A/N: For those of you familiar with YGO GX, you may notice a few things near the end. If not, no worries. Just wait and see.
Also, as of this chapter, the word count has officially passed the 200,000 word benchmark. Woohoo!
Chapter summary: In which the Light burns brightest when the world is darkest and nothing can stand against it. Nothing.
48: A Light in the Dark
The Field Spell was beautiful in a malevolent sort of way. Had the evil permeating the atmosphere not been present, then Kaiba would probably even find this place relaxing. It vaguely resembled the not-place where he held Court with his Triad. The nebulae and stars moved through the violet tinted void which draped over the surfaces of the ground and the buildings still standing in the city outside the Field Spell like a form-fitting veil. Even the sky above glowed from the plethora of stars in the vast expanse of simulated space.
Unfortunately, the stabbing pain in Kaiba's chest followed by a heartbreakingly familiar roar yanked his thoughts back to the here and now. Next to him, Jounouchi grunted and clutched his gut in similar pain that wasn't physical but soulful in nature. Yugi gasped and pointed to a place behind his Regent's shoulder with an awful expression on his face, mirrored by Yami. Kaiba did not want to turn and look because seeing what he knew was there would make it too real.
Nevertheless, he looked and had to fight the urge to cry from fury and sadness. There, shining and majestic, was his Blue Eyes White Dragon and next to it was the mutt's Red Eyes Black Dragon; both freshly summoned from a duelist's Deck. Whoever dared summon Kaiba's most precious Monster without his permission would pay dearly. However, before Kaiba could step in and reclaim what was rightfully his, he felt the prick of power and sentience that was Blue Eyes twist unnaturally. It felt like an invisible force wrapped a clawed hand around his heart and attempted to wrench it out of his chest. The choked cry from the Knight indicated whatever was happening to Blue Eyes was also happening to Red Eyes.
"Kaiba!" Yugi cried. "Jounouchi!"
Kaiba sank to his knees, his hands grasping at his chest trying to protect it from the damage his soul was suffering. Yami stepped in front of him, blocking Blue Eyes from his sight, and gripped his shoulders, shaking him harshly.
"Snap out of Regent!" the Pharaoh commanded.
But he couldn't. He could only watch in horror as Kisara howled, her body contorting, forcibly changing to suit her summoner's purposes. Jet black armor fueled by the same evil that pervaded this place clamped firmly to her body, covering her wings, and subduing her will. It was inhumane and far from a painless process. Kaiba and Seth could feel her despair through their shared link as if it were their own. It was shredding them apart.
"Fight it," the Pharaoh's voice said, muffled over the well of hopelessness deafening Kaiba's senses. "Don't let it control you. Separate yourself from her. I need my Regent here!"
Seth whimpered in the back of Kaiba's mind before reluctantly raising a curtain of Shadows, severing the intimate connection tying Kisara to his and Kaiba's minds. It felt like they were killing her, abandoning her to whatever power currently manipulated her. Instead, Kaiba channeled all of his hurt and pent up energy towards one thing: vengeance.
When Kaiba opened his eyes, they were ice cold and glared with all the hateful contempt Kaiba could muster at the person standing on a white motorcycle-like vehicle hovering in the air. This was the duelist who was controling his beloved against her will. Kaiba and Seth would the bastard pay dearly for that transgression.
"Hey, I know you," Jounouchi snarled in a particularly vicious voice. He pushed himself to his feet and pointed at the duelist manipulating his Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Your that fucking Bastard!"
"What?!" Yugi gasped. He stopped what he was doing and spun around to stare up at the duelist on the white motorcycle.
"You," Yami growled deep in his throat, adopting a battle ready stance.
"Well isn't this nice," Kaiba said, a dark smirk slicing a thin line across his face. "We get to save the world, again, and deal with the Bastard all in one go." His eyes hardened. "I'll take Kisara back over his dead body."
"I c'n get behin' that," Jounouchi agreed, all but chomping at the bit to attack. "Red Eyes is mine damnit!"
If Kaiba didn't know better, he would have bet the Knight would beat the Bastard to a pulp with his bare hands if he could. Not that Kaiba would stop him.
"We may not have a choice," Yugi said, the faintest hint of reget tinging his voice.
"I'll deal with it, Aibou," the Pharaoh stated firmly, placing a comforting hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I will do my best not to let your hands be stained with blood."
Yugi winced. His gaze dropped as his desire for vengeance conflicted with his moral compass. He had no problem with making the Bastard suffer for his crimes, but the death penalty was not something he took pleasure in casting. It felt like doing so took a piece of his humanity away from him. He would have to think long and hard about what his Penalty would be. He sighed heavily. This was when he needed his Emissary Anzu. Her steadfast stance on morality was something he craved in these types of situations.
Lifting his eyes once more, Yugi blinked. "Wait," he said, eyes going wide when he noticed the Monster facing off against the Bastard. "Is that... Mahad?!" His hand instinctually rested over his own Deck, feeling his Dark Magician's presence radiate through the paper medium.
"What?" Yami gasped, following his Ba's gaze in shock. "Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!"
"Red Eyes don't!" Jounouchi cried, forgetting in the heat of the moment that his dragon could no longer hear and obey his true master's commands.
Before the ball of red energy could strike Dark Magician Girl, however, the opposing duelist on the far left separated his Monster into two Monsters and the middle opposing duelist activated a Trap that negated Red Eyes attack. Jounouchi all but slumped in relief. But then the corrupted Blue Eyes attacked, wiping the remaining opposing duelist's Dark Magician out. Yugi cried out, covering his mouth in distress. Yami practically vibrated in righteous anger.
The sight of Kisara in such a deformed state did things to Kaiba's heart that he would never admit out loud. He would rather Kisara be destroyed than be used like this. This must be what Kisara felt when the Traitor had control of his own mind back in ancient Egypt and used him as a puppet to attack the Pharaoh. Kaiba refused to let history repeat itself.
However, before he could draw on the Shadows and cast his own Spell, the middle duelist's dragon, a beautiful white and blue lizard with delicate wings and a horned head, burst into shards of light, cancelling out the effect of the Bastard's bloated monstrosity on the field. However, the attempted defense was neutralized when the Bastard -damn him to Ammit's gullet!- had his large, sickeningly proportioned beast that could barely be called a dragon attacked, destroying the only Monster on the far left duelist's field. With that, every other Monster on the three duelists' side of the field subsequently followed.
The ensuing blast of wind from the attack tossed the three young duelists' off their feet, slamming them to the ground close to where Kaiba and his companions stood. Though the method of transit was less than convenient, the duelists' closer proximity allowed the univited Shadow users to have a much clearer view of their faces. One in particular, stood out from the crowd.
"Yami," Yugi whispered, his eyes focused in the duelist who'd been in control of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl before they were destroyed.
"Yes," the Pharaoh replied, just as quietly. "I see but..." He glanced at his partner furtively, slipping a hand into Yugi's and twining their fingers together before returning his gaze to the fallen duelist. "I'm not sure how I feel about it."
Sure enough, the the duelist who had successfully summoned Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl was none other than this world's version of Yugi Motou.
Yugi felt the energy drain from his body as his life points dropped to a mere 500 from Paradox's brutal attack. The shockwave rammed into his body, sweeping him off his feet, and tossing him through the air like a sack of potatoes. He landed hard on his side, instantly coughing up blood when his broken rib tore through his lung. He could barely breathe.
"Yugi!" Yusei cried, trying to pick himself up from the crumbled sprawl he'd landed in and crawl over to his fallen friend. However, Yusei was fairly certain his right shoulder was dislocated from the impact and he would certainly have a nasty bruise on his side from where his duel disk jammed into his side. But he knew it was nothing compared to what Yugi must be experiencing. "Judai," he called over his shoulder to the young duelist on his other side, "help Yugi."
But Judai couldn't answer right away. It had been his Monster that had been destroyed first effectively concentrating the brunt of the attack on him. His head had struck the ground hard almost knocking him unconscious. As it was, Judai vaguely knew he had a concussion, but he couldn't hold his thoughts in place for longer than a few seconds before they slipped from his mental grasp. He made the mistake of trying to get up too fast and immediately crumbled back to the ground.
"Judai!" Yusei cried. He didn't know what to do. Both of his comrades were severely injured and there was nothing he could do.
"I'm not done yet, you godforesaken brats!" Paradox screamed. "I activate the Quick-Play Magic Card Malefic Cross to let me bring back a Malefic Monster that was destroyed this turn. Say hello to the reborn Malefic Stardust Dragon!"
Yusei slumped back to the ground, fear shaking him to the core. There was nothing he could do. "Stardust," he pleaded amidst his tears. "Don't listen to him, please."
"Now my Malefic Stardust Dragon," Paradox said, a victorious grin on his face, "wipe these lab rats off the face of this universe so I can finally finish what I started!"
Yusei felt something inside him give. He could only watch as his favorite Monster, perverted by the damnable Shadows, reared back its head and fired a tainted stream of what was once pure light. Yusei had no more cards in play. Neither did Yugi. Only Judai had a facedown card on the field but the brunette was struggling to stay upright and in no shape to play that card. There was no way they could defend themselves.
They had lost.
:No,: Yugi thought raising his head defiantly.
He would not go down meekly. There may be nothing he could do but he still had Yami nestled firmly, safely in his mind. A part of him wished his other self would avenge him, save them, something. But judging from Yami's frantic thoughts, there was little that could be done from his end.
Then suddenly -impossibly- Jounouchi was there! But how?
"Jinzo!" Jounouchi yelled, slapping a card to his own duel disk. "Take the blow!"
The machine Monster appeared in front of the blonde duelist for only a second before being destroyed by Malefic Stardust Dragon's attack. Since Jinzo had appeared in a Defense position, Jounouchi escaped relatively unscathed, if a bit windblown.
"Aw, hell yeah!" Jounouchi hollered, pumping a fist in the air. "Take that you ugly, shit faced Bastard! That's for stealin' my Red Eyes!"
Yugi was stunned to say the least. How could another duelist even enter a Shadow Game let alone join in after the duel had already started. Not only was it not honorable to intrude on another person's duel but Yugi had no idea how intruding on a Shadow Game was even possible. Even Yami was blown away by the idea. Yet there Jounouchi stood, clear as day; a shining ray of hope.
"Jounouchi?" he coughed, dearly hoping this wasn't a dream
The blonde duelist turned and flashed Yugi a thumbs up. "Hey there bud," he said. "Sorry fer the delay. I took the scenic route." He paused, then snorted pointing his thumb casually at someone over Yugi's shoulder. "Blame him," he said flippantly.
"Typical."
Yugi stiffened, hardly daring to turn at the speaker. It couldn't be.
"Never taking the fall for your own blunders." A dark figure swept past Yugi's fallen form with barely a glance. His long, dark purple tranch coat billowing out behind him as he moved. "That's why you're a mutt."
"Impossible," Paradox breathed, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Say that again, fuckboy," Jounouchi yelled, waving a fist at the very alive and well and obviously pissed off Kaiba Seto.
"You really are deaf, aren't you?" Kaiba quipped.
"Bite me."
"Not interested."
"Hey, I jus' saved the day here," Jounouchi said, waving at the game field. "I didn' see you doin' anything, rich boy."
"Ah, there they go again," Yugi heard his own voice say with a touch of tolerant weariness. "I can't take them anywhere."
Yugi froze. In the corner of his eye, he saw Yusei in the midst at crawling over to Judai's aid, stop and whirl around to face the new speaker. But there was no way the person could be there. Yugi hadn't said anything. He could barely speak at all from the pain and coughing.
The dark chuckle that answered the voice that sounded so much like Yugi's own made even the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle pause. Yami only existed in Yugi's mind. Only Yugi could ever hear that particular voice unless it was in his mind or speaking through his own mouth when the spirit was in control. But Yugi was very well aware that Yami was not in control. In fact, the spirit seemed just as taken aback by his own voice speaking aloud as Yugi was.
Biting back the pain, Yugi carefully shifted around to see the owner of those voices. It was like looking into a mirror. His own face, not the ghostly mimicry the spirit created, but Yugi's own face stared back at him.
"Hi," the other Yugi said shyly.
Yugi swore he was going insane.
"I'd touch you but I'm not sure what that would do to you," Other-Yugi said thoughtfuly, his worried eyes flickering over Yugi's body. "Paradoxes happen when the same matter occupies the same space."
"True."
Yugi lifted his eyes to see the honest to goodness solid form of the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle standing tall and powerful behind Other-Yugi.
"But that may only apply to time-related paradoxes," the solid spirit said, offering the injured duelist who shared his face a friendly smile. "We could always ask for help from her."
Yugi groaned and ducked his head, coughing wetly. This was too much for him to handle right now.
"Easy, other me," Other-Yugi said softly. "Mystical Elf, take his pain away please," Other-Yugi continued to someone else.
Yugi managed to lift his eyes once more and was stunned to see his Mystical Elf Monster alive and solid gazing at him with gentle concern. Her sky blue skin was undimmed by the darkness of the Malefic World Field Spell. Her touch was softer than down and her voice tinkled like wind chimes in a breeze as she chanted her healing spell. Without consciously realizing what was happening, Yugi felt his fear ease, soothed by her enchanting voice.
A sharp stabbing sensation in his side jolted his body as his rib pulled out of his lung and settled back in its proper place. Slowly, the pain ebbed away and his breathing came more smoothly. Now he just felt drained and shaky from adrenaline and relief.
"There," Other-Yugi said gently. "I bet that feels better. My name is Motou Yugi, but I think you probably already figured that out by now. I suppose you can call me Motou if you want. It would certainly help with the confusion."
Other-Yami knelt next to Motou and chuckled, a fond smile on his face. "What do you call the version of myself who dwells in your mind, young one?" he asked.
Yugi hesitated, rested a protective hand over his golden Puzzle. "Yami," he said.
Other-Yami grinned and nodded. "I'm not necessarily surprised," he said gently. "Call me Pharaoh then. It's my title so I'm used to hearing it."
"Arrogant," Yugi heard Kaiba mutter not-so-quietly behind him.
The Pharaoh smirked and aimed a challenging gaze at Kaiba. "I believe the phrase is: 'It takes one to know one,'" he said.
Jounouchi snickered and even Yami, still watching through Yugi's eyes, smiled at the friendly jab.
"I killed you!" Paradox said, slamming a fist against the panel of his hovering Duel Runner. "All of you! You're dead. I shot you!" he screamed, pointing directly at the person who looked almost identical to Yugi. "Why are you still alive!? You're like goddamned cockroaches!"
Everyone but Yugi lifted their eyes to Paradox who seemed torn between raving in abject fury and cowering in fear. Yusei pulled a slowly recovering Judai close to his side protectively and sincerely hoped it was the latter. He would pay to see Paradox afraid.
"Yeah?" Yusei heard Jounouchi taunt. "So what if we are?"
"Normally I'd take that as an offense," Kaiba declared, a sneer on his face, "but for now, I'll take it as a compliment. Eat this, Bastard. Ring of Destruction!"
Yusei gasped when a ring of solid steal with flames shooting out if blow holes along it's outer edge materialized encircling the Malefic Truth Dragon's neck. But how... How did he do that without a duel disk? Before he could ask, Kaiba cast spoke again, this time casting a Spell.
"Now, Ring of Defense, activate!"
Half a second later, the Ring of Destruction exploded taking the accursed Malefic Truth Dragon with it. Good riddance.
"That was for stealing my Blue Eyes and using her like a tool, you pig-eating son of a whore!" Kaiba bellowed. His voice rumbled with power, or was that actually thunder Yusei heard?
"Regent," Yugi's voice said, a note of command in his voice that Yusei barely recognized. It took him a moment to realize it was the other Yugi who has spoken, not the Yugi who dueled beside him.
Yusei turned towards the voice again, still having troubl comprehending what he was seeing. The other Yugi stood, turning his body towards the darker version of himself standing next to him. There were three Yugis. No. Yusei studied the darker person closely. That one wasn't Yugi. That person had crueler eyes and had a darker feel to him. This must be...
"The Nameless Pharaoh," he whispered in disbelief
"Let's end this Shadow Game now," the Pharaoh declared with all the power and authority his title carried.
The Yugi who stood next to the dark Pharaoh nodded and held out his arms, palms facing upwards as if to worship or summon something and began speaking in a language Yusei did not recognize. However, judging from the way the Yugi still on the ground being treated by a -was that a Duel Monster?- blue skinned woman reacted, flinching away from the Duel Monster healing him and staring at his alternate self dumbfounded, at least one person knew what language that was. Maybe Yugi even knew what was being said.
As the alternate Yugi continued chanting, he began to glow; softly at first like a candle, then blazing like a lighthouse in the middle of the night. The light was powerful and dangerous and, strangely, warm. Yusei felt his skin tingle, reminding him of his home, his friends, his Stardust Dragon. His fear began to fade, replaced by a calm acceptance.
For a moment, when the light the alternate Yugi emenated was at its brightest, Yusei could swear he saw what looked like a great phoenix rising from an inferno of burning gold. It felt...like home.
It can't be," Judai murmured, startling Yusei out of his reverie.
Yusei looked down to where his new friend was leaning in his one useable arm staring fixedly at the still glowing alternate Yugi. Judai's pupils were blown wide almost obliterating the younger boy's brown irises.
"Yubel," Judai said, his words slurring slightly, "That light... Is that...what I think it is? It hurts." He groaned.
The Pharaoh knelt in front of Judai and placed both of his hands on the youngest duelist' face. "Close your eyes, young one," the Pharaoh commanded gently. "This is too much Light for one such as you to handle. Let me help."
Yusei flinched when the Pharaoh began to glow as well. Or was it not-glow? A darkness that was a stark contrast to the alternate Yugi's light grew like an inky halow around the Pharaoh's body. As Yusei watched, the dark halo seeped over the Pharaoh's skin and onto Judai's from where the Pharaoh's hands touched him. For some reason, it disturbed him in a way he couldn't explain.
"With this," the alternate Yugi declared in a voice as cold and soft as a winter sun that drowned out all other sound and yanking Yusei's attention back to his light, "I declare this Shadow Game null and void. So says the King of the Shadow Realm and Earthbound Shadow Kingdom. Now dispell this evil place and take us to the Realm of Light!"
A pulse of blinding light exploded outward from the alternate Yugi's body and the Malefic World Field Spell melted into away. When it faded away, Yusei and everyone present were surrounded by a city of white marble surrounded nestled in a narrow pass between two great mountains overlooking a sapphire sea. Sunshine, birdsong, and the distant white noise of the ocean filled the fresh air with life. It brought with it a sense of freedom and serenity that was so intense it ached.
"I must be losing my mind," Yusei said softly. "Correct me if I'm wrong but... We weren't in the mountains before this whole shindig began... Were we?"
"No," the Yugi who still sat next to him on the ground replied. The blue skinned woman who had been holding him was nowhere to be seen. "We weren't. But I know this place. It's the field spell Realm of Light. What in the world is going on?"
"Nothin' serious," Jounouchi said, coming over to squat down between Yugi and Yusei, sparing a worried frown for Judai who was still being comforted by the Pharaoh. "Jus some good ole fashioned payback, is all." He winked and suddenly Yusei questioned the serenity he felt.