in the snow as their flailing limbs and their jaws hacked at each other.
Everyone watched this in disbelief, not knowing what to say. Finally, Max yelled, "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!"
The fighting came to a halt immediately, and the slightly-battered creature sat down. The first head calmly said, "Sorry about that, we get carried away sometimes, but it's always his fault…"
"No it isn't!"
"Don't start again," Randall said in exasperation.
"Our apologies, Randall," the first head said. "We're your Soul Monster, a Winged Phantom Beast Chimera, formed from a Phantom Beast King Gazelle and a Baffomet. If you want to refer to both of us, call us Gaba. As for individual names, I'm Ga, and the ugly-looking one is Ba…"
"Huh? I thought my name was Ba," the second head said. "When did we change names?"
Ga looked about ready to take a bite out of Ba, so Randall hurriedly asked, "How can that be? I shouldn't have a Soul Monster anymore…"
"When your soul came back, so did we, just in a new form," Ga explained. "We were originally one monster with a few… uh… personality issues, as you might recall. This new form makes things so much easier…"
"Yep, you get to deal with both of us. Aren't you lucky that you at least have me to balance out him?" Ba grinned.
"More like he's lucky to have me to help deal with you!" Ga said.
Randall put his head to his forehead. "I'm so… happy… to have the two of you back…" he muttered sarcastically.
"We knew you would be!" they chorused.
Randall sighed, and then walked over to where Max, Tenma, Abby, and Hime were. "Well, it looks like both of you have new Soul Monsters too."
"Yeah…" Max glanced at Abby, and said, "I'll take care of Chasity."
"All right," Randall nodded, taking Abby from Hime and shaking her slightly, trying to bring her around.
Max went to Chasity, who was shakily standing now. "How do you feel?" he asked.
"Cold…" Chasity said softly, not knowing what else to say.
Concerned by this, Max lightly felt her hand, and winced. "We have to get you out of here right away. You'll have to hold onto my Duel Disk, ok?"
"Sure…" was all she said, still dumbfounded.
Randall had finally managed to bring Abby around. When her first sight after waking up was the husband she had thought long-departed, she nearly fainted again. Instead, she suddenly threw her arms around him, nearly bringing him down on top of her.
"Seeing those two happy always gets me," Ga commented as he watched the two embrace each other.
"That's probably the only thing we'll ever agree on," Ba stated.
By the time they were done, Max had prepared his Duel Disk for going back. Abby did the same, but said, "How will you come back with us?"
"I could try holding onto your Duel Disk, like you're doing with Chasity," Randall suggested.
"Better than nothing," Max said, recalling Tenma to his Soul Card. Then he vanished with Chasity. The others disappeared afterwards.
…
Gaston was watching Hope, whose breathing had remained steady, when he saw Max and Abby stir. Hime appeared a second later.
"Hey, nice to see you guys returned," Gaston said, keeping his voice low to not disturb Hope. "Did you find Chasity?"
"Yeah, she should be back…" Max said. Then he looked over at Randall. "Good, you made it too."
"Luckily," Randall replied.
"Not so luckily," Hime muttered when she saw that Gaba was there too.
"Huh? Why wouldn't Abby have come back?" Gaston asked, looking confused.
Max just looked at him, wondering if he was joking. "I was talking about my father."
"Your father? Huh? Isn't he… um…" Gaston trailed off, still not catching onto what Max was saying.
That was when they heard a door open and saw Chasity stagger in, still looking very pale. Abby rushed over to her at once, looking over her. "Are you all right?"
"My stomach…" Chasity managed to say, wincing.
"What? What's wrong with…" Abby trailed off, her eyes widening as she saw that her daughter's red shirt was even more deeply shaded from blood. "Oh God!"
"That woman… her whip…" Chasity said, shaking. In the cold, Chasity's entire body had been numb, which was why she had forgotten about her wounds. But now…
Abby instantly led her away, Hime following anxiously. After they were gone, Max turned back to Gaston, ready to set him straight, when he saw Hope had woken up.
"Oh… sorry about that," Max said as he realized what had probably done so.
"…It's fine…" Hope whispered.
Ga raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, what do we have here? A girlfriend of yours? Nice choice!"
"Better than anything you could possibly get," Ba stated.
"Hey! At least I know how to treat women, unlike you!" Ga snarled.
Seeing Max glancing at Gaba, Gaston asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, right. This is Gaba, Dad's moronic Soul Monster," Max said in exasperation.
"Huh? What are you talking about? There's nothing there," Gaston said, not following at all.
"…You can't see or hear him?" Max said in disbelief.
"I FEEL SO NEGLECTED!" Ga shouted.
"Well you deserve it," Ba said.
"YOU'RE ASKING FOR IT BUDDY!"
"THEN GIVE IT TO ME!"
"I THINK I WILL!"
They started thrashing around wildly again, crashing into a small table nearby and sending it flying. Gaston stared, eyes wide. "Have I gone crazy?"
"…I can't see anything either…" Hope said, very confused.
Randall's attention on his Soul Monster was suddenly torn away when he heard Hope's voice. He turned to her, looking at her in astonishment. He had seen her before, when dueling Max, he knew, but that wasn't what surprised him. He could remember hearing that voice, when he had begged to be allowed to help Chasity. But she had talked to him? How was that possible?
Randall shook his head. He did not understand any of it, but he knew that this girl was responsible for helping him save his daughter. That alone made him grateful. So he went over to the couch, putting his hand on her shoulder and saying, "Thank you."
Hope looked up abruptly, seeming shocked. "…I… I just felt and heard someone…"
"But you can't see Randall or his Soul Monster? I certainly can't," Gaston said.
"…No… but I recognize his voice…" Hope said. She closed her eyes, and then said, in a firmer tone, "Only his loved ones will be able to gaze upon him."
"Say what?" Gaston asked, still confused.
Hope opened her eyes again. "…I don't know… why I just said that…"
"We need to get you healed as soon as possible," Gaston said, shaking his head. "This is just too much for you to handle." He turned his gaze to Max. "We should tell the others what happened to us and show them Hope's condition. They might have an idea that would help her."
"Right," Max nodded, and then glanced at the clock, which read 9:55. "We should be able to make it before ten if we teleport into the correct area." He turned to Randall. "We'll be back soon, ok Dad? You should see Brandi and Matt. They're in Mom's room." He looked away. "Brandi's in a bad state…"
"All right. I will go at once. Until later," Randall said, walking off to the hall, leaving Ga and Ba to wrestle.
Gaston helped Hope get her Envoyant Machine on and then sent her off while he vanished. Max followed seconds later.
Randall soon arrived at the door, knocking once before entering. Matt and Brandi both looked up. Matt instantly went pale, staring in disbelief, while Brandi seemed as though she had been petrified too.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Randall said as a greeting, going over to the bed and sitting on the side of it.
"D-dad? Dad!" Brandi exclaimed, throwing herself onto him.
Matt blinked several times as he saw the happy reunion. "Great. Grief has caused us both to lose our minds."
But Matt certainly wasn't about to break the illusion, if it was such a thing. He just watched, feeling more content than he had in a long time.
To be continued…