Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: The Judgement of the World
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Thanks to my longer YGO piece I uh... Soooo when I started editing that beast I noticed a large section where I had 'no' environment descriptions just character so I went to flesh it out as part of it editing. Turning 3 pages to 7 at one point... Yeah it was a thing... Think I'll do that here... A bit... So there's more extra content...
… Look I don't want to spend another 15+ YEARS writing what is meant to be a 5 season show. Have mercy! I'm one lone woman!
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The cavern, lit with a deep azure light came to life with the electric gold. It mixed with the blue giving everything a bright almost emerald green hue. The lethal blade that Gilford wielded was raised up to take a swing at Ryo. Lightning sparked as it spiraled up around the warrior that extended out to the sword. The crackling and pops of the lightning alone was enough of a vibration to send the walls crumbling, a chunk of ceiling suddenly falling past. Dust breaking off the piece and sending the most visual warning there could be.
Hologram or Spirit, the volcano was affected by the duel.
The jutted out stone that existed under the inches of thick dust that the trio had stood upon felt paltry compared to the falling ceiling. The passage back up was raining dust that turning the passage near invisible.
"STOP!"
Diving down from the ceiling, her wand glowing a bright light that drowned out the blue flames and gold lightning was Witch of the Black Rose. She descended upon the dueling arena as one would imagine angels would. Black and deep purple colored Victorian gown with white ruffles, her long wavy hair tugged almost straight from the speed she was moving. With the dark presence of Red Eyes Black Dragon at her back.
The dragon landed between Gilford and Ryo, with the Witch before Red Eyes, a small bauble of light encasing a lolita clad doll. A truly horrifying realization if ever, was that Gilford 'listened' as he fell back out of a slash stance. It wasn't a hologram, it was real. That was a real Spirit, with real physical presence who could cut down two humans in a matter of seconds. It was that moment that took the strength to stand out of the girls legs, sending Junko and Momoe to the ground in muted horror.
They were real.
This was real.
Ryo was on the verge of being very physically killed.
"Gilford! Everyone! Please listen!" Witch called out, her voice carrying over the hissing of dust as the ceiling continued to fold in on itself.
"Thank the Gods, Aki's here..." Momoe whimpered her eyes transfixed on the sight before her.
"Fubuki is under mind control! You're not obeying 'him' you're obeying the guy he came here to face!" Witch called out, watching as more spirits began to manifest around. It was intimidating to be sure, Gilford was huge and powerful and Witch was... Well small. But it wasn't the fear of size that got her, it was the reality of what she had to explain. Because it hurt.
Dice and angels, warriors and a baby dragon they all showed up looking at her with expectancy, all save Panther Warrior. Because he was the only other Spirit who knew...
"Everyone. I'm sorry. I know that Jounouchi told you to help Fubuki until you could come home to him. But you can't go home, he's not there anymore."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Was it really just a few minutes ago?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"You should stay and chat with the dragon over there! I'll investigate!" She had suggested, her voice barely showing her mounting concern. Dipping down behind the dragon, Witch had begun to earnestly investigate the floor where the stain was.
"Um... ok, so you're Red Eyes Black Dragon... Ahh Mr. Jounouchis' dragon?"
Witch could hear Aki talking, and taking the opening Witch began studying the dust. Footprints were visible in a curve around the stain. The gang must have approached, but it was strange to walk past another passage down and come here at all. There really wasn't anything to look at so why come at all?
The stain illuminated by Witchs' wand top then became her focus as did the sounds of a duel taking place in the distance. The stain was just short distance away from a small boulder, said boulder just big enough to be used as a backrest for someone with an injury. With the ground disturbed close enough to it to show some dirty jean pants, leading Witch into a process of thought she really didn't want. Glancing along the path of the stain, it made the other end look more footish than she would have liked.
"Oh noooo..." she muttered.
She magicked up her broom and began very lightly sweeping at the nearest point, revealing a sneaker under several swishes of her broom. Dust flew up obscuring a fair bit of her vision, but she could still see the rounded toe of the shoe. With mounting grim determination she continued brushing up the leg, revealing a stiff bit of course jean stiffen by dried blood.
'They said he broke his leg...' she thought, growing more apprehensive as she gave up on the leg and, twisting her hands on her wand in concern, sent her broom dancing ever so delicately up at the other end. She watched as the light sweeping brushed aside some blond hair, it also knocked 'off' the blond hair and revealed a skull underneath. 'Oh... oh noooo... Aki won't be happy... I'm not happy... there is absolutely no happy here...'
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ The painful present \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"Red Eyes here has been mostly standing guard over Jounouchi's remains while Fubuki is here. He told Aki that Jounouchi died waiting for rescue! That the break in his leg made it impossible for him to focus on summoning, and by the time he could. The guy that Fubuki was looking for blocked him! I'm sorry... Jounouchi isn't coming back for you. Ever." The edges of Witchs' eyes grew wet and stung with pin pricks as she relayed this message.
This could have been 'her' if anyone beside Yusei tried to deal with Aki at her most violent and got through the Spirits. Everyone always had been about 'killing the witch' save Yusei. It could have been the Fairies the day that Carly fell into the ocean hiding from Jack. This was every deck that got abandoned due to death and not callous abandonment...
It HURT.
The Spirits were at a loss, shuffling among each other, exchanging painful glances with themselves then up at Red Eyes. The dust from the ceiling fell through them, washing their colors of their life. But the same dust poured down on Red Eyes, it struck his head and slipped down his sharp beaky face. Bringing to mind rain sliding off a steeple roof, columns of dust pouring to the ground.
"But Yugi..." A red clock in a cape chimed in, his colorful face showing the time. But Red Eyes shook his head in answer. He might have needed Aki for details, but this was something he could answer. "Yugi can make Set..."
"He's a skeleton, everyone Jounouchi's rotted into a skeleton! I don't know what you think anyone can do... But..."
"I can turn back time! Fubuki! Use me!" The Spirit turned towards Fubuki with desperation in every tick of its voice. "Fubuki! Please master! Use me!"
Asuka bit her lip, tasting the ashen bits of the volcano on her tongue she couldn't see anything save the back of the Red Eyes. The light from Witch was shining out clearly though, but she could only hear Witch. Clearly there were other spirits from Jounouchi's deck showing up, she heard and saw nothing. Perhaps though, she didn't need to hear it, what she 'could' hear was troubling enough, 'Jounouchi was alive... I saw him...that's 'his' duel disk, how can he be dead?'
"That's not going to work! You can't turn back time to the point where a skeleton regrows flesh and the human soul returns. They're not like us! Jounouchi wanted you to be passed on to Fubuki, but that means freeing Fubuki from the mind control!" Witch argued, all the while feeling the time constraints as the volcano continued to sink down. All the spirits, even Panther Warrior, who was at the Library was to be pitied, knowing clearly, and waiting for Yugi to come back. Waiting for God to answer a prayer really.
"WE HAVE TO GO!"
Cyber Tutu's panic filled voice cut across every sound in the cave. She flew through a wall punching a new hole into it as she did so. Behind her was a veritable Wild Hunt of Spirits, as they rushed forward en mass scanning the room in desperation for their partners. It silenced Witch into confusion while the rest of the group turned in alarm.
"Its coming down, move!" Cyber Harpy screeched out as she zeroed in on her partner with Sky Scout at her side. Djinn was right behind the pair her beastly four feet burning into the ashes as she raced along. The wing beats from the winged Spirits flung the dust back into the air creating a dust cloud of motion as Djinn bridal style carried her partner without even asking. Harpy and Sky Scout were forced to hang back as they strove to get their partners.
"Just let me grab your hands!" Harpy ordered looking down at Junko with her bird feet opening and closing.
"Just grab her ankles," Sky Scout ordered as he tucked the claws he wore on his arms under one arm and gathered up Momoe under his right arm.
"Sky Scout!" Momoe whimpered as she hugged her partner tightly.
"Put your face to my shoulder, it might help you breath," Sky Scout ordered as he began pulling out into the deepening rain of dirt and ash.
Red Eyes leaned forward as Witch dashed out of his way taking the light with her as she hurried her way out back the way she came. With her gone the light she provided was taken as well leaving them in deeper darkness with only the blue hanging lights to guide them.
"I do not appreciate that..." Phoenix grumbled as he spread his own wings to break his dive down and go into a hovering position. "Ryo, grab my feet!" he ordered.
Cyber Tutu wrapped her arms around Asukas' torso. Pulling her partner into the air as she hovered in the ensuing chaos. Rocks began to pelt the top of Asuka's head and a strong whiff of something in the air made her nose crinkle up.
"Fubuki!" Asuka called out only to suck in some dust and have her voice smothered by the choking cough that assailed her. While her vision distorted by having been immersed in the white light that Witch had used only to be dumped back into darkness. The blue flames weren't enough for her as tears distorted her vision smearing everything in blues and blacks.
"Red Eyes has him," Tutu answered her as she looked around in desperation. They couldn't punch through the volcano with their partners so who was going to be the ram?
The dragon in question had stood up, reaching out, to grab at Fubuki with one hand. He cradled the barely resisting human in his clawed front limbs. The dragon spread his wings and took flight, knowing that these small little spirits wouldn't be able to punch through while holding their partners. He gave a roar that shook the room even further, displacing more stones as they fell, and weakening the wall he was going to go through even faster.
With a snap of his wings he propelled himself forward towards a wall that had been softened, weakening with every shake of the volcano. His beaked face pierced its wall and his awareness of the direction he needed to go allowed him to shut his eyes. Thick walls of ever softening dirt and scraping rocks that traced against his frame was felt as he moved. As did the roots of plants that rushed to push things out of the way, the work of his fellow dragon. Making room for his wings so he could soar once he broke through.
The other spirits followed in desperation. The platform that Ryo and Asuka had stood on fell out from under their feet as Red Eyes got airborne. One wall melted into a pile of spilling dirt, dust while studded by rocks. The passage left in the wake of Red Eyes exposed multiple roots from the number of trees that rested on the volcano. Despite being strong enough to fly fast, the group was weighed down by the concern for their partners. Unused to this type of travel, the humans held death grips on their Duel Spirit partners.
Both Ryo and Junko were being dangled from the feet of their respective partners. Any curiosity as to why Cyber Phoenix was here instead of the Cyber End Dragon was pushed to the side. After all, Cyber End was so big he might have sent the whole volcano straight down on top of them. Tutu was dancing forward skipping along, evoking her ballerina talent to dance on air. Unlike the winged members of their group, she couldn't just soar. So instead she had to dance, her toe shoes pressing on the air as though it was solid. Rocks stoned them from above, dust was sucked into the human nostrils causing them to choke and wheeze as the humans fought to breath. Ahead of them Red Eyes kept flying, his tail lashing side to side, pounding bits of wall back into place for those behind him.
"Almost there... Just a little longer..." Djinn growled in defiance as she beat the ground with her pounding steps.
"Almost... Almost! Just hold on!" Phoenix grunted as he fought the earthen debris that obstructed his wing beats.
Momoe looked behind her at the collapsing arena even as she curled her arms more tightly around Sky Scout. 'Mr. Jounouchi is dead? Hes' been dead for a long time? But we saw him, he gave his duel disk to Asuka so she could try to reach her brother. If he's dead than who did we meet?'
There was no way to rescue his remains now, the passage was falling further away and crumbling further down. Burying Mr. Jounouchi on foreign soil all because he tried to lend a hand. Now they would have to find his family, let them know what happened to him. Around her she could almost hear the spirits calling to each other, encouraging words. Wings flapping, volcano collapsing, the noise drowned out into a solid white noise.
It was the roar of the Red Eyes Black Dragon that heralded the break out as the dragon pushed through the last of the volcano and flew unfettered into the sky.
"I'm losing it! Someone help!" Tutu cried out in growing panic as she ran.
"Don't stop!" Djinn barked out as her own narrowed gaze tightened on the exit goal.
Wind whipped past them, the fresh air shoving the fumes from the volcano away as everyone began to break surface into the open air. A shriek of alarm dragged their attention as they looked up, catching sight of a body falling with Tutu diving down after the figure.
"Asuka!" Tutu grasped desperately at Asuka her hands ghosting through Asuka's form as they continued down.
Asuka looked at Tutu in disbelief and alarm as the dancer tried to reach her. With a back drop of soft red sky with the soft pastel pink of Tutu's hair the girls' eyes were wide with panic. The second Tutu's hand passed through Asuka's hands time stopped for Asuka. The Spirits were fading out again, having moved past the range of Aki's abilities. Past Cyber Tutu, Asuka could see the others beginning to tumble out of the sky. Their own spirits desperately trying to reach them in much the same way Tutu was trying to reach her.
Only to get whipped with the sharp lashes of branches and leaves from the trees that tried to continue to grow on this man made volcano. The ground below her sank down cushioning her fall by trying to suck her back 'into' the collapsing volcano. Asuka landed stunned on the ground even as she kept falling downward while Tutu faded out of sight.
"My apologies," Phoenix called as his talons lost their grip on Ryo's wrists as it was forced into a stop just to check on Ryo.
Everyone fell tumbling out of the air and into the empty space that had formally been occupied by a volcano. Sinking on a bed of dirt the edges could be seen in the distance, cries of pain and surprise echoed away with the sound of the volcano as it slowly began to settle back to some semblance of the ground. Hissing dirt and ash slowly drifted away deeper into the earth while the skin was numb with pain.
Screams faded away as did the vision of the Duel Spirits. Leaving only the small group of people sprawled out over an area of the former volcano. Above them was Red Eyes Black Dragon that circled once before it began descending. As it passed over Asuka it released its claws allowing Fubuki to fall to the ground. His thick clothes protecting him from the majority of injury. But he would be close to his sister, and the bond the pair shared. A bond that had been the reason keeping Fubuki away, would break through to the young duelist. At least he hoped so, Jounouchi believed it...
Amid the coughing and the groans of pain, Asuka forced herself to her side to look at her brother.
"I'm sorry... Been so late..." Fubuki murmured. "But light... natural light... I need this..."
Asuka laid there crying as she got to hear her brothers' living voice for the first time in years. Her mouth and throat was coated in ash and dirt silencing her own voice, but she could hear the girls around her.
"Isao! Hey! Lend us a hand!" It was impossible to tell which girl called out the name, what with the choking sputtering of their voices. But it really didn't matter to Asuka as she watched Fubuki slowly push himself to his knees.
"I can see them... The spirits cutting... the cords that have been holding me back..." Fubuki pulled the mask off his face as he spoke. Yet they were crying as they did so, his deck was so mangled not a single spirit remained. Baby Dragon was chewing on a cord, while several warriors swung their blades against others.
Freeing him for the first time from a life of a puppet servitude. 'I have no strings, to hold me down' a line from a movie that became all too real. As each cord broke and he found himself liberated finally. But with the mask off they disappeared, only an empty bumpy field of dust and dirt existed before him. Though it let the air touch his face directly, cooling his skin from the heat captured by the mask.
"Big brother..." Asuka's voice pulled his focus back to her.
Her clothes probably started out bright and clean when she started, now it was so covered in dirt he could barely see her in the evening gloom. He crawled to her, whatever rocks or pebbles that may have been under him was cushioned with the thick combat style clothes he wore. So nothing could pull his attention away from his precious little sister. "Hi..."
She forced herself to a sitting position, wincing as injuries tried to stop her movements. But nothing was stopping her from wrapping her arms around her brother. Or stop her tears as she finally could cry in relief for the first time in years. "You idiot... why didn't you come home?" A meaningless question, they knew the answer 'why'. But she had to say something, anything to establish that this was real.
"Well you know. I saw some pretty girls and just lost track of time," he teased as he rested his cheek against his sisters' head. The only other sound other than her crying being the voices of their friends calling out..
"Isao! Aki!? Come on guys!" in too much pain to really move about the remaining quartet were left calling for the last two remaining members of their group.
"Give Aki a moment, she's probably got her spirits wanting the right moment to either burst up from the ground," Ryo called out in exhausted patience. In the fading light he could just make out Fubuki and Asuka hugging near by. All the shouting was bound to be distracting and once the pair were done with their hugs. Ryo wanted to punch Fubuki for this absolutely bone headed stunt. But as they were hugging and crying he closed his eyes and prayed, 'Mr. Jounouchi, thank you for helping Fubuki... I hope that you have found peace in the here after...'
"Kazu?" Momoe called out finally, her voice not letting her project far enough to hopefully reach anyone anyways.
"Yeah," came a tired voice somewhere behind her head and sounded still in shock.
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
"If you had asked me yesterday? I would have asked if Duel Spirits counted." Kazu answered with a choked attempt at a sigh.
"Now?"
"I want a word with Aki..." He answered and waited for the Rose Dragon Duelist to appear.