Yuuna cries as she hides under her bed, the blanket keeping her hidden from the door, her back pressed to the wall. She covers her mouth and cries as much as she dares, as she listens to Mother and Father fighting outside.
"Yuuna…"
Yuuna hiccups and looks at a tiny version of Yubel, sitting on their card. "Yubel…"
The tiny Yubel reaches out to pet Yuuna's face. "Oh my Little Princess… Look what they've done to you."
Yuuna can't look, it's too dark, but she can feel it. There's bruises all over her body, including her eyes which feel like they're swelling up. She thinks there's blood running down her head too, since Father hit her with a big glass bottle.
"Yubel, I don't wanna be here…" Yuuna sobs, sniffling. "Please, please save me."
Yubel blinks. "Yuuna?"
"Y-you promised to take me away, so please-" Yuuna chokes and coughs, blood dripping from her lips. "Take me away, please Yubel. Please!"
Yubel's eyes widden with fear at the sight of Yuuna's bloody mouth.
And they nod. "I will."
There was a great flash of bright light and then-
Yuuna hadn't had a grudge against Alexis at the start. She'd been afraid of what Alexis could do. She'd been afraid of fighting and losing her Monsters. She'd been afraid of failing Yubel and dying again, leaving the world in a worse state than it was before.
As Blair lays on a bed in Miss Fontaine's office, Yuuna isn't afraid anymore.
She's furious.
"Her vitals all seem healthy." Miss Fontaine pulls the stethoscope from her ears, resting it on her neck. "There's no real reason why she could've collapsed as far as I can tell."
"But she did!" Yuuna looks up at her in fear, holding Blair's hand tightly. "Is there nothing you can do for her?"
Miss Fontaine shakes her head. "We just have to wait for her to wake up on her own."
Yuuna whimpers and turns to her friend, holding her hand tighter. "Blair…"
This is all my fault.
If Yuuna had been better at hiding her powers, Blair wouldn't have challenged Alexis for her. If Yuuna had kept Blair away from the Abandoned Dorm, her own powers of the Gentle Darkness never would've awakened. If Yuuna has just defeated Alexis in their Duel or even just won against him back when she was Haou, then none of this would be happening at all.
Yubel places their hand on Blair's Deck and sighs, shaking their head.
Yuuna turns to them. "What is it, Yubel?"
"I can't get through to any of Blair's monsters." Yubel turns to Yuuna, eyes narrowed. "They're likely within Blair right now."
Yuuna's eyes widen in confusion. "Within her?"
"Blair got infected with the Light of Destruction in her Duel with Alexis. Her powers of the Gentle Darkness are strong, but uncontrollable right now. They can't protect her well on their own." Yubel floats over to Blair and Yuuna's side. "So her Monsters are fighting the infection alongside her powers, to give the fight some direction."
Yuuna stares at Blair's sleeping face.
It's completely slack, no sign of pain and no sign of happiness either. She's deathly pale, the only sign she's alive being the rise and fall of her chest, however long that will happen.
"Please stay safe." Yuuna holds Blair's hand tighter and leans down, kissing her forehead. "Blair…"
"Blair…"
Blair groans.
Who's calling me?
"Little Love…"
Who's that?
"Awaken child."
Blair opens her eyes, looking around in confusion. There's so much… white. Just white. Everywhere. There's white snow under her feet. The sky is full of fluffy white clouds, no blue to be seen or sunshine to be felt. There's towering ice sculptures and icicles all around, evergreen pines buried under snow and ice. Even the air feels white, breathing out mist and seeing nothing but picked up snow on the wind's trail.
"Welcome home, child."
Blair lifts her eyes to see a woman standing in the white. A woman made of blue ice, wearing a white cloak and with yellow eyes, the only bit of colour in this white void.
She's beautiful.
"I'm home?" Blair tilts her head.
The woman nods. "Yes child. I'll show you your home." She offers her hand. "You just need to accept my help."
Blair stares at the woman's hand. It's made of ice too. It's so cold everywhere. It's her home.
But this isn't how home feels. She knows this isn't how home feels. Home feels…
Blair closes her eyes.
Yuuna's open laughter, Syrus' kind eyes, Chumley's gentle shoves…
Bastion's tutoring lessons, Mindy and Jasmine dragging her on shopping trips…
Her father's strong arms around her like steel and her mother's voice whispering lovingly…
"I appreciate the offer." Blair gets to her feet. "But my home isn't with you."
She opens her eyes and glares at the woman. At the Monster who put her here. At White Night Queen.
White Night Queen narrows her eyes. "I suggest you come with me."
She reaches for Blair but she moves her hand away from her, not letting White Night Queen touch her.
"I'll find my own way home, thanks." Blair says. "So leave me alone!"
She turns around and starts running.
Faster and faster, as the wind howls at her.
Even as the elements fight her, she urges ahead into the unknown forest.
Blair has to find a way out of this frozen wasteland before White Night Queen catches her!
Yubel remembers the first war with the Light of Ruin.
They remember how the Soldiers of Light would fight without mercy. They remember how their assassins would use light to their advantage to get into the castle. They remember how the Princess of Light was the one who severed the King's head from his neck and displayed it like a trophy.
They remember how War steadily consumed Haou and almost killed the kind boy they fell in love with and became a Dragon for.
And now they can see the same rage consuming the girl they see as their daughter.
"Yuuna." Yubel reaches out, putting a hand on Yuuna's shoulder. "You should go to bed."
Yuuna ignores them, her Deck spread out over a small table next to Blair's hospital bed. Goldd, Silvia, Grapha, Lucent and Brron are placed next to each other, along with The Gates of Dark World, Mirror Force, Sinister Seed and Monster Reborn.
"Yuuna." Yubel repeats.
"I'm strategizing." Yuuna snaps. "I'm not going to bed."
Yubel narrows their eyes. "Do you think Blair would want you to do this to yourself?"
"Do you think I'm going to listen to you?" Yuuna shuffles the rest of her Deck. "I am the Herald of the Gentle Darkness. I am the Supreme Queen of the Darkness of Justice." She turns to glare at Yubel, her eyes flashing golden. "I give the orders here, not you."
Now she's being stubborn and throwing a tantrum. Not something that happened frequently, even when Yuuna was younger.
"Go to bed, Little Princess. I'm worried about you." Yubel sits on the table, on top of the cards.
"Stop it." Yuuna lifts her head, eyes turning gold.
"I will not." Yubel narrows their eyes right back.
"I'm ordering you to." Yuuna grits her teeth.
"Oh fuck your orders." Yubel rolls their eyes. "I am your Guardian, your advisor and your friend. And I will tell you when you're being foolish."
"So get on with it." Yuuna huffs, looking away.
"You're being foolish." Yubel folds their arms.
"Good. Now it's done." Yuuna snaps. "Now get out of the way."
Yubel sighs and moves off the desk, flapping their wings.
Yuuna goes back to going through her Deck.
"Tomorrow, you will not join me in my Duel with Alexis." Yuuna says.
"What?!" Yubel shouts. "Yuuna-"
"It's been 12 hours. 12 hours since Blair passed out from her Duel with Alexis." Yuuna turns to Yubel. "She's still infected with the Light of Destruction, isn't she?"
Yubel doesn't even need to touch Blair to know it. They can see how the light coats Blair's body, like a disgusting goo and how some bubbles of darkness appear, only to be smothered.
The Dragonmaids and Blair are having a hard time fighting it off.
"I want you to go within Blair and protect her." Yuuna puts her cards down. "I'll keep your card in my Deck, but I won't summon you when I Duel Alexis so you won't have to split your attention between the two of us." Yuuna's hands curl into fists. "Please Yubel…"
Yubel's heart clenches.
"You're the only one who I can count on for this mission." Yuuna bows her head. "Please, protect my little sister when I can't."
She keeps her head lowered and a few drops of water hit the infirmary floor.
And Yubel has never been able to resist Yuuna. Not even once.
"Alright." Yubel says.
With that, Yuuna lifts her head and continues looking through her Deck, eyes brown.
For now.
The next day, the Obelisk Arena fills up once again.
"Welcome Duelists! For the final match to find out who will be Duel Academy's representative in the School Duel. We have from Obelisk Blue-" Crowler proudly gestures to the left side of the Arena. "Alexis Rhodes!"
The crowd cheers excitedly and Alexis stands there, her arms folded.
"And from Slifer…" Crowler snarls as he grits out. "Some girl."
The crowd cheers excitedly and Yuuna stands there, her fists shaking.
In the stands, Syrus and Chumley look at the Arena nervously.
"Alexis is a really strong Duelist. Blair still hasn't woken up from the hit from White Night Queen, even though it's been almost a whole day." Syrus shivers, hugging himself. "I hope Yuuna doesn't have to fight a monster like that."
"I don't think we get a choice about that, Sy." Chumley narrows his eyes. "Alexis has it out for Yuuna for some reason and is gonna go all in."
"Is she gonna be okay?" Syrus turns to Chumley.
"I don't know, man." Chumley leans forwards. "I just don't know."
Syrus whimpers and stares out at the Arena. "Yuuna…"
"She's strong."
The two of them look up.
Bastion is there, taking a seat next to them.
"Have faith in her." Bastion continues, smiling. "Yuuna has won every other match we've ever seen her in. I'm sure she can get through this too."
Syrus frowns and looks at the Arena. "I hope so."
Bastion folds his arms. "And perhaps I can find out why these two are at war."
On the other side of the stands, Mindy and Jasmine frown at the Arena.
"Alexis hasn't been herself in a really long time, has she?" Jasmine says.
Mindy nods. "I know losing Atticus was a huge shock to her. But I don't remember Alexis being this cruel. She's like a mini Zane."
Jasmine sighs. She sees Bastion sitting with Chumley and Syrus. She thinks of Blair alone in Miss Fontaine's office.
She stands up.
"Jaz?" Mindy looks up at her.
"Screw this match." Jasmine says and walks over to the stairs. "Blair hasn't got anyone with her right now. I can't watch Alexis do this and I can't just leave Blair on her own."
"Hey wait!" Mindy shouts, running after her. "I'm going with you!"
Jasmine pauses and looks at her. "You sure?"
Mindy nods. "I can't remember the last time Alexis actually treated us like friends. It feels like I don't know who she is anymore." She shakes her head. "I'd rather be with Blair right now, so she's not alone. She's a good kid and she doesn't deserve this."
Jasmine smiles and nods. "That sounds like a plan to me, Minnie. Let's go."
"Right!" Mindy calls.
With that, the two Obelisk girls run out of the Arena, barely being noticed.
Except by one Duelist who stands above the rest.
Zane watches the two abandon the Obelisk side of the Arena, shaking his head in disappointment. He knows the two of them are childhood friends with Alexis. Both Rhodes siblings spoke of them often enough. Yet now they abandon her in a match that was bound to happen as Destiny foretold it would. The match Alexis has been preparing for her entire life, since she learned of her title as the Princess of Light.
They don't understand her or what she's going through.
But they'll understand soon.
Eventually, when the Society of Light defeats the Supreme King, the world will be bathed in Light and saved from the evil of his darkness. And when that light comes and the darkness falls, Atticus and Yusuke will return to him.
Zane's fists shake.
They have to.
Back in the Arena, Alexis stares at her ultimate opponent. From as far back as she can remember, her parents' words haunt her, the ones they repeated for so long.
"Alexis, you are the Princess of Light and it is your duty to destroy the Supreme King. It is the only way to save the world. You must win."
As a child, she'd figured it would happen when it would happen and just focused on learning Duel Monsters, doing her best to be the mightiest Duelist she could. Everyone she knew told her how important that destiny was and how the whole world is depending on her to save it.
When she got to middle school and Atticus left for Duel Academy, she had no idea that while her brother was away and she was learning about the world, the Darkness would strike first.
Then she arrived at Duel Academy to find her brother-
Only to find the Supreme King instead. Yuuna Yuki.
Her destiny was here.
She had to win.
"Alexis."
She lifts her head, staring at her opponent.
Yuki stares back at her. "How did you feel the day you lost Atticus?"
Alexis narrows her eyes.
"Were you scared? Were you angry?" Yuki's hands shake.
Alexis remembers that day.
She'd been afraid and confused. Her parents told her in tears that Atticus wouldn't come home for the holidays. She asked them why and they told her he was missing and Zane didn't know where he was and it was something to do with Shadow Games.
Then White Night Queen told Alexis that it was the Supreme King that took her brother because she is the Princess of Light and he did it to hurt her. It is her duty to rescue Atticus.
"Is that why you hurt Blair?" Yuki's shoulders shake. "To teach me a lesson?! By hurting the one person I love the most?!" He throws his arms out. "She had no part in this, so why would you go after her?!"
Alexis narrows her eyes. "Have you forgotten that we were randomly chosen to Duel? I didn't challenge her. She challenged me first and she suffered for it."
It's the fate of all those who choose the Darkness. Anyone who strays from the path of Light.
Alexis must be the perfect Princess of Light and fulfil her destiny or she'll end up just like Blair. Just like Atticus. The Darkness will swallow her whole and never release her again.
She can't let that happen.
"She didn't have to suffer!" Yuki screams. "No one deserves to suffer, no one!"
Alexis blinks. "That's an odd thing for an opponent to say. I assumed you intended to make me suffer even more, as if taking my brother wasn't enough."
"Shut up, Rhodes!" Yuki shouts. "I'm gonna get this Duel over with, so I can go back to my sister and make sure she's gonna be okay! Shut up and Duel already!"
Alexis nods and raises her Duel Disk. "If you insist, Yuki."
"DUEL!"