Just want to say that I'm pretty amazed by how long this story has gotten although it will eventually have an end. Anyway, this latest chapter is ready, but let me know in the comments if there's anything confusing. ^^
Chapter 48
A couple of weeks had passed since Mokuba had his first dueling lesson with Alex and Max. It was now the beginning of March, and Alex and Mokuba were in Yugi's grandpa's game shop. The two of them, along with Yugi, were hanging out in the living room. Alex filled in Yugi about what was going on, and after she was done, Yugi replied,
"I think I understand. So you and Max have been giving Mokuba dueling lessons and building a deck for him?"
Alex nodded and replied, "That's right. At first, I was reluctant because it might put Mokuba in danger, but he's been learning quickly."
Mokuba grinned and replied, "Thanks, Alex. You and Max are great teachers."
Alex smiled and replied, "We've dueled our fair share in our time."
She turned to Yugi and said, "Max has been giving Mokuba cards for his deck, and I thought that we should drop by here as well for some more. Of course, I'll happily pay."
Yugi replied, "Me and Grandpa are more than happy to help, but you don't need to."
Alex replied, "But we're customers, so it's only right."
Solomon peeked his head through the entrance that connected the living room and the game shop, and having overheard part of the conversation, he said,
"You're not to pay. I insist, and I won't hear otherwise."
Alex laughed and replied, "Well, if you really don't want us to. But I'll still owe you both, so ask me for a favor in the future, ok?"
Solomon smiled and replied, "I'll agree to that."
After Solomon returned to watching over the game shop, Yugi smiled and said, "Grandpa is happy to have customers."
He thought of something and then asked, "But couldn't you two just get cards from anywhere? I mean, we're happy to help, but-"
Mokuba interrupted, "We're keeping this quiet from Seto."
Yugi replied, "Oh, I see. He'd know something was up if you two suddenly started buying cards from places he'd usually go to."
Alex nodded and replied, "That's right. I feel bad keeping this from him, but Mokuba is right. Seto wouldn't approve of what we're doing. Not that we're doing anything wrong, but…"
Yugi nodded and replied, "I understand. I think Kaiba will eventually find out, but at that point, I'm sure Mokuba will be a very strong duelist. I'll want to duel you then."
He smiled at Mokuba, and grinning, Mokuba replied, "I'm looking forward to it."
Alex then said, "While you two are looking for cards for Mokuba's deck, I'd like to go over the info about my bracelet."
Mokuba replied, "You mean when we were in Greece and you looked into all those ruins?"
Alex replied, "Yup, that's right. I should try to figure out how to decipher these symbols on them. I have this feeling that will help."
Yugi replied, "Ok. Mokuba and I will go look through the cards we have here, but we'll be nearby."
Alex nodded, and after Yugi and Mokuba went to the game shop area, Alex took out her tablet. She activated it and then swiped it to a file that contained all the information she had gathered when she, Kaiba, and Mokuba were in Greece. As she sat comfortably, going over the info, she closed her eyes. She recalled that scene she'd witnessed back when she was trapped in one of the ruins and what the lady had said to her. Then she remembered that same lady back when she and Alex talked briefly.
Alex opened her eyes and looking at her bracelet, she muttered, "This bracelet is the key, but what is its connection to me?"
Her fingers brushed over the symbols on the bracelet, and that was when the symbols glowed. Alex was surprised, and as though she could understand them, she read out loud,
"To the owner, you have the power to change everything."
That was all the symbols said, but it only left Alex confused. She didn't understand how such an item would give its owner any sort of power. But then she remembered something from way back when she first went to Domino Museum. There was that Greek exhibit, and Alex saw a picture of that same lady, who was wearing a bracelet. Alex nodded to herself and said,
"She and I might be connected."
Alex shook her head and added, "We're definitely connected. But who is she? I know she's from the past, but is she like Yami?"
She continued to rack her brain, but nothing else came up. A little frustrated, Alex said,
"I know I'm close. If I can just figure this out…"
Alex felt a little headache coming, so she decided to close her eyes and muttered, "Perhaps a break wouldn't hurt."
Before she realized what happened, Alex ended up falling asleep.
Alex recognized the scene before her. It was New Domino City, where Yusei and the others were. Alex had been there on one of her previous missions, but she was surprised to find herself there. However, she was even more surprised to see the event unfolding before her.
Yusei and Jack were facing off against the mysterious hooded man and the woman known as Kiara. Crow and Kalin had already been taken down, and just like what happened to Jaden and the others, they were trapped and asleep in impenetrable bubbles. As if that wasn't already a surprise, Alex witnessed something she thought she'd never see. It was the Crimson Dragon, and it looked as though Kiara had it trapped in some sort of magical cage.
The hooded figure turned to Kiara and said,
"Looks like you got it right this time."
Kiara smirked and replied, "Of course. And now these two," looking at Yusei and Jack, "just need to be taken down and then we can leave this place."
Jack shouted, "You won't take us!"
The hooded figure replied, "I took down your friends without a problem, and you're just a pest."
Jack was about say something in anger again when Yusei turned to him and said, "Jack, calm down. We'll take him down and get Crow and Kalin back."
Despite Yusei's words, Alex felt that this wouldn't be the case. However, she didn't know what to do. It was like she was watching but couldn't do anything to interfere. Just when she was starting to feel hopeless, though, a voice that only she could hear said,
"Listen to me, Alex. You're very close to figuring this all out."
Alex recognized the voice and immediately replied, "It's you again. I keep seeing you in flashbacks, and others have seen you, too."
The voice replied, "Yes, that's right."
The voice sighed and then continued, "I wish this didn't all have to depend on you, but because I couldn't finish what I started, it's up to you. We can't help them now, but we can free it."
Alex looked towards where the Crimson Dragon was trapped, and she replied,
"The Crimson Dragon?"
The voice replied, "We need to free it."
Alex replied, "But how? Those two are guarding it, and I don't know how to break magical cages."
The voice replied, "That's where I come in. Right now, you and I are one, so you're seeing what I'm seeing. No one else before us can see us, so we can move in close and free the Crimson Dragon. Then we'll get out of here, or in your case, you'll wake up. But we're going to have to move quickly. It looks like Yusei and Jack may be out of this soon."
Although Alex would have preferred to help Yusei and Jack, she knew it would be impossible in her current physical state. So she replied,
"Ok. But what will happen to you and the Crimson Dragon after?"
The voice replied, "We'll be somewhere safe. I got to Astral and Yubel before that woman could take them, but it looks like I was late this time. So I'll need your help."
Alex replied, "I understand. We don't have much time, so we'll have to make our move now. But I'll want to know more later."
The voice replied, "Of course. Once you've fully unlocked your bracelet's powers, then we can talk for as long as you wish. Let's go."
Alex nodded and then moved swiftly towards the Crimson Dragon. Meanwhile, Yusei and Jack were trying their best to stay in the duel. Alex knew that she didn't have much time. Fortunately, both the hooded figure and Kiara were preoccupied with Yusei and Jack, so Alex was able to get to the magical cage. Once she saw the lock, that was when the voice instructed her on how to break it, which Alex did. Once the cage door was open, Alex looked at the Crimson Dragon, which seemed to be able to see her. She quickly motioned to it to follow her, and it did so. Once they were safely far enough away, Alex looked back at the duel. But that was when she saw that both Yusei and Jack had been defeated, and after their ace monsters were taken, they were trapped in the same bubbles that all the others were. The hooded figure smirked and said,
"Finally. We can get out of here."
Kiara replied, "About time. I'm getting tired of this place."
She then noticed that the lock to the magical cage was broken and the Crimson Dragon was gone. She yelled,
"What the hell?!"
The hooded figure looked at Kiara and angrily replied, "Incompetent fool! You never leave your eyes from your target."
Kiara replied, "It can't have gone far."
She then looked towards where Alex was with the Crimson Dragon, and just when Kiara spotted the Crimson Dragon, Alex suddenly saw a bright flash of light.
That was when Alex suddenly woke up in a sweat and when she came to, she noticed Mokuba and Yugi looking at her with worry in their eyes. Mokuba said,
"Alex, what happened? We heard you screaming."
Alex took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and Yugi said, "Drink this."
He handed Alex a glass of water, which she took gratefully. She drank some water and then said,
"Thanks, Yugi. I needed that."
Yugi smiled a bit and replied, "No problem."
Alex turned to Mokuba and said, "I'm sorry if I worried you two."
Mokuba replied, "Tell us what happened, and you don't need to hold anything back."
Alex smiled and replied, "I know."
She took a few moments to calm down and then as methodically as she could, she talked about how she must have fallen asleep while she was taking a break from her research and then witnessed the scene where she was in New Domino City and the events that transpired.
After Alex was finished talking, Yugi looked even more worried and muttered, "Yusei…"
Alex looked at Yugi and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help him. The only one who could actually see me was that Crimson Dragon."
She looked at her bracelet and added, "It might be because I haven't fully unlocked its powers yet."
Yugi replied, "You don't need to apologize, and it's ok. Yusei is strong. He'll figure out a way to get out of that."
Although Alex was doubtful, she didn't want to cast doubt on Yugi's hopes, so she simply nodded in reply.
Mokuba then said, "I wish there was a way I could help you, Alex."
Alex smiled at Mokuba and said, "It's ok. You're doing more than enough by learning how to duel. Did you and Yugi find some cards for your deck?"
She wanted to redirect the topic of the conversation, but Mokuba noticed this and replied,
"Don't change the subject, Alex. Yes, Yugi and I found some good cards, but you're more important."
Yugi added, "Mokuba's right. You need to rest for now."
Mokuba said, "Yes, and no more research for today. Seto will worry if he sees you overworking yourself."
Alex couldn't help smiling and replied, "When I'm being overruled like that, there's no way I can protest."
Mokuba nodded in satisfaction, and Alex took the time to deactivate her tablet and put it away. She then continued to rest on the sofa, while Mokuba and Yugi looked after her.
A few hours later that evening, Alex was resting in her room when the door suddenly opened and Kaiba was standing there, looking at her with worry in his eyes. Before she could say anything, though, Kaiba said,
"Mokuba told me what happened, but I don't understand why I wasn't told right away."
Alex replied, "What did Mokuba tell you?"
Kaiba approached Alex and after sitting down next to her, he then told her what Mokuba said, about how he and Alex were visiting Yugi, but while the two of them were away, Alex passed out and then they heard her screaming and saw her sweating. Alex nodded, figuring that Mokuba would have left out certain parts of what actually happened although what Mokuba said was technically true. She then said,
"Yeah, that's what happened."
Kaiba replied, "You probably didn't tell Mokuba certain things, so tell me."
Alex smiled a bit, knowing that there was no point in holding back. She told Kaiba about how she had looked into the info about her bracelet up to what she saw while she was asleep. Once she was finished, Kaiba replied,
"You keep having them, and they're clearly affecting your health."
Alex replied, "I know, but I'm sure they're not happening for no reason."
Kaiba replied, "Probably, but for now, you need to rest. And if this happens again, I need to be told right away. You probably told Mokuba not to say anything immediately, but it's worse if you hold back."
Alex smiled and replied, "Sorry. I just don't want to burden you when you have enough to deal with."
Kaiba frowned and replied, "You're never a burden to me, Alex. And you know that I want to help you, so don't hold back because you're concerned about me."
Alex nodded and replied, "Ok."
Kaiba smiled a bit and then kissed Alex on her forehead. He then said, "Now that I'm here, I'll be looking after you."
Alex blushed and replied, "I won't say no to that."