Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series
Parallel
Chapter 065
Originally Written: Sunday, May 01, 2022 401PM to 445PM
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Magic was not something mere mortals could trifle with and use to their own liking for their own desires as they saw fit. It had its own set of rules and laws to follow. Rules and laws that even the Gods themselves must follow, except for in the rarest of circumstances. So even though Joey 'Jumping Jounouchi Katsuya' Wheeler could feel the magic the Millennium Puzzle gave him, humming underneath his skin, and flowing through his veins, he needed to learn before he could use it. And he needed to accept and expect all consequences that came from learning and using magic he was not supposed to. After all, Joey Wheeler was but one of the many mere mortals living on Earth.
Zorc's darkness spread slowly through Domino City. It slowly seeped out through the growing cracks in the great Thief King Bakura's seals. Seals he learned from watching his mother, and later on from the nameless Pharaoh's own trusted magicians, from within the prison of his Millennium Ring. Shadow Creatures, Duel Monsters that were corrupted by Zorc's darkness and evil, freely roamed the dying and decaying city.
Many of Domino's previous residents and those who liked Yugi Moto, Ryou Bakura and Solomon Muto as well as those who supported Joey Wheeler and his group stayed. They stayed knowing they could very well die trying to hold the onslaught back from spreading. They slowed down Zorc's forces enough to annoy the entity, but not much else. If nothing else, they gave Joey the time he needed to learn.
Joey Wheeler was not the only one who learned. Over the decade that passed Tristan Taylor switched professions. He grew from an ex-gang member who worked on motorcycles in his spare time to one of the youngest Police Commissioners in Domino City's long history. He carried out his duty fairly, without cruelty. His skills learned from two great leaders, Joey Wheeler and Hirutani, allowed him to become a great leader himself. He frequently placed Domino's citizen's safety far before his own. Such that when government leaders protested Tristan's involvement in the planet's security due to supporting the wanted criminals, Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba, Marik Ishtar and Mokuba Kaiba, Domino City shut down. Everything stopped in Domino until he was reinstated as commissioner. Domino's citizens saw something good for their city, but Tristan knew better. It was only a matter of time. There was a cost to a power one shouldn't have.
Tea Gardner was the first of the group to perish for this cost. She died early on, unexpectedly. She stayed nearby Domino City, where she died in a freak accident with a roller coaster. The new friends she met defending Domino had taken her out to cheer her up. She was naturally reluctant. She hadn't smiled since her boyfriend, Yugi Moto, lost his life to magic she couldn't properly describe. She let them take her. When the roller coaster they were on suddenly stopped as though it shut down and the track ahead of them started to collapse, Tea smiled. She tried to continue living and smiling as Yugi wanted her to, but what good was living, when there was no light. She slid out from her harness, as though she were meant to. She stood on top of the roller coaster car. Her new friends watched her perform a few pirouettes they knew Tea spent hours upon hours practicing. Practice for a dream Zorc was slowly taking from her. They screamed and pleaded for her.
She only looked at them and said "Last one for the road. I'll see you soon, Yugi."
Those on the ride were terrified and traumatized. In the end, they remained grounded enough to declare Tea Gardner as a hero. The track fixed itself when she hit the ground and died.
Joey Wheeler lost his mother when her house caught fire. Police labeled it as another arson attack, but the Fire Brigade couldn't call it such. It was a gas explosion, in a house that didn't run on gas, and had no nearby gas pipes or containers to cause the incident. The Fire Brigade called it a freak accident.
Joey Wheeler lost Mai Valentine when the cruise ship she was on sank. The Gods let her see a few more places before magic struck her down. The tragedy took Mai as well as everyone else on board. No survivors. The authorities couldn't determine what caused the tragedy, and probably never would.
Tristan and Duke's father had to stop Serenity Wheeler and Duke Devlin from ending their own lives many times over the years. As they realized what was happening, Serenity regretted telling Joey yes, and giving him her blessing to take the Millennium Puzzle. Duke was too terrified, and turned into a reclusive mess. The only ones who brought him outside his apartment were Serenity, Tristan and Duke's father. Duel Monsters, games and dice tricks failed to bring calm to Duke's troubled mind and soul. Each failed attempt stumped the medical staff. The attempts should have succeeded, yet they didn't. They weren't even left scarred or disfigured. They'd slowly heal as though the Gods themselves had demanded it.
Domino's residents and medical staff were stumped even further when a bus jumped the curb and slammed dear Serenity between it and the building she walked past. Duke Devlin, who stood next to her, wasn't injured. Neither were any surrounding pedestrians, nor anyone on the bus.
Duke had no clue how he survived, and couldn't ask, because he couldn't find Joey or Seto to ask. One day, he received a call from Maximillion Pegasus, who answered his questions. Gods couldn't change the laws of magic except under extremely particular circumstances. They could, however, work around the rules that existed. He didn't understand why they did, but the Gods gave Duke something to calm him. Duke left Domino City for the Duelist Kingdom, where he worked to train under Pegasus day and night. He needed to figure out how his shift in luck and probability worked.
One by one, those close to Joey Wheeler, and Yugi Moto fell in freakish unexplainable accidents. Mako Tsunami. Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood. Teachers. Classmates. Cashiers of stores they shopped at. Frequent customers of those same stores. Neighbors, friends. They accepted this, giving time for Joey to learn and train.
Meanwhile, Joey, Seto, Mokuba and Yami Marik went to find Ishizu in Egypt. They helped her search for Odion. They found him dead weeks later, floating in the Nile River far from their home. Joey recognized the bite marks in his friend's flesh, and raged.
"Zorc is a cannibal." Yami Marik explained, to Ishizu's disgust.
"Can't be a cannibal to humans if you ain't human yourself." Joey believed there was something deeper going on between Odion and Ishizu, but knew better than to say anything. Ishizu despaired over her fallen brother for many hours.
They remained in hiding underneath Egypt's desert sands from then on. Occasionally, they came out to stop really bad shadow creature attacks, but only because Joey needed the practice. Ishizu and Yami Marik taught Seto and Joey and Pharaoh magic. Magic that was far more intense than the baby magic of spinning cards around one's hand. Magic that allowed Joey to work in sync with Pharaoh, instead of sending Joey flying across the room. Mokuba learned too, guided by Bakura, who's magic was strong, but more delicate. Bakura grew up as a sickly, demonized child, and so knew how to train someone like Mokuba, who didn't have much potential for magic to begin with.
For five years Joey Wheeler learned. Five years he watched those dear to his heart fall to their deaths or perish in unusual ways nothing except magic could explain the cause for. With each person who perished, Joey trained even more. He'd give back as good as magic gave even if it killed him. Zorc was waiting for him to defeat him.
A/N: We Final Destination now. One day I'll write a story where everyone doesn't suffer. It'll be glorious.
Yugi and Pharaoh's acceptance of Joey using the puzzle only means that Joey won't be killed immediately for trying to use it. Like how everyone except Solomon died when they came across the puzzle in Pharaoh's tomb. It doesn't stop the puzzle's other punishments and protections. That's why Joey asked anyone and everyone he felt the slightest bit closet too. And Parallel Joey has a lot of acquaintances.
