Chapter 24
A/N: Greetings followers, commenters and readers! I am SO happy to have you back! :D
As on other Saturdays, here's the newest chapter of my story! I hope you'll all enjoy it! (^_^)
Maria: I hated Eliphas as well – Not a fan of his, but he is (sadly) relatively important in YGO-ZEXAL so xD I'm glad you're sticking with the story anyways though! :D
Please, don't forget to R&R ! :)
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"uma… Yuma, please! Wake up! Please my love, open your eyes and look at me! Yuma!".
He groaned, moving a head to his forehead, before opening his eyes halfway, and glancing at the figure leaning in over him.
"As… tral?" he said hesitantly, but then he shot up out of nowhere and emptied the contents of his stomach over the blue, tile-like floor beneath him.
"Oh my" he heard Astral say beside him, feeling a hand being placed on his back, as he wiped one over his mouth, removing the drops of bile that had remained on his lips.
"Are you feeling better now?" the alien then asked, and Yuma swallowed hard, before nodding faintly.
"Maybe… a bit" he replied, lifting his head and finally looking at his partner.
"That is comforting to hear" Astral responded, as he rose and glanced at their surroundings.
Yuma followed his example, though he was very unsteady on his feet and still felt quite sick.
As he let his eyes run over the things around him, they widened as he spoke.
"Astral World! We've been pulled all the way to Astral World?!" he said and Astral nodded, turning back towards him again.
"It would seem so… This must be their doing. They pulled us away from Earth, the moment I gave up on fighting them" he said, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry Yuma. You shouldn't be here" he then added.
"What do you mean 'they'?" Yuma asked, but just as Astral was about to reply, a new voice was heard.
"That is exactly right, Envoy" it said and Yuma, despite the time that had passed, instantly recognized it.
"Eliphas!" he exclaimed, seeing the tall Astralian approaching, followed by another whom the young man recognized.
"Enna!" he added, looking at her, though she did not yet speak, leaving that to Eliphas, for the time being.
"Eliphas" Astral said, as the being that was the will of Astral World, reached them.
"You are right, Envoy" Eliphas repeated "he should not be here. Why did you bring him with you?".
"I do not ask your forgiveness, Eliphas" Astral responded "you know well the bond that Yuma and I share. There is no way I could have gone here without him. Not anymore".
"That is not right" Eliphas commented "you are only bound to the key whilst on Earth, not here in Astral World. You can easily come here without having to drag your human with you".
"Perhaps" was Astrals reply "but I would not want to".
The two stared at eachother for a while, but then Eliphas finally broke the silence that was growing between them.
"Hm. We must talk about several things" he said "but first of all, is this: how dare you ignore our summons for three whole Earth-days?! The deal that we agreed upon, was that whenever we summoned you, you would come here instantly.
THAT, was our demand, to allow you to go to Earth and remain with the human male known as Yuma Tsukumo. So why then, did you ignore us?!".
"I apologize for the delay, Eliphas" Astral replied "but I am afraid that Yuma, and thus also I, have been unwell for quite a while. The truth is, that when you forced me to come here, you pulled us out of the hospital we are currently admitted to for treatment".
"I assume that explains the sick on the floor" Eliphas responded, looking at what Yuma had thrown up with pure disgust.
Yuma felt himself blush at his words and reaction, feeling shameful, even though there was nothing he could do about what had happened and thus shouldn't be.
Astral sensed it, and glanced at him, moving in front of him protectively.
"Yuma is very ill. He cannot be held responsible for this. It is one of his body's instinctual ways of dealing with disease" he said, feeling a strong urge to protect his lover.
"Maybe you should keep your distance from him then, if he is truly that sick" Eliphas replied, voice hard and cold, just as Yuma remembered it from when he had dueled him on his own, in order to get Astral back.
That, coupled with the others continued hostility towards him, made Yuma shiver, though he didn't say anything.
Astral was defending him. It made his heart swell with love, seeing how protective he still remained of him.
"Even if I could, I never would Eliphas. Yuma is my other half. Even YOU know this. We belong together, and I would not be able to bear it were I to be separated from him once again. He is the only thing that completes me. He is the reason for why I am alive" the blue-skinned half of the original number responded, eyes fiercer than they had been for quite a while.
"Astral…" Yuma said quietly, wide eyes admiring his beloved.
"Enough!" a female voice suddenly sounded. It was Enna. Stepping forward, she looked directly at Yuma, much to his surprise.
"Yuma… I apologize for Eliphas' fierceness, but please, do not be concerned. We are pleased to see you here again, though we are troubled by your current state.
We all know that the Envoy, Astrals', life is tied fully to yours, and so we are worried at how weak you are right now, especially under these circumstances" she said.
"What do you mean 'these circumstances'?" Yuma asked and Astral nodded his consent.
"Yes. Why DID you summon me here, and why was it so urgent that you would even inflict pain on me, until I broke? Why did you force us to come here?
I have not sensed any attacks on Astral World for years and even now, as I am here, it seems peaceful" he inquired.
"The pain was to teach you a lesson, Envoy" Eliphas said, tone rough "you made a promise and you were breaking it. That is not the way we do things here".
"Things have happened, that requires we investigate them further Astral". It was Enna.
"Now that you stand before us, we can see that our suspicions were indeed correct. We know that your time ended almost a month ago, in human days. And yet you remain as solid as ever.
This is not the way it should be.
And so, we must speak with you of what happened during your time, as well as what have happened since it concluded" she continued.
Astral felt himself blushing as she spoke of it so openly, and lowering his head, he replied "I do not see why you should be informed of the exact circumstances surrounding that week. It is none of your business, not any of you. It is private".
His voice was faintly shaky, and Yuma could hear tones of something that resembled anger in it as well.
"You certainly have bonded with that human, haven't you Envoy? Those emotions are unbecoming of an Astralian" Eliphas commented, arms crossed over his chest.
From his comment, Yuma understood that he had to have picked up on the faint undertone in Astrals voice as well.
"You are one to speak" Astral replied, locking his eyes on the Guardian for a long while, until Enna spoke again.
"Stop it, both of you" she said "this is not the right place for talking. Come. We will go to a more secluded setting".
With that, she started moving back in the direction she'd come from.
Only now, did Astral and Yuma notice that a large amount of Astralians had gathered around them, smiling at them and greeting them.
Yuma send them all a small smile in return, but because of how he was feeling, he found himself wishing they weren't there.
Astral felt it across their bond and offered Yuma his arm.
"We better follow them" he said, and Yuma nodded, accepting the offered assistance.
It was troublesome for him to walk, but with Astrals help, the two of them soon found themselves in a large chamber.
As they entered it, Eliphas followed behind them, halting as they did.
"Now that we are in private" Enna said, turning around and locking her eyes on Yuma and Astral "it's time we talk. Astral, come".
As she finished, she held out an arm in invitation. Astral looked at Yuma.
"What should I do?" he asked across their bond.
"I… I think you'll have to go to her Astral" Yuma replied, in the same manner.
"But what about you? Will you be alright?" the alien asked.
"I'll just… sit down over there, by the wall" Yuma responded "I'm going to be fine… But… I think you need to be honest with her. I'm not sure why I feel it's important, but there's just something…".
Astral observed him for a little, but then he nodded. "Very well then. Come, I will help you down" he said, and with that, he and Yuma moved to the wall, where Astral helped his partner get into a relatively comfortable position on the floor.
Once he had, he placed a soft kiss on Yumas temple, before turning away from him and heading for the middle of the large room, where Enna was standing next to something that resembled an operating table, like the ones he had seen on Earth.
"What's this?" he asked her as he reached it and Enna looked at him with serious eyes.
"This is where you will be located, as we talk. It was created for this specific situation and that is why it is inspired by some of the things we have seen on Earth" she replied.
"How have you seen it?" Astral asked, surprised "have you been observing Earth and its people?".
"Yes, we have. Eliphas and I have kept an eye on them, with a little help from a mutual acquaintance of ours. But only for as long as you have been among them, as an Envoy" Enna responded.
"But, why?" Astral asked "and how?!".
"That's not important!" Eliphas now chimed in from near where Yuma was sitting, leaning heavily against the wall.
"What IS important, is the information WE are seeking, from YOU".
"I beg to differ" Astral replied, not even turning around to look at Eliphas, but keeping his focus on Enna. "It IS important, to me".
"We understand, Envoy. No, Astral. I promise that when you have answered our questions, we will answer yours as well" Enna replied.
"Very well then" Astral replied, after some moments thought. "But if you really HAVE been watching us, shouldn't you already know exactly what happened during… my time?".
"No, we do not" Enna responded "we… lost track of you, during those days".
"So, that is why you ordered me to come here" Astral said, crossing his arms over his chest in his usual fashion.
"Yes. Once we found you again, your time had passed and yet, you remained in this form. We must discover why and whether it is permanent. We also need to find out if it is something we should be troubled by" Enna replied and Astral sighed.
"I do not wish to discuss this subject, but if it is the only way I can make you return us to Earth, then I guess I have no choice in the matter. I shall answer your questions truthfully" he responded, and Enna nodded, sending him a small smile.
"Then please, if you will lie down here" she then said and with one more glance at Yuma, Astral did as requested.
"Tell me again why I must lie here for this Enna" he asked, once he was on the operating table.
"It is to help you relax. I must enter your thoughts as I ask my questions, to confirm that you are being honest" she replied.
"Why would I lie? Am I not still Astralian? Do you not trust me?" Astral asked on, but this time, Ennas' answer came more hesitantly.
"Perhaps" she said, glancing at Eliphas, who in turn looked at Yuma, who found himself feeling like the Guardians eyes could see right through his hospital gowns and every other layer of him, to his very soul.
He didn't like it, so he quickly lowered his head, pulling his knees up under his chin and locking his arms in front of them, glancing sideways at Astral for comfort.
"Will you willingly allow me access to your mind Envoy?" Enna now asked, eyes locked on Astral.
Astral felt Yumas discomfort and a hint of fear, and moved so he could look at him briefly, to make sure he was still unharmed.
"Yuma, calm down. Everything will be alright" he said across their bond, but Yuma didn't reply, even though Astral sensed that he'd heard him. The alien sighed.
"Yes. Just… let us get on with it already" he said, relaxing against the table he was on once more, and moving his eyes to Enna.
Enna nodded.
"Very well. I shall ask the first question then" she replied and Astral closed his eyes.
"Go ahead" he said and then it began…