The chapter begins in Estelle's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 27: Heartbreaking Reunion
It was a horrific scene when Devack summoned Earthbound Immortal Cusillu. It wasn't as big as Uru, but it was around the same height as Ccapac Apu and the summoning caused me a splitting headache. The headache got so strong that my knees gave in and I fell down to the ground. Leo was able to regain his Life Points before Cusillu attacked directly, but he had to run to not get pounded into the ground by Cusillu's fist. I somehow had enough energy to get up and grab Leo just as a wave of mud and debris poured onto us like a wave after Cusillu punched the ground. Luckily, we didn't get fully buried.
I held Leo close to me to shield him from the mud as I hissed in pain after being forcefully thrown onto the hard concrete. "A-Are you okay, Leo…?"
"Y-Yeah…", Leo nodded against my chest, but he sounded hopeless. "If you're out there, Luna, I could use some sisterly advice… If not… I'm done for…"
I pushed myself up on my knees with one hand as I used my other arm to cradle Leo to my chest like a baby, just as a ball of light appeared in front of us. It slowly faded to reveal a crimson-glowing Luna, but to my surprise, she wasn't alone. Annie and Max, Greiger's little sister and little brother, were standing behind her. That never happened in the anime. Didn't they get sucked into the killer whale Earthbound Immortal along with their hometown in Nazca?
"Leo!" Luna shouted worriedly when she saw Leo's weakened condition. "Please tell me that you're alright!"
"Luna…", Leo mumbled. "Everything's under control."
"Of course it is", Luna nodded before she grabbed her brother's shoulders. "But now it's time for me to help you. I'm gonna take over your Duel, okay?"
"I guess I really let you down, huh, sis?" Leo mumbled sadly. "I couldn't even win one little match. Just look at me; I'm the sidekick who can't do anything."
"Except being my hero", Luna commented with tears in her eyes. "It's true. Not as a Duelist, but as my brother."
The twins hugged each other tightly as they sobbed softly. I had to admit I got a bit teary by watching them. Annie looked touched by the gesture and even Max looked happy. I cast a curious glance at Devack and saw he was frowning at the scene, as if it was worthless time to get cuddly and show emotions.
"I'm glad you finally joined us, Luna", Devack commented. "My Earthbound Immortal has been waiting patiently. Let's Duel, Signer!"
"Oh, we'll Duel, Devack, and when I get through with you, you're gonna wish you never messed with any of my spirit friends!" Luna growled determinedly.
She removed Leo's active Duel Disk from his arm and strapped it on hers. Just as she did it, my Mark started glowing. It happened with Luna's Mark as well, indicating a Signer was now Shadow Dueling a Dark Signer.
Still, the burning sensation felt a bit different than before…
"Look!" Max shouted.
I turned to the boy who pointed at Leo, or more precisely, his arm. I turned my eyes at the male twin and felt my breath get stuck in my throat when I saw the Heart Mark of the Dragon on his arm!
The Crimson Dragon had decided to bless Leo with the Heart Mark already? That was a bit of a shocker, but it seemed fair. The Shadow Duel between Leo and Devack and the spiritual connection the twins had proved Leo was worthy of being a Signer.
I got up on my feet and quickly brushed the dirt off my clothes as I slowly moved back to let Luna and Leo finish the Shadow Duel together. Max and Annie followed me to give the twins some space as Leo held onto Luna's right shoulder, never leaving her side.
"Luna, Leo, show Devack your true twin power!" I told the twins.
"Got it, Estelle!" Luna nodded.
"We'll win this…together!" Leo exclaimed, looking stronger now than before.
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Luna and Leo won the Shadow Duel with flying colors, literally, and they were able to retrieve Ancient Fairy Dragon's card. Devack's body slowly turned black, but he tried to pull the twins with him to the Netherworld. Luckily, his body crumbled into dust before he could even touch them, vanishing along with the geoglyph of the Monkey.
The dark sky with black clouds cleared up, a sign that one of the Dark Signers was defeated. A little sunlight shone upon the wasteland just as the transparent spirits of Ancient Fairy Dragon and Regulus appeared in front of us. Trudge and Yusei joined us as the Duel Monsters made themselves present.
"Where did those things come from?" Trudge asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a laser lightshow going on?"
"No, Officer Trudge", Ancient Fairy Dragon shook her head. "We are not illusions. We are real."
"Did that thing just talk back to me?!" Trudge gasped in disbelief before he fainted due to shock.
"Grown-ups are so weird", Leo commented.
"Luna, I thought you should know; by defeating that Dark Signer, you have saved us all. The spirits captured by the Earthbound Immortal are free now", the Signer Dragon informed us. "And they have returned home to the Spirit World."
"And has everything stopped going in reverse?" Luna asked hopefully.
"Yes, all thanks to you", Ancient Fairy Dragon smiled.
"Actually, it isn't all thanks to me", Luna commented before she turned to Leo. "I couldn't have done it without Leo's help. He set up Devack so I could finish him off. And if it weren't for Annie and Max's help, Zeman might have stopped me from breaking the Minus Curse in the Spirit World. And Yusei and Estelle stuck by Leo's side the whole time."
"Then I offer my thanks, Leo, Annie, Max, Yusei, and Estelle."
"Our fight with the Dark Signers isn't over. Will you help us?" Yusei asked the dragon.
"The Dark Signers are like a disease. If they are not vanquished completely, their power will grow back and the Spirit World will, once again, be in danger. We must finish this. I will fight alongside you, even if it destroys me."
"I, too, will fight alongside you until the better end", Regulus proclaimed.
"I have one more question", Luna spoke up. "Why did Leo receive his own Mark of the Dragon? I'm just curious."
"Because he has earned it by Lord Crimson Dragon. He never stopped believing in you and his will and passion to protect you and your friends touched Lord's heart", Ancient Fairy Dragon replied.
The two spirits turned into a rainbow-colored light before they flew over to Luna's hands and formed the two cards of Ancient Fairy Dragon and Regulus. Luna smiled in relief and felt safe to have Ancient Fairy Dragon where she belonged.
Annie and Max turned to me as they seemed to study me. I noticed their looks and blinked confusedly. "Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Are you the Crimson Star Priestess?" Annie wondered.
"Yes", I nodded.
Without a warning, the two siblings dropped down to their knees and had their hands intertwined while closing their eyes, surprising me with their action.
"It's an honor to be a servant for the Priestess and the Signers", Annie began.
"We will help you with whatever we can", Max continued. "We may be young, but we will do our best."
"What are you two talking about?" Leo asked confusedly.
"Annie and Max are descendants of the people who served the People of the Stars", Luna explained. "They were in the Spirit World because the Crimson Dragon rescued them before their hometown was destroyed."
"By that experiment Goodwin conducted, which Greiger revealed at the Fortune Cup…", Yusei mumbled.
"No, not really", Luna shook her head. "Annie and Max said their village was attacked by an Earthbound Immortal."
"What?!" Leo exclaimed in disbelief.
"Seriously?" Yusei raised an eyebrow. "But why would Goodwin lie about the destruction in the file Greiger found when he hacked his computer?"
Max and Annie's eyes snapped open when they heard their big brother's name. They turned around to look at the raven-haired Signer. "You know Greiger?" Annie asked.
"Yeah", Yusei nodded.
"He's our big brother!" Max confessed as he jumped up on his feet. "We haven't heard from him for a long time! Is he okay?"
My friends and I looked at each other with hesitant expressions.
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After Luna used Ancient Fairy Dragon's card to activate the Monkey control unit, it sunk down into the ground and left no trace behind that it ever existed. Trudge woke up shortly after that was done and then we started to get to know Annie and Max. When Trudge heard they were Greiger's siblings, he had to be a party pooper.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, kids, but Greiger got arrested after the Fortune Cup", the officer confessed.
"WHAT?!" Annie and Max exclaimed in shock.
"What for?!" Max asked with a serious expression.
"He tried assassinating Director Goodwin right in front of whole Japan after he lost the semi-final to Yusei", Trudge explained.
"G-Greiger tried to…kill someone…?" Annie mumbled in disbelief. "That's not like him at all…"
"He thought he lost you two and your hometown when he found out the truth by hacking into Goodwin's files before our Turbo Duel", Yusei added.
"My colleagues were about to transport him to the Facility, but the van never made it", Trudge continued. "We found the van nearby the Arcadia Movement after the incident with the Dark Signers, but it was empty."
"Maybe he got sucked into one of the Earthbound Immortals when Leo, Tanner, Yanagi, and I were there to get Aki on our side!" Luna snapped her fingers in realization.
"That means we must defeat the two Dark Signers who have those Earthbound Immortals and free him along with everyone else!" Leo nodded.
I didn't have the heart to tell the group that Greiger was going to become a Dark Signer, but they were going to find it out soon. Too soon…
"Let's head to the Giant control unit first so Yusei can have his Duel, and then we'll see what we will do next", I suggested.
Yusei nodded, "It's time for me to settle things with Kalin."
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Trudge and the children drove in the Sector patrol car while I sat behind Yusei on his Duel Runner during the ride. We were all silent until a new geoglyph appeared in the sky in the distance. It was hard to see without my glasses, because I had to remove them so I could put on the helmet, but I knew it was the killer whale, meaning Greiger had been reborn as a Dark Signer!
"Is that a whale?!" Leo called.
"No! That's the Nazca Line of the Killer Whale!" Annie corrected.
"I don't remember Mina mentioning any Dark Signers with a Killer Whale Mark!" Trudge added.
"That's because there isn't one!" Yusei replied. "Unless they managed to turn someone new into a Dark Signer!"
"Something's isn't right here! My Mark isn't glowing!" Luna pointed out.
"Yeah, my Mark's not glowing either!" Leo added.
"That means that whoever's Dueling the Dark Signer isn't a Signer, right?" Max asked.
"Correct", I nodded. "Let's pick up the speed and save the victim!"
"We'll go ahead and check things around! You guys stay behind!" Yusei told the others before his Duel Runner got faster and we left the patrol car in the dust.
"Estelle, do you know who are Shadow Dueling?" Yusei asked once we were far ahead.
"Yes", I nodded. "It's Crow and-"
"Crow?!" Yusei exclaimed in disbelief. "He's still with us?!"
"Yes, but he's not the Dark Signer", I quickly added.
I felt how Yusei's body relaxed after he let out a deep sigh in relief. "That's good to hear. But who's the Dark Signer?"
"Greiger."
"Greiger?!"
"Yes, he got lured by Roman to die and be reborn as a Dark Signer to gain the power to kill Goodwin for killing Max and Annie and destroying his hometown."
"Oh no… But can Greiger snap out of it if he sees Max and Annie?"
"I honestly don't know. When the Dark Signers are born, the souls of the Earthbound Immortals live within them in their Marks. If their hosts try to fight against the Shadows, they might try to gain control of them to fulfill their mission."
"What can we do then?"
"Crow must win the Shadow Duel. That way, Greiger will be free from the Earthbound Immortal, but he will die once again, just like what happened to Devack."
I heard a frustrated growl coming out from Yusei's lips. "Let's hurry."
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After a bumpy trip into the Nazca Line course, Yusei and I caught up with Crow and Greiger in the middle of the Shadow Turbo Duel. Yusei tried to talk Crow out of the Shadow Duel and take over, but the Blackwing Duelist refused to do so. He said he wanted to get revenge at the Dark Signers who took away the orphans he looked after.
After a brief background story from Crow, Yusei was convinced and allowed his foster brother to continue Dueling, but not without trying to talk Greiger out of it.
"Greiger, listen! I know you're mad at Goodwin for destroying your hometown, but your brother and sister are safe!" the Signer called.
"That's a lie!" Greiger yelled aggressively. "Goodwin's experiment took them away from me, and I'll never see them again! Once I'm done clipping this bird's wings, I'm coming after you, Yusei! And as soon as I'm done with you, I'll take care of Estelle and send her to the Netherworld before I collect Goodwin's blood!"
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It was tough to watch the Shadow Turbo Duel with Crow surviving several close calls, but the dark curtain finally opened when Greiger summoned Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua. I got another headache when the Earthbound Immortal made its appearance, but this time it felt slightly stronger than with Devack and Cusillu.
Just as Crow's Blackwing – Silverwind the Ascendant was about to destroy Chacu Challhua due to its effect, images of several children that resembled Annie and Max appeared within the Earthbound Immortal. Greiger refused to look up at first, but when he did his jaw dropped in shock.
"How can this be?! Why are there people from my village inside this Earthbound Immortal?!" Greiger asked.
"So he knows them?!" Crow questioned as Yusei and I drove between the Turbo Duelists.
"There's only one way to be certain", Yusei said. "Greiger, is that the people from your village?"
"I'm sure of it now", Greiger replied. "The people trapped inside this Earthbound Immortal are from my village! But where're Annie and Max?!"
"They're safe, Greiger!" I told him. "The Crimson Dragon saved them and took them to the Spirit World before they could become part of the Immortal!"
"But that means the Crimson Dragon isn't to blame for this!" Greiger concluded. "It was the Dark Signers that took everything away from me!"
"Greiger!" two voices yelled.
We all looked to the left and saw Trudge's group with the patrol car at the other side of the purple mist of the Nazca Line. Annie and Max were half-standing on their seats as they frantically waved their arms to get their big brother's attention. Both of them smiled in relief to see Greiger was still with them, but those smiles would soon wither.
"Annie… Max…", Greiger's voice shook due to emotions. "T-They're alive… They're safe…"
"Do you see the truth now, Greiger?" Yusei asked.
"Yes, and here I was blaming you and Goodwin", Greiger said before he decelerated his Duel Runner, now driving behind us.
"Greiger, now that you've figured out the truth, you have to stop this Duel!" Yusei called.
Greiger had his eyes closed before he opened them, revealing his normal eyes. "Yusei, I'm sorry. I'll forfeit this Duel so that-"
The muscle man stopped as if something inside of him was slowly taking control. I cold sweated, knowing it was the Earthbound Immortal who tried to keep control to the very end. Both Yusei and Crow noticed the change. When Greiger opened his eyes again, they were glowing in purple along with the mark he had on his face; a sign that Chacu Challhua had taken over him.
Dark Greiger accelerated with a laugh. "I'm afraid your trickery will not stop me from sending you and those loyalties to the Netherworld!"
"Greiger!" Crow called worriedly.
"Get out of my head, whoever you are!" the real Greiger yelled as he fought against Chacu Challhua that resided inside his body. "Please, Crow! You must…end this Duel right away! It's the only way to release my friends from their prison…!"
"Are you sure?!" Crow asked.
"Not exactly", Dark Greiger chuckled darkly. "In fact, it might be best if I end this Duel right away!"
"Greiger!" Max shouted worriedly from the other side of the purple mist.
"Please, save our brother!" Annie begged.
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Crow used the combo with his Blackwing and Greiger's Continuous Trap card and destroyed Chacu Challhua, releasing the trapped spirits inside the Earthbound Immortal and dealing the last points of damage to Greiger, ending the Shadow Turbo Duel victoriously. However, because of the real life damage, the ruins and structure around us were getting unstable. Crow was right underneath a bridge that collapsed, threatening him to bury him alive, but Greiger, who was now out of Chacu Challhua's control, made the ultimate sacrifice by pushing the Blackwing Duelist's Duel Runner out of harm's way with his huge Runner. Unfortunately, Greiger got buried by the concrete and debris of the bridge.
Yusei, Crow, and I tried helping him, but there was nothing we could do. Annie and Max ran to us and gave Greiger a big hug while crying onto his shoulders. Greiger lost consciousness with a smile on his lips and a tear in his eye before he turned to dust.
Annie and Max cried hard by the loss of their brother. I held them close to me as the others stayed silent to mourn Greiger's death.
"I-Is Greiger r-really d-dead…?" Max sobbed.
"Yes…", I nodded slowly. "But the Dark Signers will come back to the mortal world after the Signers and I stop the Earthbound Immortals."
"What do you mean…?" Annie asked in a low voice.
"Greiger and those who were 'infected' by the Earthbound Immortals will get another chance to live once the war is over", I explained.
"So Greiger's not entirely gone?" Crow asked hopefully.
"Correct", I nodded.
Annie and Max looked a lot better by the news and hugged each other in relief. "Then… I guess we should try and go home to throw a big welcome home party for Greiger when he comes back", Annie suggested.
"Yeah, and we need to see if our friends and village are back to normal", Max added.
"Eh… How can you go back to Peru or wherever you come from when you're in the middle of Satellite with no airport nearby?" Leo questioned.
"Dummy, with the Crimson Dragon's help", Luna sighed.
"Oh great, more hocus-pocus", Trudge muttered.
My Star Mark started glowing as I could sense the Crimson Dragon's presence. I looked over at the twins and Yusei and saw their Marks were glowing too. Soon, the Crimson Dragon appeared above us with a soft roar. He lowered both his clawed hands and picked up Annie and Max very gently, as if they were made of porcelain. The dragon God turned his head to us while his eyes shone with ancient wisdom.
"I shall bring the servants of you Signers back to their home. I am counting on you to take care of the Earthbound Immortals, but remember to proceed with caution. If you should find yourself in a corner, listen to your inner voice."
"That dragon's talking too!" Trudge exclaimed in shock, but he didn't faint this time.
The Crimson Dragon roared to the sky as he slowly disappeared with Annie and Max. There was a slight thick silence as we gathered in a safer area to check Crow's Duel Runner. It got some damage from the Shadow Duel, so Yusei made sure it was safe to ride it before it was time to move on with the quest.
"So… Is Kalin next, Yusei?" Crow asked as the raven-haired Signer put on his helmet after getting on his Runner.
"Yes. We have some unfinished business to attend to", Yusei replied in a serious voice before he drove off.
"Let's go too", I told the others. "This Shadow Duel might get really emotional for Yusei, so we need to be there for him."
"Yeah, since this is Kalin we're talkin' about", Crow nodded.
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Crow led us to a bridge where we could see the Giant control unit in the horizon and watch the Shadow Turbo Duel between Yusei and Kalin safely through the monitor on his Duel Runner's dashboard. The Nazca Line of the Giant soon appeared in a huge part of Satellite, but it didn't reach the bridge, much in our relief.
It was nerve-wracking to watch the Shadow Turbo Duel. Kalin was determined to kill Yusei for "betraying" him back in the days and send him to the Netherworld. Yusei fought back with all he had and managed to destroy Hundred Eyes Dragon, but in return Kalin added his Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu to his hand.
We all got to hear the background story about Kalin and what happened during that fateful night when he got chased by Sector Security and how Yusei, Jack, and Crow tried reasoning with him. In the end, Yusei tried turning himself in as the leader of the Enforcers after Kalin killed a Security officer in his madness, but Security knew who the real leader was and arrested Kalin.
"Things were getting out of hand! The raids and the fighting had to stop! You had to stop! But I was trying to help you, Kalin! I was trying to save you!" Yusei told Kalin.
"You think I believe you?! You sold me out, man!" Kalin retorted aggressively.
"Not true!" Crow intervened as we had contact with Kalin through the monitor. "Yusei was trying to surrender to Sector Security in your place!"
"Nobody should've surrendered! We should've stood up to them together!" Kalin refused to listen. "You backed out when things got tough! You let Sector Security take over Satellite! So, as far as I'm concerned, you did betray me!"
"I wanted to help you!" Yusei shouted.
"With the help like yours, who needs help?!" Kalin laughed. "Besides, if you cared so much about me, why didn't you come and visit me in the Satellite Facility, huh, Yusei?!"
"We tried to visit you, plenty of times!" Crow growled in frustration. "But every time we came by, they turned us away! Man, I can't imagine what they did to you in there…"
"Of course you can't, old friend!" Kalin snarled. "I could've handled the insults and the solitude, but they… They took my Deck from me! That Deck was my life! I gave myself to the Shadows, so that I can have this one moment! This moment, where I'll make you feel the terror and the pain that you made me feel when you turned your back on me!"
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Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu made its appearance on the field. Leo and Luna got scared by it and held my hands while they shook in fear.
Yusei was able to hold on while using his combos and managed to summon Stardust Dragon to the field. When the course was breaking up underneath Kalin's Duel Runner, Yusei tried to save him, but the former friend didn't want to take his hand. It was then the Crimson Dragon removed the twins' Marks and exposed the full Seal of the Crimson Dragon on Yusei's back.
The Seal of the Crimson Dragon created the card of Majestic Dragon, which Yusei drew and summoned, and used it to evolve Stardust Dragon into Majestic Star Dragon. With the evolved Monster, he managed to defeat the Earthbound Immortal and rescue Kalin. However, the former Dark Signer transformed into dust and died in Yusei's arms after giving him an apology for everything he had done.
Both Crow and Yusei got visibly upset by it, but Yusei took it worse. I could sense it through our Marks; he had lost someone he considered a big brother twice now. But Kalin was going to return to us after the war and maybe they could become friends and brothers again.