Chapter Fourteen
Siegfried frowned as a bright green light abruptly shot forth from the roof of the temple into the sky. He was not certain what to make of this, and Leonhard was suddenly terrified that the light would hypnotize him again. Suddenly the child was clinging to his brother, burying his face in Siegfried's purple jacket. Siegfried looked down at him with surprise at first, but then understood and held him close. "It's alright," he said softly.
"It isn't alright," Leonhard whispered shakily. "Not if I get controlled again . . . and hurt you. . . ." Mokuba looked at him, biting his lip, and suddenly understood why Leonhard had been so apprehensive and unwilling to tell what had happened to Siegfried.
Duke glanced at them in a bored way. "That light won't do anything to him," he said. "That's just the normal Orichalcos light. The light that took control of him was doctored especially for the purpose of gathering up new servants." He put his hands on his hips. "Anyway, all of you have to follow me inside the temple." It seemed that any trace of his old self that had existed a moment before had now faded back into the recesses of his Orichalcos-consumed body. Yugi and the others regarded him with sadness.
"That's so horrible," Ryou said softly, ignoring Duke's last statement. "He never wanted to be this way—it was forced on him!" He shuddered and then had to duck as a Curse of Dragon swooped low overheard. The Duel Monsters were flocking around the island, just as they had around the abandoned skyscraper in the city.
"There has to be something we can do!" Tristan said in frustration, even though he did not have the faintest idea what that would be.
"It's all hopeless," came a mostly unfamiliar female voice from around the side of the building. Raphael and Alister, however, recognized it instantly. They narrowed their eyes, watching as Martha and Howard Paltridge came into view. Thunder boomed overhead, and Raphael thought dryly that it was quite appropriate for the occasion.
"Who's that?" Yugi exclaimed.
"Valon's parents," Raphael growled. He had hoped that they would not be receiving a visit from them right now, but he supposed that it was foolish to believe that they would not make an appearance. He clenched a fist, praying that Valon would not believe whatever lies they would begin to tell him.
Valon stared at him. "My parents?" he cried. His eyes narrowed as he recalled that Raphael had never told Valon what he had been going to about his parents. Yugi and the others have arrived just when Raphael had been going to do so. But whatever Raphael had been going to say, it had not been positive.
Martha was already coming over to him. "Dear Valon, it's been so long," she said softly, putting on a false air of caring. She smiled, reaching for him. He just stared at her suspiciously before backing up slightly. She looked frustrated. "Valon, I'm your mother!" she scolded. "You don't have to be afraid of me."
"Yeah?" he retorted. "Well, Raph thinks you hired a bloke that busted into our house earlier." He crossed his arms, taking special note of the brief looks of shock and annoyance that passed through their eyes.
"That's ridiculous!" Howard growled sternly, frowning under his moustache. "He and that Mackenzie have been feeding you lies. Surely you haven't forgotten how Mackenzie nearly got you and Raphael both killed?" Naturally he and Martha both knew of Valon's amnesia, since Rocky had informed them, but they had to pretend that they knew nothing of it. Howard was certain that they could convince Valon to come with them and that his friends were not really his friends at all.
Valon wavered, while Raphael and Alister both watched him tensely. They knew that they had to allow him to answer for himself, though once the Paltridges started in on their made-up stories, then Valon's friends would immediately jump in to tell the truth.
"Yeah, I do remember," the Australian said then, glaring at Martha and Howard. "But he wasn't himself. He and Raph are my chums. Naw . . . they're more than that. They're my family." He was completely serious, which was a rare thing to see, and his blue eyes were sincere and firm as they bored into those of his shocked parents. "They've been here for me, but you two haven't! Some parents." He lowered his arms to his sides, clenching his fists. He was surprised to realize just how strongly he felt about what he was saying. His memories could be taken away, but his heart still remembered. Alister and Raphael had been more of a family to him than anyone else, save for the nun Mother Mary, who had died in a church fire. He blinked, vaguely recalling this in his mind.
Raphael and Alister looked at him in surprise, then reached out to lay their hands on his shoulders. Then their friend was truly back. He still did not remember everything, but he knew what was important. And now they had the confidence that he would not fall prey to his parents' falsehoods.
Martha and Howard also looked surprised, but then anger came over their features. "So you chose them over us?" Martha exclaimed in disbelief. She looked at Howard, as if unable to believe that this had happened. Then they were too late. She realized what Raphael and Alister just had—that Valon would never go with them now. She cursed Rocky for his laziness in bringing their son back to them. Yes, it was Rocky's fault, and if he managed to get out of jail, he would be punished. There was no excuse for this failure that he had unwittingly helped to bring about.
"Hey," Valon retorted, "I was surprised that it happened myself. But you and Dad abandoned me, Mum. These fellas never have." His blue eyes flashed. "I'm sick of bein' lied to! That motorcycle gang I was with was lyin' to me the whole time I was with 'em. They really knew who I am, but they never told me!" Of course, it had only been Rocky who had actually known Valon's identity, but Valon did not know that. For all he would know, it had been all of them.
Howard narrowed his eyes. "Well, how do you know that these friends of yours have been telling you the truth?" he snapped, but in saying so he was making a fatal mistake.
Alister frowned at him from behind his honey-colored sunglasses. "Then you knew all along that Valon has amnesia," he deduced. It all fit together, just as he and Raphael had suspected.
Howard's eyes widened and he mentally cursed as he tried to rectify this damage, but it was too late. "Of course not!" he yelled. "I, er . . . Valon admitted that he had amnesia!" he said at last, grabbing desperately at a last straw. "He told about the motorcycle gang he was with!"
Raphael stepped forward angrily. "Yeah, but I don't remember him mentioning when he was with them," he replied. "And he didn't actually say he has amnesia. If you really didn't know, then you should have been surprised when he talked about the gang."
Valon nodded firmly. "That's right!" he cried. "Sorry, but it looks like your plans are all washed up." He watched his parents step back in frustration. "And I think I've got a right to know why you wanted me in the first place," he declared then.
"We only wanted our son back with us!" Martha wailed, but she knew it was useless. Then her eyes narrowed. "And we'll still have him, if we have anything to say about it. You're not of legal age yet, Valon. You still belong with us!" She was determined that she and Howard would not give up. Having Valon was too important in their quest for power and glory to resign already. There were still other things that they could do.
"You gave up that right when you sold Valon years ago," Raphael told her darkly. "Whether he's of legal age or not, he's not gonna go back with you as long as we have anything to say about it." These people disgusted him to no end. They had committed an abominable sin by selling their own son, and now they wanted him back for some other underhanded purpose. Had they not caused him enough pain already? Raphael felt that they should allow Valon to be at peace now that he finally had a place to call home and people to call family.
"And now," Alister added, his gray eyes flashing behind the shades, "you should leave. There's nothing more for you to do."
Martha clenched a fist and looked to Valon, as if she was vainly hoping that he would reconsider. When she only received a glare from his sapphire eyes in reply, she glared right back and then looked to Howard. They should retreat for now. There was no point in staying. They could try again another day.
She was stunned at the look of refusal she found on her husband's face. For him, this was not over, and he was not leaving without Valon. Everything else had failed. Now he would take their son by force. Martha cried out in protest, but he paid no heed as he lunged forward and punched Alister in the stomach. The redhead doubled over, hissing in pain, and then Howard proceeded to try the same thing on Valon.
Instead the Australian boy lunged right back, tackling him to the ground. He was tired of being jerked around in every possible direction. And Howard had just proven by his act of violence towards Alister that he could not be trusted. Furiously Valon began striking the man, his temper finally snapping.
"Valon!" Raphael yelled at him worriedly as he looked to Alister to make certain that he was alright. The younger man straightened up, nodding to Raphael, and then turned his attention to their brunette friend. Valon could end up hurt, but the way things looked, so could Howard. Quickly Raphael moved forward, grabbing Valon under his arms and pulling him back.
The boy struggled against him. "Let me go!" he demanded, blinded by his anger and rage. His father had beaten him. He remembered it vaguely in his mind. And now he was returning the action. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That was a philosophy that Valon adhered to greatly. He had learned it growing up on the cruel streets. And at times like this, he felt that it applied.
But Raphael did not let go. "I want to hurt him too," he growled, "but that won't solve anything." He held on to the flailing teenager, firmly keeping his arms around the boy's waist, until Valon began to calm down. Howard, disturbed by Valon's actions and now beginning to realize the extent of his strength, slowly sat up and backed away as Martha watched with wide eyes.
She was not the only one. Yugi and the others were staring as well, stunned at the series of events they were witnessing and at the truth that had been revealed about Valon's parents. Even Duke had paused in his madness to observe things, or so they thought.
"Okay, show's over," the raven-haired boy announced suddenly, causing their attention to divert back to him. They were alarmed to see a turquoise aura around him now, but only Raphael and Alister understood what that meant. The same thing had happened to Alister right before he had lost all control of his sanity. Any remaining threads of Duke's true self were slipping away.
"This isn't right, Duke!" Serenity screamed as a panic clenched her heart that could not be loosened. "Whatever you're going to do, you can't!"
He laughed maniacally. "But I can!" he replied. "I can finally get back at all of you for the way you always misunderstood me!" The Orichalcos burst forth from his form, sweeping over all of them and sending them flying back almost to the very edge of the grounds. Cries of pain rent the air, and the bikers, who were the only ones far enough away to not be affected, were chilled by the sounds.
That was when the lightning struck the beam of Orichalcos that was over the progressing duel. The force of nature traveled down through the green light, which was making an excellent conductor, and viciously electrocuted both Vivalene and Dartz. Their screams were added to the others', and the shockwaves spread out from the Seal of Orichalcos, expanding it and causing it to slam against every inside wall of the temple. Then it began to shake uncontrollably.
The Legendary Knights, who had started to venture into the temple while Duke had been distracted, immediately moved back as the ripples from the shockwave reached the entrance. They barely managed to avoid it, but Duke was not as lucky. He gave a haunting cry of anguish, and since the Orichalcos was fused within him, the electricity went through him with much more of a force than it had with anyone else.
He stared up blankly at the sky, his red eyes flickering and going back to emerald green for a split second before they clouded over and he collapsed lifelessly to the stone steps. For a moment the others were certain that they heard Duke's voice echoing around them. "Look what they did to me! I'm sorry . . . I didn't want this."
Serenity, who was just struggling to sit up, stared in disbelief and horror. "No!" she screamed, reaching for him in vain. Joey pulled her close, knowing that there was nothing they could do. She clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably and knowing that he would not survive. Joey, seeing the temple shake more violently, began to wonder if any of them would.
It only took several more moments before the Orichalcos temple was collapsing completely. It had seemed impenetrable, a great stone fortress, and yet it was being destroyed by nature—and more importantly, by the very force that those who had built it were relying on.
"We've got to evacuate immediately!" Critias yelled, beginning to usher Yugi and the others to the jet. Once they were all aboard, he planned that he, Helmos, and Timaeus would stay behind and try to salvage something—or someone. The fact that the building was caving in concerned him greatly. What would happen to all the trapped souls? Would they be set free, or would they be destroyed completely? And what of Doom Reborn? It had seemed that Duke and the two who were inside were the only members who had been there. Martha and Howard had already escaped on a helicopter. The rest had to be elsewhere.
Serenity tried to get free as she and Joey ran along. "We can't leave without Duke!" she choked out, looking at her brother pleadingly. Even though he was most certainly dead this time, they had to recover his body and return it to the cemetery, where he would hopefully rest in peace without anyone else disturbing him.
Joey clenched his teeth and held Serenity's wrist tighter. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I know." He finally understood the full extent of Duke's struggle and his madness. The entire episode was tragic. And Joey wished that he had shown more understanding before. Duke had needed his friends to help him, but in the end that had not been enough to save him either. Still . . . Joey could not help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had all of them believed in Duke.
"I'll get him!" Tristan yelled, going to run back. He did not want to believe that this was happening . . . that Duke was truly dead this time . . . that they were leaving sobered and without a victory. And those inside, trapped by the Seal, would not be able to be saved. If they were still alive after the electrocutions they had suffered, they would not be able to escape because of the Orichalcos. They would die. He swallowed. He did not know who was inside, but it seemed a horrible death for anyone.
Siegfried was running back to the plane with Leonhard as pieces of the stone structure were breaking off and falling all around them and everyone else. He hissed in pain, feeling large chunks bouncing off his back, and tried to shield his brother from the worst of it. He noticed that Seto was doing the same with Mokuba. Then he knew no more as something hard slammed down on his head. He gasped, falling forward as blackness claimed him.
Leonhard screamed as Siegfried collapsed to the ground. Even though it was dangerous, he knelt down and began shaking him gently, not caring as more pieces rained down on and around him. "Elder brother! Elder brother!" he pleaded desperately, first in English before switching to German without realizing he was doing so. But Siegfried lay still and unmoving, his light pink hair falling gently around his face. Leonhard could not tell if he was dead or merely unconscious. The piece that had struck him had been flat, but hard. Tears streamed from his eyes as he tried in vain to revive the brother he loved so much.
Seto paused as he and Mokuba went past, seeing this. Then he growled, his eyes narrowing. "Go on to the plane," he ordered.
Mokuba stopped, looking over as well and biting his lip. "Are you going to help, Seto?" he asked, worry for his own brother's safety shining in his eyes. Yet of course he knew that someone had to help. And they were the last ones. Everyone else was on board by now, save for Tristan.
"Just go!" Seto snapped, not wanting Mokuba to remain in the danger zone.
The child swallowed hard, but obeyed.
Muttering to himself, Seto went over to where Leonhard was still desperately trying to awaken Siegfried. The teenage businessman gently pushed Leonhard away and reached down, pulling the older man's body up into his arms. Siegfried was most definitely not one of Seto's favorite people, but he would not leave him here to die with his brother—if he was not already dead from the blow. Leonhard loved Siegfried, and for a split second when Seto had looked at them, he had seen his own brother kneeling in front of a lifeless Seto. He had vowed to live to be there for Mokuba. He wondered if Siegfried had made a similar vow.
Leonhard looked up at Seto in disbelief and then awe, hurrying after him as he turned to rush to the plane before something else happened. "Thank you," he whispered again and again, the tears continuing to spill from his hazel eyes. Siegfried had to still be alive. Leonhard would not be able to stand it if he was not. And he would be forever grateful to Seto for this act of kindness. He himself never would have been able to have gotten Siegfried away.
Yugi was doing a headcount when Seto coldly walked in carrying Siegfried's limp body. The short boy started in surprise. "What happened?" he gasped, his violet eyes widening.
Seto grunted. "Apparently some of the temple hit him," he answered.
Leonhard, who had ran in right behind Seto, looked at Yugi and smiled shakily. "Herr Kaiba saved him," he proclaimed. Seto grunted.
Yugi smiled too, but then started as he realized that Tristan was not back yet. From Téa's and Joey's alarmed expressions, they had realized it too. The others also soon observed that he was still missing.
"We can't go without Tristan!" Yugi exclaimed then, running back to the door and looking out. He gasped in horror as he saw the rest of the temple crashing to the earth. No, he choked out silently. Tristan had gone back for Duke's body. Had he been in that? Yugi looked around desperately, unable to see him. He did notice that the beam of the Orichalcos flickered, then went out. He swallowed hard, thinking of those that had perished inside.
"Wait!" Serenity cried then, seeing something. "There he is! It must be him!" She could see a figure weakly stumbling towards the plane. Quickly she and several others ran out to meet him, and discovered that indeed, it was Tristan.
He looked up at them, battered, bruised, and bleeding—and alone. Despair, failure, and frustration were all in his eyes. He leaned heavily on his right leg, and several bad cuts could be seen through the torn cloth of his left pant leg. "He's gone," he whispered angrily. "I . . . I couldn't save him. I couldn't even get his body back. . . ." He clenched a fist tightly, adding more streams of blood to the mix.
Serenity sobbed, gripping his hand with her own and gently loosening his fingers. "Oh Tristan," she said softly, tears glistening in her usually bright eyes, "none of us could. None of us could save him." Her lip trembled and then a sob tore free as she, Joey, and Yugi began to help Tristan up the steps to the plane. "In the end . . . none of us were strong enough."
The ruined rubble of the Orichalcos temple stood behind them as several rays of the sunset escaped from a cloud, tinting the fallen rocks with a deep crimson.