Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds: The Judgement of the World

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Aki stood by Asuka holding the blond in her arms, her head resting on the blonds' as the words slowly got absorbed. Feeling like a spare part, Yusei could only stand there and watch as Asuka slowly managed to pull her deck out of their holder before clumsily spilling them on her lap. Aki's eyes were closed while Witch stood at the foot of the bed. She was just as miserable with her hands twisting about the wand she always carried.

"They... Tutu? Blader? Aki... I just got to know them... They may be spirits but... They were people too..." Asuka began to cry, the colors of the cards began blurring together into a muddy mixture of freshly made grave. "Momoe and Junko, you even before this, everyone... we thought it was going to be fun, and..."

"Its not your fault girl," Jack snarled in sympathy. "You didn't know you were going to be targeted, it was the worst luck you could get. But that doesn't mean you blame yourself for someone else's decision."

"Right intention, but we got to work on your delivery," Carly groaned as she punched his side. "Jack has a point, you didn't know so please don't beat yourself up over this."

"How are they?" Fubuki asked as he laid on his own stiff medical bed, staring at the ceiling. "Ryo and everyone, given how bad we are. I can't imagine how serious it was for them."

Mikage looked down at her empty hands and shook her head, "We came to your sister because she was the first to wake up. The reports were of burns, bruising, a couple of fractures, beyond that if there was any further damage. Everyone needs to wake up for an evaluation and given the cause of the injuries it makes explaining what happened harder." She explained, hiding behind professionalism even as she felt relief that she didn't have to face this on her own.

"Its just good luck that you weren't there Captain, everyone had spirits to look after them directly. I can't imagine what would have happened if you were at the blast site," Ruka noted as she peered over Asuka's bed to look at Ryu.

The young Kaiba was standing next to Fubuki's bed, his expression thoughtful as he turned to look at the twins. She was right though, if not for that meeting he would have been with them and then what? It took several decks to have enough power to protect seven people and the injuries were already bad enough. If he had been there, would it have been worse? "You think it was Uncle Yugi? Since he's apparently visiting the office..."

"Yugi? 'The' Yugi?" Asuka asked a little startled as he turned to look down at the kid.

"Uh yeah," Rua answered before giving Mikage a side eyed worried glance.

"Mouto, Yugi? But he's been missing for years, nothing but rumors about where he could be," Asuka persisted with a frown as she looked at the Dragons around her. Thoughts were playing behind her puffy eyes as she sat there. "How do you reach him?"

"'He' said that he's trapped outside of time itself and doesn't know which timeline is his. While he can see the timeline for all its variations, he's not interested in living our lives for us. We live our lives, he'll lend a hand if he feels it doesn't adjust our own choices too much." Yusei explained firmly even as Asuka's eyes fairly gleamed behind the puffiness.

"But you 'can' reach him, and he 'is' getting involved in our world," she insisted as she reached out to him.

"I understand your feelings on the matter Tenjoin, however; I don't want to give you false hope." Yusei replied and saw the pained fire in her eyes. Already her desire to help her brother had nearly cost Aki her life. Now this, though it wasn't a rescue mission rather just a walk in a Duel Spirit park essentially, had put all of them in the hospital.

And worse.

"I'm not sure I like that look in your eyes," Yusei finally noted quietly as he stood there.

Yet despite what he was saying Asuka couldn't shake that thought out of her mind. That Yugi was able to travel through the time stream, if he could just go back in time and warn them. He didn't even have to show up, just put something in their way so they couldn't reach the portal!

Uncomfortable with Asukas' insistence about discussing Yugi. Crow decided to try and redirect the conversation back onto something more relevant. "So the 'Darkness' thing, being whatever, is currently actually your friend Yusuke... and the Yusuke you've been hanging out with is his Duel Spirit who is now..." Crow was already mouthing the word 'dead' when he thought better of it. But his brain didn't readily supply him with a better word leaving his sentence tripping to a halt.

"But Darkness isn't inherently evil..." Carly noted with a shake of her head feeling this dread that had her pull out her cards. "Something is corrupting it, and the light... Mr. Tenjoin do you know what exactly got to him? You mentioned Yusuke losing his parents. As tragic as that is, we have literally three guys in here who all had that happen. Do you have any idea what would make him just decide to... how did he even find this force?" Carly found herself floundering as she tried to understand this madness.

Losing ones parents was terrible, but while it was 'rare' it wasn't a once in the history of man moment. Something clearly got to Yusuke in a way that didn't get to others, or he was targeted in which case... did his parents 'die' or were they murdered...

"Actually, that does sound funny big sister..." Rua noted his head tilted down in thought. "I mean if Captain is able to manifest his partner unintentionally into the physical world. He might be a psychic too right? Maybe a different branch or something, but he must be strong so what if this bad thing in the Darkness killed his parents to get to him?"

Everyone turned their attention towards the small child, such a strangely dark possibility out of such a normally cheery child.

"I guess its because I never knew psychics to start with... the idea never occurred to me," Fubuki confessed quietly. "Growing up Yusuke never mentioned having abilities and nothing really was out of the norm with him. I mean not compared to the noise maker here," he admitted with a weak smile as he nodded his head towards Aki. "If he was doing anything, it was lost in comparison to the cards Aki was bringing out."

"Well something good has to come out of this," Witch noted with forced optimism. When she saw a few confused glances come her way she shrugged. "Two negatives create a positive. I learned that in Aki's math class!"

The fairies were 'oohing' at the information and Aki had opened one eye to look at Witch. She was amused, and worried that her spirits were actually getting a human education, but mostly amused. Only now wasn't the time to chuckle or show that amusement. Asuka had straightened in her bed, her body stiff with ideas that were running about in her mind. All the while Crows' attempt at redirecting the conversation had failed to distract Asuka. What ever was in her mind was 'still' the focus of her attention. Perhaps she wasn't even paying attention to the rest of the room at all and Aki didn't like it.

Asuka had endured enough as it was, she didn't need more hits to her heart or pride at this point. Leaving Aki holding her and trying to get her lax and malleable rather than fixated and stiff. But she did shift her gaze to the top of Rua's head and let herself feel the warm pride at his assessment.

"What are you doing in Aki's math class?" Yusei asked only to get a smart 'keeping peoples' hands off her.'

"Get a room you two!" Crow retorted only for Carly to retort.

"This 'is' a room."

Yusei glared at the pair, not even a blush forming on his cheeks as he cowed both speakers down with his glare alone. He didn't bother gesturing towards the injured in the bed, to remind them of a very 'real' situation that didn't need a comedy skit. Crow lowered his head first, the chastised little brother, Carly's own head sank down as she put her deck behind her. Granted shuffling them was a comfort in a situation like this...

But Yusei was right.

"Father said Blue Eyes was always with Uncle and us... If I had been there, I'm sure Blue Eyes would have been too. She's powerful 'and' a Light spirit, she could have fought back and if she needed help. It doesn't matter, Uncle Kaiba would have lent her his power... So all these spirits being dead, and the humans being injured falls on me..." Ryu finally spoke into the growing quiet of the room. "If it was or wasn't Uncle Yugi, at the end of the day. I could have done 'something'..."

"You don't know that," Fubuki said, "And you're a kid, its not your place to fight battles."

"Even the twins shouldn't be fighting when it comes down to it. Yugi didn't even 'want' us to resume these roles but it was forced on all of us." Yusei added turning so the wall was at his back. "We've been here too long though. Your parents will want to spend time with you and its not right for us to hog this time up from them."

"You're right, thanks..." Fubuki nodded as their company began to move off to the door. Soft promises to visit and for the pair to call Aki if they needed 'anything' caught his ears. He smiled to himself as he leaned back in bed, giving Ryu a small pat on the shoulder before doing so. The child was the last to leave, the twins waiting for him and keeping to his side. The trio were dodged by his mom and dad, both having been made aware that he was awake as well.

"Fubuki!? Asuka?" their mom blurted out in a waterfall of relief as she sobbed.

Fubuki had to think for her and move his arm out of the way before she tore out his IV when she reached him hugging him. Burying his face into her shoulder for a moment he soaked in the warmth of her embrace and the scent of her perfume. "We're going to be ok mom, don't worry."

"Yeah, we're tough!" Asuka added, her voice trying to regain some of its normal spirit as their father pulled her into a hug.

Outside the larger group moved through out the hospital, Mikage stopping long enough to confirm the others status. She motioned for the group to follow her as she made her way to one of the other rooms. "Judai is awake," she reported as she moved to the door to open it, thus missing the slight twitch of Yusei's fingers. Or the slight tightening of the smile on Aki's face as they began entering the room. It looked no different than the one that the Tenjoin used, meant for two people, but only one was occupied.

Both beds were empty, one was professionally empty, neat folded sheets tucked in and an obscenely thin blanket resting on it. The machines associated with it were off while the other bed was worryingly unoccupied. The sheets were in disarray, the blanket hanging on for dear life to the bed and the patient was absent. Near by the rack that held the IV was restationed beside a lone thick chair for company, course fabric that held a few things on it.

Judai was sitting on the floor before the chair, his legs curled up under him. His bare back exposed with a few thin cords holding it shut. Carelessly, as Judai had gotten out of bed and fairly dragged himself to his bag apparently. He sat there disinterested in covering his back or the chill of the room. Arms folded under his head as he appeared almost asleep...

"Mr. Judai?" Mikage began slowly uncertain if she should raise her voice.

Yusei and Aki exchanged glances as they realized their reactions were apparently unnecessarily harsh. The others were slipping in and spreading out among the room with various expressions of worry and sympathy.

"Aki they're not here are they...?" Judai began, his voice muffled by the seat and his posture.

Swallowing the rock forming in her throat Aki cast a useless glance around the room. Of course there were no spirits associated with Judai here, they had been wiped out too... "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, its not your fault..." Judai answered, his voice once full of oblivious excitement and action was dead now. "I sent Yubel into space, thinking it might help, but it clearly only made things worse..."

"Come on, you need to be in bed or the doctors are going to be upset with you," Mikage moved about the bed, while Judai shook his head.

"I couldn't make it back. When I woke up all I wanted was my deck so I climbed down.. I can't... I can't..." Judai dropped his head back on the chair, from fatigue or despair.

Jack tapped Yusei's shoulder as he moved forward, both guys working to get Judai up between them, Jack tried to pull the deck out of Judai's hands for the moment. But he could feel it, even though his thick riding gloves, the way the guys' hands shook holding them. 'He must have a death grip on them...' A pitiful death grip that a half asleep Ruka could break with ease...

Leaving the deck in Judai's hands, while hoping that the guy didn't spill the cards on the floor as they moved, he and Yusei helped Judai up. Witch glided through the air and grabbed the IV stand sliding it along so it was one less thing to worry about.

"I was a kid back then, Yubel was out of control, they would attack anyone. If I was losing a duel with a friend suddenly Yubel would just lash out. I couldn't figure out how to make them stop, I thought a nice trip through space might... 'broaden their horizon'," Judai recounted.

Aki and Carly fussed with the bed quickly, making it ready for the guys as they got Judai up back where he was supposed to be. Not that it was easy to start with, so much of Judai was wrapped up in bandages there was a fear that something might be broken. Or fractured, or something that too strong a grab would do more harm than good.

"I could feel you here Sis," Judai looked at Aki briefly, as his dead gaze drifted down to the blanket that they were tucking over him. "I thought one of my spirits can come out... one... Just one..." His head sank into his hands as he sat there, "Yubel something happened to Yubel..."

Ryu frowned and slowly reached into his coat and discretely pulled out his phone. He began searching the name 'Yubel' among all the cards in the series. Leaving it open to grab any words with the name in it. Judai was describing a monster card obviously, but if there was a spell card or a trap card associated with it, that would be something. If Yubel was like the Egyptian Gods and with a one only style card...

"What type of card is it?" Mikage asked quietly, "I'm sure KaibaCorp could look it up..."

"On that, but while its not that easy. The Egyptian God cards are registered, but they are a one print only trio of cards. People have 'died' tried to recreate them outside of the company and Industrial Illusion, on principle, doesn't try. But it wouldn't be impossible that it was a one time only card and there are associated cards to go with it, too." After a beat he resumed, "nothing is coming up that I have easy access to. I need the office computers to look up the card, as for how cards come about just look at the people in here. The Signer Dragons are not even 'produced' by Industrial Illusions. Those cards just manifested somehow out of thin air and over time cards that could be attached to them were created by us in response."

Ryu held up his phone to show the irrefutable 0% as the search continued. "Uncle Yugi can make things manifest out of thin air, so its possible that he created the cards. Responding to a clear threat he was aware was coming. But making this 'Yubel'? Even if he did, I don't know if he knows how to make one that sounds, upset... It sounds a lot like the Spirit of the Ring Uncle Ryou had. Does the same thing really."

"Attack people?" Crow asked as he tried to process what they were saying without asking too many questions. Though Jack was kind enough, not bright enough, to hide the fact he was just as lost. So it wasn't some 'well only a REAL Dragon would understand this' situation.

"Yes, the Spirit wanted to keep Uncle Ryou alone since it made it easier to possess him..." Ryus' voice drifted as he began side eyeing Judai out of concern.

Mikage felt her head spin at the information and shook it in an effort to try and clear it up. "Wait, you sent that card into 'space'? That thing that this planet is hanging out in? How were you ever supposed to get that card 'back'?" She asked as she stood there staring at Judai with this perplexed expression. 'I know it was mentioned, but I didn't think they were 'serious', if its a joke they can't all be in on it right?' That made her want to smack herself in the face as she watched as he shrugged.

He didn't know. Just sent a card into space for the lulz and an attempt at teaching it manners?

"You sent a card into space the way we would send a dog to obedience school?" She tried...

"Did he do something stupid?" Swee asked discretely leaning towards her fellow fairies.

"Apparently..." Hu answered...

"And now your partner took part in a mass killing if we included Duel Spirits into human laws about murder..." Mikage added with a frown that instantly got the fairies to shut up.