Chapter Seven

As Marik made his way to where Kade was, he was stunned to find the child kneeling next to a bizarre creature that was laying on its stomach in the grass. It looked like a human, but an angel wing and a demon wing were sprouting from its back. Marik also thought he could see a painful tear in the demon wing, but Kade was oblivious to that as he stroked the downy feathers of the other wing. The creature was motionless, but Marik could see the rise and fall of its torso as it softly breathed. Perhaps it had crashed to earth after its wing had been torn and had been rendered unconscious.

"He's sleeping," Kade told him. "What kind of birdie is he, Mister Marik?"

Marik shook his head as he came closer and knelt down as well. "I don't know," he answered, suddenly noticing how much the being resembled Alister. Suddenly he felt disturbed. "But you should be careful," he said now. "You don't know if it's friendly. It's hurt, so if it wakes up and sees you, it might not realize that you don't mean it any harm." He spoke gently, looking Kade in the eyes and hoping that the child would voluntarily back away from the strange thing. Neither of them had any way of knowing if it was vicious, and Marik had never seen such a creature before. Judging by Kade's fascination, he had not, either.

Kade blinked at him in confusion. "But why wouldn't he know?" he asked. "I'm not hurting him. And if he's hurt, shouldn't Mr. Doctor look at him?" He ran his hand over a deformation in the entity's angel wing, fascinated still more by this oddity and by the scar that stretched through a third of the appendage and to the deformed bone. This, he decided, must be what Marik had meant about the thing being hurt.

Marik smiled slightly. "Yes, he should," he said, though he was not certain if the physician would even know what to do for the torn wing. He supposed that it would just need to be sewn up, though, and even Ishizu would be able to do something like that. Of course, if the thing proved violent, then Marik would not want his sister to get anywhere near it.

Thinking of something that might finally get Kade away from it, Marik looked at him again. "Can you do me a big favor," he asked, "and go tell him?"

Kade grinned. "Sure!" he chirped, getting up to hurry back to the home. Marik watched him until he was safely inside, then turned his attention back to the creature.

When a wing abruptly fluttered, the Egyptian narrowed his eyes. He knew he would have to be on his guard. If it wanted to attack him, it would probably spring into action immediately upon awakening, unless it was too badly hurt. Perhaps something else had been injured besides the wing, but he could not depend upon that being the case. Slowly Marik pulled the Millennium Rod out of his belt. He hoped he would not have to use it, but he wanted to intimidate the thing at least.

Ice-blue eyes opened, taking time to focus on the scenery. Then, as Marik watched, the entity started to painstakingly sit up.

Quickly the tan-skinned boy pointed the Rod at it. "Who are you?" he demanded, narrowing his lavender eyes. Hopefully, he thought, it will be able to speak. It looks human, so. . . .

The creature blinked at him curiously, then smiled brightly. "Hi!" it exclaimed in a soft male voice, revealing elongated canine teeth. He managed to sit up and then crossed his legs Indian-style on the grass. "I'm Alexander."

Marik was taken aback. Slowly he lowered the Rod. Apparently this odd being was not vicious in the least. He looked him over, raising an eyebrow as he noticed that this Alexander seemed oblivious to any pain that it seemed he would be in. Instead he continued to simply sit and stare at Marik. The Egyptian boy frowned. "Aren't you in pain?" he asked. "Your wing's torn."

Alexander tilted his head to the side. "It is?" he said vaguely. When Marik pointed to the demon wing, the boy turned to the left to look at it. He gazed at the tear, seeming fascinated, and then blinked as if he had remembered something. "Oh . . . Colchis shot me out of the sky," he said in a matter-of-fact way.

Now Marik noticed a bit of blood near the bottom of the angel wing as well, and he was about to comment when Alexander's statement made him blanch. "Colchis shot you!" he repeated in disbelief. "But why?" Suddenly he wondered if this thing would prove valuable to them. Ishizu, he knew, would probably say that Alexander was fated to fall down on this mountain. But now he worried, wondering if Colchis was on the mountain as well. Perhaps they were not safe at all.

"Because I was following him, and he knew it," Alexander nodded. "But I don't remember being over a mountain. . . . He shot me over a plain, and I flew for a bit longer to get away, and then I crashed and hit my head." He shuddered. "I blasted at him in self-defense, but I don't think he was hit. And I couldn't keep blasting because I was hit and I needed to save my strength." He then demonstrated by harmlessly shooting a beam of turquoise light from his hands.

Marik raised an eyebrow at the being, deciding to ignore the display for the present time. "You were following him? Why?" He watched as Alexander finally noticed that he was bleeding. The redhead again looked more enthralled than anything else. Marik wondered if Alexander was even in pain.

Alexander rocked back. "Because Dartz wanted me to," he said, as if it should be obvious. He wondered if Dartz was alright. Surely Colchis would not realize that they were associated. That was what Dartz had tried to ensure would not happen.

Marik stared, and was about to ask what connection this boy had with Dartz, when the doctor approached. But he was not alone. Alister was with him, regarding the scene with a deadpan gaze.

Immediately Alexander brightened and leaped up. Before anyone could stop him, he was glomping Alister, who tensed and grunted. Both Marik and the doctor gawked.

"Would someone like to explain this?" the Egyptian demanded.

"I'm his doppelganger," Alexander replied proudly. He was so excited to have finally been able to meet up with Alister again. It had been quite a while, at least in his mind, since they had last been together. He had not seen Alister since before they had journeyed to Juno, and he, Dartz, and the others had been there longer than Alister and Marik.

Marik found that he was not that surprised by the news. Well, he thought dryly, that explains the uncanny resemblance. He crossed his arms, watching as Alister gently pried Alexander away. The other redhead surveyed the creature's injured wings and then let the doctor step forward. There was not any visible indication of what Alister was thinking, though he had not seemed astonished. Marik wondered if the older man truly was not.

The physician looked as though he was at a loss. He held up the demon wing, examining the tear, and then did the same with the angel wing. He blinked as he saw the deformity and the scar. Alexander merely stood there, letting the doctor look at him and appearing to wonder what all the fuss was about.

At last the man spoke.

"It looks like there aren't any permanent injuries, young . . . man," he finished after a hesitation. While it was true that Juno was populated by strange creatures, he had never treated any of them—and he had never seen one such as this. Of course, Alexander had proclaimed himself to be a doppelganger, and that was a mythical being that the physician had not even realized could be seen in the physical world. "How did this one happen?" He indicated the twisted bone.

Alexander smiled. "The Leviathan did it, but then I met Dartz and he helped me!" It did not bother him much anymore to discuss being attacked by the sea serpent, because he always remembered how he had been helped by Dartz after it had happened. That did not mean, however, that Alexander had come away from the experience completely unscathed. He still had his fears of small spaces and being alone.

As they started to head for the palace, the creature amiably walked along beside them. Marik was amazed and perhaps even slightly annoyed by his immense cheeriness. He wondered how anyone could truly be so happy. After all, he certainly did not find enough things in either dimension that could result in an adult behaving as a child. Of course, perhaps Alexander truly was a child.

Alister also often pondered over how Alexander could be so happy, but he was used to the other's ways by now. He looked at the boy, remembering that he could only rarely feel physical pain. "Is Dartz here?" he asked. Raphael, he knew, would not be pleased if that were the case. Not that Alister would be, but since Alexander adored the Atlantean, Alister was learning to "deal with it," as he often would flatly tell people to do. Dartz was around, and because of Alexander living with him, the man's path would cross with that of Alister's and his friends every so often.

Alexander nodded. "We came here not too long ago because we need to fix things," he answered. "This weird Egyptian brought us. But we didn't meet the Queen. We were supposed to work on our own, without her knowing that we're here." He shrugged, not understanding but not caring, either. He was sure that Dartz and Ironheart knew what they were doing, and that was good enough for him.

Marik looked at him incredulously. "Shadi brought you here?" He had to wonder why Shadi had done that, especially since he had then come to get Marik and the others. Though, he of course knew that their groups were small and that they would have a better chance of gaining victory by all working together—but Shadi had not even let them know that others had been brought before. Shadi, Marik knew, often seemed to have a secret agenda that no one else was allowed to know about. Ishizu got along well with him, as she was the same way, but Marik often became frustrated.

Alexander nodded. "I don't remember when he came," he said. "I don't really keep tracks of days and weeks. Chris would probably know."

Alister looked to him. "You haven't seen Valon, have you?" He supposed that he was just grasping at straws, but he was getting desperate. It had been hours since the battle and Valon's disappearance, and if he had been taken by the enemy, there was no telling what might be done to him. It made Alister furious just thinking about it.

Alexander bit his lip. "No," he said slowly. "Why? Is something wrong?" He did not get along well with Valon at all, and usually claimed that he did not like the Australian, but he knew that Alister cared about him. And that meant that Alexander had to make sure that Valon stayed safe, if he could.

Over the next few moments, as they arrived at the palace and as the doctor worked on sewing Alexander's wings, Alister and Marik explained about the battle and its aftermath. Alexander listened worriedly, wondering about Valon himself, and then started to be concerned again about Dartz. If Colchis had suspected at all that Dartz was connected with Alexander, then Dartz could very well have gotten into trouble. Alexander shuddered, wanting to go look for him, and yet not knowing if it would be safe for Dartz if he was to do so. It was a terrible predicament to be in.


Valon was lost in the fog over his mind. Everything seemed so strange, so surreal, as if it was all a dream and not really happening. He felt almost detached from his body, though he knew he was not. But he would hear disembodied voices all around him, speaking to him and smoothly trying to convince him of the betrayals he had experienced. He wanted to resist the voices, to tune them out, but he could not. He was not even able to see who was speaking. He only saw vague shadows and silhouettes when he tried, and then he would feel himself growing so tired . . . so very tired. Even when he slept, the voices would penetrate his dreams.

Somewhere in his mind he wondered where he was and why Alister and Raphael did not make the voices be quiet. Maybe they were dead. . . . But no, the voices were talking about them . . . always about them. They had betrayed Valon, had they not? Why was he here if they were still his friends? Valon had seen them walking away from him when he had needed their help. He could try to deny it all he wished, but that could not change the truth.

Valon moaned, desperately trying to get up and failing. What he was being told was a lie! . . . Was it not? No, the memories were not real. . . . Alister had not walked past him! Raphael had not coldly turned away! It was all lies! It could not have happened. It could not have happened at all. . . .

Come on, fellas . . . you wouldn't leave me, would you? You wouldn't do that to your chum. . . .

"Yes, Valon, they left you. They don't care about you any longer. You've been rejected . . . again. You know it's true, but you just don't want to accept it. However, the sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to move on with your life. You live only for yourself, don't you? Maybe you'd like to take revenge on them for deserting you. It would certainly be understandable. After all, how dare they do that to you. You thought they were your friends, and yet they have turned against you. Don't let them get away with it!"

Valon struggled weakly, straining against the bindings holding him to the bed that he had been moved to. "Shut up," he hissed weakly, feeling sleep overtake him again. "Come on, just shut up. . . ." That was all he wanted, to be left in silence without the voices trying to force him to believe that his friends had turned against him. He moaned again, the images of them walking away burned into his mind. He did not realize it, but now he was quietly pleading for them not to leave. He wanted the voices to leave, but he did not want Alister and Raphael to go away. He never wanted that.


Dartz shook his head, observing as Valon slipped back into unconsciousness. What the rebels were doing to him was outrageous. Valon was going to end up emotionally scarred, disturbed, and angry by the time they were done. Of course, what Dartz had done in the past had caused him and the other two to suffer many of those feelings. But now he recognized what he had done and was frustrated when he saw other people behaving the same way as he had. He knew that they would come to regret it someday.

What was also annoying was that this was disturbing his plans. He had not wanted to have any contact with any of his former warriors, and now such a situation was being thrust upon him without his permission. Now he would have to think about what to do, as he was still undecided.

It would take Valon a long time to heal from his injuries, and the rebels would have plenty of time to torment and brainwash him until then. But Dartz could never try to get him out of the hideout until he did heal. Then he could make it look like Valon had left of his own accord. Under no circumstances could he do anything that would link his name with Valon's disappearance. That was too dangerous. He could end up threatening the lives of his family if Colchis suspected that Dartz was working against him. And he could not let that happen.

He stood and crossed the room to look down at Valon, his golden-eyed gaze boring down upon the stubborn Australian. If he could just hold on and not give in to the lies they were feeding him, then perhaps everything would be alright. Dartz knew that Valon was trying desperately to resist it, or else he would not be telling the voices to "shut up." And yet at the same time, he was quite sure that Valon did not fully understand what was happening to him.

The doctor smirked, removing his hand from Valon's forehead. "Everything is going as planned," he purred. "By the time he's healed, I will have gotten to him." He looked extremely pleased, as if Valon was nothing more than a pet project and not a living, feeling human being. And Dartz was certain that it was true, that the man felt exactly that way. He could not tell whether the man was honestly interested in the rebellion or if he had only joined in order to have experiments to work on.

Dartz frowned. "It wouldn't be wise to underestimate a strong-willed young man such as him," he answered flatly, folding his arms. "He just might surprise you." He turned to give the man a sidelong glance. "What is your stake in this?" he asked. "Why do you want to turn him against his friends?" And, he realized silently, how does he even know anything about Valon or his friends? He's been calling them all by name.

The doctor smiled eerily. "Well, you heard what the rebels said," he answered, "and you don't seem the type to easily forget."

Dartz grunted. "Yes, I remember what they said," he retorted, "but I don't know if that is your reason for being involved." Upon not receiving an answer, he questioningly turned to completely face the other man. He was surprised to see a far-off look in the brown eyes.

Coming back to the present, the physician smiled in a rueful way and looked different from the maniacal being he had been moments before. "I don't have anywhere to go," he said finally. "I was injured a while back, during an attack from the Red Zealot, and this rebel group found me. They nursed me back to health, but I don't recall anything from before I woke up at their secret base." He leaned back, sighing quietly. "And so, I have been serving under Colchis with his rebels. It's the least I can do since they saved my life. You can understand not having anywhere to go, can't you?" Now it was his turn to study Dartz, looking into the endless golden orbs. "Colchis mentioned that you're a wanderer, too."

Dartz nodded slowly. "I am," he said. He looked down at Valon's senseless body as the teen shuddered. Then the Atlantean raised his gaze again to meet the doctor's. "However, is this how you truly want to spend your life? Young Valon is in the same predicament as you were when the rebels found you." Since the doctor had been using Valon's name, Dartz had determined that it would not seem suspicious for him to do so as well.

An ironic smirk now graced the doctor's features. "I know," he said quietly. "But I have this feeling that he would never serve us willingly. He didn't lose his memories, as I did." He had not directly answered Dartz's question, and they both realized it. Dartz decided to leave the matter be.

He did wish that there would be some way to turn the doctor to his side. Then they might be able to get Valon out of the way and back where he belonged before so much time went by. But Dartz did not think it seemed likely, and he knew that if he kept pushing matters, it would likely only make the other man suspicious. Then he might not be able to do anything at all in this situation.

He wondered what Chris and Ironheart were doing. He had instructed them that if at all possible, they should stay where they were. And, if Alexander did not come back and they wanted to look for him, they would have to be utterly cautious. Colchis might already be watching them both, for all Dartz would know. If they found Alexander, they would have to act as though they had never seen him before and that they wanted to help the poor, injured stranger. He hoped that Alexander would be able to understand enough of what was going on to play along.

As for himself, he determined that he would be staying where he was—at least for the time being. He wanted to keep his enemy—Colchis—close if he could.


Raphael lay in the soft bed, frustrated with his inability to get up. Alister had told him that he should rest for a little bit because of his injuries, especially since his leg had been badly cut. There was really nothing that they could do about Valon at the moment, the redhead had told him, and they should concentrate on getting well. If Valon had been taken by the rebels, they would not be in any condition to fight them.

Raphael knew that was true, and he knew that it had taken a lot of strength for Alister to even say it at all. Though Alister said nothing of his inner feelings, Raphael could tell that he was highly distraught that their friend was gone. It was obvious from the turmoil in the younger man's gray eyes. Alister wanted more than anything to go to him, wherever he was, but he knew that they did not even know where to start looking. And that was tearing him up inside, even though it had only been a day.

Only? It seemed more like an eternity to Raphael. And yet it was true—the battle had taken place over twenty-four hours ago now.

He shifted position, glancing down blankly at the book on his lap. He could not concentrate. He had read the same page four times now, and each time he was done he did not have any idea what it was that he had read. In vexation he ran a hand over his face.

Alexander was in the summer home as well. His wings were not terribly damaged, but Alister had thought that the creature should wait a while before trying to fly. He seemed to only be a few years older than Kade, mentally, and they were off somewhere, sharing deep thoughts between their childlike minds.

Raphael had been stunned to see Alexander there, and even more so when Alister had explained how it had come about and had said that Dartz was in Juno as well. That was the last thing Raphael wanted to deal with now—his personal demons. He had thought that he would be able to leave them back home in Domino City, along with everything else they had left.

His thoughts turned to Liu. What would happen to his cat while they were gone? He had left her with an unwilling cousin Hilda, but he doubted that either of them would be very happy. He and the other two might be here for ages. Would they ever even get back?

Raphael felt a certain anger that they had to be there at all. He knew it was important and he wanted to save Juno, but he did not want to sacrifice a friend in order to do it. It was selfish, perhaps, but it was the way he felt. But of course, outwardly, he would do his duty and not let on how upset he was. He would be the first to say that they had to carry on. After all, if they did not, then Valon would suffer in vain. And Raphael would never want that.

He turned to gaze at the crystal that had been laid on the nightstand. It glimmered as it had always done, oblivious to the problems of those that possessed it. Raphael still had to wonder what it was supposed to do. Each of the three "family units," as Sapphire had called them, had received one. There had to be some significance in that fact.

Maybe it was that there were three crystals, just as there were three pieces of the Talisman. At any rate, that theory made the most sense of anything Raphael had tried to come up with so far.

He looked up as a sudden knock came to the door. "You can come in," he said, putting the book aside. He wondered who it was. Alister was not likely to knock, as they were close enough that they did not need such formalities. But he supposed it could be any of the others. None of the trio associated much with the Kaibas or the Ishtars.

The door opened slightly and Rishid looked in. "Pardon me, Mr. Laurent," he said quietly, "I was coming to see how you are faring." The Egyptian had a bandage on his forehead, but otherwise looked perfectly fine. His golden eyes, however, were filled with concern, as if he had learned something grave.

Raphael could not look into the eyes for very long. Other than Rishid, he only knew of one individual with golden eyes. It was a painful reminder. "I'm fine," he grunted. "Did you find anything out?" He wanted to ask specifically if Rishid knew anything about Valon, but he doubted it was likely. He both dreaded and wanted any such news, and he watched Rishid firmly for any hesitations in speaking that might indicate a tragedy had been uncovered.

Rishid looked back at him. "Mr. Volker received a visit from one of his . . . friends," he said slowly. "This friend said that he saw some of the rebels carrying a young man away with them. There was a tall, cloaked figure with them, and the friend tried to follow them for a while, but then they realized that it was happening and shot at him. He had to duck down to escape being hit, and when he arose again, he could not find them anywhere."

Raphael growled. "And so this person they were carrying was Valon," he stated, clenching part of the quilt.

Rishid nodded. "I'm afraid it's likely," he replied apologetically.

Raphael thought it over and then realized something else. "How would Volker's friend know where to come to find him?" he demanded. In this world, he did not know who to trust. Perhaps this friend was a spy from the enemy. And that was all they needed right now.

"He came and found the aftermath of the battle," Rishid explained, "and Mr. Volker told him to try to find out something about Valon. I was only informed of this just now, Mr. Laurent. . . . Apparently Mr. Volker did not want to tell anyone until he had some sort of news to report. He didn't want to get our hopes up."

Raphael nodded now, and suddenly realized how strange it was to hear someone address him as "Mr. Laurent" outside of work. He knew that Rishid always tried to be formal, and he respected that, but it still seemed odd. "What direction were they going?" he asked now.

Rishid sighed. "He said it was toward the forest," he answered. "That is one reason as to why they were able to get away and hide after shooting at him. He said that he would go back and try to pick up their trail, and Mr. Volker said that he would go with him." An unspoken thought hung in the air between them. If they are found, hopefully Valon will be alright. It was likely that he was alive, but Raphael had started to worry wondering if they were going to torture the Australian for information.

With those kinds of people, anything is possible, he thought bitterly. And yet he could not help but think that he and the others had been rebels as well, when they had worked with Doom. Still, he did not think that any of them would have deliberately tortured someone in order to gain knowledge.


Kade and Alexander were in a soft, cushioned window seat in the library. As they gazed outside, they could see the other mountains as well—including the taller ones covered with snow. Every now and then a winter bird flew past, but for the most part the birds had left Juno. The animals in general were gone, searching for a place that was still lush and green.

Kade giggled, petting Alexander's soft angel wing again. "So you're not a birdie?" he asked. It confused him because the creature looked like a human, but he had never seen a human with wings.

Alexander shook his head. "I'm a doppelganger," he said happily. "I'm Alister's doppelganger. That's why I look like him."

"That's neat!" Kade grinned, even though he did not know what a doppelganger was. "I wish we had dop'ganglers here. Then we could go flying!" He spread his arms out wide as a demonstration. He had always wanted to fly. It fascinated him, to watch the birds flutter past the palace and around the grounds. He hoped that they would return to Juno before long.

Alexander had a dreamy look in his eyes. "I love flying," he said softly. "It makes me feel so free. . . ." He hoped that he would not have to wait a long time to be able to fly again. At any rate, he doubted that it would take months, as it had when the Leviathan had attacked him and crushed part of the bone in the white wing.

Kade suddenly looked sad. "I wish that Juno could be free," he said, looking out the window again. "It used to be really pretty, and then something went all wrong. Now Mommy's really sick a lot and there's mean people causing trouble. . . ." Sometimes he wished that he and Sapphire still lived in the village, as they had before Sapphire had been abducted and then had reclaimed her throne. He still did not understand everything that had happened, or why, but palace life was so strange to him, especially when people would bow and want to help him with every little thing. He was not used to such treatment.

Alexander sighed. "I don't understand why people want to be mean," he mused. "It seems like some of them get a lot of happiness from hurting others." Being the innocent and pure creature that he is, Alexander only wanted to help the people he cared about. He was devoted to them and could not comprehend malicious behavior.

Kade looked down. "There were people like that here, and one of them hurt Mister Marik before. He almost died. . . ." He sniffled. Even though Marik had not died from his Yami's attack, Kade could not help remembering how it seemed that he had. It had frightened him and it had reminded him that his father had died years before. It made him sad to recall that he had lost the man, and also how sad his mother was. He knew she still missed him.

"I'm sorry. . . ." Alexander tilted his head to the side. "I wonder what it's like to die. . . ." He was still trying to determine how he felt about death. It still seemed to him that it was a beautiful thing, but he was learning now about how the deceased's loved ones would mourn. He wondered now if death was a bittersweet event. Perhaps there were both happy and sad things about it.

Kade blinked, looking up at him. He had wondered that too, and often. "I hope it doesn't hurt," he said softly. "My daddy died in a fire. . . ."

Alexander bit his lip. It sounded to him as though that would have hurt, but he did not think he should say so. And so he simply laid a hand on Kade's shoulder as they continued to sit there.

Marik, who was watching and listening, unnoticed by the others, smiled slightly and turned away. Alexander was still a bizarre creature, in Marik's mind, but he and Kade seemed to get along well. And that was fine with Marik. Kade needed more people that he could interact with easily. Since Kade was not afraid of Alexander, Marik doubted that he needed to worry. And Alister had assured Marik that the being was harmless.

The Egyptian narrowed his eyes, leaning against a pillar. He did have to wonder what had become of Valon, and he could more than understand Alister's and Raphael's distress. He had felt the same way when Ishizu and Rishid had been taken and brought to Juno. There had not been any way of knowing if they were alright, and every day until he had found them, he had suffered and wondered if they were dead.

Before he had wandered about the palace and had found Kade and Alexander, Ishizu had told him that she sensed great danger on the horizon. Marik did not doubt it. He was certain that it would not be long before the rebels attacked again.

Shaking his head, he went to check on Mokuba.