Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.
Chapter Fifty-Five
He gave no response to my pleas, continuing to lay almost perfectly still in the medical tent. His chest made no discernable movements, as if he wasn't breathing. I sat myself on the ground, placing my head next to his, and I quietly cried as I prayed to see his beautiful eyes once again. I wasn't sure how long I remained in that position, but someone eventually came to check on us.
"Lady Alexandria! You should be laying down!" I barely registered Shadah's voice, feeling my own consciousness slipping away again.
"Someone, bring me more ointment and bandages at once! Her wounds have reopened again!" Isis' voice joined his, and I heard more footsteps rushing in our direction.
"Please tell me he's alive and that he'll survive. Give him my life in exchange if you must!"
Hands gently but firmly pulled me away from my husband, and I felt my body collapse into them, offering no resistance even though I wanted nothing more than to die beside the man I loved. The sight of my husband burned more deeply into my mind, and I feared that it would be the last time I would ever see him. I shut my eyes tightly against the image, hoping to erase it from my sight. Perhaps I should consider removing every trace of his memory to avoid the pain of having lost him.
I shook away the memory once more; having to relive such a terrible moment in my life with the Pharaoh was truly a nightmare. I'd almost had to live with the knowledge that I had not only failed to save him, but that it could have been my spell that killed him.
"I'm about to eliminate you once and for all with Ra."
I had woken up from one nightmare, only to find myself within another. My golden brother would be called forth to hurt a friend once again, and I would be unable to stop him. Like all my other creatures, he wasn't a monster; he only did as his master bade him. I needed to free him from Marik's grasp so he could return to being the warm and gentle creature he was.
"Ra takes on the attack points of the monsters that are sacrificed to summon it. But since Marik didn't make any sacrifices, his monster has no attack points."
I looked towards the Pharaoh and felt a sad smile across my lips, "Marik intends to use Ra's special ability to destroy Gilford, even though Ra has no power."
As Ra became Phoenix, his gaze turned on me. This time, he registered my presence, whereas before he had ignored me altogether. I stared back at him, refusing to bow before his power as so many had in the past. He lowered his head until his eyes were level with mine. They burned bright red, mirroring my own in times of fury, but his gaze carried no anger. Instead, I saw excitement at having a moment to communicate with me, and sorrow that he would be attacking someone I cared about. The others seemed frozen as the god and I continued our silent conversation, likely in shock once again at my connection with the monster.
Though we exchanged no words, we understood what was in the other's mind. It was difficult to explain how we knew, but gods and I had always been like this. We felt a particular kinship with one another, far stronger than almost any relationship I'd shared with a mortal. With our conversation completed, I closed my eyes and slightly bowed my head. When I raised it once more, he had returned to his position behind his current master. I could feel the eyes of the others on me, and though I paid them little attention, I couldn't help but bristle at how comfortably Tea's hand currently rested on the Pharaoh's chest.
"Pharaoh! Kaiba! Take heed. For one of you will have to face my Winged Dragon of Ra in the next round."
"Last time I checked, this duel was still on, psycho boy!"
I felt the wild magic beneath my fingertips once more, electricity returning to my palms. I had to control it again; I couldn't risk what might happen if I released it. I clenched my fists once more, trying to force the magic back. My fear for Joey was having a greater impact upon my control than I could have ever anticipated.
"Destroy his monster and drain his soul!"
The platform shook as Ra's attack destroyed Gilford, and the wild magic slipped from my grasp. Before it could spread too far, I redirected its flow back to me. As Joey endured the flames of Phoenix, I stood my ground against the electricity. I had to bear it in silence for Joey's sake; he needed the attention of the others far more than I did. The same burning sensation that my body had borne all those years ago returned, but no marks were left behind this time. Only when Ra's attack ended did the wild magic settle and return to its regular flow.
"Joey!"
"He's standing!"
I sighed in relief, knowing that Joey's willpower had been stronger than that of Ra. I knew my brother hadn't wanted to hurt my friend, but he couldn't hold back his power in this situation. As the others celebrated in Joey's endurance, I sank to the ground and rested my back against the railing. I was exhausted from the release of magic, but I had to stay conscious to see the end of the duel. Joey could still win if he managed to summon a strong enough monster. He placed Gearfried on the field but was unable to call an attack. Joey fell to the ground unconscious.
"Kaiba, stop! Forget your rules! Joey needs help!"
As the others rushed towards Joey in a panic, Pharaoh and Yugi turned to look at me. Their eyes both widened at my current state, but it wasn't me they needed to tend to.
Go to Joey, now.
But Dria, we can't-
We can't leave you like this.
Knowing they wouldn't budge unless I did something, I extended my hand towards Joey and activating my Pendant. My fingers glowed with a golden light for a few moments before fading. I leaned my head back against the railing once more.
Go now. I will be fine, I promise. Joey needs you. I've done what I can to help, but he needs you.
Though I could tell it hurt them both to do so, they turned away from me and hurried to Joey. Exhaling slowly, I closed my eyes again, trying to recapture the strength I had lost.
I must have fallen unconscious again because the next thing I remembered was a voice calling out to me.
"Open your eyes, Kadesh."
I did as the voice asked and opened my eyes. There next to me lay the only man I wanted to see. There was no trace of his bandages or former wounds anywhere on his body. As my senses returned to me, I realized that we were on the Pharaoh's warship, sailing down the river. I had been placed in the Prince's room, and it seemed as if he had been by my side the entire time. His eyes watered with tears when he realized that I was awake. A truly happy and relieved smile crossed his face as he stroked my cheek.
"You're finally awake. I've been so worried about you. Isis and Shadah have been here constantly, checking to make sure your wounds hadn't reopened. They were frightened that we would lose you before arriving home, where their stronger medicines are."
I blinked slowly, trying to comprehend his words and give an intelligent response. All I could manage, though, was to stare at him silently, drinking in every uninjured piece of him. I tried to lift my hand towards his face but found the appendage unbearably heavy. He smiled again, understanding my desire as he placed my hand against his cheek. My tongue felt thick as I tried to respond.
"Where are we? What happened with the battle?" I paused before voicing my true fear, "Please don't tell me this is a dream. I can't handle waking up to seeing you gravely injured again. I never want to experience such a nightmare again."
He cocked his head at my words, evidently confused by my disorganized thoughts. Leaning further into my hand, he remained silent for a few moments before responding.
"We're on Father's ship, heading back home. You've been unconscious for nearly three days now. We were hesitant to move you, but Isis and Shadah believed you were stable enough, though they were shocked that you overcame your injuries. The enemy commander surrendered after bearing witness the ferocity of Egypt's soldiers and your power. He finally signed the treaty."
He paused as I had in the sequence of questions, about to address the most important issue. Pain raced through my body as my muscles tensed. If this was a dream and he was in truth still laying on his deathbed in the medical tent, even my curse of immortality might finally be overcome by my desperation.
"You became far more injured than I after releasing your spell. I managed to grasp you soon enough that your magic didn't affect me physically, but its force knocked me out. When I awoke, Mahad was removing bandages to finish healing some minor wounds I had gained from the battle. My nightmare was likely as frightening as yours."
He paused again and closed his eyes, his voice struggling to continue his recount of events. His grip on my hand increased for a moment before returning his gaze to me and finishing.
"The first thing I saw was your blood covering the ground before me, pools of it. Isis and Shadah were both by your side, keeping you alive with every way they knew how. Father and Seto were seated next to me, waiting for me to awaken so they could prepare me for the worst if necessary."
He placed his forehead against mine, and we laid in each other's arms, thankful to have survived such an ordeal. I silently swore to myself that I would never allow his life to be in such danger again. If only I had understood what was ahead of us.
The others had gone when I reopened my eyes. Joey needed immediate medical attention, and I feared that if I should join them, my wild magic might return at seeing my friend in a terrible state. It was better for me to remain out of the way to prevent hurting anyone else. I could only hope the spell I cast upon Joey would prove helpful in protecting him from the Shadows.
Pharaoh
Joey hadn't opened his eyes since we brought him down from the Duel Tower. The doctor examined him thoroughly but could find nothing wrong with him. I couldn't be surprised; it had been a Shadow Game and Joey lost. Physically there would be nothing wrong. His mind, however, was currently trapped in darkness, all because Marik had chosen to rise against his family and desire the Pharaoh's power for himself. I clenched my fists in anger. Surely no amount of power was worth endangering the lives of other people.
Kaiba had also refused to move Joey to an actual hospital, more concerned about his duel with me than the life of another human being. I could understand now why Dria's eyes changed colors when she became angry; I was almost sure mine were doing the same thing at this moment.
Yugi, on the other hand, was nearly beside himself in grief. He blamed himself for bringing such an evil upon our friends and wanted nothing more than for it all to stop. He had reached his limit and couldn't see the end of the path. I wished Dria were with us right now to help me console him. She, who had clearly experienced a long life, would surely have the right words to say to him. But something had happened during Joey's duel, and though I hadn't wanted to, she had ordered us to remain at Joey's side while she remained at the top of the Tower. I would apologize profusely to her later.
Memories of Joey's promise to help save the world flashed before my eyes. We'd come too far to simply quit now. We were the last line of defense for all our friends and the rest of the world. I had no idea what the Pharaoh's power entailed, but if it was anything like the power that Dria wielded, I couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands. I would lose any hope I had of regaining my memories and my Millennium Puzzle; I would also lose Dria and leave her to an unknown fate determined by Marik.
I know this is hard for you, Yugi. Marik is the toughest foe we've ever faced. But if we walk away now, then he wins.
I punched the wall of the blimp in anger. I would not bow or cower before the ravings of a madman. Marik would be stopped, and I would be the one to end it all. I would save Joey and Mai, and I would protect Dria and the rest of the world.
"What's next? It's so unclear."
I heard a familiar voice in my head respond, "It doesn't have to be. Check your pocket." I could have sworn it was Joey's voice, but it must have only been wishful thinking. The Millennium Necklace glowed brightly in my jacket pocket, reminding me of its presence. Ishizu had given it to us after losing her duel to Kaiba. I clenched my fingers around the ancient Item, desperately hoping that it would show me the truth even though it had failed Ishizu. It showed me a brief vision of myself and Joey engaged in a friendly duel. I could only hope that it was right.
Tea tried to persuade me against the duel, saying it was time to walk away from this madness. Though I appreciated her sentiments, I knew it was more than just happenstance that led me to this tournament, to this modern time-period. It was my destiny to save the world from darkness, just as Ishizu said I had all those years ago. Dria and Joey had willingly put their lives on the line to help me accomplish this task. I wouldn't betray them by running away now.
It was time for my rematch with Kaiba.